Fuck You and Eat Shit
In the year 2028, in the Texas Outback, a dog is stuck in a wired fence, howling for help. Burton and his team discuss whether or not to help it. ..
Burton wants to shoot the dog because they received intel that it was using injured animals as bombs. The others are not convinced and Conner disagrees. Conner runs out to help the dog anyway, but when he cuts the wires, he sees that the dog is armed with a bomb. As it blows up, Conner screams awake in the present.
Beatrice tells the woman that she knows about the murder and that she is the one who solved it. The woman is surprised and grateful to Beatrice, who tells her that she has been following the case closely. The woman asks Beatrice if she can help her with anything, and Beatrice says that she is happy to help.
Tommy Clanton is trying to find out what caused his car accident, but he is unable to do so without the permission of the authorities. Sheriff Jackson arrives and tells Tommy that he needs to take paid leave and get some rest. He advises Tommy to control the fire in his belly. After Tommy leaves, he sees a pair of feet in one of the bathroom stalls. The shoes are similar to the ones he saw at the site of his car accident. ..
Wilf and Flynne discuss Cherise’s confrontation with them on a busy street in London. They are surrounded by people, but when Flynne wonders why the people seem to stay away from them, Wilf tells her it is an augmentation made by the R.I. Flynne moves her fingers the way Wilf shows her and all the people disappear. He says it is meant to be a mood enhancer. She does the same with the rest of her surroundings and sees several tall buildings vanish away while others lose their sleek appearance to show broken exteriors. If the R.I. can do this, FLynne wonders, what else are they hiding?
Wilf and Flynne head to meet the fabricators who made Aelita’s peripherals. Wilf found out about them through the chips he took from the peris. Flynne says Cherise claims she stole something. They wonder if Aelita found a way to download the stolen data in Flynne’s stub.
They reach a butcher shop where Wilf asks the man behind the counter for a toad-in-the-hole. He refuses at first. Flynne makes up a story about how she challenged the maker of her peripheral that she could find a better fabricator. The man rises to the challenge. He inspects Flynne’s peripheral and says he can do it, offering her retractable titanium nails. She asks if he can replace an eye with a human eye. The question sparks a fight between them. Flynne, impressively, takes down both him and his colleague. They ask him about Aelita. He claims the Neoprims are behind it."
Flynne asks Wilf if he knew Aelita was a Neoprim. He doesn’t answer. Flynne says she’s sorry.
In Clanton, Conner’s car breaks down and he can’t fix it. Someone calls Macon, who comes and helps him. Although Conner isn’t happy about it, he asks Macon about the technology the Fishers are using. He asks if he can live in the future with his body kept alive by tubes. Macon says his physical body wouldn’t take too kindly to that. ..
Lev Zubov’s house is where Ash builds peripherals for Conner and Burton. ..
Tommy is concussed and needs to rest. Dee Dee argues with him when he insists on going out and doing something. Tommy tells her he can’t run away from this.
Bob wakes up to find a metal collar around his neck. When he tries to attack Corbell, Mary uses a remote to activate the collar and give him an electric shock.
Since Conner has been suffering from nightmares, Leon persuades Conner to let him drain some off. They use the haptic technology to connect to each other and Leon takes on some of Conner’s pain. He experiences the flashbacks and doubles up from the pain, but it’s over in a few seconds and Conner seems peacefully asleep.
Inspector Lowbeer asks Dee Dee if she has found anything else. She says she has not, but she is going to continue her research. She asks if the police can help her with that. The inspector tells her that they can, but they need to be careful because of the bacteria. He tells her that he will be in London for a few days and he would like to speak with Lev and Wilf then.
Tommy tells Burton he was targeted and Bob is probably with Corbell Pickett. Burton gets angry and tells him to stay out of the way.
Sheriff Jackson shows Corbell the video from Tommy’s car. The sheriff explains that the video is evidence that Tommy was driving under the influence of drugs and that he should be arrested.
At their house, Mary tries to get Bob to talk since Corbell has promised her a car in return. Bob asks her about the water in a large fish tank nearby, which she says is fresh water. Bob sneaks a heavy paperweight behind his back and makes his way to the tank as they continue talking. He smashes the tank with the paperweight and water floods the room, knocking them down. When Mary tries to shock him, Bob grabs her leg and she gets hit by the electric shock too. A few seconds later, Bob’s eyes open. ..
Inspector Lowbeer tells Zubov that he can be arrested for his presence at the murder sight and that he can be executed in the next seven minutes. She proposes that they answer a few questions instead. ..
Burton visits Conner and gives him a box with a set of mechanical legs, made by the people from the future. He says Flynne has made him a few as well but he thinks it’s more for the comfort of others rather than him. They talk about Conner’s thoughts of suicide a few days after his accident, how he wanted Burton to help him but Burton couldn’t. Burton says he will think about giving Conner a permanent life in the future.
The detectives from London’s Central Division are here. They’ve told Inspector Lowbeer about a connection to the past, and she’s introduced them to Flynne. The episode comes to a close as they shake hands.
The Episode Review
Episode 6 of The Peripheral feels like it’s going in circles, with no real progress being made. The cat and mouse game seems to be going on for hours, but there’s not much happening in the background. By the end of the episode, it doesn’t feel like we’ve taken any steps forward.
Despite the flaws in this episode, it has some strong moments. Watching Leon take on Conner’s pain and flashbacks to make it easier for him throws new light on the haptic technology. On how it could be used to help and foster connection rather than invade boundaries and twist a person’s autonomy. Another moment was when Flynne was able to remove the RI’s augmentation and see London — the actual city in a state of disrepair — for what it really is. It says a lot about that world and how its polished veneer is just that, a façade.
These are some intriguing questions about reality that the show is bringing up. But unfortunately, the plot isn’t able to complement them. The Peripheral feels dragged at the end of the season.
The fight scene between Flynne and the two fabricators was a sight to see. It was choreographed perfectly and Flynne held her own throughout. In the end, I was smiling the same way that Wilf was.
