'Upload' creator Greg Daniels & star Robbie Amell discuss Season 2 finale & chances for Season 3

Creator Greg Daniels and company did it again, leaving viewers of Upload with a new jaw-dropping cliffhanger in the show's second season finale, "Download."

The seven episodes of Season 2 moved near future, tech-crossed lovers, Nathan (Robbie Amell) and Nora (Andy Allo), to some dramatic new places, both physically and emotionally. In particular, the conspiracy around Nathan's murder became clearer, which prompted their pull towards one another to level up as an unexpected corporeal curveball made their impossible relationship suddenly possible.

**SPOILER WARNING! Spoilers for Upload Season 2 below!**

In setting up the multiple storylines for "Download" — written by Daniel's son and Lakeview's A.I. Guy, Owen Daniels — creator Daniels tells SYFY WIRE that the entire notion of downloading a person's consciousness from the cloud back to a body was something Owen introduced in Season 1. "We obviously set it up earlier," Daniels says, referencing Season 1, Episode 3, "The Funeral." "But that was his idea for that episode, so it made sense for him to write the big 'Download' episode, where a lot happens."

Opening the episode, Nathan and Ingrid (Allegra Edwards) finally square off about him not wanting a clone baby with her, or anything to do with her anymore, at all. "It's one of my favorite scenes of the show, with the pregnant dude on the wall just staring at me," Amell laughs, referring to the big breakup scene in the Lakeview Fertility office.

"And then when I'm like, 'You care about my feelings, too, right?' And she's like, 'Well....' She's just so funny," Amell enthuses about Edward's work in the scene. "Nathan has this problem that he doesn't want to be the bad guy. He never wants to end something or break up with someone. He hates crying. You find out in the first episode of the first season that he can't handle when a girl is crying, so he never wants that situation. And she's finally like, 'I'm hug-suiting it.' And he's like, 'That's it!'" 

Amell continues, "We shot a bunch of different versions of that ending and a lot of times it was the dramatic version. But I was like, 'Greg, I gotta try one where I'm just like, 'Finally!' and it's just a relief. And sure enough, that's the one they use. Then the crazy thing is right after that, [Nathan] needs her again because I find out that she's growing me, so I need her to not murder my ungrown body in the tank."

But before he can do that, Nathan and Nora come up with a plan, with help from Matteo (Paulo Costanzo) and the Ludds, to get his memory file from Horizen so he can be downloaded to that freshly grown Nathan. And that means Nathan has to say goodbye to Luke (Kevin Bigley), who becomes the de facto BFF this season. 

About deepening that bromance, Daniels says, "I will credit Owen Daniels for that. He really wrote in beautiful comedy for Luke. They are friends in real life and he completely gets how to make that character funny. Like, the stuff at the very end of the show is all Owen."

Photo: Amazon Prime Video

Amell categorizes their friendship as "weird," and not the healthiest considering that, "Nathan doesn't really treat him that well, which is more for comedy than anything else. But I love the scenes with Luke. Kevin is so great and cracks me up so much. And the final goodbye scene with him, I was laughing so hard." Referencing the moment that Luke cues up "I Can't Live" and bear hugs Nathan, Amell reveals that song did not exist when they were shooting the scene.

"Greg added the music when he claps," Amell laughs. After seeing the finished episode via a screener, Amell was so surprised that he emailed Greg asking whose idea was the music addition? "He's like, 'Oh, yeah, I thought that would be funny.' And I'm like, 'Greg, it's my favorite moment of the season.'"

From there, the huge twist reveal of Ingrid attempting a "do-over" with the Nathan body she has been growing secretly rounds out the events of the finale, with Amell getting to add more physical comedy to the role as Matteo attempts to fish Nathan's new body out of the tank so they can complete the download.

Amell says that scene took an entire shoot day unlike any he'd ever done before. "The weirdest thing was that when I was under the water, I couldn't hear. My ears were full of water and I have my eyes closed, so I can barely make out Allegra's monologue followed by her screaming; just a really weird day of filming."

And in a weird coincidence, Amell says he already knew Paulo Costanzo from when he worked with his wife, Italia Ricci, on the drama, Designated Survivor. "We had no scenes together [all season], but finally we're working together," Amell says of the tank scene. "He's like, 'What do you want to do here?' And I'm like, 'Honestly, dude, anything you want. I'm safe. I had that weird diaper on, so I'm sealed up. Just do whatever,'" the actor laughs. "At one point, he had my ankles up around his head and I was trying so hard not to laugh. That's top three weirdest shooting days I've ever had in my life."

Nathan gets fished out and finally meets Nora, in the flesh, for the first time, where they spend a cramped but passionate night together on the train back home. While most shows would have extended the 'will they, won't they' between two characters, Daniels says in the new streaming models, stories move quicker. 

"I love the way the scene on the train came out," he enthuses. "I think it was so charming and delicate, and it was executed very well by everyone involved. And I think it was a lot of fun. There was a lot of fun in that episode. It was a great one, so it felt like a good place to end the season."

But it's an awful cliffhanger with it closing on Nathan getting a bloody nose, which might be the harbinger of his new body rejecting his download procedure. Asked if an Upload Season 3 is assured, Daniels only offers, "We have a lot of fun plans for Season 3 already, so it would be quite a shock if we didn't have a Season 3."

As for how many seasons he could see Upload going as a show, Daniels says that's an ongoing conversation. "I'm just trying to figure out how long should we stay in the world, as you never want to sort of overstay your welcome," he muses. "You always want to leave when people are still quite happy with it. But I definitely think that it can go for another few seasons."

All episodes of Upload Season 2 are available now on Amazon Prime Video.