Prime Video's 'Upload' Ends With an Uneven Season 4 — But Fans Should Still Stream It

(Image credit: Courtesy of Prime)

"Upload" season 4 is finally here, and fans of the Prime Video sci-fi comedy-drama have been awaiting this bittersweet moment. On the one hand, season 4 is just a brief four episodes long — you could easily binge on Amazon's streaming service in one sitting. On the other hand, at least the show didn't get canceled! Which is good, given that season 3 ended on a shocking cliffhanger that needed to be resolved.

Spoiler alert: show creator Greg Daniels did indeed resolve that particular cliffhanger. We learn pretty early on what happened to the two versions of Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell), and by the end of four episodes, both their storylines are resolved ... mostly.

Frustratingly, Daniels does leave a window slightly open at the end of the series finale. I'm not sure why, given we're definitely not getting a season 5, but I guess he couldn't help himself. Despite this, season 4 largely succeeds in closing the book on what's been a beloved series by critics and fans alike.

'Upload' season 4 makes more sense as a movie than a truncated season — but it mostly works

Now, you'll notice I said "largely succeeds." Season 4 gives fans of "Upload" what they want for the most part. Nathan and Luke's (Kevin Bigley) bromance continues, Ingrid continues to struggle not to be a stuck-up rich girl, despite her wealthy days now being far behind her, and there's plenty of skewering of our capitalist hyper-online society.

Alicia is turned spy against Horizen by Oscar Mayer Intel, a company that (among other things) makes a to-scale sex toy that's a human torso, thighs, and oversized genitals made entirely of bologna.

Yes, season 4 is probably the show's weakest season, but "Upload" remains a fun, charming show that manages to deliver laughs in an easily bingeable format, and now we know it at least got the chance to end its story on its terms.

This is the sitcom-style humor that fans of the show know and love, and it still works in season 4. I still laughed plenty of times, even if I felt that, outside of the aforementioned meat man, the show rarely pushed beyond what it's done in the past.

One time where the show does push things, though, is when the elevator AI in the digital retirement home, Lakeview, where the rich go to spend a virtual eternity, gives birth to a woman AI via what's most accurately described as mitosis. They then begin a relationship, which ends nearly as fast as it begins once she realizes he's not the only AI guy in the world.

From there, the show turns away from being the saga of Nathan and Nora's romance, a tale of star-crossed lovers who must cross the digital divide in order to be together. Instead, we get a "Terminator" style plotline about an AI hellbent on destroying the digital world and making his way into the real world.

I get why Daniels wanted to go this route. The show is setting aside the central love story, largely a satire on our hyper-digital society. But turning the final episodes into what should have been a separate movie about a rogue AI turning on its corporate masters, derails the core storyline. It produces an uneven season that comes dangerously close to ending on an underwhelming note.

Despite this mistake, if you're a fan of "Upload," you'll still want to watch season 4 and complete the over five-year journey this show has taken us on. If you're new to the series, I would go back to the beginning and watch all the way through to the end. Yes, season 4 is probably the show's weakest season, but "Upload" remains a fun, charming show that manages to deliver laughs in an easily bingeable format, and now we know it at least got the chance to end its story on its terms.

Malcolm McMillan

Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.

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