Warning! Spoilers for Netflix’sUgliesand Scott Westerfeld’sPrettiesand Specials ahead!
Netflix’sUgliesmade a pretty bold move, killing off a character that survived to the end of the book series. The sci-fi film is based on the first book in author Scott Westerfeld’sUgliesseries, which was all the rage in my teenage years. I was among those who avidly read throughUglies,Pretties, andSpecials(followed byExtras) and have been eager for a movie adaptation ever since. While I was overall pleased with Netflix’s version of Tally Youngblood’s story, the death of a particular character inUgliesleft me a little baffled.
I never expected a movie likeUgliesto align perfectly with Westerfeld’s books. Tally’s internal dialogue is imperative to the nuanced themes of theUgliesseries, and I assumed that Netflix’s movie would need to water things down a bit to make everything work on screen. My main concern was thatMcG’sUgliesmoviewould make fundamental changes to the plot, and I was pleased to see that the director mostly resisted the urge to do so—except for with Peris.Tally’s best friend was turned into a Special before seemingly falling to his death, which absolutely never happened in theUgliesbook.
Peris Definitely Didn’t Die In The Uglies Books
Peris' Fate Was A Major Change In Netflix’s Uglies
Though Peris was the primary reason Tally was so eager to become a Pretty inUglies,he wasn’t a particularly important character from chapter to chapter. The story starts after he has already been made Pretty, and the only scenes he is actually present for in the book are Tally’s pig-mask adventure in New Pretty Town and Peris' efforts to convince his Ugly friend to cooperate with Dr. Cable. After Tally left the city for the Smoke, Peris continued to be someone she thought about often, but he didn’t appear again until theUgliessequel,Pretties.
It’s for this reason that I was shocked to see so many changes regarding hischaracter in Netflix’sUglies. This started with additional scenes featuring Tally and Peris' friendship, which was an excellent touch. However,the moment Dr. Cable mentioned making Peris “special,” I was dumbfounded. The fact that he went on to murder David’s father, Az, before falling to his death from the ledge of a dam left me all the more baffled, especially since this completely contradicts Pers' role in Tally’s continued story.
Peris Becoming A Special Defeated The Purpose Of His Character
Peris Specifically Didn’t Qualify To Be A Special In The Uglies Book Series
As I mentioned, Peris was basically MIA for the majority ofUglies, but he was around a bit more throughout Westerfeld’s sequel novel,Pretties. After Tally surrendered herself to the city, she was reunited with her best friend in New Pretty Town. However, while Tally fought for clarity against thelesions put in her brain during the Pretty operation,Peris was perfectly content to be a docile bubblehead. Eventually, Tally frees her mind to make a big escape from the city, and while Peris was supposed to go with her, he bailed at the last minute, deciding to stay in New Pretty Town instead.
The dissolution of Tally and Peris' friendship in Uglies was meant to drive home the idea that some people truly are just happier being controlled
The dissolution of Tally and Peris' friendship inUglieswas meant to drive home the idea that some people truly are just happier being controlled. Later, in the threequelSpecials, Tally becomes an agent of Special Circumstances—a Special—because of her ability to think her way past the government’s brain control. It’s noted explicitly thatpretty, docile Peris could never have become a Special. Of course, Netflix’sUgliesthrew this right out the window and, in doing so, wholly eliminated what this character was supposed to represent within the story.
Could Peris Return For A Possible Uglies Sequel?
Peris Returning For A “Pretties” Movie Would Mean Even More Changes
It’s still unclear whether Netflix will continue with theUgliessequel,Pretties.Still, the first movie certainly left the door open. Tally is seen as newly Pretty, looking at the scar commemorating her friendship with Peris, indicating that she has already begun her journey of fighting through the Pretty-head lesions. APrettiesmovie would surely take this further, butthe change to Peris' character in the first movie means that things are unlikely to go the same way in a sequel movie as it did in the book. If Peris is really dead, he can’t possibly be among Tally’s Pretty friends.
Ugliesis available to stream on Netflix.
Still,Peris' death was left ambiguous, and I have to think this was on purpose. In the books, Specials are nearly indestructible, and while it might have taken some time to heal, Periscouls have survived a fall like that thanks to his reinforced skeleton and enhanced reflexes and abilities.The possibility of Special Peris returning for anUgliesmovie sequel has me concernedhowever. There would be no way of doing this without more uncomfortable changes, which would be taken even further if Netflix adaptedSpecials. Of course, only time will tell.
Uglies
Cast
Based on the novel of the same name, Uglies is a sci-fi drama series released on Netflix in 2024. The series follows a young woman named Tally Youngblood who must face difficult choices in a world where turning sixteen means undergoing a mandatory operation that erases physical differences between people.
