black mirror is a pretty cool show, an anthology of thrilling stories centered around technology and media.
having now watched every episode, here is my take and thoughts on each episode.
SEASON 1
episode 1: the national anthem
this was a good episode. it had a strong lasting message on our society and the way the plot of the episode played out seemed very realistic. with almost no time spent development character, this episode was still capable of capturing a suspenseful and interesting story with a very good payoff. the pig deserved better.
7/10
episode 2: fifteen million merits
national anthem was able to intrigue me, but fifteen million merits hooked me. the whole production design behind the setting of this episode was incredible. i love these creative and absurd worlds that are very ridiculous conceptually, but are presented in such a realistic and believable way. as far as i know, this was daniel kaluuya's breakout performance, and he clearly showed how strong of an actor he is. it's evident why filmmakers such as mcqueen and peele were eager to make use of this black mirror actor in their own movies. a very interesting story and world, with some amazing performances. the ending monologue, plus the way the episode ended was genius.
10/10
episode 3: the entire history of you
this one is interesting. it's a very strong character drama, but centered around a piece of technology. the "grain" is basically a fpov camera that records everything, thus you will always be able to view every past moment of your life. this episode shows how this kind of technology can help us reveal truth, but at the same time, completely destroy people mentally. a very good story centered around this premise.
8/10
SEASON 2
episode 1: be right back
this episode is very memorable. another one centered around technology, and it was very well done. with help of an excellently written script, domhnall gleeson was great at portraying an ai, extremely lifelike, yet still uncanny. some of the scenes near the end of the episode were haunting. yet another interesting story centered around a messed up piece of technology, this is the kind of stuff we look for in black mirror.
9/10
episode 2: white bear
although this episode was quite long and boring at times, the message at the end is what prevails. the gut punch twist ending makes the entire slow burn of the episode absolutely worth it. every day, the cancel culture that exists in our society becomes more and more prevelant, and it's quite apparent how easily humans prey on negative press. we are blurring the lines of what is considered justice and what is just straight up toxic hypocritical behavior. white bear perfectly demonstrates this message. if only the episode was paced better.
8/10
episode 3: the waldo moment
the premise behind this episode is good, and we have recently seen something similar happen in ukrain with zelensky. however, the pacing and build up to the comically bad ending was very unconvincing. the acting performances were also quite weak, though i suspect a lot of it had to do with the poorly paced script. the show tries to shock you with the ending, and evoke feelings of dread, but you're ultimately left confused and baffled at how ridiculous things escalated. instead of relating with the main character and thinking, "oh god, what have i created", the only thought i had in my head was an awkward "huh"
3/10
2014 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
episode 4: white christmas
favourite episode. jon hamm is amazing. i love the pacing and stitching of the intertwined stories of this one. the abuse and morals behind technology leaves the classic black mirror bad taste in your mouth. all in all, one of the best written black mirror stories, fronted by an amazing performance. merry christmas y'all
10/10
SEASON 3
episode 1: nosedive
ok, now this episode is amazing. the social commentary is so relevant today with things going on like instagram influencers and zhima credit. once again, the pacing is fantastic, and so much of the influence of the rating system from the episode is subtly built upon and inferred. the ending is both depressing and cathartic, and one of my favourites in the series. also i have a crush on bryce dallas howard
★★★★★
episode 2: playtest
not a fan of this one. cool visuals and decent acting, but the writing did not feel realistic at all, as if the writer had 0 insight on the gaming industry. ultimately, what i was left with was an uninteresting, forgettable episode. i felt no payoff with the ending, nor did the episode give me some kind of commentary or message.
5/10
episode 3: shut up and dance
this episode has some of the best acting in all of black mirror. unfortunately just like playtest, there is no payoff with the episode. i guess it successfully shocks you when you find out you've been rooting for a pedophile the entire time, but honestly that just felt like an unearned exPEcTaTIoNs SuBvERteD twist thrown in there. and you're telling me this guy is able to find child pornography on the internet without being tech-savy enough to know not to just install some random antivirus with 0 credibility? jerome flynn is fun
6/10
episode 4: san junipero
and here begins the trend of happy endings for the future seasons. this is a pleasant story with emotional twists and turns. there's a good number of fun pop culture references, and an interesting twist that isn't shoved down your throat. overall a lovely story with a beautiful ending.
9/10
episode 5: men against fire
the twist in this episode is almost immediately obvious, which makes the episode drag quite a bit in the first half. some of the supporting characters are quite awfully written and acted too. this whole episode did not feel very innovative, and we see yet again, a "new technology" that ignorant people volunteer to use and ultimately face the consequences. this is a lot of black mirror episodes, but this one just lacks the originality of other episodes, such as the whole world and you, and be right back
6/10
episode 6: hated in the nation
cool episode. the twist wasn't unexpected, but at least the story was very engaging and interesting. this episode is an excellent mystery surrounded by some interesting black mirror technology. it's also a very long episode, making it a good one if you're in the mood for a feature length film.
7/10
SEASON 4
episode 1: uss calister
here's the 2nd "IS IT OK TO TORTURE CONCIOUS AI??" episode but feels a little less impactful than white christmas. i love the star trek inspired set, and there's some great performances, but the story was ultimately quite safe and uninteresting. if you're looking for some crazy, morally grey, thought provoking story that black mirror is known for, this episode will not deliver. i guess it's still a fun time overall though
6/10
episode 2: arkangel
very forgettable episode with a morally grey technology that is abused and ultimately the abuser faces the consequences. we've seen this before but this time, it's very streamlined and lacks the innovation of previous similar episodes.
5/10
episode 3: crocodile
this is an episode that everyone seems to hate, and i can understand why. but i appreciated how it was able to make me feel so disgusted by mia, the main character. she started the episode as an unassuming person, thrown into a bad situation, and ended as a serial killer. i thought the build up and development of her character was definitely earned. i also like how the "futuristic technology" is not the plot of the episode, but rather a compliment to a messed up story. unlike the last 2 episodes of this season, crocodile was able to make me feel emotions
8/10
episode 4: hang the dj
here's the 3rd "IS IT OK TO TORTURE CONCIOUS AI??" episode and this time it's great. in this episode, the characters and their goals are established early on. the way the episode is paced makes us really root for the main characters and the twist at the end of the episode is wonderful and mindblowing. yet another very happy ending, but there are still things left to think about. the best episode in a weak season
8/10
episode 5: metalhead
this episode is a simple thriller of a robot dog chasing a lady. there's some interesting scenes and cool shots, but overall it's just a boring episode with not much to tell. the choice of using a black and white lens did not add anything either. i suppose the atmosphere and setting is interesting, but ultimately this does not warrant a 2nd viewing.
6/10
episode 6: black museum
here's the 4th "IS IT OK TO TORTURE CONCIOUS AI??" episode. this episode is just a discount version of white christmas. discount in the sense that the intertwining of the stories is much weaker, the characters are less interesting, and the twists and turns feel unearned. this episode once again explores concious ai in a couple of different forms and it's really starting to get worn out. in the end, the episode isn't bad, but when you compare it to previous episodes, it just feels like a poor rehashing of things we had already seen.
6/10
2018 FILM
bandersnatch
very cool, self-aware, meta, film where there's a lot of meaning and purpose behind the "choose your own adventure" story that it's telling. a lot of people complain that the endings are too similar or that they are all dark/depressing. this is the entire point of the film, our choices don't matter, and these events are part of a singular narrative that are doomed to happen. judging the narrative alone, it's not the greatest entry in black mirror, but as a standalone experience, i feel like bandersnatch is fantastic.
7/10
SEASON 5
episode 1: striking vipers
i didn't really understand this one. the story had some interesting moments, but nothing about it really screamed black mirror. conceptually, this episode could have gone in some cool directions, but it was ultimately pretty uneventful in the 2nd half and a boring episode.
5/10
episode 2: smithereens
well acted and paced, and it has great moments, but in the end, this is an episode that tries to preach the message that social media is evil. unfortunately this does not come across successfully from this episode because the main tragedy in this movie is not the responsibility of social media, but a poor decision made by the main character, resulting in distracted driving. the episode also tries to play off that the drunk driving was not a problem, but people driving should never be drunk no matter what. the message that social media is the more likely cause of tragedy rather than drunk driving left a bad taste in my mouth. the revelations of the main character's motivations did not feel earned at all. that being said, there are still some great moments from this episode and it was definitely worth watching.
6/10
episode 3: rachel, jack and ashley too
this episode is attempting to be a thought provoking comedy, but it fails to be thought provoking, and fails to be funny. except for when the girl starts to say "im your biggest fan" after hannah montana wakes up from a coma, that made me shoot air out of my nose. yet again, this black mirror episode explores a concious ai. but this time, it's played by miley cyrus, who admittedly does a pretty great job. the rest of the cast, kinda blows. pretty bad episode, and disappointing ending to a disappointing season. also minus points for not using an oxford comma in the title.
4/10
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