Prime Video’s The Peripheral Avoids The Problem That Ruined The Matrix And Westworld

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A new Prime Video show released in 2022 drew comparisons to both The Matrix and Westworld. However, it cleverly learned from the mistakes of those earlier series. The Matrix sequels became overly complex, and Westworld posed mysteries that dragged on and ultimately weren’t very rewarding when resolved.

Prime Video’s The Peripheral learned a key lesson that shows like The Matrix and Westworld missed: complicated storylines only work if they truly matter to the plot. While The Peripheral is complex – it has many different elements and takes time to understand – its complexity feels necessary. Like The Matrix, it asks big questions about what’s real, and it shares Westworld‘s intricate plot and advanced technology. Combining these ambitious sci-fi ideas is a challenge, but this eight-episode series successfully delivers.

Above all, The Peripheral prioritized a clear storyline, despite its complex science fiction elements. The show was rich with detail but never got lost in its own world-building. This made it incredibly smart and engaging without being overly complicated for viewers.

Where The Peripheral’s Story Would’ve Gone In Season 2

In February 2023, the show The Peripheral was picked up for another season. Unfortunately, that second season never happened because Prime Video canceled it, a decision influenced by the SAG-AFTRA strike. This was disappointing for viewers, as the first season ended with a cliffhanger and several unanswered questions. Although the initial run resolved many of the main mysteries, a scene after the credits hinted at even more to come.

The confrontation between Flynne Fisher (Chloë Grace Moretz) and Cherise Nuland (T’Nia Miller) led to Flynne making a selfless choice to protect her ‘stub.’ However, the fight between the good and bad guys wasn’t truly finished, as hinted at in a scene after the credits. This scene showed Lev Zuboov (JJ Feild) receiving orders from the Klept to tie up any remaining problems. While the Klept weren’t central to the first season of The Peripheral, their importance became clear.

Now that Flynne and her loved ones are a target for the Klept, they’re expected to be more central to the story in the upcoming season, especially as the Klept’s power is challenged. We’ll likely see Lev’s father appear, as he was absent from the first season. Also, with Flynne’s deal with Lev broken due to her mother’s health issues, she’s now free to pursue the oligarch and the leader of the Research Institute.

Wilf Netherton (Gary Carr) and Lev had a friendly, working relationship – Wilf followed Lev’s instructions and stayed in his favor. But after discovering Lev was responsible for his family’s murder, Wilf would likely no longer obey him and would instead seek revenge, as shown in the second season of The Peripheral.

How The Peripheral Picks The Best Parts Of Westworld & The Matrix

One of the strengths of The Peripheral was its ability to explore complex ideas – like artificial intelligence, a bleak future, virtual reality, and how we interact with technology – within a relatable story. While rooted in hard science fiction, the series focused on the bonds of family and friendship. Unlike Neo’s quest for truth in The Matrix, Flynn’s journey was driven by a desire to save her family from danger.

As a fan, I really appreciated how The Peripheral felt as big and thought-provoking as shows like Westworld, but without getting bogged down in a needlessly complicated history or losing steam as it went on. It clearly took inspiration from The Matrix with its idea of virtual worlds, but thankfully skipped all the heavy philosophy. It felt like the creators understood what made those other shows special and managed to capture that magic in a way that was much easier to follow and just…better paced.

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2026-04-26 03:28