Cupertino kicks off with an audacious and entertaining series premiere

To say that the AI boom has caused a certain level of existential dread is not an understatement, mainly because it’s being spearheaded and controlled by a chosen few without much regulation (for now). It’s become a hot button topic, and Cupertino thankfully isn’t subtle about which side it’s on. In the opening seconds of Robert and Michelle King‘s’ legal dramedy, attorney Michael Price (Mike Colter) packs up his desk after he’s fired from a tech startup that he invested in. The first item in his filing box? A chocolate bar named David. At episode’s end, Michael states that the mission of his brand new law firm—which he launches alongside lawyer Olivia Siffre (Rachel Keller)—is akin to the David vs. Goliath saga. That is, they’re the heroic underdogs facing off against powerful Silicon Valley companies. They’ll only take on clients no one else will out of fear of pissing off the Goliaths. With that, Cupertino sets up its resonant premise: It will examine tech’s unavoidable encroachment into our lives, and its extremely harmful influence. 

It all starts with, as the episode’s title suggests, “Michael And Olivia.” The two are let go from the successful S-Talk on the same day for different, shady reasons. Michael is falsely accused of proprietary leaks so his co-founder, Richard Everett (Will Brill), can keep Michael’s equity; Olivia is fired before she can tell anyone Richard sexually harassed her by sending her a dick pic. Wrongfully terminated by and angry at their employer, Michael and Olivia team up to bring two lawsuits against S-Talk. However, Olivia is resistant at first, knowing that her traditional family wouldn’t want her to make public such a private matter. It’s not until she finds out that Richard modeled Daisy—his next-level generative AI model—after her that Olivia decides to fight back. 

Cupertino gives Olivia a lot of layers right away: She’s a religious conservative who prays often and keeps a Bible at her desk; she’s also open-minded and couldn’t wait to leave her Wisconsin hometown after graduation; she’s soft-spoken and therefore frequently underestimated. The Kings infuse her with a lot of personality, including her love of musicals. (She hums Annie‘s “It’s A Hard Knock Life” whenever she’s nervous, which is the kind of character detail that quickly helps the audience understand her.) Best known for her work in grittier dramas like Legion, Tokyo Vice, and The Society, Keller brings an admirable tenderness to the character. Colter matches her performance, mixing Michael’s swagger with vulnerability. The Evil actor straddles Michael’s professional ambitions, family pressures, and morality. 

Unlike his wealthy celebrity lawyer father, Bayard (Joe Morton)—who drops in just to chastise his son—Michael doesn’t want to represent bigwigs. Instead, he hopes to stand for those wronged by Big Tech heavyweights. So he encourages Olivia to do the same without being pushy or demanding. Michael and Olivia end up getting along swimmingly, working out their respective lawsuits from an IHOP until Michael’s spunky, resourceful assistant helps them out. Christy Palladino (Ella Stiller)—also fired from S-Talk—joins the two lawyers, using her blue-collar family’s contacts to secure them a lavish workspace. Or rather, a fancy reception area, because the actual cubicles inside the building don’t exist yet. Once the firm starts making money, the plan is to build one room after another. Until then, the chic lobby will have to do.