Nick Offerman and Sonoya Mizuno star in a show about the bleeding edge of technology.
SUMMARY (Spoiler-Free)
Lily Chan (Sonoya Mizuno) is a computer engineer with her code-monkey boyfriend Sergei (Karl Glusman) at Amaya, a leading tech company founded by Forest (Nick Offerman). Sergei is offered a job opportunity at Devs, the top-secret quantum computer research and development division of Amaya. Devs is run by Katie (Alison Pill), a quantum physics prodigy, and staffed by Lyndon (Cailee Spaeny) and Stewart (Stephen McKinley Henderson), two technical geniuses.. However, after his first day, Sergei goes missing. Lily, suspecting foul play, starts to investigate Amaya and Forest, bringing in her ex-boyfriend Jamie (Jin Ha), and getting the two caught going down a rabbit hole that is bigger than anyone could have conceived.
END SUMMARY
First off, the acting in this is phenomenal. Nick Offerman’s character stands as a stark contrast to his longest-lasting role as Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation in all of the best ways. Forest is serious, he is depressed, he is brilliant, and he is focused on a relatable goal throughout the series, even though he may have done a lot of things that he shouldn’t have. He’s not funny, nor is serious in a fun way, like Swanson, even though you might expect the characters to seem similar. It’s genuinely impressive to watch how well he handles the emotions of a mentally broken tech billionaire. Similarly, Mizuno does a great job at playing a character whose emotions are always a little more in flux, due to her circumstances. She’s asking her ex-boyfriend to help her investigate a company over her current boyfriend, after all, and that’s never going to have a clearly defined emotional state.
Second, the design of Amaya and Devs is a perfect representation of the supposed blend of style and functionality that Silicon Valley always seems so proud of, while the team and project is a representation of the constant seeking of progress without thinking about the consequences that also tends to permeate Silicon Valley businesses. It’s a nice dig at the new Tech Industry culture while still valuing the constant advancements that they produce.
As it’s a miniseries, the pacing is excellent, and the story it tells is entirely wrapped up at the end. I’m sure some people will say it’s a little slow, but I think it’s done in a way that’s designed to give you time to think about some of the interesting concepts that the show explores about the nature of humanity and the possibilities of technology in the future. It gives an interesting solution to some of the biggest philosophical questions that we have faced over the last century, and indirectly some that we’ve had for much longer.
I recommend it to sci-fi fans and fans of dramatic shows alike. Or just people who like Nick Offerman in a lumberjack beard.
If you want to check out some more by the Joker on the Sofa, check out the 100 Greatest TV Episodes of All Time, Collection of TV Episodes, Collection of Movie Reviews, or the Joker on the Sofa Reviews.
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