Philip K. Dick was a prolific
science fiction writer, and many of his novels and short stories have been
adapted into movies, though mostly in a loose manner. Some of these are Blade Runner, Total Recall,
Minority Report, Next, Paycheck, and The Adjustment Bureau. Meanwhile, his novel The Man in the High Castle (I haven’t seen this yet) has been
recently adapted into a TV series. In
addition, films like Inception, Source Code, The Truman Show, The Matrix,
and 12 Monkeys had also supposedly been
influenced by his works. He is probably the most adapted science fiction
author of all time.
Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams, or just Electric Dreams for short, is basically an attempt to utilize some
of Philip K. Dick’s short stories to produce an addicting, provocative,
jaw-dropping science fiction anthology TV series like Black Mirror. The term “Electric
Dreams”, by the way, is obviously taken from the title of the Philip K. Dick
novel Do Androids Dream of Electric
Sheep?, which served as the basis for the classic science fiction film Blade Runner.
Does it succeed? Well, like Dimension 404, Electric
Dreams doesn’t take the “modern Twilight
Zone” crown from Black Mirror. As a whole, it doesn’t reach the same
heights. And, generally, it’s a bit more
sentimental and doesn’t rely too much in delivering a strong plot twist. This isn’t necessarily a negative thing, but this
does lessen the show’s edge.
Overall, I don’t think Electric Dreams has any terrible episodes. Every
installment looks good and is well-acted, and even when its narrative fails to be
utterly rewarding, there are always interesting and entertaining things to be
found in it. However, those in the
bottom of the barrel – though not lacking of redeeming qualities, as I’ve said
– are quite forgettable and underwhelming in the end. On the other hand, thankfully, those in the
cream of the crop are quite striking and worthwhile.
With that in mind, here are my
rankings of the ten episodes, from least to best (by the way, I will be using the
series’ original episode sequence instead of its Amazon Video arrangement):
Episode 10: “The Father Thing”
Synopsis: 11-year-old Charlie (Jack Gore) is very close with his
father (Greg Kinnear), as they bond through camping and baseball. One night, they witness glowing orbs falling
from the sky, which are reported in the radio news as meteorites. But later, after seeing a strange, disturbing
scene, Charlie believes that someone – something
– has replaced his father.
Again, this is not necessarily a
terrible episode. But it doesn’t have
anything to make it remarkable. It’s
exactly the hackneyed Invasion of the
Body Snatchers-type story that it is at first glance. There are no surprises. It’s unfortunate that this is the last
episode because, for being the worst one, it brings the series to a whimpery
end. It’s probably why this episode is
sandwiched by better episodes in the Amazon Video listing.
Episode 6: “Human Is”
Synopsis: The year is
2520. Earth is now called “Terra”, and
humans are in war with energy beings called Rexorians. After a deadly mission to acquire essential
resources, decorated military commander Silas Herrick (Bryan Cranston) returns
home a radically changed man for the better.
Formerly abusive to his wife, mission director Vera Herrick (Essie
Davis), he becomes more loving, kind, and thoughtful to her. But just as their toxic marriage is beginning
to heal, a military trial threatens to destroy it.
It’s sappy and predictable. However, in a certain perspective, it can get
heartwarming. Plus, Bryan Cranston’s ranged
performance is incredible.
Episode 4: “Crazy Diamond”
Synopsis: Ed Morris (Steve Buscemi) is a scientist that works on a
company that creates synthetic humanoids.
In order to put emotion, intelligence, and consciousness into them, they
need to be injected with “quantum consciousness” – essentially the humanoids’
“souls” – which also dictates how long their lives will be. He is approached by an expiring humanoid named
Jill (Sidse Babett Knudsen), and recruits him for a heist – promising a yield
of great rewards and escape.
I like how weird this episode –
or, rather, its world – is. It has a
couple of fascinating elements. But, all
in all, it fails to perfectly sustain my interest.
Episode 2: “The Impossible Planet”
Synopsis: Brian Norton (Jack Reynor) and Ed Andrews (Benedict Wong)
are tourist guides for a space sightseeing company. One day, a 342-year-old woman named Irma
Louise Gordon (Geraldine Chaplin), accompanied by her robot assistant RB29
(Malik Ibheis), commissions them to take her to Earth, as she wishes to
personally set foot on the planet that her grandparents had lived in and
vividly recounted to her. With the hefty
sum she’s offering them, Norton and Andrews are unable to refuse. The problem, however, is that Earth has been
already destroyed many years ago. Thus,
the two proceed to conduct an elaborate con.
This is a story that can get
heartfelt and intriguing for some. It
did for me, at times. But, overall, it
didn’t quite make sense to me. The
ending is absurdly romantic and undeservingly vague. I think there’s only one sensible
explanation for it – SPOILERS: Brian and Irma die, but before they do, they hallucinate
the last scene or it’s simply a flashback to Irma’s grandparents when they were
younger and still living on Earth – but if that is so, it feels dumb and
pretentious.
Episode 8: “Autofac”
Synopsis: In a post-apocalyptic future, civilization has been wiped
out by a nuclear war. However, a
corporation called Autofac is still being run by automated, AI-controlled machines, manufacturing
and delivering consumer products to non-existing customers. As a result, worthless packages litter the
surface and fumes from the factories pollute the air, making the situation
terribly inconvenient for a small community of human survivors. However, a young woman named Emily (Juno
Temple) has developed a plan to infiltrate Autofac and shut it down once and for
all.
Among all episodes, this is the
one that has the kind of “gotcha” plot twists that The Twilight Zone and Black
Mirror are known for. It’s a
startling, somewhat amazing plot twist – er, plot twists. Unfortunately, I don’t think the story
leading toward it (them) is adequately strong to pair with it. Still enjoyable though.
Episode 3: “The Commuter”
Synopsis: Life is tough for railway worker Ed Jacobson (Timothy
Spall). When a young woman named Linda
(Tuppence Middleton) asked for a ticket to “Macon Heights” – a destination that
Ed doesn’t know about and even doubts exists – his curiosity gets the better
of him and he himself seeks the place out.
Soon, he finds this mysterious Macon Heights – a picturesque, enchanting,
and cheerful village that can seemingly wipe away any problem.
The premise is a bit of a
cliché. But it’s a very noteworthy
episode due to the powerful, toothy performance of Timothy Spall and its
powerful, piercing message.
Episode 5: “Real Life”
Synopsis: Sarah (Anna Paquin) is a cop in the future who is
suffering from PTSD. To relax, she immerses into a virtual reality in which she lives the life of George. Meanwhile, George (Terrence Howard) is the
genius CEO of a 21st century tech company who is dealing with severe
emotional trauma after his wife was murdered in a horrible, public manner. To relax, he immerses into a virtual reality where
he lives the life of Sarah. Thus, it
becomes difficult for Sarah/George to determine which between the two realities
is the true one.
This episode is one heck of a
mindf**k. The premise is very
intriguing, and the storytelling succeeds in challenging your inferences. Answers seem to be obvious, but it manages to
plant doubts on your mind that shakes your confidence on their certainty. As an effect of this, it gets pretty
absorbing and cerebral. Moreover, this
episode has the extremely gorgeous Lara Pulver, Sherlock’s Irene Adler, in it.
I really missed her.
Episode 9: “Safe and Sound”
Synopsis: In the near future, the United States is a dystopia
divided between technologically savvy “safe cities” and the “bubbles”,
Midwestern communities that scorn Orwellian technologies, as people from the
latter are marginalized and treated with suspicion by the paranoid people of
the former. An activist named Irene Lee
(Maura Tierney), along with her daughter Foster (Annalise Baso), moves to the big city
to conduct a year of negotiating on behalf of the “bubbles.” While Irene is so
busy with her political crusade, Foster has a tough time adjusting in her new
school and social environment.
Among all episodes, “Safe and
Sound” has the darkest and most impactful ending. And it has a narrative that satisfyingly earns
such ending. It has a couple of insights
to offer, but above anything else, it illustrates how emotionally vulnerable people
can be systematically manipulated to serve as a propaganda tool or do
destructive deeds or worse.
Episode 1: “The Hood Maker”
Synopsis: In a grimy, run-down future, a minority of humans have
developed telepathic powers. Referred to
as “Tweeps”, they are mistrusted and persecuted by non-telepathic humans or “Normals.” When telepathy-proof masks begin rapidly
popping out across the city, a Tweep named Honor (Holliday Grainger) assists Agent Ross
(Richard Madden) to find their mysterious maker, who goes by the name of “Hood
Maker.”
As the first episode of the
series, this effectively hooked me. I
expected that the next nine episodes would be greater (unfortunately, that
wouldn’t exactly be the case). It’s a
very riveting procedural-type story with some decent amount of social
commentary and romance sprinkled on top.
But, most importantly, it blew me away for having the most original take
on telepathy in recent memory.
Episode 7: “Kill All Others”
Synopsis: In the near future (another futuristic Electric Dreams setting), North America
is a single nation called “MexUsCan” (obviously taken from Mexico, USA, and
Canada), the presidential election only has a single candidate, video
advertising pops out everywhere (even inside one’s home), surveillance is
rampant, and almost everything is automated.
In this Orwellian world, Philbert Noyce (Mel Rodriguez) works as a Q.A.
worker, which he thinks is an unnecessary job anyway. One day, during a televised speech by the
unopposed Candidate (Vera Farmiga), he hears her fleetingly mention “kill all others” while
the words flash on the screen. Philbert
is shook, but most seem to not notice this.
This is simply a brilliant
episode. It has a lot to unpack. But, at its core, it compellingly explores
how a surveillance-heavy, authoritarian state would use consumerism and media
manipulation to either brainwash or promote apathy among the citizens. In addition, by relating with Philbert’s
plight, it shows the frustration and difficulty that a discerning,
thinking individual feels when others are blind to the truth even though the
truth is hiding in plain sight. And the
episode manages to emphatically hit home with its messages because the kind of
future it paints is, well, very close to home – it’s a believable trajectory of
where our world is going, considering its current state.
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