‘Hello Tomorrow!’ Recap: ‘Your Brighter Tomorrow, Today’, ‘Great Salesmen Make Their Own Turf’, & ‘A Traveling Salesman Travels’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the series premiere of ‘Hello Tomorrow!’
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It is definitely safe to say… that we live in some bleak times right now. For there is uncertainty surrounding the future of the free world, courtesy of the return of elements we thought were eliminated from society years ago when the world stood up against them. Not to mention, there is constant worry about the state of the economy and our economic future. Plus, we just survived a global pandemic and are wondering if more troubles akin to that await us with the temperature of the Earth rising and to top it all off… echoes of the Soviet Union have returned and so have worries about a potential war we thought we left behind. 
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Which means… we are just searching left and right for ways to find hope at a time where it seems there is none and we are turning to unique ways to find it. For instance, we are doing our best to buy hope through items, vacations, and anything and everything that will give us moments of levity so maybe we can find the bright side in all these messes. Yet even that only offers temporary respite at best. Because how we find hope involves so much more, regardless of what anyone tells us… or tries to sell us… and well, how we find sustainable hope is top of mind today, because it is going to serve as the focal exploration of the brand-new Apple TV+ series, Hello Tomorrow!

A journey that this story begins to take us on, by plunging us into an alternate reality where the 1950s and the wonder of Americana never ended, and everything we’ve ever wanted is finally at our fingertips. So, if you want to fly to work to via a jetpack, you can. If you want the latest hovercar, it is at your fingertips. Because in this America, technology and innovation bring people hope. Hope for a better tomorrow and a hope that they can have anything they want… even a house on the Moon. Which is what the company Brightside specializes in, and no one more believes more in its mission of offering a hopeful fresh start than Jack Billings. The lead salesman at this company who can convince anyone… to sign up for a chance to see the world from a lunar perspective and find hope in the process. But when we catch up with Jack and his team in this three-part series premiere, a return to a town that had a profound impact upon Jack years ago… will change his beliefs on hope and his mantra toward life. 

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Which at first glance, is a plot that seems heavily grounded in science fiction concepts and facing one’s past. Wherein there is little about hope and how we find it and sustain it, and therein lies the brilliance of this series. For this premiere, sucks you into a world that you’ve never seen on television before, filled with characters that are equally as unique, and traveling with the team and learning about what they’re selling and pondering upon whether or not their product is real… thanks to some fascinating moments… makes you comfortable and allows for the show to surprise you with a stunning revelation. Because once we settle into Jack’s old stomping grounds, we come to learn everyone in this story is searching for something and they are hopeless and lost in this world where things don’t fill the void, they just fill the moment.
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That in turn… sets up the fascinating exploration in question. One that ponders upon the power of hope, since Jack sells it well and truly believes that he is doing a service by giving people what they want, all while also pondering upon the horror of hope. Since it quickly becomes obvious that a time share with Brightside won’t fix anyone’s problems, won’t make the world a better place. It is just another thing being consumed to fill a void that requires real work to fill. Which is what makes this premiere so powerful. Because it gently informs us that we are going to be privy to a grand journey as to how we find real hope, and how that journey is unique to every person out there. For we all believe in different things and want different things out of life, and it will be fascinating to see what the team truly needs to inspire hope in their own lives and what will inspire Jack to find his own brand of hope, instead of trying to create it by giving it to others.

Which makes this… a powerful and cerebral series. One that is going to dig deep into some powerful topics beyond hope as well. Since there are hints of discussions to come regarding family’s role in this broken world, and what responsibility means in this day and age. Plus, the power of honesty and well, that’s precisely what we need on television right now. Because we’re all looking for answers to those conundrums, and we’re all looking for our own hope for tomorrow and if we can learn from Jack and his team as to what might look like, perhaps we can find it too. If anything, this is going to be a shockingly unique series for certain, one that is refreshing and moving, courtesy of the stunning acting present here from the wondrous cast… and it truly will be interesting to learn a little more about ourselves and the good people that make up Brightside, as this magnificent and original series continues its journey through the world of hope. Until next time.

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