Amazon Prime has slowly been building up its original content. It may not have as many original series as Netflix, but the shows that streamer picks to produce are very well done. Amazon currently has complex and intriguing dramas, comedies, mystery series and sci-fi shows available to stream. TV shows like The Boys, Fleabag, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Homecoming, and Good Omens are among Amazon most acclaimed and buzzed about programming. Amazon’s new Greg Daniels’ series Upload is hoping to join that list.
Upload follows Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell), who dies from a self-driving car accident. His girlfriend, Ingrid (Allegra Edwards), saves his consciousness by having him uploaded to the digital afterlife at Lake View. Along with his guide, a living woman named Nora (Andy Allo), Nathan explores the circumstances leading up to his death.
The first season of Upload built the foundation for the Lake View world, Nathan’s life and relationships, and started a very exciting path towards Season 2. The Upload Season 1 finale left us with plenty of loose ends. Let’s dig into some of our Upload lingering questions.
Warning: This post contains major spoilers about the Upload Season 1. Unplug if you haven’t finished the season yet.
Who Killed Nathan?
The most pressing question going into the next season is who killed Nathan? Over the course of Upload’s first season, we discover that someone may have murdered Nathan to keep him from developing a free or more affordable afterlife. Of course big businesses wouldn’t want competition like this out there, so it makes sense that someone would want him out of the way.
The Season 1 finale implied that Ingrid’s father, Oliver (Barclay Hope), may have been involved. However, the season ended with no concrete answers into the Nathan murder mystery. We also didn’t receive any confirmation about whether it was even a murder instead of an accident. I don’t think we’ll get any real answers about Nathan’s murder until at least the Season 2 finale, but I hope we start getting more info on it at the start of Upload’s next season (if there is one).
Is Ingrid Dead?
Upload ends Season 1 with Ingrid telling Nathan that she uploaded to Lake View to be with him. As far as we know, the only way to do that would be to die or commit suicide. Ingrid’s life doesn’t seem that great, and she seemed very dedicated to Nathan. Him breaking things off could have easily sent her spiraling into a dark place, which lead to a choice to end her living life.
Her father also basically declared war on her for altering the self-driving car’s setting. So maybe she thought that the only way to protect Nathan was to do it from within Lake View. However, this decision comes with a lot of problems, like how does she have enough money to support her afterlife? She was struggling to support Nathan. Now she won’t be working and her family seems likely to cut her off financially. The alternative possibility is that Ingrid (being part of the wealthy elite) knows another way to upload without death... an induced coma perhaps?
What Happens To Nathan And Nora’s Relationship Now?
Nora told Nathan that she loved him, and wanted to be with him despite everything. Nathan couldn’t respond because he used up all his data for the month. She left to go off the grid with her sometimes-lover Byron (Matt Ward). With Nathan and Nora not being able to communicate, and Ingrid being around Nathan all day, how will their romance progress?
If I had to guess, Nathan and Nora’s romance will remain at the heart of Upload, but we won’t get any major moments or declarations coming up. I definitely expect an episode or two to be devoted to Nora spending time with Byron, and starting to like him. When she returns to Horizon, I expect her to try to ignore her feelings for Nathan. But of course, they will eventually find a way to make it work.
What Does Ingrid Know About Nathan’s Death?
In an attempt to keep Nathan with her, Ingrid mentioned that she had to have his scan because that was the only way to protect him. She also confronted her father about switching Nathan’s car setting. Ingrid has clearly been working behind the scenes to try to keep Nathan safe, but why? How much exactly does she know about Nathan’s death and the sabotage to his memory? We definitely need a lot more answers about Ingrid’s involvement in Season 2. I wouldn't be surprised if Ingrid was the one to kill Nathan to keep him by her side, or even if she murdered him by accident when she changed the settings.
Will Nathan Leave 2 GIG?
Nathan is not made for the 2 gig lifestyle, especially when he used up all his data within what, 30 minutes? Ingrid has entered into Lake View, and we saw that she can distribute data to him. Since she has an unlimited data family plan, then she might be able to at least upgrade some of his amenities.
If Ingrid is clever, she would tell Nathan that she can add him to her family plan but they have to get married. We also saw David (William B. Davis) win the golden egg that gave him a bunch of data. There is a possibility that he might be persuaded into giving Nathan some data to upgrade his plan.
Will Downloading Be Perfected?
During Upload Episode 3, we saw a scene about an attempt to download. Oscar Meyer-Intel tried to download a man and his head exploded (R.I.P Creed Bratton’s character). Download is the process of putting someone’s consciousness into a clone body. If this technology gets fixed, then the show won’t exist, but it would be interesting to see if Season 2 explores this possibility more.
Who Created Freeyond?
Nora and her friend walked by a line for an afterlife called Freeyond. It's a free afterlife for the underprivileged. Nora mentioned to her friend that Nathan was trying to create something similar before he died. We heard Freeyond mentioned a couple times during the final episodes, but didn’t learn that much about it. Because the idea is similar to Nathan’s idea, we’re wondering if it could tie into the reasons behind his death. Maybe the Freeyond creator might have killed Nathan to try to beat him to development.
How Will The Icon Come Into Play
Nora gave Nathan the handy-dandy Icon device that allows him to see and alter the code to many things inside Lakeview and outside of it. This is a powerful gift that could help Nathan in many ways in the upcoming season. We saw him use it to save Nora, so we wonder how he could use it in new and inventive ways going forward. This might help him upgrade the 2 gig part of Lake View, and hack into some important files of Horizon. What’s ever going on with Nathan’s death and mystery, Horizon has to have some part in it.
WiIl Nora’s Dad Upload?
Nora’s dad, Dave (Chris Williams) seemed determined not to upload, but could he change his mind? With his illness, his death seems on the horizon, but maybe he’ll live long enough to decide he rather upload than just regular die. Maybe that'll happen in Season 2, with Dave forced to upload in order to keep Nora safe.
How Will Jamie’s Story Play Into Season 2?
The first episode of Upload painted a picture of Nathan and Jamie (Jordan Johnson-Hinds) almost being like brothers, but then Nathan died and Jamie disappeared from his afterlife. In the finale, Jamie revealed that it was because he felt guilty about hooking up with Ingrid after his death. Jamie was the main suspect in Nathan’s death, so now I’m wondering whether Jamie will no longer be considered as a suspect? If so, then it is likely that Jamie may have a bigger role in Season 2. I think it would be interesting to see him get involved in the investigation, repair his friendship with Nathan, and have a better best friend off with Luke (Kevin Bigley).
Did Dylan Age?
Dylan (Rhys Slack) mentioned hoping that he aged during the recent update, but we didn’t see him after that scene. So we won’t know if his mother finally let him age to his living age of 19, instead of his death age. I don’t think Dylan’s mother aged him, but it could add some comedy if we now have to watch an older Dylan suddenly smacked with puberty and new feelings.
We haven’t gotten any renewal or cancellation news yet about Upload, but I definitely hope we get some news soon. I really enjoyed the show, and would like to see where the writers have planned for season 2. The entire first season of Upload is streaming on Amazon. Stream it here.
