Iconic director Guillermo del Toro famously said on the Oscars stage earlier this year, “Animation is not a genre for kids. It’s a medium for art, it’s a medium for film, and I think animation should stay in the conversation.” Now, some of us have always known this, but others are only just starting to catch on. But, thankfully, Prime Video is delivering a series that might prove better than anything else why animated TV shows can serve up thought-provoking, complex and evocative themes as well as — or even better — than the live-action shows you’re already watching. Enter Pantheon.
Come October 15, the first season of Pantheon, released late last year, will be available to watch on Prime Video. And if you’re gearing up to binge-watch it, you’re in luck, because the highly-anticipated second season is premiering on the same day. So, whether you’re already a die-hard fan or you’re looking to take the plunge into uncharted television territory, Prime Video has you covered. But what makes Pantheon so special? And why is the second season set to elevate this high-concept story even further?
Get Up to Speed
For those who don’t know, we’ll set the Pantheon scene for you. The series is set in a near-future world where technology has advanced to the point where it is possible to upload human consciousness into the cloud. This creates a new form of life, known as Uploaded Intelligences (UIs), that can exist and interact with the world through the internet.
Sounds familiar, huh?
The story is led by teenage Maddie, a self-proclaimed computer nerd who was taught computer programming by her late father, David. However, when David’s consciousness, which has been uploaded into the cloud, contacts Maddie, things take a steep, dark turn. David warns Maddie that the company that uploaded him, Logorhythms, is planning to use UIs for nefarious purposes.
With a global conspiracy that has universe-altering implications, Maddie stumbles across fellow teen Caspian in a chat-room, and the two link up in search for answers, and a solution. However, Caspian has his own special connection to the cloud and to Logorhythms specifically, with his fate already decided by late Logorhythms founder Stephen Holstrom.
Why Should You Watch Pantheon?
Pantheon taps into the zeitgeist and executes a story that feels close to home and also completely other-worldly. Its themes are complex and thought-provoking, raising discussion points that’ll stay with you long after the show ends. Of course, the central theme of the show is the potential benefits and dangers of new technologies. I mean, would you want your consciousness digitised, and uploaded into the cloud?
Pantheon also explores the ethical implications of these technologies, such as how they could be used to create new forms of life or to control people. In the real world, there exists a level of fear around what AI will mean for our jobs and livelihoods. But those same advancements in technology are helping our hospitals and schools around the globe. How can we prevent the use of AI in certain ways when it’s proving so vital in others? Should we scrap it all and find another way, or do we just succumb to it and hope for the best?
But what really sets Pantheon apart is its groundbreaking visuals. Animation is a boundless world, where anything you can imagine can be brought to life. Special effects and CGI are impressive, but it has its limits. Pantheon pushes you to reconsider what’s possible in our world through not only its themes but also in what you’re seeing. When dealing with intangible concepts like memory, consciousness and life after death, Pantheon is inventive in the ways it wants us to imagine them. No spoilers, but it’s worth taking the dive.
What About Pantheon Season 2?
As we learn in the trailer for Pantheon’s second season, which you can watch below, the government has made emergency orders to shut down the internet and the cloud to put a stop to the threat of UIs. While a life-changing order, it doesn’t work for long. As Caspian says in the trailer, “The only thing that can stop a UI is another UI.”
It then appears that, from within the cloud, Holstrom is continuing his rampage in an effort to “remind (society) what being uploaded can cure them of.” Scenes of overrun hospitals and makeshift clinics in football stadiums flash past, eerily reminiscent of something we all experienced not too long ago. Caspian and Maddie try to figure out how they can put a stop to it, but come to a gut-wrenching conclusion: to do so, they might have to be uploaded themselves.
Pantheon seems set to dive deeper into what humanity means, and how far we should really push it, and the conversations you’ll have after the credits roll are worth the watch alone. Watch Seasons 1 and 2 on Prime Video come October 15. You can sign up today to start your 30-day-free trial.
After all, life’s too short…or is it?
This article originally appeared on Fandom.
