BLADE RUNNER 2049 Facts Good Boy
In the time since the first Blade Runner, the technology of Replicants has progressed at a slower rate than one might expect (if you consider removing freedom from them a step forward for humans). When last we left Deckard, the Nexus-6 models of Replicants were already causing trouble by the ability to pass as “more human than human.” But in the intervening thirty years, the androids have advanced to the Nexus-9 generation. It’s this generation to which Ryan Gosling’s hero belongs, apparently programmed to no longer even be capable of resisting their human masters. And the practice of giving Replicants ‘names’ is long over.
Gosling’s titular Blade Runner is known only by the designated serial number ‘KD9-3.7’ or ‘K’ for short. It’s not exactly the most sophisticated brand of humor or wit, but the fact that the film’s hero is an officer in the LAPD, named K, and a Nexus-9 is hard to overlook. Unlike the human/dog pairings to which the title refers, this version of ‘K9’ is actually neither. Although you could say he’s a blend of genuine human and faithful servant, so the name may not be as shallow as it seems.