‘The Peripheral’ Recap: ‘Jackpot’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘The Peripheral’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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One particular element that is critical to telling any good story, is making sure that we connect with the characters. For they are who we spend the most time with, in any particular tale, and if we cannot attach to some element of them or relate to them in any way, then this journey is nothing more than raw and forgettable entertainment. The kind that kills some time and nothing more and that’s not something that any storyteller really wants. They want to provide us with something memorable and powerful and that’s why so many know the importance of taking the time to really flesh out the characters and help us to see them for who they are and find that connection point, and that’s precisely why this week’s episode of The Peripheral on Prime Video is of note.
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For ‘Jackpot’ is a story that made the characters and what makes them tick, an outright priority through and through. So that we can begin that connection process and really come to understand these folks through and through. That is why this episode spent a lot of time exploring what made Wolf/Wilf the man that is he is today, and why he fights for a bigger cause and of course… the time we spent with him, helped us to understand that he is a genuinely good man. One that really does want to make a difference and perhaps avoid a real catastrophe through Flynne, and the character building and understanding didn’t just end with him. Since we also spent a lot of time with Flynne and Burton in this tale. Wherein we came to understand what this quest means to them and who they are as people.

As it turns out, they are truly individuals that are… lost and searching for purpose in life, and that’s a big reason why they game and why they love the digital frontier. Because in there, they have purpose and admiration and are more than the echo they are in the real world, and they are coming to understand that there is a grand opportunity here to be part of something special and do something special. Not to mention it was nice to see that they do love another and will go the extra mile to ensure the other’s safety. As evidenced by the medical surprises that Flynne went through in this tale and how Burton was at her side and eager to speak to her need to care for herself at every turn and well… all of these elements gave the audience exactly what they needed and really helped us to connect with these folks like never before.

Because up until now, it’s been about the world-building in this tale and immersing us within the strange dynamic between the past and future and that was rightfully still present here. Because this episode also had the opportunity to use the downtime present here to really explore why Flynne and her timeline is key to the future. Simply because… the reality that branching timelines exist, might help to prevent what happens in the prime timeline. Wherein disaster after disaster awaits humanity through horrible new pandemics and natural disasters and environmental collapses. Combined with social unrest and man-made disasters coming forth from that. And well… an alternate timeline might offer humanity a second chance, provided of course… everyone can get on the same page in this story, and that is of course… no easy task.

Since this is the first time that Flynne has had real answers come her way about anything regarding the future and of course… Lev has his own ideas about what this can do for him, and Cherise obviously has her own agenda. Giving rise to the real possibility of some new commentary on the horizon, the kind that dives deep into our inability to work together toward better causes and whether or not we can achieve such a feat. But while we wait to see if that is the case, and what the revelations about Stubs in this tale mean… we can celebrate one comfortable and warm tale. One that really did explore these characters like never before and made them worthy of the journey ahead and it will be genuinely interesting to see if this story is planning on doing any further intimate explorations in this manner, or if the action and the stakes are about to be amplified as we enter the back half of the story. Until next time.  

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