Black Mirror

The premise was broadly similar in 15 Million Merits, but it’s interesting that they ended on very different notes, one deeply pessimistic and the other if not optimistic, at least cathartic/redemptive.

You could probably see 15 million merits as the evolution of the society in Nosedive.

I think I also liked that episode because it felt the most realistic. Like… that could be happening… and kind of is… right now. Just look at instagram and youtube celebs, and their many free perks.

I have the feeling that the latest season moved the narrative from main characters as accomplices to main characters as victims of the world they live in.

That said, it’s still sensationalistically subpar even compared to something as cheesy as Perversions of Science.

But the Swedish original is a lot better! ;-)

@JonRowe your thoughts are very similar to mine.

Yep, I took it as a commentary on YouTube celebs (which was very prescient considering it was made in 2011.)

Though then again it’s an old story. Look at all the rock’n’rollers who started out with an image of being authentic and rebellious and ended up with lists of corporate endorsement deals as long as your arm.

I would have liked Nosedive alot more, but Community did a better version of this topic.

I thought the same thing too! Loved that episode.

In #3.03 the dude was actually caught looking at and getting off on child pornography. Still an interesting and significant episode, just wanted to mention that.

But @JonRowe’s list is great, I’d rank the episodes in the same order and for the same reasons. The White Christmas episode also scored a lot of marks with me.

Mrs. tgb has been watching and raving about this but I wanted to get caught up with House of Cards first.

Just watched the first episode. I’m speechless.

I finished up the whole series (so far) not too long ago, and blogged a little about it. One thing I said in there is that “Most of the episodes are either disgusting or horrifying” and nothing exemplifies that more than the very first episode.

Just about every episode does make you think, though, once you get past your initial shock reaction. How far away are we, really, from someone being able to pull off that scenario? With billions of people in the world it’s very likely that someone is crazy enough to want to.

Most episodes are “too real for comfort” talking about current or nearby future possible developments, but the first episode was just disgusting.

I am happy to have watched the entire serie, but it was hard to get into it, because how negative is the serie.

I’m thinking this must be a cultural thing. There’s quite a rich heritage of “disgusting” dark comedy on UK TV (think Jam, Nighty Night, or even The League Of Gentlemen) and Black Mirror doesn’t seem particularly outre in that context. In fact, that it’s doing it for purposes other than (or at least in addition) to humour makes it feel even less “negative” or shocking to me, just compelling. Jam is just trying to make you laugh with its horribleness. Black Mirror actually has something to say about society.

Season 4 trailer:

Sweet. The last season had some serious highs. Hopefully this is out soon!

Oh man I love Black Mirror. It’s the one series I tell everyone to watch, because some of this stuff is legitimately coming. That one about recording everything you see all the time, that’s absolutely going to happen, not in our lifetime, but probably in our children’s lifetimes.

Anyway, if for some reason you are reading this and have not watched Black Mirror, GO WATCH IT NOW!

(You can skip S01E01 though it’s very … British class war, and not in the good way, and often unnecessarily turns people off from the whole series, which is a damn shame. Start with season 3 then work your way back.)

This is what I’m talking about! @teiman please watch Season 3 episode 1! Please! Fuckin’ brits.

Having watched the season 4 teaser, I am a liiiiitle worried that “black museum” is going to retread some of Get Out.

So I read a little thing on that very episode. If it’s correct, then you don’t need to worry on that account.

FWIW I think S01E01 is in the top 5 for the whole show.

So did I. I think how you feel about that episode is entirely based on how strong your gut reaction is to the forced sexual perversion. If you get past that and look at the episode as a commentary about how a lunatic can use public opinion and technology to tie the powers-that-be into knots for his own aggrandizement, it’s extremely well done. But not everyone can get past it. Personally, I think the episode would have been even better had they chosen a slightly less controversial, but still politically and personally devastating, forced perversion.

I finished watching season 3 awhile ago and really loved it. San Junipero is the clear stand-out IMO. But what I didn’t realize is that Netflix kind of buries the holiday special from Season 2 - Netflix just skips right over it if you’re watching the episodes and seasons in order. Pretty weird.

So I just watched that a couple weeks ago and man it fuuuccccccked with my head! Outside of the episode being great simply because Jon Hamm is in it, the way they screw with time perception dilation is just so creepy and fucked up. It wrecks my brain trying to imagine what it would feel like to be left with literally nothing to do for years of perceived time.