Avant-garde weirdness and practical creative artistry ghost — Max’s new collection Troublemaker Writer/director Julio Torres — makes it seem more whimsical and light-hearted than most other TV shows about people living in a near future filled with robots. But beyond being a story about a misunderstood artist trying to survive in a world hostile to creativity, ghostSeason 1 was one of this year’s most fascinating examinations of the painful experience of what we often call being “(too) online.”
The rent is already overdue ghost It begins with the introduction of multidisciplinary artist Julio (Torres), who finds himself in desperate need of a proof-of-existence ID to keep his apartment after receiving multiple threatening letters from his landlord. exist ghostIn New York City, it’s easy to get proof of one’s existence if you can provide a Social Security number, credit score, or prove you’re a prominent person like Beyoncé.
But aside from Junio’s agent Vanessa (Martin Gutierrez) — the “J” is silent — few can appreciate his raw talent for designing transparent crayons and communicating with bodies of water (Ti (Elda Swinton). Although an ID card is necessary to live freely and find a job, the idea of having to prove one’s existence is so unbelievable to Julio that he insists on not carrying one as a matter of principle.
Because Julio’s robot assistant Bibo (Jon Rumiel) doesn’t want to kill him, and his need for an apartment is also involved in the search for a lost oyster-shaped earring, ghost Doesn’t look or feel like many other recent stories about dystopian futures. But the show’s jokes about Zappos becoming a movie studio and Exxon getting into the multifamily real estate business both underscore the extent to which people’s lives have become entangled in corporate-owned systems into which technologies like proof of existence are embedded .
although ghost will not go matrixA stylistic narrative about man versus machine, as Julio meets other weirdos like Chester (Thomas Matos), a taxi driver taking on Uber with his one-person ride-sharing service – Unwillingness to sign certificate of existence.
ghost By using a series of absurd skits to construct an entire fantasy world around Julio, the weight of its deeper themes is offset. His social media manager is a dwarf who refuses to accept any feedback, and his search for the earrings leads him to a former Queer Hamster nightclub that has been converted into a tiny CVS. The show revels in its silliness as much as in its cleverness, which is why it rarely feels like it’s telling you about the dangers of trusting social media’s algorithms (Dominic Jackson).
Like shit (front) ghost Even though the show features soul-sucking demons sucking men off on Grindr, as well as toilet clothing, these things seem to have become something people are used to over time and being encouraged to embrace new norms.
That last bit is particularly fascinating, making Julio’s journey feel very similar to the experience of being bombarded with noise online, which is really just there to attract engagement rather than give you what you actually want. But in a world like ours, currently so committed to raising the noise at every opportunity, ghostThat willingness to poke fun at it makes this show a surprising summer TV gem.
ghostSeason 1 is now streaming on Max.
