The Feed Recap: Malfunction

By Daniel Hart - November 22, 2019 (Last updated: November 30, 2023)
Amazon Series The Feed Season 1, Episode 1
By Daniel Hart - November 22, 2019 (Last updated: November 30, 2023)
3.5

Summary

The Feed Season 1, Episode 1 gets off to a fast-paced start, introducing us to a highly technical world and the Hatfield family.

This recap of Amazon Series The Feed Season 1, Episode 1 contains significant spoilers. You can read the review of Season 1 by clicking these words.


As a slight introduction to the premise, The Feed centres on technology embedded into everyone’s minds. People can control apps, the appearance of environments, and even listen to music. It’s a central application that runs a human’s life. Lawrence Hatfield (David Thewlis) created The Feed.

Episode 1 opens up with a wedding celebration at a British museum. Ben Hatfield is getting married to Miyu — two powerful families joining up. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, a chef’s feed is malfunctioning. Back at the wedding party, Tom Hatfield is listening to music on his feed, and he notices Kate in the distance and starts flirting.

Kate introduced Tom to Evelyn and Max. Evelyn works with Lawrence who created The Feed. Out of nowhere, the chef grabs the groom Ben with a knife and says her mind feels dark. Tom talks to her, while Kate grabs the knife. The adrenaline brings Tom and Kate closer, and they sleep together in one of the rooms.

Now in the future, Kate is pregnant with Tom’s baby. For work, Tom is a feed psychologist helping people to become less reliant on the technology. Ben shows up (he is already divorced after his recent wedding) and asks for help. Tom uses his feed to speak to dad Lawrence. He speaks of a missing friend called Dimitri and believes it is to do with his son who has somehow blocked the feed.

Tom meets Anton, Dimitri’s son who now has an eye patch — his eye has been gouged out. Tom persuades Anton to share a memory of his roof jumping, and then horse riding with his father. And then randomly in the memory, Anton stabs his father with a pitchfork. They find Dimitri’s dead body, and Anton says it is too dark in his mind and begs Tom to delete the feed.

At a birthday meal for Max, Tom tells Evelyn about Anton and how he felt dark in his mind. All of a sudden, everyone’s feeds turn on and every app malfunctions, putting everyone in a state of paralysis. The Feed shows images of chaos. Worldwide news outlets report on how The Feed was hacked. Later, Tom speaks to Lawrence about the incident, and he tries to reassure Tom that everything will be okay.

As we enter the final phase of the pilot, Kate wakes up in the middle of the night and says someone is in her head. At the same time, her water breaks. Meanwhile, Meredith, Tom’s mother, creates a feed video where the company announces that the “resistors” caused the hack.

Kate goes into labor in the hospital. Meredith turns up unannounced, which looks suspicious in Tom’s mind. How did she know? The baby is born and Tom is delighted.

The Feed Season 1, Episode 1 ends with Tom asking what Kate meant when she said: “Someone is in my head”. She claims she did not say anything so Tom asks Kate to check her memory. When she does, Kate again rejects the notion she said that. Tom asks if he can hold the baby, but he is not getting a response.

The Feed gets off to a healthy start.

The Feed Version Notes

  • Tom has three dots on his back.
  • Kate meets Tom’s mother Meredith and she suggests using the feed to help bond with her baby.
  • Evelyn creates a feed where she can turn into whatever Max wants for his birthday.
  • Kate tells her midwife she isn’t feeling right about the baby.
  • Ben kisses a feed version of his ex-wife Miyu.
  • Lawrence suggests removing the feed from the chef.

You can read the recap of the second episode by clicking these words.

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