Advantageous

Set in the near future, Gwen sells cosmetic procedures for the Center for Advanced Health and Living. Despite her relatively affluent position, she has difficulty sustaining a lifestyle that will ensure her daughter, Jules, a solid education and future. When she is abruptly fired from her job, Gwen’s optimism quickly dissolves as she realizes that the only offer she has for employment is an egg donor position, due to women rapidly becoming infertile. The firing comes at a critical juncture in Gwen’s life as she needs money to secure Jules’s position at an elite school.

Feeling desperate, Gwen reaches out to her old employer, Fisher, to volunteer as one of the first subjects for a procedure that will transfer her consciousness into a new body, allowing her to keep her old job by becoming more youthful and racially ambiguous. Fisher assures her that if she agrees to the body transfer, the center will do everything it can to ensure Jules’s future and protect Gwen as the face of the company. He also warns her that the procedure is still in its infancy; for a year, Gwen will have to take shots every two hours to help her breathe, otherwise she will face enduring pain. He explains that the technology is not finished yet and begs her to reconsider. Worrying that she will not be able to find another job at her age, Gwen decides to undergo the procedure.

Before agreeing to the procedure, Gwen tries one last desperate measure, reaching out to her cousin Lily and Lily’s husband, Han, for help. Gwen and Han had an affair about 14 years ago, and, though Lily had forgiven the affair, her attitude changes once she learns that Gwen has a child fathered by Han. She tells Gwen they need more time to think about helping her, especially considering the suddenness of the news, but Gwen tells them that she has no time. Lily says she and her husband need time to think about helping financially, especially since they have children of their own.

Gwen breaks the news of her procedure to Jules, who seems to be understanding of the circumstances. Together, they go to see Gwen’s future body. After spending Christmas with Jules, Gwen completes the procedure and returns home in a new body, Gwen 2.0. Gwen 2.0 is unrecognizable and carries none of Gwen’s distinguishing physical traits. Post-procedure, Gwen 2.0 is disoriented and in pain, but she does her work for the center well. Jules, who had been warned that her mother might be slightly different, takes care of her and administers her shots when she has difficulty breathing. However, Gwen 2.0 has trouble understanding and relating to Jules after the procedure. She tells Fisher she wants to separate from Jules, believing that Jules can take care of herself and would prefer being alone. Fisher is furious and reveals to Gwen 2.0 that she is not Gwen, but a twin that had been implanted with Gwen’s memories; he explains the twin process to her because he thinks it will be easier for the twin Gwen to merge with the donor’s memories by learning the truth. Gwen’s original consciousness died during the procedure, but she was willing to go through with it to ensure her daughter’s future. Gwen 2.0 is unaffected by the news and tells Fisher the part of Gwen that loved Jules did not transfer. When she returns home, she tells Jules that her mother is dead. Jules, in response to the news, initially hides the shot Gwen 2.0 needs to breathe but eventually gives it to her. When Jules tells Gwen 2.0 she is not sure why she kept her alive, Gwen 2.0 reassures her that her kindness is unique to her. Jules tells her she sounds like her mother.

Gwen 2.0 later sees a message from Lily and Han in which they apologize for their initial dismissal and tell her that they would like to help her and Jules. Gwen 2.0 goes to their home and breaks the news about Gwen to them. Later, she organizes a picnic so that Jules can meet Han, Lily, and their boys for the first time.

Last Updated: September 23, 2025 at 23:51