The TV Show Trials - Black Mirror
Black Mirror is a British anthology television series created by Charlie Brooker. Individual episodes explore a diversity of genres, but most are set in near-future dystopias with sci-fi technology.
Is this weeks late? Yes. Do I care? No. Is it even finished? Also, no; but I will update this as I watch whatās left. For this review I decided to switch it up a little bit, Iāve watched the majority of Black Mirror before so instead of just reviewing every episode; Iām ranking them from worst to best.
A failed comedian who voices a popular cartoon bear named Waldo finds himself mixing in politics when TV executives want Waldo to run for office.
Itās very difficult to make audiences care about fictional, local bi-elections and this episode is definitive proof of that. This episode is a major let-down not only as a season finale but being in-between the powerhouses of White Bear and White Christmas. Overall, itās just a bad episode...
The Entire History of You
In the near future, everyone has access to a memory implant that records everything they do, see and hear. You need never forget a face again - but is that always a good thing?
While the concept is solid, and provides the baseline of technology going forward, the episode itself is too slow to justify its 50 minute runtime. While the stakes feel high, Iām not invested enough in the relationship to feel bad at its demise. Also, I think Charlie Brookers takeaway is bullshit, he thinks itās Liamās fault for looking for information that will upset him and that Claire just has āsecretsā and āstill loves himāā¦ she cheated on him while they were trying to have a baby! Sheās just as bad as he is.
Future soldiers Stripe and Raiman must protect frightened villagers from an infestation of vicious feral mutants.
While not boring, I donāt really care for action and war heavy narratives, the message redeems this episode a lot for me. The idea of war propaganda dehumanising the āenemyā to make it easier to kill them or wish for their death is portrayed to its extreme here.
After learning about a new service that lets people stay in touch with the deceased, a lonely, grieving Martha reconnects with her late lover.
Another slow episode, but this is better than The Entire History of You because it focuses solely on the relationship and the aftermath of Ashās death. Hayley Atwell and Domhnall Gleeson absolutely kill it as Martha and Ash; but can we expect any less from them?
After nearly losing her daughter, a mother invests in a new technology that allows her to keep track of her.
I know this episode is pretty divisive and, while I donāt find it particularly entertaining, the concept and discussion that it prompts is worth having. Like, is the Arkangel moral, does some of the footage count as CP, if giving someone emergency contraception against their will a human rights violation? Itās just unfortunate that the discussion surrounding the episode is more entertaining than the episode itself.
An American traveler short on cash signs up to test a revolutionary new gaming system, but soon can't tell where the hot game ends and reality begins.
I feel like my reviews are already getting bad, and weāre only six episodes deepā¦ Anyway, this episode is pretty scary, so it does its job as the sole horror episode of the series.
In a world where people's lives consist of riding exercise bikes to gain credits, Bing tries to help a woman get on to a singing competition show.
Okay, time to get a little controversial. I think this episode is good, but not great. Daniel Kaluuya is phenomenal, and you can really see how far heās come while also retaining those trademarks of his performances; especially with his eyes. My problem mainly lies in that itās only really entertaining in the last half; but I donāt know what I would cut to make it shorterā¦
In near-future London, police detective Karin Parke, and her tech-savvy sidekick Blue, investigate a string of mysterious deaths with a sinister link to social media.
Once again, another good episode, itās just too long. I think itās done a massive disservice by simply being known as āthe killer bee episodeā because itās so much more than the bees; but not much more to impress me.
Paired up by a dating program that puts an expiration date on all relationships, Frank and Amy soon begin to question the system's logic.
This episode and the next one are pretty evenly matched, I just like this one slightly less. This is mostly because the episode lags in the middle compared to the beginning and end.
When Yorkie and Kelly visit San Junipero, a fun-loving beach town full of surf, sun and sex, their lives are changed.
Itās just a good episodeā¦ can you tell Iām getting sick of writing these reviews?
A woman desperate to boost her social media score hits the jackpot when she's invited to a swanky wedding, but the trip doesn't go as planned.
I think this episode is great, especially as the introduction to thisĀ ānewā phase of Black Mirror on Netflix. Bryce Dallas Howard knocks it out of the park and the concept is great; espacially because it isnāt too dissimilar to how we currently live.
An insurance agent investigates a minor traffic incident using a device that manifests peoples' memories, but one of her witnesses has something to hide.
This is just fucking grim, isnāt it? While this episode is insanely devistating, thatās one of the reasons I rank it so highly, especially because it isnāt afraid for itās main character to just be an awful and selfish person with no redemption. Itās really great to see.
A woman enters the Black Museum, where the proprietor tells his stories relating to the artifacts.
Where this episodeās strength is in the way they tie each story to each other. It could come across as a slap-dash clip show to fill out the season but those connections in the form of Rolo Hayes takes it beyond into being a great episode.
Capt. Robert Daly presides over his crew with wisdom and courage. But a new recruit will soon discover nothing on this spaceship is what it seems.
Iām going to be completely honest and admit that I was dreading re-watching this episode as I didnāt like it the first time around; but I can confindently say my opinion has changed. Itās way funnier than I had remembered it and Cristin Milioti does a phenomenal job, a stand out scene being the one in the lake.
Prime Minister Michael Callow faces a shocking dilemma when Princess Susannah, a much-loved member of the Royal Family, is kidnapped.
We all knew this was coming but I bet you werenāt expecting to see it in my top five, were you? I could go on for eons about how this (and the rest of my top five) perfectly encapsulate the soul of Black Mirror as commentary on technology, polotics, and interpersonal conflicts; but you donāt want to hear that, you want to hear my defence. I think this episode is the perfect episode to start the show with, itās shocking and a bit gross but it hooks you so quickly that you canāt help but watchĀ ātil the end. And letās be honest, itās exactly how society would react to this situation...
Victoria wakes up and cannot remember anything about her life. Everyone she encounters refuses to communicate with her, and they all seem to know something she doesn't. But what?
You donāt need me to tell you how good this episode is, the rest of the internet can do that for me...
Three interconnected tales of technology run amok during the Christmas season are told by two men at a remote outpost in a frozen wilderness.
This is another episode where the internet can tell you how great it is, so I want to focus on something different. Like The Entire History of You, I donāt agree with Brookerās interpretation of the conflict, sure JoeĀ doesnāt seem like the best guy but his partner cheated on him and had another manās child while blocking him and refusing to work things out like an adult. And while he may be an unreliable narrator, when you donāt give me anything to hint at the reality, Iāve got no choice but to believe the narrator...
When withdrawn Kenny stumbles headlong into an online trap, he is quickly forced into an uneasy alliance with shifty Hector, both at the mercy of persons unknown.
Iām sure you saw this coming after seeing where I put The National Anthem... I love this episode and and the way it draws you in to care about Kenny until you start thinkingĀ āthe videoās pretty bad, but surely itās not wirth all this right?ā all the way up to dropping the bombshell on what he was actually doing. And, even on rewatch, that reveal still makes me unbeleivably nauseous.
