The Peripheral Episode 5 What About Bob? Recap And Review- Miller And Moretz Shine In A Chilling Face Off

A thrilling The Peripheral Episode 5 proves that even though Flynne and company don’t have the benefit of time or foreknowledge, they are increasingly tough to kill.

The problem with messing with time is that it invariably messes things up. Philosophy and science have long debated where does responsibility end and destiny begin? Combine that with nasty doses of opportunism, self-interest, and greed, and it is a recipe for disaster. Through all the exciting confrontations, well-choreographed fight scenes, gorgeous scenery, and thought-provoking messages, that’s the intrinsic truth. Humans struggle to do the right thing, and power almost always corrupts. The Peripheral Episode 5 perfectly encapsulates those harsh facts.

As much as Dr. Nuland may think she is a hero for using the stubs to correct past mistakes, she fails to remember the past is someone’s present, even if it is a stub. These are real people the R.I. is toying with. The Neoprims aren’t wrong to think tinkering with the past is dangerous. A year before Aelita’s disappearance and Flynne’s involvement, things began taking shape in the rebellion. Aelita used her prior relationship with Grace to gain access and insight into the powerful God computer. The first connections to Burton and his squad are also made. Long before any future jumping or assassination attempts, however, there were experimentations. What happens when we boost empathy here or aggression there? Aelita is horrified, and honestly, so are we knowing how and why Conner lost his limbs.

Everything that matters is set up in these brief moments. Who these characters become and what path they are set on begins here. No matter how much we may want to change our future, fate has a way of balancing the equation. The Peripheral Episode 5 puts all the pieces in place for the remainder of the season. The R. I.’s experimentation on Burton and his squad makes them formidable foes.

Another day another killer is dispatched to kill Flynne. This one lives under an assumed name and is out of the game, but when his daughter is threatened, Bob “The Butcher” O’Connell goes back into business. Flynne will be vulnerable when she returns home from her lumbar puncture. She has some bacterial infection that has not been seen before. Likely it is the byproduct of her time with the gear or their changing environment. Her tests will bring one more person to the growing list of people who know about the future.

When Bob prepares to kill Flynne, he runs into Billy Ann, who turns out to be nicer, more determined, and more deadly than he thought. She may have terrible taste in men, but she knows trouble when she sees it unless its name is Jasper. So when Bob begins firing on Burton and Flynne, the group works together and contains him. The only problem is now there is yet another person who knows more than they should.

Tommy is a nice guy, and from everything we have seen, he cares for Flynne, but he is ill-equipped to handle Bob and his connections with Dr. Nuland. While driving him back to the station, he crashes into a cloaked car. A man retrieves Bob and leaves Tommy to crawl to safety. What happens to Bob, we don’t know, but Tommy’s involvement is yet another wrinkle everyone in the future will have to deal with.

A lovely conversation between Tommy and Flynne highlights what makes this show work so well. The Peripheral Episode 5 wove intense bursts of action with genuinely tender moments that remind us what everyone is fighting for. Kindness, compassion, and empathy are all excellent traits despite being seen as weaknesses. It makes Burton and Tommy more determined to protect Flynne, and it makes Flynne resolved. Her mother’s wise words find purchase. Melinda Page Hamilton(Ella Fisher) is excellent in a short but essential scene. She reminds Flynne that power imbalances are always a problem. Her medicine comes at a price. Dependency is dangerous. Coming so soon after the most recent attack, Flynne is bruising for answers and a fight.

She needs to know that Wilf isn’t using their connections to manipulate her and wants Nuland to understand she won’t back down. Despite Wilf’s past and his work for Lev, he is a good person. It is yet another example of a decent person being exploited by a less reputable one. Lex is working to protect Flynne now, but in this world, everyone has motives, and most of them are murky.

The runaway scene of The Peripheral Episode 5 comes at the very end. Flynne is tired of waiting. Armed with the knowledge that Wilf isn’t self-serving, she confronts Dr. Nuland at the Research Institute. Paralleling Lev’s words to Wilf about being careful what information you seek, Wilf warns Flynne about confronting Nuland. T’Nia Miller(Cherise Nuland) and Chloë Grace Moretz(Flynne) are fantastic in this tense scene showcasing their talents. Moretz is an outstanding action star, but she is even better when she does it as an underdog. There is nothing better than watching this tiny, fragile girl hold her own with Nuland, who is deliciously evil. Miller is pitch-perfect in her confidence and utter indifference to everyone around her.

Matching her energy is tough, but Moretz manages to make Flynne’s declaration that she has a foothold in Nuland’s world chilling. She may not have snapped the neck of the real Dr. Nuland, but she has definitely given her pause. Flynne doesn’t have what Nuland lost, but she knows enough to be dangerous, even if she doesn’t know it yet. Everyone is looking for Aelita, but Flynne is done playing defense. With new peripherals coming for Conner and Burton, the future may have more than they bargained for. Find all our The Peripheral coverage here.