TV-Show Review: Devs (USA 2020) by Alex Garland

Content:  In this podcast, we analyze the 2020 sci-fi miniseries “Devs”, created, written and directed by Alex Garland.  We highlight the series' plot, centering on a software engineer investigating her boyfriend's death at a tech company, and its exploration of themes like free will and determinism using quantum computing as a backdrop.  We also offer background on creator Alex Garland's career, mentioning his prior sci-fi works like "Ex Machina" and "Annihilation," and discuss his characteristic approach of posing complex questions without providing explicit answers.  We conclude by praising the show's visual style and sound design and its engagement with philosophical ideas, though note its potential intellectual challenge for some viewers.  Plot:  In Alex Garland’s “Devs”, software engineer Lily Chan (Sonoya Mizuno) investigates the secretive Devs division at tech giant Amaya after her boyfriend’s mysterious death. Uncovering a quantum computing project led by enigmatic CEO Forest (Nick Offerman), she grapples with free will, determinism, and reality itself. This cerebral sci-fi miniseries blends sleek visuals, philosophical depth, and tense mystery, exploring technology’s power to reshape existence and human choice.