REVIEW: Upload Takes Time Getting Started, But It Eventually Works Out the Kinks
From the mind of Greg Daniels, creator of The Office and Parks and Recreation, comes Amazon Prime Video’s new series, Upload. Upload centers on Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell), a young man who is uploaded into the afterlife, Lakeview, after dying in a tragic car accident. Lakeview is the after life for the rich where Nathan has everything he could want, aside from actual life. As part of his new world, he is assigned his personal angel, Nora (Andy Allo), a customer service representative who works for Upload.
Nora is alive and as Nathan’s angel, is tasked with ensuring he has everything he needs while staying at Lakeview. Lakeview seems like the place to spend the after-life, but as the series progresses Nathan and Nora realize there may be more to Nathan’s untimely death than first thought. As the pair makes their way through their new working partnership, they soon realize there may be something more between them, too.
The show takes a couple of episodes before it finds its groove and is worth sticking through to the end. New twists are added to the mix and the comedy feels less forced. The storylines flow better and the characters’ rapport becomes more natural. The secondary characters still need some fleshing out, but hopefully the show gets a second season to allow the writers a chance to work them out.
Robbie Amell is charming as the show’s lead, Nathan Brown. Nathan is not a character you really want to root for at the beginning of the series, but Amell makes it hard. You can’t help but cheer for him even though you know his pre-Upload self was kind of a self-centered butthead. As the season progresses Amell brings a loveable quality to the character.
He and Allo also are also a solid team onscreen. Allo plays off Amell extremely well, but it is her solo scenes that allow her to shine. Allo’s character faces her own challenges throughout the season from her family issues to her tenuous position at her company. Allo does an enjoyable job of working her way through them as Nora.
The first two to three episodes are definitely choppy and the storylines take a moment to really get going. But this show has an interesting, innovative concept and, like other Daniels’ shows, will soon have you laughing and your heart strings feeling a tug. Make it through those episodes and you’ll end up invested in the rest of the season. The final episodes will leave you already wanting to watch a second season, and the hope is one is soon confirmed so we’re not left wondering for too long.
Grade: B