Starring Ella Stiller, Mike Colter, and Rachel Keller, the new CBS series Cupertino merges the tech industry backlash with the traditional police procedural format. While the premise presents an initially awkward combination, the show ultimately delivers satisfying results.
The series begins with a degree of uncertainty but quickly establishes its footing by creating fictionalized parodies of real-world phenomena. These include satirical versions of Zizians, Polymarket, Jeff Bezos’ physical enhancement obsessions, OpenAI appropriating Scarlett Johansson’s voice, and the ongoing struggle to establish guardrails for artificial intelligence.
Through these familiar narratives, the show explores the pervasive sense of helplessness regarding rapid technological change—a sentiment that extends well beyond the greater San Francisco area. The production demonstrates that the seemingly outdated tools of broadcast television can effectively address such contemporary issues.
Wait, is this based on actual events or just exaggerated rumors? I need to know what’s real versus pure fiction here.
Mike Colter carries this. Without him, the whole absurd premise would have fallen apart faster than a startup in 2022.
Finally, a show that gets how creepy AI voice cloning is. That scene gave me actual chills mixed with dark humor.
Does anyone else think comparing Zizians to real Silicon Valley figures is too on-the-nose? A bit heavy-handed for my taste.
I was skeptical about this mashup, but it actually works. The satire is sharp and the procedural elements ground it nicely.