DISCLAIMER: This recap of Beacon 23 Season 1 Episode 4, “God in the Machine,” contains spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
What if we could all be gods? “God in the Machine” addresses the age-old argument about immortality while tackling the dangers of AI. Barbara Hershey and Eric Lange lead the charge with captivating, nuanced performances. They boast excellent chemistry. I love the feeling of watching a stage production that this episode evokes. Admittedly, this is the show’s best outing so far; however, Beacon 23 still wobbles from a narrative and pacing standpoint. It’s not perfect (but it is an improvement from last week’s frustrating installment). That said, the backstory is much needed, and it answers a few vital questions.
Ready to delve into “God in the Machine”? Let’s get to it.
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We open with Milan Aleph (Lange) arriving on Beacon 23. He crackles his knuckles nervously. He orders Hope, his AI, to administer “the agent.” However, she refrains from doing so, instead encouraging him to practice breathing exercises. Meanwhile, Sophie (Hershey) emerges from the shower. She chats with Bart (Wade Bogert-O’Brien). Sophie treats Bart like a child, calling him her “baby” while he refers to her as “mom.” It’s creepy. Bart alerts Sophie to a ship that’s already docked — a maintenance vessel.
Sure enough, Milan and Sophie meet on the threshold of the airlock. She scans his credentials before allowing him access to her systems. He claims he wants to conduct manual maintenance on one system, in particular, something he didn’t want to do remotely. Plus, he understands how Beacon Keepers are primarily left in isolation.
Sophie leads the way to where Milan will make repairs. He asks for access to Bart, but she claims he’s “put him down” for a nap. Milan explains that AI doesn’t need to sleep. They’re not like humans. Sophie gets lonely on Beacon 23, though, so Bart’s her whole world.
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Next, Sophie leaves Milan to his work. He can’t find any files on The Artifact, which is why he visited Beacon 23. He asks Hope to bring Bart back online. However, Bart won’t budge without Sophie’s permission. After examining a crate full of goodies that Milan brought her, Sophie inquires why Milan Aleph, the inventor behind the beacons, is posing as a maintenance worker. She and Bart theorize together.
Later, Sophie makes tea. She and Milan chat for a spell about their families. We learn Sophie has two sons, who she doesn’t see often, while Milan has a daughter. He based her voice on his AI, Hope. Then, he gifts Sophie a rare material composed of fiber from 100 different star systems. Suddenly, she falls unconscious. Milan tampered with her present by adding an airborne poison. Milan declares she’s disrespected his creation with her gaudy decorations before stealing her key to unlocking Bart/the control panel. He proceeds to tear down the massive, multicolored sashes adorning the space. Well, somebody has no eye for aesthetics.
Finally, Milan gets access to Bart with Sophie’s key. Bart demands to know what Milan did to Sophie. Milan has the antidote; however, he claims her life will cost Bart a few memories.
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Milan looks through Bart’s files for information on The Artifact. He looks at a manifest of previous Beacon Keepers, including Dr. Ree Avalon, the first Beacon Keeper of Beacon 23. Unfortunately, her files on The Artifact are hidden. Elsewhere, a silver mechanical dragonfly flies up Sophie’s nostril. It is the antidote to the poison. She wakes up with a start. The best part of waking up…
Then, Sophie approaches Milan with an armful of the sashes he tore down so callously. She orders him to put them back up, but he refuses. When his cooling unit overheats, Sophie offers to fix it, revealing she has a spare. Initially, he rejects her offer before reluctantly accepting it.
As Sophie tinkers away, she asks Milan what he wants with The Artifact. He reveals he wants to harness the data to make immortality a possibility. He wants humanity to triumph over illness, famine, etc., by transforming them into AI. Bodies are fragile; why not dispose of them? Of course, this opens the floodgates for Sophie and Milan to debate the merits of immortality and artificial intelligence.
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Sophie reminds Milan that he won’t live to see the kind of impact he’ll make on humankind. Milan dismisses this, claiming it doesn’t matter. He’s already the creator of the beacons and pressing on with this AI/human marriage. Then, Bart informs the pair that a ship in distress is approaching. Milan orders Bart to turn them away. However, Bart reveals the vessel won’t find help elsewhere. Beacon 23 is their only hope. Sophie reassures Milan that she’ll take care of it.
But when Sophie returns to the docking bay, she realizes there is no ship. Bart lied. Why? To test Milan. Now, he knows that the beacon creator is a bad person. Bart vows to kill Milan by depriving him of oxygen. Sophie insists he’ll have to murder her, too. Bart claims he doesn’t want to hurt his mom. (Side note: Milan asking Hope to call him “daddy” is creepy as hell.)
Later, Sophie reunites with Milan. She states Bart’s desire to kill him and her choice to go out with him should the AI make that move. Milan doesn’t understand why Sophie would risk her life for him, especially after he poisoned her. Sophie possesses a strong moral center and is too pure for this world. Milan asks Sophie to join him. They can research together as Milan searches for how to achieve immortality. She can bring her teas and sashes. She can even invite her sons. He hopes she’ll keep him in check.
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Morally, Sophie can’t support going against nature and making humans immortal. Instead, she urges Milan to stay with her on Beacon 23. He seems convinced. Milan heads into the airlock, which is a bad idea. Bart is on a mission of vengeance. He cuts out the oxygen. Milan struggles to breathe. Then, Bart locks the door, barring Sophie from saving Milan. She stands there, helpless, crying on the other side.
Milan sees fractals of light surrounding Sophie like a giant halo. He asks Hope to “do it,” which tells me he has a contingency plan. Unfortunately, he dies. Bart unlocks the door, so Sophie runs to Milan’s side. She realizes he’s gone.
After Sophie spaces Milan’s body, she places restrictions on Bart. She’s through with AI of all kinds. Bart pleads with his mom, begging her not to ignore him. Later, while cross-stitching, a man approaches Sophie. He looks like Milan, but he calls himself “Aleph.” Aleph is a transcendent being who’s beyond AI and humans. Aleph invites Sophie to join him as Milan did. Of course, Sophie rejects him, too. He needs her humanity to detect The Artifact since AI can’t sense it. Aleph vanishes. Sophie proceeds to use her weaving loom while listening to music. Bart calls out to Sophie, his “mother,” but she can’t hear him.
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What precisely is Aleph? Does he genuinely transcend AI and humanity as something different (but immortal)? Did Sophie ever forgive Bart for murdering Milan? How old is The Artifact? Only time (and more episodes) will tell.
Beacon 23 drops new episodes every Sunday on MGM+.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
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