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'Next' Episode 4: White nationalist focus has fans praising the show for chilling 'parallels to 2020'

'Weaponizing social media? I wonder where we’ve seen that happen before...Looking at you, Firstname Bunchofnumbers, spreading conspiracy theories and political lies,' a fan wrote

Spoilers for 'Next' Season 1 Episode 4

With its focus on the ubiquity of technology, the influence of social media and the dangers of surveillance, 'Next' has chilled fans time and time again with its real-world parallels, making the show feel all too real, and its threats that much more dangerous. In this episode, the show focused on white nationalism with a story centered around C.M. (Michael Mosley), himself a former White nationalist trying to deprogram his racist upbringing.

At a past incident at Rockridge, C.M. snitched on his White nationalist group to the FBI, leading to arrests and several deaths. C.M.'s involvement in that was kept secret, but no secrets are safe from NEXT for long, as it releases that information through White nationalists.

The episode also looks at how right-wing websites influence and encourage white nationalists, and even on how fake videos are used to further drum up controversy, even riots. NEXT riled up easily manipulated white nationalists, and used them to target the FBI building as an attack. "Hate crime division... Weaponizing social media... God..." writes a fan, on Twitter. "Weaponizing social media? I wonder where we’ve seen that happen before...Looking at you, Firstname Bunchofnumbers, spreading conspiracy theories and political lies on Twitter and Generic Boomer mass-commenting on Facebook," comments a viewer. One fan, repurposing a Terry Pratchett quote, writes, "A lie can travel halfway around cyberspace before the truth has a chance to get its pants on."

The parallels to the rise of white nationalism and their radicalization on social media also hit home with the fans. "What’s happening in America(the world really) makes #NEXTonFOX even better," writes a viewer. "Closing off roads due to protesters..m yep, 2020. Just a virus and murder hornets away," writes this fan. "Considering this was filmed about a year ago, it’s hitting really close to home with all the parallels to 2020. Just wow!" writes another. "Damn. This feels like 2020 without COVID-19. Did @Fox film the show before 2020? <Talking about protests outside FBI> " wonders one viewer.

The next episode of 'Next' airs November 24, on FOX.