Devs: God in The Machine (Season Review)
I’ve often claimed that I would like to know the exact time of my death. People I’ve talked to have stated that knowing a month or year would be sufficient enough for them. I’m not content unless I know the exact moment because I have an unfathomable fear about the scientific nature of “control”. Once we’re born, we unknowingly make a trade with the universe; the beauty of having a consciousness and free will for our eventual demise. Humans’ obsession with death has led them down a path of existential loneliness and constantly battling the idea of free will. “If we all die, what is the point of living” type of deal. Death is also famously known to break people. I believe this is where my fear comes from. It’s almost always easier when a loved one is showing signs of letting go, but a tragic accident is unthinkable, almost impossible. If you know the exact time, there are no surprises.
Devs is a science fiction thriller by Alex Garland. Known for writing and directing the films, “Annihilation” & “Ex Machina”, (also wrote “28 Days Later” & “Sunshine” for Danny Boyle earlier in his career) Garland has made a name for himself in the science fiction film space as the new “thought-provoking” director of the genre. “Ex Machina” was about Artificial Intelligence and the foils of ‘genius’ men and “Annihilation” was about confronting your trauma and accepting what you can’t control.
Devs is different in that its’ a mini-series. Spanning 8 episodes with runtimes between 40–50 minutes. Each episode is paced to the tune of a film, which some critics were quick to call it ‘too slow’. I believe the show is perfectly paced and meaningful. The show stars Sonoya Mizuno as Lily Chan. She has worked with Garland in both of the previous films mentioned; playing an Android host, ‘Kyko’ in “Ex Machina” and Natalie Portman’s shiny humanoid twin in “Annihilation.” In an interview with Gamespot, Garland stated that he wanted to cast someone that the audience wouldn’t necessarily gravitate towards. He talks about how regular leads will have this type of attractiveness towards the audience that automatically tricks them into going with the characters’ actions. He stated that Sonoya channeled that perfectly and they, later on, went to design how she dressed and held herself.
The theme of the show is hooked on the idea of Determinism. Essentially, Determinism is cause and effect. “The pen rolled because it was pushed.” Determinism says that there is no free will. Everything that we do is uncontrollable, we have no choice. Everything was predetermined prior. We are simply passengers along for the ride.
“Devs” is the name of the developmental department at a quantum computing company called, Amaya. Amaya is the name of the CEO’s late daughter. Forest, the CEO, lost his wife and daughter in a fatal car accident, for which Forest feels responsible. It is this specific event that will start Forest’s obsession with Determinism and creating the ‘Devs’ division at his company.
Before production, Alex Garland gathered as much information as he could in regards to the subjects of quantum computing, determinism, and how they intersected. What fascinated him was the idea of applying the laws of determinism to a quantum computer, which could, in turn, predict the future. Back to the pen.
Essentially, if you knew every bit of data involving what pushed the pen, what the pen is made of, what the pen is rolling on, how windy the surroundings are, etc. You can accurately ‘predict’ when and where that pen is going to stop. The Devs department has built a computer that does this on a world scale. This has garnered attention from the U.S. Government and Russian Intelligence. Forest has no intention of using the system for its potential usage, i.e. exact weather/earthquake predictions and/or quantum spying by the NSA. Instead, he has his own goal in mind that not even the workers of Devs are privy to.
Forest is played by Nick Offerman, who many know as the alpha male Ron Swanson from Parks & Rec. Offerman, in an interview, stated he’s always been a fan of Garland’s work and to now work with him was a dream come true. During pre-production, Alex Garland had a specific look in mind for Forest. Garland eventually typed in “aging hippie” into Google and several pictures came up that matched perfectly. Forest’s Cheif Designer is Katie, played wonderfully by Allison Pill. Katie was approached by Forest in hopes of making the Devs system possible. She and Forest eventually start a relationship.
Another fascinating aspect of the show is the score. Previous collaborators, Ben Salisbury & Geoff Barrow help bring the hellish soundscape of this modern dystopia to life. The score envelopes the audience under a layer of anxiety that haunts them during the calmest of scenes. The sound design is equally immaculate. Once you’re inside the Devs building, you can feel the chill in the room and feel the warbling of the machine under your feet. The score brings out the textures of the environment, blending seamlessly with the actors’ performances and Garland’s writing.
The show is a Rubix cube of mystery and suspense. Each episode explains more and more about the science behind the plot but doesn’t hold your hand as far as each scene being an expositional dump. A lot of the science is presented matter of factly, which puts the viewer on a mental scavenger hunt for the truth. Blending the philosophical theories of Determinism with the mind-bending science of Quantum Computing, Alex Garland has created one of the most unique and thought-provoking science fiction shows in recent memory. Devs is remarkable storytelling and I highly recommend you watch it. The choice is up to you….or is it?
Devs is streaming only on Hulu
