Dhruv Trivedi
‘Upload‘ follows Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell) and, quite ominously, opens with a brutal self-driven car accident that kills our hero. Of course, it is only after his death that the plot of the quirky and comedic sci-fi series really kicks off, exploring the surreal world of an afterlife controlled by corporations. Thanks to his domineering wealthy girlfriend Ingrid, Nathan gets into the plush Lakeview facility for the uber-rich.
Apart from all its futuristic antics and cheeky commentary on capitalist greed, the show is also a pretty intriguing murder mystery as it eventually becomes clear that Nathan was killed. In a world where the living and dead regularly interact, it is only a matter of time before the protagonist begins looking for his own murderer. Let’s see if we can figure out who killed Nathan Brown in ‘Upload.’ SPOILERS AHEAD.
Who Killed Nathan?
The circumstances of Nathan’s death have been shrouded in mystery from the start, but any investigation into the event is quickly sidetracked by other shenanigans. However, all the way from season 1, people have regularly remarked how strange it is that Nathan is killed in a self-driven car accident, which is a highly unlikely event. This is the first sign that there might be foul play involved in the protagonist’s death.
Ingrid becomes the first suspect after she is seen briefly entering Nathan’s car shortly before the accident. Things then begin to look a lot more suspicious when Nathan’s wealthy (and deceased) Lakeview neighbor David Choak points out that the former was probably murdered because he was trying to come up with a way to make Uploads free, thus hurting a $600 billion a year industry. Slowly, the pieces begin falling into place, and it seems like corporate greed is behind the show’s central killing.
By the end of season 1, Nathan realizes that he was killed after selling his code to Oliver Kannerman, Ingrid’s wealthy father. Ingrid’s own role in the crime is quickly brushed aside, which is not surprising considering the atrocities she regularly gets away with, which is what gives her character much of its hilarity. As season 2 progresses, a bigger conspiracy comes into play, with David Choak seen to be the one pulling the strings. Things become even more obvious when a quick look into Choak’s thoughts (courtesy Mindfrisk) shows him speaking to the assassin sent to kill Nora.
Thus, it looks like Nathan’s murder is orchestrated by Oliver Kannerman and David Choak — two wealthy tycoons with interests in the afterlife industry. Nathan reveals that Kannerman still owes him money (for a secret deal involving Nathan’s free Upload code), meaning that Ingrid’s wealthy father likely has her boyfriend killed to cover up the transaction.
Choak’s motives appear to be even more insidious as the ridiculously rich conservative industrialist seems to be using Nathan’s code (through a company called Freeyond) to skew American elections. The show smartly drops a hint about this very early in season 1 when Nathan first meets Choak, and the latter claims to have influenced an entire generation of American politics. It looks like despite being dead, he’s not done with “influencing” politics after all.
Thus, there are some enormous forces at play around Nathan’s murder. It is driven by Kannerman, a stakeholder in the afterlife industry that our hero threatens with his new code, and orchestrated by Choak, who plans to use Nathan’s code to disenfranchise the poor. Compared to these two men, Ingrid’s relative lack of guilt for playing a part in her boyfriend’s death begins to seem quite justified indeed!
Read More: The Ludds in Upload, Explained
