Prime Video’s Undone is so perfect it demands a second viewing

While Prime Video isn’t sci-fi the way Apple TV is, the Amazon streamer is quietly building a reputation for delivering bold and intellectually stimulating sci-fi shows. There is no better example than Complete two-part Prime Video serieswhich is not only good, but also requires a second watch, to prove how far the streaming platform has come with its great sci-fi titles.

Not many shows benefit from a second viewing, as re-watching them can make plot holes or inconsistent storytelling obvious. Prime Videos Canceledhowever, it is not in that category. in the first hour, Canceled it can be a little confusing because there’s so much going on, from weird timelines to alternate realities.

However, on second viewing, it all comes together. Moments that didn’t make sense at first take on a deeper meaning and it’s easier to spot visual cues and emotional beats that were missed on first viewing. Canceled uses rotoscope animation to bring a dreamlike world to life, matching its intense story.

initially, Canceled‘s animation style seems to be there for aesthetic purposes only. However, the second hour shows that the rotoscope animation is an indication of Alma’s (Rosa Salazar) mental state and how she processes her reality. Perhaps the biggest reason Canceled it deserves a second look is that the series is so multi-layered that it’s nearly impossible to understand everything in one viewing.

Undone’s non-linear storytelling only fully clicks the second time around

One of the key elements Canceled is the way he tries to explain what Alma is going through by using time, both in terms of how important it can be and how it sometimes doesn’t matter. At first, it’s hard to follow the show’s time mechanism, mostly because Alma also has no idea what’s going on.

When Alma wakes up from her coma, her present and memories seem to merge, disorienting her and convincing her that she may be following the same path as her grandmother, who lived with schizophrenia. Later it becomes clear why time is the heart of the show.

U Prime Video sci-fi seriestime is fluid and uncertain, making it difficult to decipher what is real or a figment of Alma’s imagination. At first, the way the show interprets Alma’s world can seem clumsy, mainly because she sees her dead father, who serves as her guide as she tries to decipher why her reality was turned upside down after her near-death experience.

On second viewing, CanceledThis strange time bending is less strange and more like a reflection of reality. The reason why Alma perceives time in such a way is because it reflects her mind. She hasn’t dealt with her father’s death, so when she starts seeing him in her present, it’s a representation of how memories don’t always stay in the past.

Undone’s ambiguity is one of its greatest strengths

Despite Canceled makes no sense at first, his ambiguous story is what elevates the play to masterpiece status. The sci-fi series’ confusing story isn’t treated as something that needs to be resolved at the end; instead it acts as a defining element of Alma’s reality. Canceled never really confirms if Alma is truly capable of manipulating time or if what she’s experiencing is a mental breakdown brought on by her family’s mental illness.

Canceled‘s Rotten Tomatoes Score
Critic’s score	Audience rating
97%	91%

Alma’s father explains what she is going through by alluding to the fact that people who have experienced what she had are often dismissed as living with mental illness, when in fact they were psychic. Because of this, the audience has to really think about what they are watching and come up with their own explanations for Alma’s reality and the message the show was trying to convey.

Canceled does not give clear answers. There are moments where more questions are raised as things are revealed. While that may seem like a bad thing, it’s not. The mark of any great story is how it makes the audience feel and how it leaves them with something to think about long after it’s started.