![]() ![]() This is social media’s predictable fear of those Boston Dynamics clips made real, as ‘Metalhead’ sees humans on the run from murderous robotic dogs roaming the countryside. It gets extra points for the Street Fighter-style VR world, rendered in brilliant video game colour, but falls flat after a very anti-climactic ending that locks this brave new sexy world firmly back in its box. Probably the raunchiest Black Mirror episode, Striking Vipers starts with an intriguing premise – what happens when VR sex is as good as the real deal – but fails to explore the tantalizing questions this raises about human sexuality. The 1980s setting is pitch perfect and there’s the kernel of a great story in Bandersnatch, but eventually that novelty overtakes the storytelling and proves why TV is a linear format to begin with. At first, the novelty of controlling the story is exciting and exotic, especially as – in true Black Mirror fashion – it takes numerous dark turns. ![]() Charlie Brooker’s take on choose your own adventure TV has five endings dictated by the choices you make. ‘Bandersnatch’ is simultaneously brilliant and underwhelming. The episode fails to ever really grapple with the technology in question, however, and is never really sure whether it’s an ironic send-up of teenage films, or just a poor simulacrum of the genre, with some “pop music is bad” argument tacked-on. In it, Miley Cyrus plays Ashley, a pop star who – for some reason or another – has her personality downloaded into some futuristic dolls. Brooker took on an entirely new genre with this teenage-drama tinged rumination on vapid pop music, exploitative managers and impressionable fans. Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too (Season 5, Episode 3)ĭone right, ‘Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too’ could have been one of Black Mirror‘s best episodes yet. At the time, this episode felt it lacked a firm footing and tossed a few too many ideas up in the air without developing enough of them, but with the benefit of hindsight – and the election of a certain US president – once again it’s reality, and not Black Mirror that has been found truly wanting. ![]() Imagine Bo’ Selecta’s Avid Merrion running for election and you won’t be far off. Set in the midst of an election, ‘The Waldo Moment’ tells the story of Jamie (Daniel Rigby), a comedian behind a puerile animated bear who unexpectedly finds himself having an outsized impact on national politics. The Waldo Moment (Season 2, Episode 3)Īs with ‘The National Anthem’, this is another Black Mirrorepisode that took a little while for history to catch up with it. The final twist is suitably bleak in true Black Mirror tradition, but you can’t help but wonder about the wider context of the story and its central character. Its warning about the potential misuse of technology in warfare is valid and interesting, but it’s hard to cover in the space of a 50-minute TV episode. Men Against Fire (Season 4, Episode 5)īlack Mirror is sometimes guilty of getting stuck on an interesting idea or concept without a whole story to support it. Ultimately, ‘White Bear’ ends up an imbalanced episode that has one hand to play but does so in a final burst of violent catharsis. For most of its running length, this episode draws heavily on horror films, but the first two-thirds lack the emotional punch and are really just set-up for the film’s devastating final act. The sparse dialogue and desolate setting create an atmosphere that reflects the isolation felt by the main character, Victoria, played by Lenora Crichlow. Half disturbing zombie thriller and half slamming indictment of society’s hankerings for public punishment, ‘White Bear’ has one of the most unpredictable twists of any Black Mirror episode. ![]() Think an episode of The Bill but with a little bit of “social media is bad” added in too. The paper-thin plot is only just enough to keep this episode plodding from scene to scene and despite being based around a hostage situation, the stakes in the episode never feel particularly high. ‘Smithereens’ tells the story of Chris (Andrew Scott) – a man who can’t help but blame social media for the most tragic moment in his life. Smithereens (Season 5, Episode 2)īlack Mirror‘s take on a British police drama. Though, as a result, it’s better on a second viewing. The brilliant final plot twist simply arrives too late. As a result, it feels disjointed and bitty. More irksomely, the episode lacks a good enough idea to hold its plot together. Simply put, Hamm is too famous for Black Mirror. As a result of the meeting, Hamm was cast into the starring role for the show’s first (and only) Christmas special. A fan of the show from the start, Hamm wanted to congratulate Charlie Brooker in person. You’ll see plenty of faces you know, but you’re unlikely to know many names. Despite all its success, one of the best things about Black Mirror is its ability to cast relative unknowns in starring roles. ![]()
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