The future of Incorporated is divided between chaos and purported paradise, but the most insidious element of the world is the way in which the future inhabitants of Earth use technology to “solve” problems, and manipulate those around them.
In the pilot episode, available now on Syfy’s YouTube channel and website, we’re introduced to a bevy of advanced technology. From face-replacement (Logan’s Run, anyone?) to advanced healing technology, the way in which the people interact with the world in the future is shaped by the impact of technology on scarcity, luxury, and survival.
Incorporated’s central character, Ben Larson, is a company man inside the Green Zone — a corporate controlled pseudo-paradise in which company loyalty is rewarded with nice houses, fancy self-driving cars, cutting edge medical care, and a safe haven from a world that’s more or less going to shit thanks to the effects of climate change. Outside of the Green Zone is the Red Zone, a place that’s lawless and chaotic by comparison. The Red Zone isn’t governed by corporations, but by warlords and crime.
Green Zone isn’t without its problems, though. Even advanced technology hasn’t been able to completely remedy the devastation caused by climate change by 2074. Our food sources and natural resources are more fragile than ever, and even technology can’t turn back the clock on our planet.
In something of a counterintuitive twist, though, healing technology has made it possible for people to sustain horrifying and deadly injuries, only to be healed semi-miraculously by the wonders of late 21st century medicine, essentially making our bodies more disposable and less fragile. Freedom from many devastating injuries and diseases does, in some ways, pave the way for a kind of evolved utopia where health is concerned. But there’s a dark side to this advanced medical technology, too. Torture changes under the influence of our advancements, and so does the nature of identity in a world where faces can be replaced.
The dark side of advancement isn’t the fault of technology, though. As countless science fiction films, books, and series have tried to teach us, humans are the root of darkness in technology. So, though technology paves the way for some seriously disturbing things in Incorporated, ultimately it serves the purpose of highlighting the good and evil that exist within us.
Incorporated premieres on Syfy November 30. The first episode is available now on YouTube and on Syfy.com.
