Did anyone watch "Devs"? (spoilers)

"Bryan doesn't drive a 1M" (bryantakespictures)
04/17/2020 at 17:17 • Filed to: None

Quick review, I loved the show, aside from a few parts that were too “on the nose.” I want to see a show where Alex Garland and Mike Judge collaborate to make something funny and profound. The big ideas in this were interesting, but the commentary on tech companies and their CEO’s was too shallow. Ok, spoilers now , since I want to discuss the last few minutes of the last episode:

So, Lily and Forest live in the simulation(s) now and apparently the US Government is required to keep the system running? What I’m wondering, is if every possible point in time in every possible reality is being simulated inside Devs, why would it matter if you turned it off? The “users” are only able to view a single point in time on the screen, but they system itself has all data from all time forward and back. Also, based on the change to the “many worlds” model, it must contain every possible permutation of all data for all time. Given the suspension of disbelief required to think that’s possible, why do they need to keep the system running?

I thought the idea of determinism and knowledge of the future was handled best in the Watchmen TV series on HBO with the blue man. They did a really good job of illustrating how it could feel being able to see all times at once.

DISCUSSION (9)

SmugAardvark > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M
04/17/2020 at 18:53

First and foremost, absolutely loved the show. I love that it sort of plays with the idea that some folks (such as Elon Musk) posit that all of reality as we know it is a simulation in and of itself.

Now, I’ll take a crack at your questions...

What I’m wondering, is if every possible point in time in every possible reality is being simulated inside Devs, why would it matter if you turned it off?

This is one that still trips me up at a few points. I think it’s because the version of Lily and Forest that we saw as part of the show are living in the simulation. Turn off the computer, and they blink out of existence in any form of reality. However, when the two first meet in the sim, we actually seem to be seeing multiple versions of them (notice how the lighting changes between day, evening, and dusk/dawn throughout the conversation). But fundamentally, the Lily and Forest we “know” only lives as part of the simulation.

For Forest, this is less essential. But as far as Lily is concerned, it is a little different. It seems that she is the only being possible that has genuine free will outside the realm of determinism.

Here’s a question back that I’m still wrapping my head around. Before their death, Lily demonstrates her free will by throwing the gun out of the elevator. This branches their reality away from the one that was supposedly previously determined. However, Stewart still kills her and Forest.

But why do you think Stewart disabled the elevator and killed them? Was it because he saw the future and felt that those two had to die to protect the fabric of reality? Or was it more simply that he knew this power was just far too much for Forest to have control of? Or was it a sort of revenge for allowing Lyndon to fall from that dam, even knowing it was going to happen? Maybe some combination of all those and more?

Thomas Donohue > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M
04/17/2020 at 18:54

I didn’t, but I feel like I want to after looking it up.

Sorry. Did not read your post to avoid spoilers !

Have you seen the ‘Start Up’ series on I have it saved somewhere but haven’t watched it yet.

Thisismydisplayname > SmugAardvark
04/17/2020 at 22:19

It wasn’t determinism though, just another alternate world was why she threw the gun. That was what happened in that timeline. Any number of things could have changed to get a different result.

Thisismydisplayname > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M
04/17/2020 at 22:22

Like smug said, if the machine cuts off... poof, they are gone. I assume what they were looking for from the government was more of a “leaveusaloneweknowwhatwearedoing” thing vs actually needing their help to keep it running. Because the government wanted to get oversight of the project and who knows what they would’ve done to mess with it.

Bryan doesn't drive a 1M > Thisismydisplayname
04/18/2020 at 12:57

That’s how I saw it too. They saw Lily’s choice as “original sin” because they are zealots about determinism. It seemed to me that was a condemnation of the way they would allow horrible things to happen and justify them as predetermined.

Bryan doesn't drive a 1M > SmugAardvark
04/18/2020 at 13:07

I think it was revenge for Lyndon mostly, but also a further realization of the power they had and specifically who held that power. Remember how he was annoyed that Forest didn’t know where his quote was from?

I'm so glad FX took a chance on something like this, without any sequel possibility.

SmugAardvark > Thisismydisplayname
04/18/2020 at 19:28

Sure, I guess it would be more accurate to describe it as Forest’s zealotry of determinism.

Thisismydisplayname > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M
04/19/2020 at 10:53

That’s true, because that was forest’s whole thing with losing his wife and kid, if determinism was true he was off the hook, but with the multiple worlds theory, his actions could have had different results and he could have made different choices.

Thisismydisplayname > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M
04/19/2020 at 10:56

Oh I think they could roll a sequel out of this. But I’m with you, glad they made the series. It’s like the older miniseries back in the day. Something that can’t really be boiled down to a 2-3 hour movie, but could be played out over 8-10 episodes.