The Peripheral: Amazon's Canceled Sci-Fi Series That Could've Been the Next Westworld

Amazon’s cyberpunk series The Peripheral could’ve easily been set in the Westworld universe — it’s even from the same creators — so it would’ve been a perfect replacement if it wasn’t canceled so soon. Based on the novel of the same name by William Gibson, the forefather of the cyberpunk genre, The Peripheral takes place across two timelines: a dystopian near-future and a post-apocalyptic distant future.

Chloë Grace Moretz stars as a skilled VR gamer who gets invited into a strange alternate reality that could hold a dark future for her. As the series flits between 2032 and 2099, it explores the subtle but unmistakable ways that various advanced technologies have changed society. These two timelines create an interesting juxtaposition; it’s almost like you’re watching two different shows at once, each taking a very different look at the future.

The Peripheral & Westworld Almost Felt Like They Existed In The Same Universe

The Peripheral would’ve been a perfect replacement for Westworld after it was canceled. Westworld got off to a strong start with a stellar first season, but the next three seasons got so complex and confounding that they alienated casual sci-fi fans. Only the most hardcore sci-fi fanatics stuck around, and it wasn’t enough to justify continuing the series past season 4 (or even keeping the show on HBO Max at all).

When Westworld ended, it left behind a vacuum that was waiting to be filled by another sci-fi series with its sights set high. It seemed as though The Peripheral could be that show, especially since it came from the same creators. In between their work on Westworld and Fallout, Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy were heavily involved in The Peripheral.

The series was created by Scott B. Smith, the author of the novel A Simple Plan (and also the screenplay of its film adaptation), who also acted as the showrunner. But Nolan and Joy served as executive producers on The Peripheral, so it has a lot of the same vibes: lofty ambition, hard science fiction, and a deep examination of the philosophy of tech.

What made Westworld so captivating was its exploration of futuristic technology through the lives of flawed, three-dimensional characters, and that’s exactly what The Peripheral had going for it. It was a pitch-perfect blend of human drama and hard sci-fi.

Moretz gives a terrific performance in the lead role as usual, as does Midsommar’s Jack Reynor in a supporting role. It’s tricky to make this kind of dual-timeline narrative compelling, or even coherent, but The Peripheral did an admirable job of translating Gibson’s complicated tale for the screen.

The Peripheral Was Just Getting Good When Amazon Canceled It

As with most TV shows — especially a TV show with such an ambitious premise and such a sprawling, all-over-the-place narrative — The Peripheral took a few episodes to find its feet. But by the end of its first season, it had found its footing as one of the most promising sci-fi shows on the air. And that’s when Amazon decided to cancel it.

Amazon did initially renew The Peripheral for a second season. Season 1 dropped in October of 2022, and Prime renewed it for season 2 in February of 2023, when it’d had long enough to see whether the viewership justified the production costs. But then, a few months later, as the 2023 Hollywood strikes were kicking off, Amazon reversed its decision and canceled the show.

It’s always frustrating when a TV show gets canceled before its time, but especially when that TV show was just getting good. The Peripheral was a really promising sci-fi drama with the potential to be the next Westworld. The tragic irony is that, in the end, it was the next Westworld, in the sense that it was a great sci-fi show that got cut short.