Philip K Dick Electric Dreams – Episode 3 is the third instalment in the scifi anthology series based on the short stories of the iconoclastic scifi writer. As we have mentioned before, the problem with Electric Dreams is that it has issues adapting the original Philip K Dick short stories.
And while the original “The Commuter” was all about alternate timelines colliding with one superseding the other – there is something else at work in this adaptation.
We respect the theme that writer Jack Thorne covers in his adaptation viz. the conflict that faces Ed Jacobson (the excellent Timothy Spall) in relation to the negative impact his psychopathic son Sam (Anthony Boyle) has on his life.
However, the story still needs to at least have some sort of internal logic. The non-existent Macon Heights is brought about somehow by Linda (Tuppence Middleton), the daughter of the town planner, as some kind of ‘happy’ place, where what might have been, comes true. Why should reality alter whenever Ed returns from Macon Heights?
That happens in the original short story but as a sign that the alternate realities are merging – how is Linda able to affect reality outside of Macon Heights? It’s all rather confusing.
Which makes Philip K Dick’s Electric Dreams – Episode 3 another disappointing episode, at least story-wise. Only redeeming quality has to be Spall’s awesome performance.
Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
… still there’s more …