Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror

Anyone else watching this?

"If technology is a drug – and it does feel like a drug – then what, precisely, are the side-effects? This area – between delight and discomfort – is where Black Mirror, my new drama series, is set. The "black mirror" of the title is the one you'll find on every wall, on every desk, in the palm of every hand: the cold, shiny screen of a TV, a monitor, a smartphone."[1]

I'm starting with the first series and just watched Episode 2 - 15,000,000 merits.

Now Iv'e been reading and watching dystopian fiction since the age of 8 and I tend to be a cynical old bastard these days but dear god my feels just got put through the wringer.

I acquired the first series after hearing about it on the /Filmcast. The first episode is a bit much, but starting with episode 2 the show really transcends into the pantheon of excellent SciFi television. Episode 3 in particular was incredibly unsettling, the plausibility of that concept is so frightening it irrevocably changed the way I look at social media. I'm looking forward to checking out Series 2.

Season 2 was very, very good. The second episode was one of most difficult pieces of television that I have ever watched. The first one is probably the weakest of the 3. I need to get series 1 on DVD.

Still waiting for it here in North America.

I watched the first episode this morn. Have to confess that when the concept was first laid out, I snickered and said "For real?" which is probably part of the point.

I have 2 more episodes to finish the Netflix portion. My wife and I watched the first four on a marathon.

I have an interest in how technology influences society and ethics (I wrote a thesis on it) so this series is perfect for me. It is one of the few pieces of visual entertainment that seems to have a truthful understanding the hidden consequences of technology.

Flintheart Glomgold wrote:

I have 2 more episodes to finish the Netflix portion. My wife and I watched the first four on a marathon.

I have an interest in how technology influences society and ethics (I wrote a thesis on it) so this series is perfect for me. It is one of the few pieces of visual entertainment that seems to have a truthful understanding the hidden consequences of technology.

My wife and I marathoned the first three episodes last night.

It was interesting how similar yet different our takeaways were. Her takeaway was about technology influencing society, whereas I viewed it as society using a new tool to the same ends.

I love this kind of intelligent commentary.

I absolutely loved the first episode. The pride of the prime minister versus the life of the princess.

In the second episode...

Spoiler:

I found myself rooting for Bing to actually kill himself (or better, the judges). Even his righteous indignation and "the system is f*cking bullsh*t" banter becomes part of the system. Just now, it makes me think of something like The Daily Show acting as an opiate of the masses. A place for someone to vent the bullsh*t we live and breathe, relieving the pressure and preventing the explosion.

That third episode just hits so close to home. I could see myself becoming Liam (Liamesque at least) and that is scary.

I found the 2nd episode the most disquieting. Partially because I work as a programmer in the social sphere.

Watched this a few months ago. A great, thought provoking show. I'm glad it's being experienced by more people.

S1:E1 gets a stunned, queasy round of applause.

S1:E2 buried interesting themes under predictable dystopian mush. I almost switched it off half way and don't feel much more enthusiastic having left it on.

If you enjoy Black Mirror, check out his horror miniseries Dead Set if for no other reason than I'm in it.

Maq wrote:

If you enjoy Black Mirror, check out his horror miniseries Dead Set if for no other reason than I'm in it.

You were in Dead set! I loved that series. Please tell me more.

Also prepare yourselves for

strangederby wrote:
Maq wrote:

If you enjoy Black Mirror, check out his horror miniseries Dead Set if for no other reason than I'm in it.

You were in Dead set! I loved that series. Please tell me more.

He'd put out an open call for zombie extras for a mystery project. I figured you don't get an opportunity like that every day so took it. I actually made one of the trailer shots, lying in the road with my brains blown out.

He's a lovely chap by the way, definitely One of Us. I chatted about esports with him in between takes.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

S1:E2 buried interesting themes under predictable dystopian mush. I almost switched it off half way and don't feel much more enthusiastic having left it on.

I really like this episode because it hits closest to what we are today. Definitely a satire but one that shows how there is a direct link to modern communications and entertainment's transformation of society.

Ep 2 cleverly retold the eternal basics of 1984 in a way much more relevant to our current situation.

SpacePPoliceman wrote:

Ep 2 cleverly retold the eternal basics of 1984 in a way much more relevant to our current situation.

I disagree. I agree there were similarities, but I think the final takeaway was vastly different.

Spoiler:

There was no Room 101 for Bing - ok, he was tortured by the ad, but not in an attempt to rehabilitate him. He didn't take the compliance drug/drink. He made a decision in the moment to give in to the system. He was not forced or coerced. That makes it much more depressing to me.

He saw the system for what it was. Manipulated the system to put him in a place to expose it's seedy underbelly. And in his moment, he couldn't follow through. He didn't have the courage. Even a secluded, miserable, meaningless life is enough to cause him to give up the fight.

Flintheart Glomgold wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

S1:E2 buried interesting themes under predictable dystopian mush. I almost switched it off half way and don't feel much more enthusiastic having left it on.

I really like this episode because it hits closest to what we are today. Definitely a satire but one that shows how there is a direct link to modern communications and entertainment's transformation of society.

I have a hard time with contrived dystopian worlds that don't really make sense except as allegories and morality plays. Little in that episode felt "real", either emotionally or intellectually; each scene was a setup for a dramatic punchline rather than an organic result of the scenario. After the often painful realism and emotional honesty of the first episode, it was rather disappointing.

I have the same problem with most dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction, for whatever that's worth, included 1984. They're like dream sequences constructed with an over-abundance of Freudian literalism to teach us socio-political lessons. In this case, that society objectifies and degrades talented women it doesn't have a use for, and neuters rebellion through commodification.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
Flintheart Glomgold wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

S1:E2 buried interesting themes under predictable dystopian mush. I almost switched it off half way and don't feel much more enthusiastic having left it on.

I really like this episode because it hits closest to what we are today. Definitely a satire but one that shows how there is a direct link to modern communications and entertainment's transformation of society.

I have a hard time with contrived dystopian worlds that don't really make sense except as allegories and morality plays. Little in that episode felt "real", either emotionally or intellectually; each scene was a setup for a dramatic punchline rather than an organic result of the scenario. After the often painful realism and emotional honesty of the first episode, it was rather disappointing.

I have the same problem with most dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction, for whatever that's worth, included 1984. They're like dream sequences constructed with an over-abundance of Freudian literalism to teach us socio-political lessons. In this case, that society objectifies and degrades talented women it doesn't have a use for, and neuters rebellion through commodification.

I think that's a very fair criticism. I think I liked the episode because of the allegory and despite some of the execution.

I think S1:E3 is spectacular, if you haven't watched it yet. It deals much more directly with relationships than the first two. I thought the interactions/relationship between the Prime Minister and his wife in E1 was weird. I can understand why she would be upset, but I felt like they didn't do a great job of characterizing her properly. E2 had awfully paper-thin characters. That was my biggest problem with the episode. E3's characters are oftentimes less likeable, but feel more realistic as a result.

kaostheory wrote:
SpacePPoliceman wrote:

Ep 2 cleverly retold the eternal basics of 1984 in a way much more relevant to our current situation.

I disagree. I agree there were similarities, but I think the final takeaway was vastly different.

Those similarities, as I see them, are the eternal basics--a man, deeply skeptical of the system in which he lives, finds a brief human connection, which he ultimately betrays because the system is too powerful. There's a reason we keep telling and retelling stories like that. What feels vastly different, at least in my view, is that the parable of Winston and Julia is largely about Stalinism, which today is a pretty quaint thing to satirize. Torture or temptation is just the difference between then and now.

Just reached the end of part 3 of the Christmas episode. I wonder if it's going to end how I think it's going to end.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
Flintheart Glomgold wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

S1:E2 buried interesting themes under predictable dystopian mush. I almost switched it off half way and don't feel much more enthusiastic having left it on.

I really like this episode because it hits closest to what we are today. Definitely a satire but one that shows how there is a direct link to modern communications and entertainment's transformation of society.

I have a hard time with contrived dystopian worlds that don't really make sense except as allegories and morality plays. Little in that episode felt "real", either emotionally or intellectually; each scene was a setup for a dramatic punchline rather than an organic result of the scenario. After the often painful realism and emotional honesty of the first episode, it was rather disappointing.

I have the same problem with most dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction, for whatever that's worth, included 1984. They're like dream sequences constructed with an over-abundance of Freudian literalism to teach us socio-political lessons. In this case, that society objectifies and degrades talented women it doesn't have a use for, and neuters rebellion through commodification.

I totally get where you're coming from. The reality depicted in that is never literally going to happen. It struck a chord with me, though, because it feels much closer to where we actually are. When I saw that episode I had recently read "Super Sad True Love Story" and it deals with social gaming brought into the real world. In the case of that book it deals with your social ranking being visible constantly and it having effects on everything from your job to your credit.

Will we literally have a microtransaction and exploitation-based economy someday? Like, literally the entire economy? Of course not. But I find the gameification of life and the metrics of productivity combined with social networking, spying, etc. to be a potent combination of an even creepier kind of social control than Orwell could ever dream of. There's no Room 101 because we trained the cameras on ourselves and submitted to the consequences of participating in our Twitter followers "mattering".

S1:E2 could have ended so many different ways and been just as provocative. I made the mistake of forgetting that it doesn't follow the US 1 hour programming where it is around 40 minutes of program with 20 minutes of commercials. So there was not just one gut shot but several, one after the other.

Really good stuff but of the "I can only watch one per day/week/sitting" variety.

fangblackbone wrote:

S1:E2 could have ended so many different ways and been just as provocative. I made the mistake of forgetting that it doesn't follow the US 1 hour programming where it is around 40 minutes of program with 20 minutes of commercials. So there was not just one gut shot but several, one after the other.

Really good stuff but of the "I can only watch one per day/week/sitting" variety.

Glad I'm not alone in loving that episode. It felt to me like the most true to where we are headed.

Glad I'm not alone in loving that episode. It felt to me like the most true to where we are headed.

More of it is contemporary than I think anyone would like to concede. But also, I could be doing things like giving more back-story to the white haired girl with the thick accent than was actually there.

But I did find disturbingly very little of it metaphorical.

Oh man so in White Christmas we end with [spoiler]a sentence of 2,400,000 years at the very least. Not even being able to sleep or end your own life.......[quote] Unimaginable horror.

Saw White Christmas today. Man this show is excellent, but deeply depressing. Although trying to place two actresses to realize that both were in GoT is kind of funny.

White Christmas was good except for it's conclusion IMO.

I'm curious, has anyone here watched any of Charlie Brookers other programs? He wrote what is in some ways a bit of a precursor to Black Mirror, a five part mini series Dead Set, basically the premise is the zombie apocalypse hits and everybody forgets to tell the latest contestants on the reality show Big Brother.

He also does a regular series Screen Wipe and an end of year wrap up under the same name which is some critical if not cynical review of the current state of tv and new media (in 2009 he did one of these exclusively on video games). Possibly worth a look if you're into that sort of thing.

the ending to white Christmas was perhaps the most horrifying thing I've ever witnessed on television. It didn't help that we are perhaps only a few decades away from that technology.

I'd rather die a hundred deaths than experience either of those characters' sentences.

troubleshot wrote:

White Christmas was good except for it's conclusion IMO.

I'm curious, has anyone here watched any of Charlie Brookers other programs? He wrote what is in some ways a bit of a precursor to Black Mirror, a five part mini series Dead Set, basically the premise is the zombie apocalypse hits and everybody forgets to tell the latest contestants on the reality show Big Brother.

He also does a regular series Screen Wipe and an end of year wrap up under the same name which is some critical if not cynical review of the current state of tv and new media (in 2009 he did one of these exclusively on video games). Possibly worth a look if you're into that sort of thing.

I've been a fan since TVGoHome. I was even a zombie extra in Dead Set.

Definitely worth checking out his newspaper columns online as well. He usually writes for the Guardian/Observer iirc.

Seth wrote:

the ending to white Christmas was perhaps the most horrifying thing I've ever witnessed on television. It didn't help that we are perhaps only a few decades away from that technology.

I'd rather die a hundred deaths than experience either of those characters' sentences.

Yeah it ended brilliantly IMO.

Spoiler:

If I was Jon Hamm's character I'd probably throw myself under a train before getting home. The other guy is more complex, what the cookie faced was the stuff of nightmares, but the original would probably face a more reasonable fate.

For me part of the fun was trying to figure out the fake out. It's obvious that all is not as it appears, and it drops a lot of hints, but the whole third act was full of surprises.