Apple’s underrated, extremely endearing The Big Door Prize asks one big, not at all simple question: What would happen if you knew the potential of your life? In order to learn this info, you have to put all your personal details into a weird machine (the minute it asks for Social Security Numbers, I’d be done). The answer comes in the form of a little blue card with a single word on it. Maybe two or three words, max.
Then what?
That’s basically the premise of the show, which follows an excellent ensemble cast as their lives are upended by the Morpho machine and its little blue cards of destiny. Some people chase their Morpho-assigned destiny hard; some sort of sit back and go, “Huh.” As one does.
Here’s the synopsis for season two:
Based on M.O. Walsh’s novel, The Big Door Prize season two follows the residents of Deerfield as the Morpho machine readies them for the mysterious “next stage.” As everyone’s potentials are exchanged for visions, new relationships form and new questions are asked. Dusty (Chris O’Dowd) and Cass (Gabrielle Dennis) decide to take time apart while Trina (Djouliet Amara) and Jacob (Sammy Fourlas) learn that they can shed their old labels. Giorgio (Josh Segarra) and Izzy (Crystal Fox) each find romance while Hana (Ally Maki) and Father Reuben (Damon Gupton) attempt to discover the purpose of the machine. The small town is once again left questioning what they thought they knew about their lives, relationships, potentials, and about the Morpho itself.
The Morpho itself is a pretty sci-fi premise, but things got even further from ordinary reality at the end of the first season, when it turned out that Dusty is not the only person with a mysterious little blue mole. This teaser hints at maybe more surreal, or supernatural, or plain old inexplicable happenings—and whatever is coming in “the next stage.”
The Big Door Prize returns to Apple TV+ on April 24th.
