Posts for 2023

We're back with the next three episodes of Black Mirror Series Three! Took me a few weeks (or several), but here it is. We will be going through San Junipero, Men Against Fire and Hated in the Nation. There are a few surprises in store.

Warning

There will be spoilers ahead. And plenty of profanity. And stories of tech fouling up our lives. Basically, whatever you've come to expect of Black Mirror, is gonna be in there, and more!

The Premise

This next story, San Junipero, takes place largely in a virtual reality world, where the time periods vary. It's also pretty much a love story and there's even a happy ending. But it wouldn't be Black Mirror if there wasn't a little something at the end...

The Characters

Mackenzie Davis is the lanky and timid Yorkie, who learns to live even as she dies. I last saw Davis in Terminator: Dark Fate. I didn't love the movie, but this woman's one hell of an actress! These two characters couldn't be more different.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw is Kelly. Vivacious, bodacious. And those bedroom eyes! And that temper when its let out. This lady delivered.

Gavin Stenhouse as Wes, whom Kelly describes as "not a bad guy" despite being all obsessed after their one-night stand. Stenhouse plays him as a somewhat decent guy who has his own issues to work through.

Denise Burse as actual Kelly. She looks like she could actually be an aged Kelly. Burse plays her with grace and just the right amount of cheekiness.

Annabel Davis as actual Yorkie. There doesn't seem to be much to the role; they could have just used a mannequin.

Raymond McAnally as Greg, Kelly's nurse. He's played as this jovial nice guy with an "aw shucks" demeanor. Not gonna lie, I snickered a little at the actor's name.

Billy Griffin Jr puts in a couple appearances as video game nerd and romantic hopeful Davis. There's something very endearing about his puppy-dog enthusiasm.

The Mood

It begins in colorful fashion as the episode tells us that this is the 80s with references to Max Headroom, The Lost Boys and Belinda Carlisle. It's a very party vibe complete with big 80s hair, disco and even arcade games. Later time periods are less flashy, showcasing movies like Scream, The Bourne Identity and even what looks like a Pink music video.

Soon, we're taken on a tour of the seaside town that is San Junipero and things get rather strange from there. And all around, there's always a hint of something else going on beneath the surface, like nothing is what it seems.

This also seems to be the first episode in Black Mirror that's set in the USA, rather than in the UK.

What I liked

The little subtle nods to what was really going on. Yorkie turns down a chance to play Top Speed when she sees the animated car crash because it reminds her of her own accident. The club is named Tucker's, and the company that actually sets up the simulation, is TCKR. Even the name "San Junipero" is a Spanish version of the hospital's name, "St Juniper's".

The music! The 80s fashion! The 90s visuals! So good. Even the arcade games change with the time priod. Love it!

The Quagmire is awesome in its depravity and I'm really hoping it gets more airtime in future episodes.

The lesbian sex between Kelly and Yorkie is kept brief and just long enough to be obvious as to what's going on. It's not played for titillation, and the pillow talk is both tasteful and contains clues as to what San Junipero really is.


That scene where Kelly breaks the mirror and it magically repairs itself, is such a sly nod to the series.


That futuristic vehicle that Kelly rides in... that design. It speaks to me.


Yorkie's vanity plate is cute.


That slightly creepy vibe in the mid-credits. This is Black Mirror, remember?

What I didn't

I was slightly disappointed to find that there's no nasty ending to this episode. Yes, Black Mirror has conditioned me to expect certain things.

That close-up of Kelly's gravestone was nowhere clear enough for me to see the name. Minor quibble, I know.

Conclusion

This was the only Black Mirror episode so far that wasn't depressing as fuck. Normally, I'm not a fan of love stories, but this one was surprisingly poignant. It dealt with existential issues without going in way too deep, and touched me on a very emotional level.

My Rating

9.5 / 10

This next episode is Men Against Fire, and deals with what looks like a post-apocalyptic world where the same Zed-eyes technology is deployed. This time, it's known as the MASS system and controls what soldiers see, hear and smell. This episode is actually very heavy on the action, though dread also plays a big part. The creep factor comes in midway through this episode.

The Premise

This episode centers around a soldier, named Stripe, who is initially tasked as part of a team effort, to eliminate a race of diseased humans named "Roaches". Things take a sinister turn when he discovers the truth behind the Roaches and has to live with his conscience.

The Characters

A very buff and good-looking Malachi Kirby plays Stripe, real name Koinage. He does OK as a soldier starting off enthusiastic and compassionate, and later on transitioning to a human being wracked by guilt. I didn't feel all that strongly about his performance because he kind of gets outacted by almost everyone he has a scene with.

Madeline Brewer knocks it out of the park in the role of Raiman. She's a soldier like Stripe, all tomboy bloodthirsty action-girl and cute as a button. The boisterous performance she puts up here, along with lewd commentary and good-natured roasting, it's really easy to see her as one of the guys despite her pint-sized figure. This is pretty much a supporting role, but it's done so well.

Michael Kelly as Arquette. If there's any way to instantly point to a character as the real bad guy, it's to cast the man who played Douglas in House of Cards, in this role. Kelly's dead-eyed gaze and soft-spoken affability make him a terrifying bad guy and utterly believable sociopath.

Sarah Snook as Medina, Stripe and Raiman's commanding officer. The script requires her to be matter-of-fact, dignified and steely, which she does really well. Up until her sudden death.

Ariane Labed cuts a tragic figure as Catarina. She delivers the much-needed exposition before her death at Raiman's hands.

Loreece Harrison as Stripe's fantasy girl. That was the source of the sex and nudity in this episode, but she's not just a pretty face. The smile on that face is sometimes subtly unsettling, and I'm not sure if that is deliberate. Kudos if so!

Kola Bokinni as Lennard. This guy is surly and mean. And that's all we actually see of him, which is a pity because so much more could've been done.

Francis Magee as Parn Heidekker. Magee plays him with solemn gravitas.

Simon Connolly as doctor. Just a bit part which felt totally unnecessary.

The Mood

In contrast with the previous episode, this episode is almost colorless. It's very drab, with everything viewed in very bleak hues. It paints the picture of a world with no life in it.



Even in the end sequence where we see Stripe's actual home against what he is seeing, in the "idealized" version, the most we get is pastel-white.

Definitely there's a whole lot of blood and violence in here and it feels like an action flick.

What I liked

The translator gadget is a nice touch.


The MASS technology allows images to be transmitted to the brains of the soldiers. This is a very cool, and important plot point. 3D-imaging too! Great for tactical decisions.


That scene where Stripe's dream sequence with his dream woman turns into a full-on orgy with several identical girls is both erotic and extremely creepy.

Medina's sudden death was a shock to me. Well played!

I like how Stripe's senses come back once his MASS implant is damaged, being able to smell grass and all. It's good foreshadowing on how the MASS system was obscuring the truth.

Arquette's entire conversation with Stripe at the end. Michael Kelly is in his element here. All that exposition and histrical background, leading up to the sadistic choice he gives Stripe. This was both a spine-chilling and awesome sequence.

What I didn't

The title of this episode doesn't seem to make any sense. What does "Men Against Fire" mean, exactly?

The faces of the Roaches just look like cheap plastic masks. Granted, this is probably budget constraints, but still.


Raiman sings that song How do I know what love is to annoy Parn Heidekker and ends up annoying me as well. Like, do we always have to hear this song? This is the third time it's appeared in a Black Mirror episode. The first time was nice, the second was amusing, but enough is enough.

The entire thing just felt a bit light in the story department. It was more of a creepy action movie than an actual Black Mirror episode.

Conclusion

Phew! This was one brutal episode. It's unflinching in its depiction of violence, showing us that women and children get gunned down, with the accompanying blood and guts. There's racial purity fanaticism at the core of this, and an examination of how augmented reality and propaganda can further some truly horrific causes. Remember, the villagers in the story don't have the excuse that they literally see Roaches as monsters.

Special shout-out to Michael Kelly. He really made this episode for me. What an actor. He just played a heinous psycho so well.

My Rating

8.5 / 10

The last episode, Hated by the Nation, is styled like a police procedural and reminds me strongly of movies like Se7en, with a tech bent. It also boasts a really large cast.

This is the quintessential Black Mirror in the sense that the evils of Social Media and cyberbullying is central to the plot. In fact, it's like a violent and explosive version of The National Anthem.

The Premise

It's a few years into the future, and the extinction of bees has given rise to a tech creation known as Autonomous Drone Insects (ADIs). These tiny robots are used as an instrument for murder, with Social Media as a trigger. A nasty twist at the end ensures that few remain unscathed, either physically or psychologically.

The Characters

Kelly McDonald as Karin Parke. She's a jaded and cynical veteran of the force, and a divorcee. Every sarcastic quip and world-weary expression McDonald throws out is gold. For real, the dialogue is excellent. And McDonald delivers like a pro.



Now that was a performance I truly enjoyed. She puts a lot of people in their place just with a look or a carefully-placed stinging remark. Which makes it all the more poignant when it's quite obvious that the events have somewhat broken her.

Faye Marsay as Blue Coulson. A former idealist who wants some field experience. Coulson is tech-savvy and does a lot of the investigation regarding how the "Game of Consequences" works. She's a great foil to the bitter jadedness of Karin Parke.

Benedict Wong as Shaun Li from the National Crime Agency. I just about fanboyed out loud when the Sorceror Supreme appeared on screen! In here, he's a straight-laced, growly-voiced semi-antagonist, serious as a heart attack.

Jonas Karlsson plays the ADI engineer Rasmus Sjoberg. He provides, with earnestness, most of the exposition around the ecology of ADIs and the tech behind it.

Joe Armstrong as Nick Shelton. Other than being a victim, I'm not sure what use he was to the plot.

Elizabeth Berrington as Jo Powers. She's a provocative journalist who writes vicious articles that punch down, and punch down hard. This makes her a publicly hated figure, and she's the first victim of the hashtag. Berrington plays her as a woman with an extremely thick skin who weathers the constant vitriol hurled her way, letting everything roll off her.

Charles Babaloa as Tusk. An obnoxious black rapper who becomes the next target of public hate and thus dies a grisly death.

Ben Miles makes a delightfully foul-mouthed appearance as Tom Pickering, the slimy and heartless politician. We see him burst into expletives under pressure, and it is so fun to watch.

Holli Dempsey as Clara Meades. She's presented as a feckless young woman who earns public hate due to a silly and disrespectful prank.

James Larkin as Simon Powers, Jo's husband. Now, this role is tragic. Larkin plays him as a traumatized husband who had to watch his wife kill herself in violently crazed fashion.

Georgina Rich as Tess Wallander. She's a soft-spoken individual who was a victim of cyber-bullying, and the original inspiration for the deadly hashtag.

Duncan Pow as Garett Scholes. Some psycho who dispenses what he calls justice... but with the tech skills to actually make it happen. We don't see much of him except toward the end, and even then there's not all that much of him to form a strong opinion.

Vinette Robinson as Liza Bahar. She's a pre-school teacher who is found to be using the hashtag without really understanding the consequences but otherwise does not seem to be a horrible person. Later on, Scholes delivers her comeuppance and I can't help but feel that perhaps it was a bit much. It was probably deliberate, to show us just how disproportionate extremism can be.

Esther Hall as Vanessa Dahl. What was she even doing taking up space on-screen? What a waste. She existed for no other reason than to be the verbal punching bag for other characters, mostly Karin.

The Mood

It's a big city vibe, but with grim undertones to it. Karin and Blue pretty much nail it with their conversations while driving. The surroundings are bustling and lively and the investigative feel of the entire episode is pretty pervasive.

What I liked

The red herring in the form of Jo's cake was clever. And yes, like her husband said, "very creative".


The scene where Karin and Blue initially have a conversation in the former's car, contains a reference to the Series Two episode, White Bear. And it carries the same vibe that Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman had in Se7en, with Kelly McDonald playing the part of the jaded veteran, and Faye Marsay being the earnest newbie who just wants to make the world a safer place.

I thought Tusk's death was particularly creative. Gotta see it to appreciate it.


I like the display where several ADIs fly in formation to form Granular's logo. It even rotates!


The screenshot doesn't do it justice, but the interior of Shaun's NCA-issued car is really impressive!


That sequence of the ADIs leaving their hive to wreak bloody murder, is both poetic and terrifying.

That entire episode, along with the final twist, is very characteristic of Black Mirror. The horrors of Social Media, and how people are utter dicks to each other. In particular, how people don't stop using the hashtag even after finding out what it does, and actually pile it on. This makes it really hard to sympathize with them later on.


And later on, when Karin and Blue wander through that hall filled with bodybags of victims, the sheer bleakness of the shot is iconic.

What I didn't

The format of having the episode framed by Karin as a narrator, felt unnecessary. The ending was also pretty ambiguous. This episode could have worked better as a full-length movie, with perhaps a proper resolution. As it was, it was already about 90 minutes in length.

Wait, if the ADIs attack based on facial recognition, couldn't potential victims just mask their faces for protection? Isn't that exactly what Scholes does at the end? Why the need for that sequence regarding the bunker to protect Pickering? This seems like quite the plot hole.

Conclusion

This final episode really rounded up Black Mirror Series Three really well. While the cast just seemed a little larger than it really needed to be, the snappy dialogue and tension-laced action absolutely did it for me. This is a great addition into the franchise despite some totally superfluous bits.

My Rating

9 / 10

Final Thoughts on Black Mirror Series Three

I liked Series Three as a whole. After the slight disappointment that was Series Two, Black Mirror came back strong with plenty of content, all the while staying somewhat true to what came before.

San Junipero was the standout, though in terms of storyline and vibe, it was very different from the entire Black Mirror universe. Still, it was a sweet love story that strongly resonated.

A close second was Nosedive and Shut Up and Dance. These were episodes that were very typical of Black Mirror, showcasing the ugliness of humanity, amplified by advanced (or in the case of Shut Up and Dance, not all that advanced) technology. Men Against Fire and Hated in the Nation were both strong action-packed offerings and gave me a satisfying conclusion to Series Three. And while Playtest wasn't (in my opinion) as good as the others, it was by no means a weak episode.

All in all, this was very, very satisfying.