[Rob Helmerichs]

It's only been two episodes but this show is very good and interesting so far.

This is based on a William Gibson book? I thought he was against his books being made into movies or tv shows.

I think the universe is against his books being adapted. I know his masterpiece, Neuromancer, has been under option several times over the decades but nobody's ever managed to get it made. So obviously he's not personally opposed, or he wouldn't keep selling it!

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

One thing that's interesting is that the "present" isn't the future's past. It's an alternate reality (or as they call it, a "stub") that came into existence the moment the future people made contact with their past (and thus changed it).

I'm not sure how they're able to stay in contact with the alternate past (the stub) instead of their own past...

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

I think it actually shows up Thursday evening?

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

Maybe in the UK.

Prime shows usually show up the evening before their "air date."

In the US.

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

Define "evening"

I believe around 7 or 8 Central.

I sometimes watched Rings of Power on Thursday evening. Not sure about Peripheral because so far I've always watch it on Friday.

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

Well, it's not up yet. So I guess either they've stopped posting their shows the evening before, or they're just not doing it for The Peripheral...

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

When you first heard Ash speak, did anyone else immediately shout out "Cho Chang!" ?I didn't immediately recognize her face (she's changed) but that voice was unmistakable.

And she's not the only grown-up F&SF child star in the show...we also have Rani from the Sarah Jane Adventures (Lowbeer's artificial sidekick).

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

Well I'm 60-something and I've never heard of Gibson either. Usually this type of show isn't my cup of tea, but I'm enjoying it so far. I've watched I think 5 episodes, maybe 6. I know I have some more to go. I do enjoy light SciFi, and definitely NOT a SciFi nerd. This is a bit too Sci Fi for me, but I'm definitely invested in the story.

Right, but gchance was talking about people who ARE sci-fi nerds...but somehow have never heard of Gibson, who is an absolute god in sci-fi nerd culture. He basically invented an entire genre (cyberpunk), and has gone on to become a mainstream (but still sci-fi) bestselling author.

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

I could see that. Someone who's into music now, might not know all the greats from 40-50 years ago. But yeah, if someone is bragging how they are a SciFi Guru and doesn't know someone who's influencial in the genre, it might sound strange to someone who does.

And Gibson is not only a great from 40 years ago (when he published Neuromancer, one of the all-time great sci-fi novels), he's significant now (e.g., The Peripheral, which is adapted from a novel from 2014, the first book in a trilogy the third of which hasn't even come out yet)...so somebody who's into sci-fi now but doesn't care about its history should still know who Gibson is.

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

I'm still surprised that Neuromance was never made into a film. And if it was, then I'd be even more surprised that I didn't know that.

People have been trying since the book came out. I suspect it was unfilmable in the past because the technology just wasn't there to do it right, and now because its views of the internet are...rather dated.

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

Star Wars is what I like to call Science Fantasy...i.e., SF that doesn't care about science. That uses a science fiction setting or science fiction elements as an excuse to tell the story it wants to tell.

Not that there's (necessarily) anything wrong with that.

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

People have been trying since the book came out. I suspect it was unfilmable in the past because the technology just wasn't there to do it right, and now because its views of the internet are...rather dated.

See, it was smart of me to say this. So the universe could turn around and make me look silly.

Neuromancer: Miles Teller Eyed For New Apple+ Sci-Fi Series: Exclusive - The Illuminerdi

Apple is gearing up a new sci-fi series, Neuromancer, for its streaming service and wants Top Gun: Maverick star Miles Teller to lead the project.

www.theilluminerdi.com

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

Just a heads-up: There's a fairly significant scene after the end credit's of this week's episode (the season finalé).

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

Since Flynn, and the whole town, would be dead otherwise, Conner had no choice, but their “other selves“ will live in the new stub, with only Flynn knowing about the other stub (…if I’m understanding this)

My only question is how does NeoFlynn maintain contact between the future and the NeoStub, since she destroyed the object that contained its "address"...

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

Maybe because she has the RI Library in her DNA?

I did see the date she chose (2032) was after Conner was injured (2028). I'm missing something as I would expect Conner to avoid his injury by "killing the dog" in the new stub (or will Burton and Connor also have memories of the other stub??).

2032 was her "present." By opening a new stub at the present, NeoFlynn, NeoBurton, and NeoConner will all have all their memories (since the moment of diversion between the two stubs is "now"), and NeoFlynn can pick up where Flynn left off when she died. If she had picked an earlier date, there would be no way for NeoFlynn to go after Cherise, because NeoFlynn would never have gone to the future and wouldn't know anything about the stubs, etc.

And yes, they will all "have memories" of the old stub, since the old stub up til "now" will be the shared past of both stubs. But Burton and Conner will simply go on with their lives after Flynn's death; presumably, their access to the future will be cut off (one would think they'd be killed because they know too much, but I guess that's not where the writers are going with all this). NeoFlynn, NeoBurton, and NeoConner will effectively be the characters we've known all along.

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

Doesn't present day (2032) Flynne (or any of them) need to wear the headset to access their future selves (peripherals) and the other timelines? If she's killed in present 2032 how does she exist in the alternate 2032? Where's Doc Brown with the chalkboard when I need him?

Since the headsets existed when Flynn split the worlds, they will exist in NeoFlynn's world as well. And since Flynn was still alive when she split the worlds, there is a NeoFlynn who wasn't killed when Flynn was shot. (That was her whole plan...she dies so her world can live, but there's a NeoFlynn to get revenge.)

What Flynn created was a world that was (at that moment) exactly identical to her own. And the instant she created it, it began to diverge. The two stubs have the same past, were the same world, up to that moment.

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

What I’m not clear on is whether or not Flynne’s sacrifice actually saves her stub. Cherise seems vindictive enough to still go thru with the silo plan. She’s really after the secrets embedded in Flynne’s head, so there’s nothing stopping her any more from blowing up the original stub now that OG Flynn is dead.

Well, there is all the research they actually created the stub for that would be lost...

Remember that blowing up the stub to get Flynn was considered a major sacrifice.

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

Maybe Flynn's plan is to get to Cherise first.

But if that were possible, then she could have just done it instead of taking the rather extreme step of committing suicide and letting NeoFlynn handle it...

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

Will Conner still be injured in the new stub (looks that way)? The way the into was set up (his talking to Flynn about a re-boot) made me think that he will enter the new stub uninjured.

Yes...everything will be as it was in "the present," since that's where the split occurs.

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

I thought Flynn said her plan was to hide and strike when Cherise wouldn't expect it. Up until now Cherise had been able to monitor Flynn, but now creating NeoFlynn would flip that advantage, which both Flynn's needed to win.

But how does that stop Cherise from destroying the original stub?