Been discussed before here, but Charlie Brooker's show is so good it desrves it's own thread. So I just concluded Season 3 and even though I despised that San Junipero episode everyone likes- overall not bad at all. The last two episodes (especially 'Hated In The Nation') were pretty good. Actually 'Hated In The Nation' might be my all time favorite episode. Charlie Brooker is genius for combining hot button issues, science, technology, social media into a dark dystopian near future. Who would have thought to combine bee hive collapse, drones, and social media in to a murder mystery that evolved into some sick manifesto by a jaded engineer? Discuss...
I felt the first two seasons were overrated and have only seen the first three episodes from the third. Loved Nosedive, Playtest was meh, Shut Up and Dance blew me away. Great to see Watkins direct something as fucking bleak and unrelenting as Eden Lake again.
daily lives, doing horrible things and neutral things all at once. Yes, this is still such a frightening, baffling, human, cynicism-flummoxing phenomenon that even Black Mirror uncovers about the nature of people and technology are pessimistic visions of humankind, and they’re also remarkably absent of nuance. Guess what: Reality shows are dehumanizing. Social media makes people say and do horrible things. Documenting every single moment of our current political landscape. In it, a comedian who voices and controls a vulgar animated bear ends up being really, extra not good at what it sets out to do.
@Lixx Curious as to why you hated San Junipero. I didn't hate it myself but it was my least favourite because I find the ideas in it more disturbing than any of the other episodes. I personally find the idea of life having no finality to be a very unsettling one. I also have always been disturbed by impossibly perfect and therefore, unattainable, realities. San Junipero reminded me of something like Saved by the Bell's Bayside: it always unsettled me as a kid because it seemed so impossibly perfect, but was real enough to trick you into thinking it could be achieved. That said, I loved the new season as much as I did the first two.
Need.... more..... Black Mirror. I dug Series 3. I'm curious to see if they'll be increasing the number of American actors. I loved Series 1 when they used many actors that people didn't know unless they were quite familiar with British TV. I wonder how long it will be until we see the full length movie for the episode Robert Downey Jr. optioned awhile ago.
@fauxbo I found the concept interesting, but the way they jumped all over the place on the timeline and the lovestory wasn't that believable to me.
It seems like San Junipero was definitely a polarizing episode. Everyone I know either loved it or hated it so there was no middle ground.
SJ episode was uncharacteristically upbeat for the series (first happy ending?), but the tech concept was thought-provoking to say the least. Loved its soundtrack. Kudos to whoever handpicked those tunes.
The SJ episode was definitely memorable. I loved all of those time-capsule songs they used at the right moments to convey the emotions of respective scenes. The shot of all the lit lights really put things in perspective.
In typical Black Mirror fashion the last episode was longer and felt like a movie. I always look forward to the last episode of each series as it's always been a treat. I definitely need to watch the Christmas Special episode again.
@Vinyl Skin White Christmas still stands as my favorite to date. Nothing but praise for that one. As far as the new season goes, Nosedive (1st ep) was the only one I didn't really care for. The tech & social commentary was well done, but felt the ending was anti-climactic. Left me apprehensive that Netflix buying up the rights was the death knoll for Mirror. The rest of the season's offerings alleviated that concern. Personal faves from S3 were Men Against Fire, Hated in the Nation, and Shut Up and Dance (always enjoy seeing GoT alum pop up on the series).
@smurph I felt that Nosedive wasn't cohesive at all and the continuity was non-existent. It was really drawn out and didn't reach the climax that it should have. The ending fell completely flat which is a shame but was unavoidable. The other episodes were bangers in their own way that I appreciated. White Christmas is so good on many levels. I feel it will continue to grow as a classic episode in the years to come.
I've loved this show since the beginning, it hits on so many points and things I'm interested in. I mean one of my toys was based on the tech of robot bees being used to pollenate, which is real technology that's being worked on. So when I saw that episode in particular I was beyond excited. The only bad thing about binging on a show this good is it feels like an eternity until the new season.
I definitely agree that the waiting takes awhile. However, it's good when it finally arrives for our eyes.
Would you F the pig to save the princess of your country? U.S people... would you F a pig to save Obama's daughter? maybe it says something about me, but i instantly said F the pig. its not like its your damn fetish. but the world knew the demand... you are putting yourself on the line to save the presidents daughter... and people will end up forgetting in time as what you did was a good deed even though a sick one. like i said maybe it says something about me, but i was like why is he contemplating this for so long.
Nope. Wouldn't do it. It reminds me of the end of Cabin In The Woods when Sigorney Weaver is telling that girl to shoot her best friend and save the world. One pull of the trigger will save the entire human race from an age of Gods and Monsters. She doesn't do it. Instead she sits down with her best friend and they smoke a joint while the world ends. I could live with that. Honestly with the pig it's not even about how wrong it would feel or how everyone in the world was watching or pride or shame. I'd just feel bad for the pig. Worse than I would for the princess at least. Anyway season 4 is out now on Netflix! I haven't had the pleasure but hopefully soon.
I loved Metalhead and Crocodile, Black Museum and USS Callister were good, hated Arkangel and Hang the DJ. Hang the DJ basically seemed like a revamped version of San Junipero from season 3 which I really disliked.
Funny, cuz I'd flip that and say Arkangel and Hang were my faves and Metalhead was my least fave. Crocodile was killer though. Black Museum was good, but I think that Pain story could have been it's own episode. USS Callister was interesting, a tad long, but I was confused a bit by it. Spoiler I mean, if they're still living their own lives outside the game, and don't seem to remember what happens inside of it, then who cares? I may have missed something important that was explained, but their other selves continued to be in another version of the game, just without Captain Dickhead. So...?
Love this show, altho I haven't seen all the 'sodes. Reminds me of a contemporary version of the Twilight Zone. It appeals to me how the program analyzes possible problems that could arise from leaning on technology too much. Crocodile was a rad installment of Black Mirror. Look out for that Pizza Bot!
I was introduced to this show over the weekend and all I can say is WTF (that's a good thing this time)
