Will Black Mirror Series Seven be even more of a disappointment than its predecessor, or will this offering be a worthy inclusion in the exalted halls of the Black Mirror franchise? That's a question for the ages.
No time like the present - let's dive in and see what we're getting this time.
Warning - not safe for children!
Bad language, sexual themes, the works. Also, spoilers.
The first episode is Common People.
The Premise
Mike and Amanda are a married couple who find themselves in financial dire straits when Amanda develops a severe medical condition which can be alleviated via means of a new technological breakthrough. They manage at first, but things get progressively worse as services degrade and the costs of maintaining the service keep rising to unsustainable levels.The Characters
Chris O'Dowd as Mike Waters. He has this very goofy puppy-dog expression that really sells it - the horror of what he has to do to take care of his wife, the frustration at the escalating costs, the weariness at the neverending shitshow. It's all there, and I felt every bit of it. This guy didn't look like a hero, but damn if Chris O'Dowd didn't bring that Everyman Superman vibe.Rashida Jones as his wife Amanda. She portrays a woman who, through no fault of her own, becomes a walking talking billboard. I really did enjoy the instances where she started spouting ads, so naturally. It was a remarkable performance. One moment she's a caring and empathetic schoolteacher, and next moment she's a shell of her former self, though we see this in progressive stages.
Tracee Ellis Ross as Gaynor, Rivermind's sales rep. I actually thoguht thatbwas quite a nuanced performance. She first appeared as a sympathetic voice of hope, later on appearing still sympathetic even as she started tightening the screws, and at the end of it she was a soulless corporate shill, complete with shoulder-padded blazers and all. The way she delivers the line "pregnancy costs extra", is just diabolical. It's so good!
Nicholas Cirillo is Shane. This guy played the kind of asshole one loves to hate. At first he was just an irresponsible jackass, until somewhere in the third quarter of the episode he goes full douchebag. It was a one-note character but I have to give credit where it's due - his portrayal made me cheer when the character got his comeuppance.
Lisa Gilroy makes an appearance as the unnamed woman in the Rivermind Lux ad. It was delightfully corny and she looked like she was having a ball.
Sabrina Jalees as Angie. Seems like a pointless casting. I suspect her role was originally bigger than just a few throwaway lines. But if they cut her participation, that much, they should have just gone all the way and excised her completely from this episode. WHat did her character do, really? A big fat nothing, that's what.
Donald Sales as Kyle, the foreman. Almost another pointless casting.
Carolyn Taylor as the middle-aged principal Penelope, Amanda's boss. Not a big role but Taylor nailed it as the otherwise sympathetic boss who's sensitive about her middle-aged spinster status.
Lucy Turnbull as Eva. She comes across as emotionally vulnerable, like most kids, but does very little else that is plot-relevant.
Huxley Fisher as Oscar. This kid is something else. In the limited screen time he had, his judgey stare while talking to Amanda had me in stitches. I don't know if that was intentional.
The Mood
It's a picture of domestic bliss at the start, and soon gets bleak and depressing, vintage Black Mirror. The mood rarely shifts. It's constantly slow-moving and dreary, forcing the viewer to face the inexorably miserable ending that is the eventuality.What I liked
There's nothing sinister going on, just the combination of technology, corporate greed and human sadism. In short, tech and human beings being horrible to each other. Love it! Did I mention I adore the story? Throughout it all, Mike and Amanda never give up until they absolutely have to. It's awesome and heartbreaking at the same goddamn time. Even without any real shocking twists, this episode delivers.
Using Dum Dummies as the platform on which Mike debases himself in order to raise funds, seemed to be a clever parody of the platform known as OnlyFans, or perhaps other livestreaming platforms.
And speaking of Dum Dummies, there was an amusing callback to a previous episode, The Waldo Moment.
The dynamic between Mike and Amanda was really sweet and funny at the same time. I especially like how they refer to sex as a "happy accident".
That ending was so deliciously downer! Oh man. It looks like we find out just how Mike paid for that last thirty minutes' worth of Rivermind Lux... with his life!
Gaynor using the app to increase her nonchalance level to max, in order to deal with Mike's angry outburst, was such black humor.
What I didn't
I could have done without that bit about Amanda really enjoying the sex under the influence of the Rivermind Lux package, to be honest.The tech being able to transfer language and motor skills. Like, OK, that bit was overkill and didn't really add anything to the plot. Also, things like parkour are as much physical as they are mental, if not more so. So this bit made no goddamn sense.
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