Upload (2020) s02e06 – The Outing

This episode very much does not feel like the penultimate episode of the season. Most of the episode is character development and relationship arcs, with Andy Allo and Zainab Johnson taking Robbie Amell and Kevin Bigley on a field trip to New York City. Despite it being the near future and there being human-to-AI conversion software—not to mention actual cloning—Allo and Johnson are still stuck with iPads hung around their necks with Amell and Bigley looking out.

The procedure makes little sense given the show’s technology—seriously, no one brings back Google Glass?—but it’s clearly just a way to keep Amell and Bigley present in scenes. It’s also nonsensical Allo—now a star bug hunter in the programming department—would be allowed to be Amell’s guide.

Those hurdles aside, it’s a pretty darn good episode. Allo and Johnson haven’t gotten to hang out much this season—most of their scenes are talking about boys no less—and their trip will bring some building issues to the fore. Johnson’s gotten multiple promotions and is shining in the company. She sees a future not requiring her to work two full-time jobs for a crappy studio apartment. Her experiences aren’t corresponding with Allo’s, who might not be a full-blown Lud revolutionary, but she and Amell are trying to rock the foundation of the digital afterlife thanks to the latest development in their murder investigation.

In the previous episode, Amell and Allo found out his odious rich guy neighbor (William B. Davis) had him killed for potentially witnessing something related to the freeware version of the digital afterlife. Suddenly, this freeware afterlife is opening in five days, meaning Amell and Allo have to rush to figure it out. Davis is downloading into a robot to go to a meeting in New York; Allo finds out, hence the field trip.

Meanwhile, Allegra Edwards has her post-virtual baby evaluation to see if she and Amell can have a “real” virtual baby, not the NPC version. But first, Edwards has to get through the evaluation with Josh Banday, Mackenzie Cardwell, and Owen Daniels. There are some great lines about Banday the incel. It’ll be another strangely touching arc for Edwards and entirely unreal AI guy Owen Daniels, one of the season’s most consistently successful subplots.

In the real world, Edwards also gets a visit from mom Teryl Rothery and brother Lucas Wyka, who are mean to her, but there’s a decent punchline to the whole season. Also, potentially some actual character development for Edwards. Though much like the iPad technology in the A-plot, Edwards needing to be evaluated for a paid software add-on seems a little unlikely.

Then again, when Allo and Amell discover Davis’s evil plan… it’s entirely based on current-to-2021 events. Though I suppose if “Upload” were more thoughtful about its future, the show wouldn’t rely so wholly on Amell and Allo’s charm together.

Good acting from Allo, Edwards, and Johnson. All of Amell’s scenes (until the end) are basically video calls, so he doesn’t have much to do. Ditto Bigley, who’s entirely support, though he gets some funny stuff and a decent, sincere moment for once.

And then the cliffhanger reveal’s a genuine shocker.

Upload (2020) s02e05 – Mind Frisk

After last episode teasing the return of Nathan and Nora (Robbie Amell and Andy Allo, respectively) chemistry, this episode delivers. The episode also works to disentangle them from their ill-suited love interests, with Allo having a potentially relationship-ending argument with her boyfriend, Paulo Costanzo. Costanzo’s thrilled at the success of their cyber-terror attack on the digital afterlife, and Allo’s not sure about deleting sentient data.

During their argument—which has some more great material with Josh Banday’s sex robot crushing on Costanzo—they have no idea what else their attack has wrought; as a direct result of the hack, the U.S. government (off-screen) has changed the law to allow the digital afterlife company to read the thoughts of its customers. And to put them up online if they’re spicy enough.

Spicy enough meaning Kevin Bigley’s sex dreams about Zainab Johnson are going to make her a real-world celebrity whether she likes it or not. The company’s thrilled with these changes to privacy laws, including Andrea Rosen, which makes her a lot less likable. Her cyber-peeping on Bigley has been one of the show’s running gags, but now she gets to more forcibly intrude on him (when she screen caps his showers now, he hears the snapping sound). It’s gross and ghoulish. “Upload” sometimes doesn’t seem to realize how unlikable it makes its regulars.

Once Allo finds out about the mind-reading upgrade, she realizes the bad guys will soon be able to discover Amell got his memories back. It’s particularly problematic since he was murdered for corporate espionage reasons, so they’ve got to work together to stop the mind-reading software from going live. Along the way, they’re going to flirt, be adorable together, and uncover another clue in his murder.

Amell has time to hang out with Allo all episode because girlfriend Allegra Edwards is busy raising one of the virtual babies. She hasn’t told Amell she’s doing it, and Karens her way through the interview process with Rosen. Throughout the episode, the virtual baby ages, always with some variation of AI guy Owen Daniels’s face. It’s creepy but amusingly.

It’s kind of a busywork plot for Edwards, but it’s amusing and eventually somewhat touching. The subplot also allows Vic Michaelis to do something besides being drunk and horny; Michaelis is Edwards’s (dead) grandma, living in the virtual afterlife too, and they have a scene talking about parenting.

This episode’s the first time Amell’s gotten to really do any character development in season two, which is nice—it’s a tad late (there are only two episodes left after this one), but it works out. Amell’s got so much more potential, as a character, with Allo around; with Edwards, the joke is he’s suffering her obnoxious behavior (and profound deceit), and—despite last episode apparently introducing depth to Bigley—there’s no character development with him around either.

With Allo, however, Amell gets to do some development. And it makes all the difference.

Upload (2020) s01e10 – Freeyond

After ignoring the initial A plot but actually the B plot because Robbie Amell and Andy Allo are cute for eight episodes, this episode’s almost entirely about the mystery behind Amell’s death. And his missing memories. The ones he didn’t find out about until halfway through the season but didn’t care about because… bad writing?

Except the show wants to do some big twists, starting with Amell waking up after—presumably—getting his memories back as a side effect of a system upgrade. Think there’s a chance a show like “Upload” would pull some twisty shenanigan so it can split Allo and Amell onto their own subplots for a while before bringing them back together.

Except it runs twenty-four minutes so it’s like three minutes of the show, maybe four. If Greg Daniels had just written it out, he might have given Allo and Amell something sincere to perform (so obviously not) but it’s frustrating how lazy “Upload” gets.

Though there is a lot of action this episode. Daina Reid directs. She does a good enough job given the constraints. See, it’s time Allo to be put in actual danger. Season finale only has nineteen minutes to go and the show has three big changes it needs to get set up.

Instead of doing anything with its first season, “Upload” has done a “totally different season two” setup. I didn’t see some of the twists coming—mostly because they’re all pretty terrible—but I’m still not exactly disappointed. I didn’t have any hope for “Upload” to get to a good place with this season or to get set up well for next season.

Amazon ought to cancel this one and put Allo and Amell in something else, something with better writing. Zainab Johnson ought to get her own show, however. Then you’ve got all the best pieces of “Upload” in at least not this project. Because it’s not a good showcase for Allo or Amell.

Maybe I did expect the season finale to be better.

Upload (2020) s01e09 – Update Eve

Turns out “Upload” is able to surprise me. This episode reveals the Horizon app where all the dead people live is getting an upgrade. Including having more than two seasonings, which is a heck of a long time into the show to reveal none of the digital dead people eating are tasting anything the viewer can imagine.

Of course, I shouldn’t have expected any episode-to-episode continuity—creator Greg Daniels is back to write the season finale two-parter, starting here—and we’re just now finding out reality can be upgraded. It’s like the season finale for a traditionally plotted sitcom season versus streaming tenner “Upload”.

Not only is the system upgrading, it’s also a chance for Robbie Amell to get his memories back because even though they’ve been stolen and hacked and erased, Andy Allo’s fairly sure if they break the rules and keep him awake during the upgrade, he’ll remember everything.

Everything like what? We still have no idea because the show’s done a laughably bad job establishing Amell’s supporting cast. So it’s going to be a surprise for the season finale. We’re just getting to that surprise, which involves Allo bringing causal sex partner Matt Ward to an office party no one had mentioned until this episode because of course they didn’t.

So Allo’s got to sneak around the office party to play with Amell on the computer while she’s supposed to be making out with Ward to keep boss Andrea Rosen from being suspicious (if Rosen were good, “Upload” would be a lot better, instead it gives her a bunch of time but no content). Meanwhile, Zainab Johnson is trying to convince her dead virtual ward—Kevin Bigley—to cheat on the Easter egg hunt for money.

They also don’t say Christmas in this future.

Because SJWs.

Because Greg Daniels is a rebel.

Anyway.

If “Upload” were good it’d be an Imagine Entertainment movie from the late eighties, like if Tom Hanks’s career went differently. Instead, it’s a middling, underdeveloped, underproduced—albeit occasionally charmingly casted. Hopefully it’ll get Johnson, Allo, and Amell better work in the future; and in that order only.

Upload (2020) s01e08 – Shopping Other Digital After-Lives

The episode opens with Robbie Amell getting Andy Allo in trouble for their relationship. Except she can’t let him know she’s in trouble so when she gets sent home… he assumes she’s still at work. Only it’s her boss, Andrea Rosen, who shuts him down. See, he’s ready to commit to their romance.

He gets so upset at the rejection, he decides he’s going to leave the afterlife he’s in and shop around. He never wants to see Allo again. Also there’s the whole “fiancée Allegra Edwards pays for Amell’s afterlife and he wants to be independent” thing, which gets a lot of talk but never figures into much.

Until Edwards finds out Amell has left the afterlife of her choice and she teams up with Allo—who’s flown across the country (only a half hour though, right)—to let Edwards know about Amell “checking out.” So they confront his mom, Jessica Tuck, and try to get everything sorted out.

Even though there’s some shady person following them.

Sadly there’s no subplot involving Zainab Johnson. Instead it’s just Edwards, who’s not good, and Tuck, who’s not good. Edwards messes with Allo, Tuck messes with Amell. All the show ever tries to have going for it is Amell and Allo being cute together, looking like catalog models. Well, unless it’s Johnson. Then it seems to know it can do more.

But this episode isn’t just thin, it’s thin for “Upload.” It’s memorable because of the character team-ups, but we never really get to see anything interesting. When Allo starts perving on real-life and dead for a while now Amell’s clothes? The show doesn’t know how to make Allo cute when she’s creepy.

Because the show doesn’t really know how to do anything.

For “Upload,” it’s an engaging episode. It just never delivers on the comedy or the romance. And it really just puts the latter in a “do-over” position… the episode’s fairly pointless overall.

“Upload” would do better with less episodes.

Upload (2020) s01e07 – Bring Your Dad to Work Day

As a streaming sitcom, filler doesn’t feel the same way in “Upload” as it does in a regular sitcom. “Upload” is not chasing that syndication deal, which in theory wouldn’t affect the A plot—dead guy Robbie Amell falling in love with his living virtual—actual—assistant Andy Allo—much but the B plot involving Amell being murdered and his fiancée Allegra Edwards somehow being involved… the B plot seems like it’d be important since there are only ten episodes.

“Upload” doesn’t worry about it, instead turning in a more traditional sitcom episode. It fits the basic trajectory—Allo’s dad, Chris Williams, is slowly dying from his vape cancer (despite occasionally reminding, favorably, to the future news in Robocop, “Upload”’s predictions are usually basic and desperate)—and Allo has Amell show him around the virtual afterlife because she wants Williams to meet her potential fella.

It’d be amazing if they’d gotten someone with some charm for the Williams part. Or if they’d gotten someone with some chemistry opposite Amell, instead of the pair in a very forced class and maybe race clash and it’s unpleasant. “Upload” doesn’t have the capacity to ask hard questions; it’s outside the scope, something show creator Greg Daniels probably ought to remind the writers.

Speaking of writers… this episode’s script is from Owen Daniels, one of the regulars. He plays the virtual world’s A.I. assistant. It’s never as funny as it ought to be. Interesting how Daniels doesn’t give himself anything significant to do in this episode, instead plays it straight and subjects us to way too much Williams.

Some big subplot items this episode too, but the funniest thing ends up being Zainab Johnson. As usual. She loses a customer’s flash drive or whatever—containing the person’s data—and has to find it or else.

Allo’s got her investigating subplot, which is… eh. Though it certainly seems like it’s going to get moving given a sabotage subplot.

Allo’s been fine on the show—very likable, sometimes cute—but she has to carry her scenes with Williams and does a fairly admirable job of it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t make the episode any better. It’s just nice to see her developing as an actor. Someone ought to get something out of “Upload.” Other than William B. Davis, relishing his performance as an eternal, ever evil Koch brother.

Upload (2020) s01e06 – The Sleepover

Just as Allegra Edwards gets a redemption arc—two of them in fact—dead but living in a virtual reality simulation fiancé Robbie Amell starts getting close to his actual (vs. virtual) virtual assistant Andy Allo. Amell and Allo confide in one another about their suspicions regarding the A plot, which doesn’t usually get a lot of attention in “Upload” because the scripts are poorly plotted but whatever.

It’s “Upload,” there’s never much heavy lifting. Like when we find out Allo’s dad, Chris Williams, who’s dying from vape lung (no one knew it was dangerous until it was too late) and doesn’t want to be uploaded because he’s a Ludd (Luddite) goes on VR excursions using a joystick controller like it’s 1992. Because he just has to do the VR thing so much. It’s a weird (read, thoughtless) character detail and it doesn’t help Williams still isn’t very good. He’s better this episode. But he’s not good.

Edwards, on the other hand, is closer to being good than she’s ever been. She hangs out with Amell’s niece, Chloe Coleman, and ends up forming something of a human connection.

It’s too obvious and Edwards is too thin, writing and acting–but it’s a nice change. Especially since the episode otherwise just wanted to make simultaneously unpleasant and obvious jokes about how rude Edwards’s family members are to her and Coleman. And how rude Edwards is to her family members. It’s “Upload” doing social commentary and it’s a fail.

Much better is Zainab Johnson and Kevin Bigley’s pure comedy subplot. It makes absolutely no sense as far as the show’s established technology but whatever. At least it’s amusing. Johnson’s great. The show wastes a lot of performances, but Johnson’s able to succeed in a way no one else in the cast can manage.

Allo’s got a subplot about dating living real guy Matt Ward, but it’s mostly time killer. “Upload”’s middling comedy is a big improvement over its flaccid melodrama.

Upload (2020) s01e05 – The Grey Market

Does “Upload” have a show bible the writers ignore—in this case Mike Lawrence, who at least writes a funny enough episode even if it completely breaks with the show’s established future logics-or does the show not have a show bible. Because it doesn’t lean heavy enough into the sitcom to not have its utterly broken reality not appear utterly broken.

And it manages to do it on multiple levels.

The Grey Market is where Robbie Amell takes fellow Upload (dead person’s consciousness uploaded to The Matrix ™) Rhys Slack to the shady digital app vendor spot. Where you can get unofficial patches and upgrades to your Upload avatar, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, but hey, it’s been long enough “Chappelle's Show” rips can be homage and not rips.

Slack is a kid—who fell into the Grand Canyon, making him a YouTube hit—whose parents keep him the same age as when he died even though he wants to go through puberty. It’s the foulmouthed kid trope, but at least it’s funny? This episode’s got more laughs than any other episode of “Upload.”

It also has a decided lack of Allegra Edwards, which works out. It shouldn’t be such a boon given the major reveal in the previous episode’s cliffhanger but Edwards is such a energy suck it’s better to skip the A plot than involve her.

Anyway. Amell’s babysitting Slack and Kevin Bigley—who oscillates from as bad as he seems to less bad than he seems—convinces him to go to the grey market so they can get hacks to go to the VR floors, where living people have avatars, and have virtual sex with real women… only without letting these real women know they’re dead guys.

It’s charming.

The episode does get to the right places eventually—surprisingly so—but it’s cheaply done. But also funnier than usual and without Edwards. Plus more Zainab Johnson, who’s at least good, even if her writing is thin.

Andy Allo’s got a subplot with her dad, Chris Williams, who’s nowhere near good enough in what should’ve been a stunt cast. But Allo’s effective even with the bad future setting writing.

And the cliffhanger is genuinely distressing.