Prime Video’s 8-Part Cyberpunk Thriller Series Is One Of Its Best

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Prime Video has created some excellent sci-fi shows since then, but its most thrilling cyberpunk series was unfortunately short-lived, only running for eight episodes. Science fiction television is in a strange place right now. While there’s a lot of good content, the genre’s long-term health is uncertain – notably, there are currently no Star Trek shows airing, which hasn’t happened since 2017.

Cyberpunk is currently very popular, with several highly anticipated shows coming to major streaming platforms. Prime Video’s Blade Runner: 2099 and Apple TV’s adaptation of William Gibson’s Neuromancer are two examples. Interestingly, despite this growth, Prime Video previously cancelled the well-regarded cyberpunk series, The Peripheral.

The Peripheral Was Prime Video’s Best Cyberpunk Series So Far

Released in 2022, The Peripheral is a television series based on William Gibson’s 2014 novel of the same name. The eight-episode show stars Chloë Grace Moretz, Jack Reynor, and Katie Leung, and follows Flynn Fisher, a gamer who discovers a connection to a hidden, alternate world. The story unfolds across two different time periods.

With its depictions of both a troubled 2032 and a devastated 2099, The Peripheral offered a thrilling and expansive sci-fi experience, much like the best cyberpunk tales. Unfortunately, the show was canceled after just one season, leaving its complex worlds underdeveloped and its story cut short.

I’m still so bummed that The Peripheral got cancelled! It really was a fantastic show, and I’m not the only one who feels that way – it still pops up on Prime Video’s trending lists all the time. It was a really gripping cyberpunk series with an amazing cast, and the world William Gibson created was just begging to be explored further. It’s heartbreaking that we didn’t get to see more of it.

The Peripheral’s Promising Sci-Fi Story Never Got A Chance

The quick cancellation of The Peripheral sadly demonstrated that even big-budget streaming series aren’t safe from being cut short. Directed by Vincenzo Natali (known for Splice and later episodes of The Last of Us season 3) and written by Scott B. Smith (who penned The Ruins), the show had the potential to bring the cyberpunk genre to a wider audience.

Like several other excellent but overlooked sci-fi shows on Prime Video, The Peripheral was canceled after just one season. While the show performed well and clearly attracted a dedicated audience, a second season doesn’t seem likely in the near future, despite its promising and captivating storyline.

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2026-04-02 21:08