“Devs” is a slow-burning mystery about a Silicon Valley company that builds quantum computers to see the future. It stars Karl Urban as Forest, a brilliant engineer who joins Devs after his girlfriend goes missing. The series, created by Alex Garland, unfolds across three seasons, each exploring a different phase of Forest’s investigation. It is a show about determinism, free will, and the god complex that comes with power.
The premise is simple: Devs can look at the past and predict the future with perfect accuracy. The execution is not. The show moves deliberately, spending entire episodes on character beats and conversations that feel tangential to the central mystery. That deliberate pacing is the show’s strength and its weakness.
Trailer, via TV Promos.
Forest’s Search
Forest is a man who lost everything he loved. His girlfriend, Bella, disappears while working at Devs. He joins the company to find her, but what he discovers is far stranger than a simple kidnapping. The show spends its first season building a portrait of Forest’s grief and his methodical approach to problem-solving. Urban carries the weight of loss and curiosity with a quiet intensity that anchors the series.
The supporting cast is strong. Sonoya Mizuno plays Dani, a programmer who becomes Forest’s unlikely ally. She brings warmth and skepticism to the proceedings, grounding the show’s more abstract ideas in human terms. Nick Frost plays the enigmatic James, a man whose motives remain opaque until the very end. The performances are uniformly excellent, but the script often leaves them waiting on exposition.
The Quantum Computer
The show’s central technology is a quantum computer capable of simulating the universe. It can run simulations that show every possible outcome of any action. This is a fascinating concept, and Garland treats it with genuine care. The science is explained clearly, and the show avoids the usual techno-babble that makes similar shows feel like magic.
However, the show’s treatment of determinism is less convincing. The idea that the future is fixed is presented as a matter of fact, but the show never fully explores what that means for individual agency. Characters act as though they believe they are free, even when the evidence suggests otherwise. This creates a tension between the world of the show and the world of the audience.
The Three Phases
The show is structured around three phases: Past, Present, and Future. Each phase corresponds to a season, and each season shifts the focus of the story. The Past season is a detective story, the Present season is a workplace drama, and the Future season is a horror story. This structure allows the show to explore different aspects of its central theme, but it also means the show feels fragmented.
- The Past season is the most grounded, following Forest as he digs through company records and interviews witnesses.
- The Present season introduces the corporate politics of Devs, with James pulling strings behind the scenes.
- The Future season pushes the show into surreal territory, with characters experiencing strange visions and events that seem to defy causality.
Each phase has its strengths, but the shift in tone can feel abrupt. The show’s ambition is clear, but it sometimes loses sight of its own narrative coherence.
The Final Season
The third season is where the show attempts to resolve its central mystery. Forest finally learns the truth about Bella’s disappearance, but the revelation is more philosophical than plot-driven. The show ends on a note of uncertainty, suggesting that the future is both predetermined and unknowable. It is a bold choice, but it leaves some viewers wanting a more conventional resolution.
The show’s final stretch is its most ambitious, but it is also its most divisive. Some viewers will find the ending satisfying; others will find it frustratingly vague. The show’s refusal to tie everything together is a deliberate artistic choice, but it risks alienating those who want closure.
“The future is determined, but we don’t know what it is.”
That line captures the show’s central tension. We are told the future is fixed, but we are shown characters acting as though they have agency. The show asks us to hold both ideas in our heads at once, and it is not always successful at doing so itself.
The Verdict
“Devs” is a thoughtful, ambitious show that rewards patience but demands it. The first season is the best, with the second and third showing signs of fatigue. The pacing is slow, and the middle section drags in places. The show’s ideas are interesting, but they are not always executed with the same rigor as its performances.
The show is a product of its time, a meditation on the role of technology in our lives. It is a show about the god complex that comes with power, and it is a show about the limits of that power. It is a show that wants to make you think, and it mostly succeeds.
“Devs” is a flawed but fascinating show. It is worth watching for its performances and its ideas, but it is not a show for everyone. Those who appreciate slow-burn mysteries and philosophical musings will find much to love. Those who want fast-paced action or clear answers may find themselves frustrated.
The show’s final season ends on a note of uncertainty, leaving the question of free will open. That is a fitting conclusion for a show that spent its runtime asking that very question. The show is available for streaming, and it remains a worthwhile entry in the streaming landscape.
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