Nov. 11, 2026
The final trailer for Blade Runner 2099 arrived this week, and it reveals a bit more of the world that takes place roughly 50 years after the events in Blade Runner 2049. Most notably, we get to see even more of the Spinner flying cars from the original, as well as a few moments that plunge the viewer into the less detective-oriented and more cultural aspects of 2099.
But despite the lush visuals and moments of tension shown by lead actors Michelle Yeoh (as Blade Runner Olwen) and Hunter Schafer (as Cora), anyone watching the show’s trailers would still be in the dark about what’s really going on in this series beyond chase scenes. So let’s get to it: the replicants won the war and now rule society, while humans cower in fear as they no longer control replicants as slaves. Sure, if you’re a Blade Runner super nerd, you probably already knew this. But for the masses of Amazon Prime Video viewers who have seen Blade Runner 2049, this major plot point is not apparent in the trailers. And it could make all the difference.
Instead of going in thinking that the show is just an extension of the same old story about androids (replicants) being hunted down, the entire premise is flipped, and now it’s humans who have to watch their step around the new masters of society. Yes, rogue replicants are still hunted, but not because they’re runaway slaves. Rather, they’re hunted for various infractions against the new replicant order.
Going in without this information could actually lead some science fiction fans to skip the show, assuming the series is simply a TV version of 2049. Knowing that Cora is a human, tiptoeing around the replicant societal structure, immediately changes the stakes. But none of this is really clear in the trailers. Perhaps this is part of the reason why the eight-episode series is, for now, only slated for one season. The new dynamics of the Blade Runner world fail (at least in the trailers) to establish the terrifying new reality that humans are no longer in control. Despite this, showrunner Silka Luisa claims one season was always the plan, but she obviously wants to do more.
“At conception, the idea was for us to do a limited series. Blade Runner is so inherently cinematic. It was important for us to have a structure that did feel still cinematic narratively. And so there’s very much a beginning, middle, and end,” said Luisa earlier this year. “But my hope is that if people embrace the show, either this or other there’s other ways to expand the Blade Runner universe. There’s so much world there.”
Blade Runner 2099 will debut on Amazon Prime Video on Nov. 25.
Cover: Scenes from Blade Runner 2099 via Amazon Prime Video/YouTube
