I came to Upload a bit slowly. I was lukewarm on its first season, enjoyed the second season, and now, with the series’ third season, I can officially call myself a fan of this quirky – and now pretty high-concept – Prime Video comedy series. When we last left our heroes, Nathan had been downloaded back into his body – managing to get through the process without having his head explode. Now the race is on for him and Nora to determine just who killed him, find the shady cabal behind the plot to take over his company and run it into the ground, and have some time to build their relationship in the real world before his new body runs out of juice. It’s a tall order, but one that ups the stakes over previous seasons.
However, the quest to determine just how Nathan ended up shuffling off the mortal coil is only a portion of what is covered this season. While Nathan and Nora are in the real world, there is still plenty going on back in Lake View. Ingrid is still VRing her way into the afterlife, continuing to claim that she has died – although this time it’s a copy of Nathan (replacing the missing Nathan) who still cares for her that she’s lying to (amazing how older copies of files can be re-uploaded into the system when needed). Aleesha finds herself mixed up in some of the shady corporate dealings around Lake View while she tries to get herself promoted. And then there’s poor Luke, still hung-up on a very not interested Aleesha, but still a genuine mensch to all those around him. Plenty of stories, plenty of laughs, and more than enough intrigue to keep the plot moving throughout the season.
But one of the best aspects of the season is how much surer the cast is in their roles this time around. Three seasons in, everyone knows the ins and outs of their characters – and they are able to find new shades within their personalities and arcs that keep the story flying while also taking the time to ensure that the characters have key moments of development as well. Allegra Edwards is particularly strong this time around as Ingrid, with the vapid heiress finally starting to move beyond her shallow make-up and exhibit some real emotional growth. And Edwards is great at finding the nuance and making sure we see Ingrid making the connections between who she was and who she is becoming. If you would have told me back in season one that Ingrid would become one of the show’s most compelling characters, I certainly wouldn’t have believed it. But here we are in season three and thanks to some stellar writing and Edwards’ excellent performance, I dare you not to find Ingrid’s journey this time around one of the best of the lot.
The story and characters feel more lived in this time around – the split between the real world and Lake View is also an easier balance to make, with Nathan and Nora’s story so anchored outside of the afterlife, while Aleesha, Ingrid, and Luke are fully realized and capable of carrying their own arcs out in Lake View. Now, not everything in the season works – the politics of uploads and the rules and regulations surrounding them are still a bit messy in the show (we could use a clear explainer beyond “uploads are owned by the evil corporate entity” to make the nuances the series is trying to tease out about corporate greed and worries around AI more concrete (all important beats to hit, but we could use a bit more focus if the writers want us to latch onto this element of the story). But when the series allows its characters the chance to carry the story, everything chugs along pretty perfectly.
It often takes shows a bit of time to find their footing – especially shows with higher concepts like Upload. But, after three seasons, Upload has really hit its stride and is absolutely one of the best shows Prime Video has in its arsenal. If you’ve been sleeping on this one, now’s the time to give it a look. You won’t regret it.
Season three of Upload premieres on Prime Video on October 20. All eight episodes of the season were provided for review.
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