Prime Video’s Underrated 8-Part Sci-Fi Series Should’ve Streamed On A Rival Platform

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Prime Video is gaining recognition for its science fiction content thanks to successful shows like Fallout and The Expanse. However, The Peripheral, starring Chloë Grace Moretz, feels like a better fit for Apple TV. Despite a promising first season based on William Gibson’s novel, Prime Video unfortunately canceled the show, and it deserved a longer run.

Apple TV+ is known for taking risks with unique shows, while Amazon Prime Video generally focuses on established franchises that already have a large fanbase, like the popular action series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan starring John Krasinski. Prime Video has experimented with some interesting science fiction, but hasn’t fully supported these shows, and The Peripheral is a good example of this.

Prime Video’s The Peripheral Might’ve Had More Luck On Apple TV

Prime Video has canceled “The Peripheral” after its first season of eight episodes. While the show was initially renewed for a second season, that decision was reversed six months later. Although the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes were a factor, the cancellation aligns with Prime Video’s tendency to move away from shows with smaller audiences.

Although Fallout has gained popularity due to its actors and successful video game series, the quieter sci-fi Western Outer Range was cancelled after only two seasons. Tales from the Loop – a show based on a book that examines reality-altering technology – is very similar to The Peripheral. Since it hasn’t been renewed since its 2020 debut, Tales from the Loop is likely cancelled as well.

Apple TV, unlike some other streaming services, readily embraces ambitious and intricate science fiction. Shows like The Peripheral, with its focus on advanced technology, social issues, and different versions of the same person, seem perfectly suited for the platform that also created Severance. And Severance is just one example – Apple TV is quickly becoming a leader in innovative sci-fi television.

The fact that Apple TV+ is now making a series based on William Gibson’s Neuromancer really shows that The Peripheral didn’t quite succeed. Even though The Peripheral was cancelled after only one season, Apple TV+ is taking on another of Gibson’s cyberpunk novels. Like The Peripheral, Neuromancer is a futuristic, tech-heavy story set in a bleak world, and the new series has already been approved for ten episodes.

The Peripheral Didn’t Deserve To End After 8 Episodes

From the team behind Westworld, The Peripheral was a visually stunning and thoughtfully crafted sci-fi series. Chloë Grace Moretz gave a compelling performance as Flynne, and the show featured complex, well-developed villains thanks to the Research Institute. The action was exciting, and the opening titles were particularly memorable.

Canceling the show feels unfair, especially since there was so much potential left. While it did take some liberties with the original book, the show brilliantly brought the complex world of Peripherals, stubs, and koids to life in just eight episodes. It was engaging and easy to follow, even if you hadn’t read Gibson’s novel. The biggest disappointment is that the first season ends with a major cliffhanger, leaving viewers without closure.

It’s clear the team behind The Peripheral originally planned for the show to continue for many seasons. When William Gibson published Agency in 2020 – another novel set in the same universe – it expanded the potential storyline even beyond what was envisioned when the series was first announced in 2018. Everything suggested The Peripheral had the potential to be a long-running success.

Despite its cancellation, Prime Video initially believed in the potential of The Peripheral, renewing it for a second season. The fact that Apple TV is now adapting another novel by William Gibson highlights the strength of the original stories. Ultimately, The Peripheral was a good show that unfortunately didn’t find its footing, possibly due to being on the wrong streaming platform.

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2026-03-13 23:58