Cupertino Season 1, Episode 5, “Celeste,” shows why Olivia, Michael, Christy, and Natalia will be a dream team that Silicon Valley won’t see coming. This episode, in particular, sees Olivia knocked down as too naive and new to the world of law when she’s just learning. Michael sums it up with: “You made a mistake because you’re human and you’re learning, and that’s okay” and “…every disaster makes you a better lawyer. And I say, every challenge makes you a better person.
Relatedly, Michael and Olivia’s conversation about fighting crusades feels significant. The idea of the reverse situation coming to fruition later this season or even four seasons from now is why I love TV. Written by Dewayne Darian Jones and directed by Nancy However, “Celeste” also dives deeper into the underestimation of Natalia. Seeing Natalia get involved with the Bo case is exciting! That story makes it easy to look forward to what’s ahead for her.
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Olivia Is Still Learning
“Celeste” addresses something that I honestly keep forgetting about — Olivia is just out of law school. With how quickly everything has been moving since Cupertino premiered, it’s so easy to forget that Olivia is still finding her footing in this world. She’s still learning what it means to be a working lawyer, let alone one in Silicon Valley that stands toe-to-toe against the Goliaths like the Magnificent 7. Talk about learning by doing in a literal pressure cooker!
This episode dials that up with a case-of-the-week that features one of Olivia’s friends, Celeste, played by Kennedy McMann. As a massive Nancy Drew fan, I couldn’t be happier to see McMann back on my TV. Also, since the Good Doctor spinoff didn’t make it to the small screen, it’s extra nice to see McMann in a legal drama. The quality of her talent shines in the witness prep. Her delivery of lines like “I am an unemployed single mother your client targeted with false promises of a well-paying job” reflect so much. You get why she took the job, why she’s angry that it’s not a good job, and how villainous these companies are.
I wish that Cupertino did a bit more with Celeste and Olivia’s friendship. It’s a pre-existing dynamic, so it should feel lived-in. It’s just unclear how well Celeste and Olivia know each other or for how long. Celeste’s S-Talk sweatshirt draws a specific tether, but I like these characters so much that I want even more.
It would only help that moment when Olivia is shocked that Celeste takes the money from WorkSource. It’s honest that Cupertino depicts Celeste making that choice. This show is clear about the real humans with responsibilities and moral compasses existing on the outskirts. That’s life-changing — maybe even life-saving — money. Taking it doesn’t make Celeste evil or wrong; she’s just making the right choice for her and her family at that moment.
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Is This the End of Bo?
This episode also continues the serialized story with Bo/CultAI and Coki/The Enders, and it takes some delightfully zany and honestly a bit scary turns. Again, one of the best things Cupertino can do for that storyline and the show in general is include Busy Philipps as Natalia Boutella more often. This character continues to deliver in every way. Her showing up late with popcorn that Christy eats while Olivia and Michael decide how involved Natalia should be is just perfection. “Celeste” just raises and raises the bar from there!
Michael doesn’t want to bring attention to him and Christy at the RAIM house, and then Natalia appears out of nowhere. By the way, Christy saying, “Michael, you’re Black, and I’m cool. How likely is that?” made me laugh out loud. The trio’s side quest to Coki is equally hilarious and terrifying. From the bit with Natalia’s car to Natalia and Christy jumping every time Christy’s phone rings, it’s just entertaining TV. Then, it takes a serious turn when a man with a literal sword corners and questions Michael (and Natalia casually pulls a gun out of her purse) before Coki reveals that Bo is a Trojan horse that will destroy everything.
Cupertino has a dynamic argument. Coki is on one side of the extreme spectrum, with Bo on the other. Neither have established themselves as trustworthy. Both set off warning bells for the other with Price & Siffre in the middle. With his parting words, Bo tells Michael that he’ll regret deleting Bo from the servers. It’s unclear if that’s a considerate warning or a threat, but Bo is right that this isn’t over. The computer doesn’t have to come back in the final shot of “Celeste” to confirm that. This fight for humanity is far from over.
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