The show begins when a machine mysteriously appears in the general store in town. The machine is named “Morpho” and promises to reveal the true life potential of whomever tries it. The machine requires fingerprints of each user, along with their social security numbers. Should this raise a red flag? Maybe, but it doesn’t for our townsfolk.

It sounds too good to be true. A machine to tell us what we could be doing with our lives to fulfill our potential would be incredible — or ruin your life. What if what we really want and what it shows us are two very different things? Who is right? But the people seem to put all their future plans on the machine.

“I think I love that central premise that we may have a second go-around, that there can be this reset where maybe this part that we had been trying to fulfill all of our lives was actually some kind of façade or joke or trying to live up to somebody else’s expectations,” Dowd told members of the media. “And then suddenly if you follow what you were supposed to, then maybe we’ll find some kind of happiness. And I think there’s something fun in that premise, particularly at a time where we have all reset to explore. And so that was kind of what drew it to me.”

O’Dowd actually read the book before even seeing the script. “I know what happens in the end. But I thought that David [West Read, Executive Producer] had found the best part of it and explored the most interesting areas of it. And I think one of the things about the show that I like that we haven’t really talked about yet is the idea that what just makes us distinctive, I suppose, as a species is that we’re always looking for answers of some kind. You know, from astrology to Zoltar, to Jesus, we’re all looking for some kind of an answer as to what else is there, and guidance. And this small town is a microcosm of that.”

The story begs the question — “If a machine told you your life potential was different than the path you were on, would you follow the new path or ignore it?”

If you thought the writers were done with the story after the ending of the book, think again. “We really are just using the book as a jumping off point.” Read admitted. “The concept of the book is the seed that we’re planting for the series, and we have an amazing writers’ room, an amazing cast, amazing crew, designers.”

So if this first season proves to be popular among viewers, there are plenty of new stories ready to be told. The end of the season definitely leaves room for continuation. “The Big Door Prize” premiered March 29 on Apple TV+.