Upload Gets A Season 3 Renewal From Prime Video
Prime Video has decided that the virtual afterlife is eternal: per Deadline, "Upload" is set to return for a third season. The sci-fi rom-com is a lovely satire set in a technologically advanced future where people can upload their consciousness right before death and live on in virtual bliss for all eternity. But because not even death can free people from the clutches of capitalism, bliss is only possible if you can afford the luxuries of your afterlife. Sounds fun, right? It certainly doesn't sound like the concept for a sci-fi horror flick! If it helps, the series comes from Emmy-winning writer Greg Daniels, a chief creative force behind beloved comedies like "The Office," "Parks and Recreation," and most recently "Space Force." Armed with Daniels and endless satirical possibilities, "Upload" is thriving. Amazon Studios' head of global television, Vernon Sanders said in a statement:
"'Upload' has become a bonafide hit that continues to be one of the most-watched comedy originals on Prime Video. The series continues to connect and provoke endless possibilities for the future of technology and humanity. With Greg [Daniels'] distinct comedic take along with the dynamic creative team and talented actors, they've made a globally relevant series which we're all incredibly proud to bring back another season for our customers."
Nothing connects people quite like the horrors of technology: audiences just can't get enough of 3D printed food, virtual babies the existential dread that comes with uploading your consciousness to a computer! ... Is it ironic that this show is created by Amazon's streaming service?
What lies ahead for Upload?
Believe it or not, despite presenting a terrifying picture of the future, "Upload" is absolutely delightful. The first season introduces app developer Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell), who abruptly dies in a self-driving car incident and finds himself "uploaded" into a digital afterlife. Thanks to his wealthy girlfriend Ingrid (Allegra Edwards), he can live on in the luxurious virtual reality of Lakeview, a totally uncomplicated (read: inevitably disastrous) situation until he finds himself falling in love with his very alive customer service angel Nora (Andy Allo). Can love transcend death? That's just one of many questions Nathan hopes to answer, along with unraveling the grand conspiracy of how he actually died. Love triangles, miscommunication, and all the things that can go wrong in a romance absolutely do — but "Upload" has that extra special twist of taking place in a dystopic future with advanced technology. Set up like a sitcom, the series features increasingly hilarious situations all while pondering life's biggest questions of death, loss, and love against all odds.
"Upload" premiered back in 2020 and, because of the whole global pandemic situation, returned for a second season after a 22-month hiatus. Thankfully, the wait for season 3 should be considerably shorter because Greg Daniels and his writers got back to work ahead of the series renewal news. As Daniels said to Collider earlier in the year, COVID-19 wasn't the only reason "Upload" took its time to return. Daniels explained, "so much visual effects work makes the post process very long. So they really want to get on it so season three can happen as quickly as we can make it happen." It takes time to transform Robbie Amell into a Minecraft block man, but at least the visual gags make "Upload" worth the long wait.
The first two seasons of "Upload" are available to stream on Prime Video.