The Peripheral Season 1 Ep 5 is the fifth instalment of a 2022 American science fiction cyberpunk drama streaming television series executive produced and created by Scott Smith. Produced by Amazon, it is based on the 2014 book of the same name written by William Gibson. Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy serve as executive producers, along with Athena Wickham, Steve Hoban, and Vincenzo Natali.
S P O I L E R S
Entitled “What About Bob?”, The Peripheral Season 1 Ep 5 represents the beginning of the second half of this season one and yet we find the series still stuck in the rut of perpetual transition. Running on the spot for yet another chapter is simply unacceptable as nothing happens here to advance the narrative forward at all. While we accept this in the previous instalment, having episode 5 (of a 8-part season) also standing still is just boring and tedious.
The bulk of The Peripheral Season 1 Ep 5 concerns Bob the Butcher, a retired assassin hired by the Research Institute (RI) to kill Flynne. Now, there have been attempts on Flynne’s life in the previous instalments so why belabour this plot point, and in such detail? The story does move forward at all and we as the audience feel utterly suspended. Sure, the action sequences are well executed but so what? Is that all this series is about? Surely not.
READ OUR ANALYSES OF THE PERIPHERAL.
To be fair, if nothing else, the murder attempt brings home to Flynne that inaction is no longer an option and she needs to be proactive to safeguard herself and her family from the future. That said, it’s not clear exactly what she hoped to achieve with her incursion into RI territory in her polt. As with previous episodes, there is a violent ending which seems to serve as empty spectacle only as Flynne’s polt completely decimates Cherise (also inhabiting a polt) but isn’t it all simply posturing then? Hmm. Three episodes left, something more needs to be done to prevent The Peripheral from becoming another book adaptation dud.
Watch The Peripheral on Amazon.
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