We were all zapped by the fantastic first season of the dystopian after-life-based series, “Upload.” It is a series based on the idea of “uploading” yourself and your mind on a server after your death. Nathan Brown, a former engineer who dies in a car crash, is “Uploaded” to an afterview called “Lake View” by his neurotic and controlling girlfriend, Ingrid. He meets Nora, one of the customer care representatives, “Angel,” who has been assigned to look after him and his stay in “Lake View.” Nora and Nathan soon start falling for each other, but their love story is cut short by a conspiracy at large, and Ingrid soon realizes she will stop at nothing to win Nathan back.
‘Upload’ Season 2 Review:
“Upload” Season 2 picks up where Season 1 left off. Instead of the 10-episode season, “Upload” season 2 is shortened to just 7 episodes. Ingrid has joined Nathan in “Lake View” after uploading herself. We are also introduced to how “Big Tech” and “Capitalism” are planning to take over even the afterlife. Nora is now a member of a big anti-capitalism group that operates like a cult called the “Ludds.” However, “The Ludds” are not non-evil as well, as we see as the series progresses. However, the “Ludds” want to get inside the Lake View servers and read into the memories of the residents. Nora is accompanied by her dad, who drops her off at the “Ludds” in order to keep her safe from the people who killed Nathan.
Nathan and Ingrid are a couple, even though he is still very much in love with Nora. Nora also tries to move on from Nathan by getting involved with a fellow “Ludds” named Matteo. Nora, who is now living with a group with no access to the outside world or technology, has to teach fellow residents about writing and sending letters to loved ones like in the olden days.
Back in Fairview, Ingrid is trying hard to convince Nathan to have a baby and even goes behind his back to get one. She fails at raising a digital child when an “angel” gives her a digital baby on a trial basis. In another plot, we find out that Ingrid has been lying about being “Uploaded” and is, in fact, alive and is using the same hugsuit as the Horizon employees to communicate and be close to Nathan. As for the previous season’s death, an NYC Cybercrimes Officer is on the case and believes it was a homicide.
Nora, however, working as an undercover spy for the “Ludds,” goes back to Horizon and gets back to “Lake View” as an Angel. She soon realizes the larger conspiracy at hand and that Nathan could have possibly been murdered and not died in a car crash. Nora also realizes that the Freeyond situation from the previous season is now linked to politics. Since uploaders can’t vote, the stores are only placed in swing states like Florida, which would basically mean that the election results could very well be manipulated.
We find out how Ingrid has been trying to grow back Nathan’s body and keep it for herself in a bid to find true love and be with Nathan forever. However, Nora and Nathan join forces and plan to steal Nathan’s body so they can pass the retina scan of “Freeyond” and enter the NeckGen building. To their surprise, they see Ingrid talking to Nathan’s body. In another instance, it is also revealed that Ingrid is cloning Nathan’s body.
Nathan and Nora finally reunite, but the next morning we see Nathan waking up with his nose bleeding. In “Upload” season 1, it was revealed how the scientists who were trying the “Download” upgrade on pigeons ended up with the heads of the pigeons being blown into smithereens.
What Does The End of ‘Upload’ Season 2 Mean?
Nosebleeds are never good, not even in the afterlife. Nathan now downloads into his regrown old body to reunite with Nora and uncover Freeyond’s plan. Freeyond, which was founded by David Choak and Oliver Kannerman, has plans to ensure that low-income households and poor people can “upload” into the afterlife for free and live a carefree life, as opposed to “Lake View,” which targets only the rich and famous.
However, Nathan and Nora know there is more to it than just letting it upload for free. It was Kannerman who had stolen the ideas from Nathan before his death. His nosebleed could certainly mean that he hasn’t fully transferred to his regrown body and that it is only a matter of time before his head explodes. The wealthiest people in Lake View have also been trying this method of regrowing their bodies after death and coming back to life instead of simply “uploading” their memories and consciousness to afterlife services like “Lake View.”
Nathan, who’s back in the regrown body, is now vulnerable to both Choak and Kannerman’s plans and their aims to control the world. While there has been less knowledge on the scientists experimenting at the research facility, it chooses to remain how many other crucial people from Lake View are planning to regrow their bodies.
Season 3 would further explore what happened to Nathan as season 2 ends on a cliffhanger with him waking up with a nosebleed. It would be intriguing to see what would happen to Nathan now that he’s been downloaded. Is he dead, or is he back from the dead and fully alive? What would happen to Ingrid’s plans to clone Nathan’s body? Would we get to see more than one Nathan in season 3? How would Nora and Nathan navigate through Horizon, Freeyond, and other afterlife technologies that have sinister plans for world dominance?
There are many such crucial questions that arouse our curiosity and would be hopefully answered in Season 3.
What Worked & What Didn’t In Season 2?
There was almost a two-year gap between season 1 and season 2 owing to the pandemic, but nevertheless, it is one heck of a binge-worthy show. The series deals with the subtle philosophy of letting go of loved ones and that holding them back after their deaths hurts them more than us.
We were delighted to see Nathan and Nora back together, and their chemistry set the screen on fire. We also see a slightly humane side of Ingrid, who, clearly, after being ignored by her family, desperately wants to seek love and be with Nathan at all costs. The series also gives an insight into how Nathan’s death might actually be a murder and how the tech giants could have had a hand in it.
Robbie Amell and Andy Allo as Nathan and Nora look fantastic together, and both have done a fantastic job playing their characters. We also liked how Allegra Edwards plays the neurotic and controlling Ingrid with such ease. A lot of comic relief was brought this season by Zainab Johnson and Kevin Bigley as Aleesha and Luke, respectively. Their repertoires are to watch out for in season 2. Robbie and Andy get the most screen time in the series, and it is interesting to see how both of them are part of corrupt technology, trying to beat it at its own game and even expose the ugly side of it.
“Upload” Season 2 also throws light on the dark side of technology and capitalism and how, ultimately, they try to control the lives of common citizens. This season we are introduced to regrown bodies, downloading, digital babies, and cloning. This is chosen to be the highlight of the show as it demonstrates how, in a bid to live forever and beat death, humans would try and misuse technology, which comes with selfish benefits and affects a whole lot of people.
Though season 2 was quite entertaining throughout, it had its flaws. We do understand how, due to the pandemic, season 2 was shortened, but the episode pacing seemed a bit too fast and abrupt. It almost seemed as if the makers were trying to pack season 2 with a lot of subplots, especially in episodes that are just 30 minutes long.
The production quality, which was top-notch in season 1, has gone down considerably in season 2, and we only have the pandemic to blame. A lot of new characters were introduced in season 2, but they weren’t fully explored.
In totality, season 2 wasn’t as strong as season 1, and we were left with more questions than answers as the makers did try to rush through the entire season.
