Even when its characters spend an episode stuck in traffic, Cupertino continues to soar
The fascinating “Harper” asks whether or not AI should determine who gets an organ transplant and who doesn’t.
Photo: Elizabeth Fisher/CBS
It’s always amusing to see how TV shows incorporate their setting into the main storyline. I’m not talking about shows where the setting is a main character, but ones that find interesting ways to establish where the characters live and how it affects their day-to-day. In “Harper,” Cupertino addresses one of the defining aspects of the Bay Area circa 2026—a perpetual snarl of traffic congestion—with a huge chunk of the episode taking place on U.S. 101, where Michael and Olivia are stranded on an interminable commute while arguing a time-sensitive case over Zoom. Expect a lot of honking throughout.
“Harper” has many fascinating aspects; we never meet the titular Price, Siffre, & Associates client, for example. And yet, Cupertino makes us care about Harper Gervin. After years on the liver-transplant list, the 27-year-old is finally on deck to receive a life-saving organ donation, much to the relief of her mom and her roommate, Christy. But just before the surgery, Harper gets bumped down the list in favor of an older man, a wealthy VC exec named Albert Ensler. And thus begins a “Who deserves to get this liver?” battle pitting Michael and Olivia against Albert’s attorney, Ry (welcome back, Steven Pasquale). However, this trio, as well as the judge assigned to the dispute, are all stuck in traffic on the way to the courthouse in their respective cars/cabs.
With waiting for in-person arguments out of the question— the liver is only viable for four more hours—the case goes remote, which is reminiscent of watching viral courtroom videos during COVID-19 lockdown. Luckily (or not?), no one uses a cat filter or is driving with a suspended license—although the judge does accidentally hail an UberX Share, spending most of his ride alongside a young man whose girlfriend is breaking up with him. (Ry, for his part, keeps getting interrupted by his Waymo.) Christy is the only one running around at the hospital, talking to doctors and people in charge, while comforting Harper’s mom and trying to keep her own emotions in check. One of my favorite things about Cupertino is just how fast Ella Stiller has settled into this role, her ability to pull off a snarky look or remark even in the wildest situations.
Olivia is riding with her brother, Jacob (Gilles Geary), after picking him up from the airport. He might be visiting her, but Jacob’s also in town to finally meet Angela, his long-distance girlfriend who lives in the East African country of Burundi, builds houses for orphans, and frequently takes money from Jacob to do so. In other words: Angela doesn’t exist, and Jacob has fallen for an online scam, but he refuses to believe his sister when she tells him that. Nothing convinces him it’s a ruse, not even Vik confirming that the photos of “Angela” that Jacob has are AI-generated.
Meanwhile, Michael’s stuck with Nichole in her car because she sprung a surprise breakfast visit on him. Nichole wants her ex’s advice on whether she should leave her East Coast job and accept the new role she was offered at a boutique West Coast firm that works primarily for the Magnificent Seven. This upscale law firm, with only eight total lawyers, is impressed by how Nichole can stand up in court against Michael and Olivia. And this is how we learn that Price, Siffre, & Associates have already frightened a lot of Big Tech companies. Nichole’s recruitment is a preemptive move for whenever Michael and Olivia come knocking.
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