Film Review; Black Mirror Season Seven, Redux (Part 3/3)

Next we have the sequel to Black Mirror Series Four's USS Callister, USS Callister: Into Infinity!

Anyone who hasn't watched USS Callister is encouraged to go have a gander - because it's great and because this sequel will make a hell of a lot more sense after that.

The Premise

Following the events of USS Callister, Nanette and the crew of USS Callister roam the universe of the Infinity game, but find life hard in this virtual universe, resorting to robbing players for credits for their continued survival. Their antics catch the attention of the original Nanette and Walton, who venture into Infinity to investigate.

The Characters

Cristin Milloti as Nanette Cole. Milloti portrays original Nanette as excitable and adorably clumsy, and lacking in confidence. Unlike clone Nanette, who has experienced loss and grown into her role of leadership. Milotti brings the acting chops she displayed in The Penguin, over to this episode, quite handily. Did I also mention that she's remarkable easy on the eyes either way?

Jimi Simpson as James Walton. In his own words, "Captalist Asshole". Seriously, Walton is an even bigger dickbag the second time around, and Simpson's acting is off the charts as he now shows different sides of the same character by playing original Walton and clone Walton. Original Walton is selfish, narcissistic and opportunistic. He doesn't care about anyone but himself (and his son, a brief but noteworthy few seconds in the episode) and his ignorance of his own company's products and staff, is a running joke and even a plot point later on. Clone Walton, on the other hand, has matured into someone who thinks of others and is deeply regretful of his past actions.

Jesse Plemons as clone Robert Daly. In Breaking Bad, Plemons acted as the unstable psycho Todd Alquist, and he carries over shades of that same performance as socially awkward nerd Daly. This time round, the performance is even more nuanced - we see an early incarnation of Daly who is still awkward and shy, but nonetheless shows Nanette (and us) why someone like him ultimately can't be trusted with power.

Osy Ikhile as coffee intern Nate Packer. Packer undergoes quite the transformation from how he was in the original USS Callister. Here, he's a grim warrior who ends up being the captain once Nanette is gone. From an intern, to a leader. I like it.

Milanka Brooks as receptionist Elena Tulaska. Her character doesn't change much, but Brooks takes the opportunity to show that while original Elena is cold and snarky, clone (and foxy blue-skinned!) Elena has a heart.

Paul G Raymond as programmer Kabir Dudani. He has the least character development in the original and the sequel. Original and clone Dudani are both computer nerds with no real severe character tics and are just unlucky. They stay pretty much constant through the episodes.

Billy Magnussen as Karl Plowman. His arc is short but significant. Offline, he's a jovial gym bro and in the game, the trauma of USS Callister has turned him into a restless manchild. He does sacrifice himself heroically to save the others, though how much of it is just poor impulse control, is up to interpretation.

Bilal Hasna has a brief appearances as Kris El Masry, reporter. Sharp as a tack. Asks hard questions, and keeps Walton on the back foot. This guy has "mild-mannered reporter" written all over his face, but when he hits hard, he hits. Hard.

Iolanthe is hilarious as Pixie Bunkin and her hot pink equipment. That character brought so much energy in.

The Mood

A colorful space adventure, complete with spaceships and laser battles and gunfights on alien planets.

What I liked

Multiple character arcs. The original had the cast play different versions of the same character. This time round, it's even more pronounced because we've had time to get used to the characters and we see how the originals are like versus how their clones have evolved into different people. Trauma really shapes character.

The visual of the space battle is epic.

The joint cameos of Nisha and Grawp. I don't like the fact that Demon 99 exists as an episode, but I couldn't help but feel intense glee when they appeared. These two are so watchable!

That gag with Rocky, the hole in its back, and Walton's relationship with it. It's vulgar as shit, and I'm all here for it!

I don't know about anyone else, but this big pink gun is some seriously cool shit.

What I didn't

The ending was just a bit too similar to the premise of Black Museum. Just felt like a huge letdown.

Michaela Coel is missing from the cast as Shania Lowery. I get it; it's not exactly the showrunners' fault that she didn't reprise the role. It could be for any given reason, and they made the effort to explain her absence as having been killed in action. It actually added to the narrative tension because this tells the audience that the crew can die now. What I have an issue with is that at the end of USS Callister, Nate Packer and her looked like they were going to be in some kind of relationship, and now in the sequel, I would have expected the character to be way more upset than Nanette at Shania's death.

Conclusion

Did USS Callister really need a sequel? It's up for debate. I thought the original left it in a good spot. This sequel is good fun, I'll grant you, but was it necessary?

My Rating

8 / 10

Final Thoughts on Black Mirror Series Seven

It's been a long time coming, but Black Mirror has finally gotten its act together and is back at its best. We're seeing six badass episodes, each hitting us in emotional places. This installment started out strong and somehow got even stronger at the end. Plaything and Eulogy were outstanding in particular, with the others being more than decent. The silliest episode in my opinion was Bete Noire, and even that was a worthy addition to the Black Mirror collective.

It's good. It's really good. Whatever sins Black Mirror may have committed in the past few iterations, all is forgiven. It's a return to form, and long overdue.

Spacing out,
T___T

Film Review: Black Mirror Series Seven, Redux (Part 2/3)

The next episode is Eulogy, and it's a bit of a mood whiplash from the preceding episode, but just as good, if not better.

The Premise

Philip receives a call that his old flame Carol has passed away. In order to collect recollections for her memorial, Philip goes through a program by Eulogy designed to read his memories, unearthing some interesting ones...

The Characters

Paul Giamatti absolutely knocks it out of the park in the role of Philip Connarty. Philip is a surly, bitter, cranky old guy. Giamatti carried this episode by serving up an entire buffet of emotional delivery. He also serves as narrator for most of the recollections. He gives us a moving portrayal of a deeply flawed man who loved passionately, experienced guilt, lashed out in anger, and finds closure in forgiveness. Giamatti was immediately recognizable to me as the antagonist in Shoot Em Up. Upon watching this episode, I gained a newfound respect for this man's range.

Patsy Ferran as Kelly Royce, Carol's daughter and the AI that serves Eulogy. She acted as the foil to Philip's general grumpiness, appearing upbeat and chirpy most of the time, occasionally delivering quite the witty barb. The meat of this episode belonged to Giamatti, but without Ferran to play off against, it wouldn't have worked as well.

There were plenty of others in the cast, but they either had no speaking parts, extremely limited screen time or merely appeared as still images... or all at the same time.

The Mood

It begins with a scene of an elderly man trimming rose bushes in some quiet countryside or other. A very placid scene. And the pacing stays slow and steady even as more upsetting memories and twists are revealed. There's a pervading sense of sorrow, old anger and sentimentality, though at no point does the viewer get the sense that anyone is in any particular danger. It's not that kind of Black Mirror episode, and yet it absolutely works.

What I liked

It's a very small cast. Only two actors have any sort of work to do - the rest either appear in non-speaking and/or non-moving roles. Thus, it's up to Paul Giamatti and Patsy Ferran to hold up this episode all by themselves. And these two, quite amazingly, get it done.

Black Mirror is famously full of violence, vulgarity and downer endings. On the rare occasion when things get sentimental and sweet, like now, even admidst the sorrow permeating the episode, it really hits home.

The visuals are amazing. They give us a pretty darn good idea of what it's like to virtually dive into a still photograph, and have AI render everything in 3D. The side effects of Philip using sharpies and knives to erase Carol's face from photographs, are disturbingly rendered as well. It's glorious... with just a hint of spooky.

What I didn't

DHL sending the package by drone was a detail I could have done without. That was so out of left field. I don't actually think drone delivery is too far-fetched, though having it take place in such a casual manner, probably is. There are regulatory issues to think about, especially since the company Eulogy is in the UK and Philip is in the USA or something. And it wasn't even really relevant to the story.

Still, it's a very minor detail in what was otherwise an excellent episode.

Conclusion

This episode was genius. It had the Black Mirror DNA - fantastical tech being used in novel ways, flawed characters acting out and inevitable human tragedy. Though, in this case, the tech brings about a somewhat happy ending. This might actually be my favorite episode in an above-average season of Black Mirror.

My Rating

9.5 / 10

Next

USS Callister: Into Infinity

Film Review: Black Mirror Series Seven, Redux (Part 1/3)

Welcome back! We're going to continue the review of Black Mirror Series Seven. I promise you, it doesn't let up!

The next episode is Plaything, and it's quite the mindfuck.

The Premise

Mentally disturbed Cameron Walker is hauled into a police station where he is interviewed by the police for a possible murder. What follows is Walker's telling of a bizzarre story that has a terrifying conclusion in the present day.

The Characters

Peter Capaldi provides a gripping portrayal of Cameron Walker, a computer nerd who gets sucked into the world of the Throng. And boy, does he deliver. When we first see him, he's a friendly but awfully goofy character who talks silly. By the end of the episode, he's become full-blown deranged and the twist in that master plan is served with such maniacal glee it almost hurts to watch.

Lewis Gribben is a younger Cameron Walker. Had a physical resemblance to Paul Bettany. We get to see him slowly unravel from a shy nerd to murderous lunatic. Gribben brings across the shitload of anxiety this role probably requires, really well.

James Nelson-Joyce as DCI Kano. Stern, cold, uncompromising. Chomping at the bit to prosecute Walker. I had fun watching this guy grind his teeth and try to curb his impulse to beat Cameron Walker to a pulp.

Michele Austin as Jen Minter. She's in the interview for psychological evaluation. We see glimpses of a sense of humor. She's the reasonable authority figure in the room.

Darryl Foster as PC Mo Raiker. Kind of fades into the background if not for that afro, if I'm being honest.

Ami Tredrea as WPC Yvonne Best. She looks constantly serious and focused. Of her and her partner, she's the one that gets most of the dialogue.

Will Poulter reprises his role as Colin Ritman from Bandersnatch. Poulter brings his intense stare back into the Black Mirror universe, and I am here for it! When Colin Ritman emphasizes that the Throng are living and sentient, his deadly earnest delivery really sells it. Poulter has limited screen time in this one, but he makes the absolute most of it.

Asim Chaudhry, too, reprises his role as Mohan Thakur from Bandersnatch. Part manic, part affable, all boss. "My name's Mo but you can call me God."

Josh Finan plays Lump the drug dealer with much goofiness and gusto, complete with annoying shit-eating grin and wild-eyed stare. He was hugely entertaining.

Jay Simpson is Gordon, Walker's boss at PC Zone. At first I thought I was looking at John Cusack. There's a very unsettling air of menace about him as he's on the phone pressuring Cameron to meet a deadline. This actor should have been off playing a mob boss or something, instead of this. Wasted here.

Special mention to Kave Niku as the shopkeeper in the beginning sequence. That look of exasperation was golden.

The Mood

The subdued colors, smoke and debris suggests a dystopian future at the start. In the first few minutes, the mood shifts to a police procedural vibe, with all the trappings of modern-day police drama. Halfway through, flashbacks take us in a new direction - it's a tech thriller both creepy and uncanny. Other than that, once the episode goes into the interview room, the action doesn't leave it, other than through the narrative supplied by Cameron Walker.

What I liked

The game itself looks pretty damn awesome. It's available to download on Google Play. You need a Netflix account to play it. My plate's a little full at the moment, but dammit I want to play this game.

Another thing I loved were the tie-ins to Bandersnatch. Thronglets is a game, and Bandersnatch features a gaming company. So yes, the link to Tuckersoft was genius. Bonus points for that poster of Bandersnatch II!

That twist at the end with the sharpie and how it was used. It was a deliciously horrific end.

Did I mention the sound effects from the game? The squeals, the shrilling, and the ominous hum. It all totally got me.

What I didn't

I have mixed feelings on this. On one hand, that whole surgically inserting a port into the back of his head sequence was suitably gross for a series like Black Mirror.

And on the other hand, I've always liked Black Mirror for tech that is fantastic, but at least plausible. This is just... not. It is pretty bizarre and creepy though, I'll give them that.

Conclusion

What an episode. What. An. Episode!

Plaything is probably one of the creepiest things Black Mirror has produced ever, and has one of the darkest ever endings. I don't know what the writer of this epsiode had been smoking while creating this, but whatever it was, it worked!

My Rating

9 / 10

Next

Eulogy

Film Review: Black Mirror Series Seven (Part 3/3)

Up next, we have Hotel Reverie.

The Premise

Brandy Friday signs up for the lead role in a movie reboot which is a computer-generated simulation of the original. This involves transporting her consciousness to a computer-generated environment.

The Characters

Issa Rae has an enjoyable outing as Brandy Friday. This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I think she absolutely nailed this role, especially when her character is playing the role of Dr Alex Palmer. There's an easy charm about that smile, that just looks so effortless. And her portrayal of an actress who wants to break out of gender stereotypes, is pretty compelling.

Emma Corrin plays Dorothy Chambers with a certain wistful sweetness that fits the story to a tee. A closeted lesbian who put herself into her roles on-screen. When I found out she also played Cassandra Nova in Deadpool & Wolverine, and Anna Harding (the pregnant wife) in Nosferatu, I was knocked for a loop. Corrin is so versatile, I didn't even recognize her!

Awkwafina as Kimmy. A fun role, though I feel like Awkwafina could have done so much more. Kimmy is basically the desperate and harried film exec who wants to get a movie made. I don't ever recall -not- enjoying watching Awkwafina on screen, but let's be honest, she was criminally underused here.

Harriet Walter brings a certain dry wit to the role of Judith Keyworth, owner of Keyworth Productions. She's occasionally snarky and delivers reality checks in straightforward, unvarnished style. I really dug her delivery of the line "NFI - not fucking interested".

Stanley Weber as Dorothy's onscreen husband Claude. Mustache-twirling villain.

Farid Larbi as Inspector Lavigne. Another one-note role.

Elaine Claxton as dog owner Madame Roban. Played this Karen in a black-and-white movie. She was fun to watch, in small doses at least.

Elliot Barnes-Worrell is in this episode for a few minutes Brandy's agent Quarterman. He's played as cavalier, snarky and dismissive... and he looked like he would be a nice addition to the cast. Except, after his first few minutes, we never see him again.

Charlie Hiscock as bumbling techie Jack. Hiscock plays him as a competent but complacent techie who gets whiny when he's stressed, and delivers some tech exposition.

Enzo Cilenti as Ralph Redwell. He's mostly seen in flashbacks, the typical beefy suave protagonist of black-and-white film. Cheesy, but effective.

Tessa Wong as Asian girl writer, Crystal. She plays a comedic role, at one point seeming more concerned with getting writing credit than saving Brandy's life. That was cute.

Magnus Brunn as Dieter. He's the guy who reads the romance meter. Kind of useless, to be honest.

Danielle Vitalis as black girl tech, Mika. Maybe it's just me, but it felt like she was making up the numbers. This is her second bit part in the Black Mirror series. The first was in Joan Is Awful, and this time round the role feels even less relevant.

Natalia Kostrzewa as nnamed delivery girl. It was an entertaining few seconds as she went all fangirl on Brandy only to reveal that she was actually more interested in her male co-star.

The Mood

It's a little humdrum at first, but soon we enter the black-and-white environment of the movie and ironically, things get pretty colorful from here as we switch rapidly between that environment and the "real world".

The narrative tension is raised towards the end, because this is Black Mirror and we're never completely sure who survives the episode.

What I liked

The interracial lesbian relationship between brandy Friday and Dorothy Chambers. Yes, I know, I've complained in the past that Black Mirror seems to insist on shoving interracial relationships down our throats, especially of the black-white variety. And this isn't even the first black-white interracial lesbian coupling, the first being San Juniperio. But this one was different. The lesbian part was actually an integral part of the story. Brandy Friday's identity as a black woman was actually acknowledged by the plot. It didn't feel like yet another box-checking exercise and giving us an interracial lesbian couple just for the sake of it. If anything, it felt like this episode was taking shots at Hollywood for its overeagerness in race and gender swapping in its reboots.

The concept of ReDream. It is pretty neat, and fits into the concept of generative AI as we know it today. Not exactly, but pretty damn close! What with the main character's consciousness being implanted into a computer-generated simulation and all.

This was one of those shows where the women had the most to do, and the men were either relegated to useless minor roles, or portrayed as incompetent buffoons. I should be annoyed, but in truth, I barely noticed it, even after watching the episode twice. It only just occurred to me, when writing this review. I mean, if any movie or show wants to go this route, they should absolutely take a leaf from this episode's book. It was done so masterfully, so subtly, as to be almost unnoticeable. Or maybe I'm just oblivious.

What I didn't

Dropping the USB device was relevant to the plot, because it resulted in Kimmy explaining things to Brandy (and to the audience) what ReDream does. But really, why bother when they could have Kimmy do that anyway, without that little plot device?

If ReDream could do all that, why would they even need an actual actor? Or actress? This part was never made clear.

Conclusion

This was actually pretty good. There was the risk of the whole virtual reality angle being played out in the Black Mirror series, but they somehow managed to make it feel refreshing. Never have I found a black-and-white setting so utterly compelling.

My Rating

9 / 10

Thoughts on Black Mirror Series Seven so far

I was blown away. I haven't felt this much optimism since Series Four. This feels like a return to form. Each episode so far, has been classic Black Mirror stuff. It started with the gut punch that was Common People, took a slight dip with Bête Noire, then came back strong with Hotel Reverie. The first three episodes of this series have so far trumped the entirety of Series Five and Six!

I'm TFI! Totally Fucking Interested!
T___T

Film Review: Black Mirror Series Seven (Part 2/3)

This next episode, the rather pretentiously titled Bête Noire, deals with gaslighting. Tech? Well, there's plenty. Maybe even too much.

The Premise

Maria starts to question her reality when ex-schoolmate, Verity, joins her company Ditta (which had a brief mention in the previous episode; fun fact!). She soon finds out that reality is being manipulated with the intention of driving her to suicide.

The Characters

Sienna Kelley is Maria Skinner. She delivers one hell of a portrayal of an argumentative control freak who always needs to be right, the not-so-reformed bully who instinctively reverts to form once the conditions present themselves. It's sometimes subtle, but Kelley pulls it off. It helps that the argumentative control freak personality is absolutely a thing, and I know more than a few people like that.

Rosy McEwen is Verity Greene. It's also a compelling performance from her, perhaps even more so considering the rather unbelievable premise. She's a victim of bullying who finds near limitless power but decides to spend it tormenting her former bullies. I find this thoroughly unrelatable because in her shoes, I'd be busy exploring so many possibilities and cementing my position. Despite this, McEwen manages to elicit sympathy.

Ben Baily Smith as Gabe, the boss. I found his portrayal as a laid-back hill boss, utterly watchable. Gabe bikes to work and comes off as chummy and sensitive, and tries to be reasonable and tolerant. Which can be tough if you have a pushy mofo like Maria as a subordinate. Just saying!

Michael Workéyè plays Kae, Maria's boyfriend. He's nice and goofy, and really quite the emotionally available guy. Another guy who tries to be reasonable with Maria and puts up with her bullshit. I'm starting to see a pattern!

Ben Ashenden as Nick, from the Graphics department. Comes across as enthusiastically friendly where Verity's concerned. Perhaps even over-friendly. Later on, he pushes Maria's buttons in very annoying ways. Overall, a rather immature character, but the actor looked like he had fun.

Elena Sanz as Camille, focus group tester. She reminded me a little of Gemma from M3GAN. Thought she'd have a bigger role here, but it was not to be.

Hannah Griffiths as Luisa. There's this running gag where people constantly steal her almond milk from the fridge. It druves her nuts, and ties into the story.

Amber Grappy as Yudy, the kitchen head. She always has this confused look. I don't know if that's by design.

Ravi Aujla has a brief appearance as Ditta. Good-looking distinguished silver fox guy. Not really interesting otherwise.

The Mood

The episode is bright and colorful, and the closeup visuals of chocolate and confections sure add to the artistry. Later on, this does not change, though the mood takes a turn for the sinister, which somehow gets worse considering everything is so visually... cheerful. In effect, the entire episode looks very polished visually.

What I liked

The storyline concept was pretty creative, even if it strained credulity at times. The themes of bullying, gaslighting and arrested development are pretty relevant and dare I say, timeless.

I like the visuals where they tell us what day of the week it is. It's just so artistic.

The actual gaslighting was pretty good! It started off subtle, with this foreshadowing shot that it was Barney's rather than Bernies... also, there are apparently two versions of this episode being aired, with this as a gag!

... to something like this, removing nut allergies from existence! And using Google to reinforce it, is just too precious!

What I didn't

Of all the titles they could've gone with that would have actually made sense, "Bête Noire" doesn't exactly stand out as a solid choice.

Unlikeable characters. Both the protagonist and the antagonist are anything but likeable, and that's even before the reveal at the end that Maria was Verity's bully. Maria is pushy and argumentative. Verity comes off as a tragic victim of bullying who's unable to move past the trauma and as such is in a state of arrested development. No main character comes even close to being sympathetic here.

Unbelievable tech. I mean... something as limitless as the tech that Verity is using, basically runs on what looks like a mini server farm? I suppose it's marginally more believable than that little "quamputer" we saw in Joan Is Awful.

The scene where Verity alters reality so that Maria has always spoken "Chinese". Honestly, if she's "always spoken Chinese", she should speak it a lot better than the garbage gibberish that came out of Maria's mouth. Badly-spoken Mandarin has always been a pet peeve of mine in Hollywood. Couldn't they have used Japanese, or Korean? Something arguably less easy to get wrong? Geez!

Film Review: Black Mirror Series Seven (Part 1/3)

Black Mirror Series Seven has arrived! For those not in the know, Black Mirror is an antholotgcal series revolving around tech and media, and its sometimes negative effects on life.

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.

Conclusion

Just one word - wow. What. An. Episode. Not only was it quintessential Black Mirror, it had at its core, a story of true, enduring love. There's that bleak ending, the midway twists, and the absurdly dark humor. This episode had it all, and it was the first episode. Honestly, how is the rest of the series going to top this?!

My Rating

9.5 / 10

Next

Bête Noire

TeochewThunder: Year Eleven (Part 1/2)

Well, look who turns 11 this year! It's not me (I wish), but it's this blog, of course. This thing here might just be a substitute for the children I'm never planning to have.

Dear God, please no.

In all seriousness though, it occurs to me that the effort taken to maintain this blog and the website has pretty much kept me sane all these years. I read somewhere about journalling with regard to mental health, and it seems that this blog is a great example of journalling. Why's it different from venting on Facebook or X, you might ask?

Well, for one, Social Media posts tend to be a lot shorter and more unfiltered. Which can be a good thing, don't get me wrong, but not necessarily so if you want a more thorough internal audit. Blog posts go through several revisions, as we examine what's going on in our heads, and why, and maybe even how it pertains to the tech space. The final result is a more measured, more self-examined output into the stratosphere. As such, I consider my blogposts of higher quality than a simple vomiting of my initial reactions on Social Media platforms.

That isn't to say I haven't said stupid shit in the past. I absolutely have. But the beauty of time is that as the years go by, I can evolve into less of s shit-talker and more of a shit-thinker. Yikes, that didn't sound better, did it?

Dedication

Also, this is a blog I'm dedicated to.

Dedication is a measure of how consistent you're willing to be in your efforts even without applause or acknowledgement. It's a measure of how much of a shit I give. And I give a lot.

Think about it. In previous years, I could at least justify the effort by the way prospective employers would look at my entire online portfolio. These days, they don't do that anymore (also, I haven't been looking in a while) because even the demos I put out are kids' stuff. I like to think some of it is really well-done, but well-done or not, it's still kids' stuff. Those are just not the things people hire senior developers for, especially not in the age of Artificial Intelligence and Vibe Coding.

So no... there are no longer practical reasons for maintaining this effort. I do these things because I like doing these things.

That's not to say I don't occasionally benefit from a break. And October is my assigned month for that break. Other than this blogpost, there will be no other visible activity. Emphasis on the word visible.

Invisible hands, invisible effort.

You see, as in most software development, the value is largely in the stuff that users don't see. The optimizations. The security fixes. The fine-tuning in the back. That's not to say there's no value in the stuff that's visible, but sometimes I feel like a lot of that is just to placate laypersons who don't know any better.

That's a controversial statement which we should reserve for another day.

To my original point, there is going to be work done. Just not visible work. Mostly prep for year-end, and 2026.

Content

As with last year, I've been making an effort to use less profanities in my writing. Not because I necessarily think the odd (or even frequent) vulgarity is a bad thing, mind you. More because I don't want to develop an over-reliance on anything, not even swearing. I don't want to have to use foul language as a crutch to express myself. It's just poor form. To that end, I am limiting myself to using it only a few times a year in this blog, usually whenever I review a Black Mirror episode. I certainly won't be using them with the same frequency during, say, 2019 to 2022, around the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking of which, as the horrors of the past few years fade behind us, I'll hopefully be speaking less about COVID-19 from this year forth. It was a terrible few years, and my emotion-laden rants during that period are evidence of that, but it's time to move on.

You may have noticed that the posts are getting even shorter than they used to. This is not an accident; rather it is the natural evolution of this blog. I wasn't verbally verbose before (at least I hope not) but reading other blogposts and tuning out halfway has made me realize that the lack of attention span on the internet is a very real thing. As a result, I'm going to curb any impulse I may have, to belabor whatever points I may be making.

What else? Yeah I changed the TeochewThunder logo. Talked about that already, didn't I? Hope you like it. If you don't, too fucking bad, baby. It's staying.

Surprise!

This is a tech blog, so I talked a whole lot about tech this year, as always. In particular, I talked about Artificial Intelligence. I suspect that this will be happening with alarming regularity, especially with the frequency with which laypersons feel the need to chime in. Someone's got to show 'em their place! Just kidding... kinda.

As for web tutorials, there's been a nice mix that includes NodeJS and NextJS. and D3. Along with the almost obligatory HTML, CSS, JavaScript sprinkled with the occasional PHP, of course. I started learning NodeJS, as usual, for the heck of it. It increased my understanding of what I was doing with ReactJS and NextJS, so there was value in it.

I've continued to generate images from AI, but the pendulum has swung back somewhat and once again I've begun to see value in using stock photos.

Next

Highs, lows, hits and misses

Film Review: Black Mirror Series Six, Redux (Part 2/2)

This next episode, Demon 79, leans into the whole supernatural path that Black Mirror seems to be veering into, and then gleefully goes full speed ahead.

The Premise

Shop assistant Niqa discovers a bone talisman and enters a pact with a demon, Gaap, in which she has to deliver three human sacrifices. Failure to do so will bring about the end of the world. It's pretty simple, and really revolves around her attacks of conscience.

The Characters

Anjana Vasan takes on the role of Niqa Huq, and really makes a meal of it here. Niqa has a dreary soul-wearing job and Vasan really makes you feel it. When she gets driven to murder later on, I could totally believe it.

Paapa Essiedu is Gaap. He's quirky and goofy, and so much fun on screen. Even more fun is his off-handed attitude towards murder, morality and all that jazz. Endearingly awkward demeanor aside, there are moments of vulnerability where Gaap confesses his insecurities to Niqa, and they bond.

Nicholas Burns as Keith Holligan. We first see Holligan as a balding loser who also happens to be a psychopathic murderer, but as the episode goes on, it's apparent that he's a tragically lonely man who also happens to be deeply disturbed. Burns made me feel -sorry- for this guy, dammit. Right up to the point he got his skull smashed in!

Shaun Dooley as Len Fisher, the police detective who investigates the murders. Comes off as jaded, cynical and couldn't be arsed. But when presented with a proper mystery, he's all kinds of shrewd and professional. Dooley let the human side show during that confrontation with Niqa, when Niqa asks him if he's a good man, and he says "I hope so, love".

Nick Shields as politician Michael Smart. He's played as charming and intelligent, and a good orator, with the catchphrase "So don't just pray for a good future, vote for one!" That scene where he just about snake-charms Vicky into voting for him, was fantastic. I could have done with more of him in this episode, he was brilliant as an antagonist. Totally brought that dangerous energy to his game.

Katherine Rose Morley is Vicky the salesgirl. Morley plays her with acid-tongued bitchiness and absolutely no redeeming qualities, so it's easy to root for Niqa to make her the next victim.

Emily Fairn as Suzie, Fisher's assistant. Mostly got distracted by her nose, I'm sorry to say.

Nick Holder as Posset's manager, Mr Duncan. Wow, what an ass. Holder plays him as a doofus who skirts around being overtly racist but ultimately lets his true colors slip through in the presence of Michael Smart. That was great, because it kept me guessing who was going to be the next sacrifice, and hoping it might be him.

Joshua James as Chris Holligan. He probably wasn't meant to be a comedic character, but that awkward fight scene with Niqa was hysterical.

Joe Evans as Tim Simons, a creep who molests his young daughter. There's nothing overtly detestable or likeable about the guy, otherwise. The character doesn't spend much time on screen, so it's up to Gaap to tell us his sins.

Hayley Considine as Jean Simons. She's played as an oblivous wife and mother.

Lillie Mae Law as Laura Simons. She's quiet and sullen, and looks like a seriously disturbed child, possibly from being molested repeatedly by dear old dad.

Steve Garti as Bob the bartender. While the character isn't exactly played like an out-an-out racist, he's more like the dismissive "they all look the same to me" guy. Kind of like me, if I'm being honest.

Vickie Binnis plays Julie the barmaid, but this seems like a thankless role if all she really does is provide some exposition.

The Mood

The atmosphere is dreary, a cacophany of dirty rooms, dusty streets and hazy skies. We're made to sit through the drudgery of Niqa's life, and things don't improve much after meeting Gaap.

All in all, it has a very low-budget horror movie vibe, along with jarring sound effects, which I totally enjoyed.

What I liked

Vibe between Niqa and Gaap. It's heartwarming, that's what it is. Niqa has multiple breakdowns, and Gaap is supportive in his ham-fisted way.

Reappearance of the symbol from White Bear and Bandersnatch. I just about screamed when Nida found this talisman. This is rapidly turning out to be another Black Mirror staple.

Niqa's flights of fancy where she imagines herself violently killing annoying co-workers and customers, were tremendous fun to watch.

The subplot of National Front and Niqa being a potential target, really added to the narrative tension.

The entire subplot of Keith Hooligan's death, from his ham-fisted attempts to seduce Niqa, to his resigned acceptance of his fate, was just so yikes. Loved it!

We get to see one of those metal dogs again! Though this time it's in the form of a flash-forward and it's so brief, you blink and you miss it.

The car chase which ended in Niqa taking the hammer to Smart and ultimately getting caught by Fisher, was a thrilling plot point for me. This was so well done, on multiple levels. The music, the night lighting, the acting... good shit.

I loved the ending, where Niqa and Gaap actually choose to hang out with each other for eternity. It's so sweet, honestly.

And even that final conflagration. It's a downer ending sure, but done so gracefully.

Generally, the writing, and the dialogue. It feels like a lot of love and care was put into characterization.

What I didn't

This episode was all about the supernatural. If I'm tuning in to Black Mirror, I wanna see a Black Mirror episode, dammit. That means computers, phones and shit.

Are we supposed to believe only a few minutes passed between braining Keith Hollligan and then that entire fight sequence between Niqa and Chris?

Conclusion

Demon 79 had so much going for it - engaging characters, nice story, rich visuals. Unfortunately, it just didn't fit into the Black Mirror universe. Where's the tech angle? Where's the media angle? Nada. Zilch. Not that I didn't enjoy it, mind you. Just based on its own merits, Demon 79 was intensely watchable.

My Rating

8 / 10

Final Thoughts on Black Mirror Series Six

Series Six is a big fat disappointment, and that's me being charitable. Too many episodes don't fit the mold of a Black Mirror offering, and that hurts the entire series as a whole. Which really is a pity considering standouts in this series such as Joan Is Awful and Beyond the Sea. It feels like the showrunners are just going through the motions at this point, and running out of ideas for the Black Mirror concept. Demon 79, for example, seems like a nice piece of work but with very little to mark it as a Black Mirror episode.

Look in the mirror, Series Six!
T___T

Film Review: Black Mirror Series Six, Redux (Part 1/2)

It's time to resume this review of Black Mirror Series Six. And while I've been largely complimentary of this installment so far, things are about to get significantly less positive.

The fourth episode is Mazey Day, and really, it's just the name of one of the characters. Given the lack of creativity shown thus far with regard to episode titles, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, much less disappointed.

The Premise

The story is set in Los Angeles, USA, and centers around a freelance photographer. She and some others violate the privacy of a celebrity, Mazey Day, only to find a nasty surprise waiting for them.

The Characters

Zazie Beetz is her bubbly engaging self as Bo, a photographer who has an attack of conscience. I've always found her immensely watchable in films like Deadpool 2, Joker and Bullet Train. This time, she gets to show off some acting chops by portraying Bo as someone who's desperate for work, but not willing to compromise her ethics all the way. She's also probably the most obvious shutterbug around, having been caught twice in this episode while trying to be sneaky. I found myself wondering how this character survives this profession!

Clara Rugaard as Mazey Day, an actress who later on becomes a werewolf. The portrayal was kind of bland, to be honest. Just not very compelling, though perhaps the blame can be laid at the feet of whoever wrote the script.

Danny Ramirez as Hector. Not really sure what the character's function was here. Just another warm body for the werewolf to savage?

Robbie Tann as Whitty, a sociopathic jerk who likes to run his mouth. Some of the stuff he says is cold and unnecessarily cruel but contains some uncomfortable truths.

James P. Rees as Duke, a sleazy shutterbug who tries to take upskirt pics of Sydney Alberti. Rees plays him as a mouthy dirtbag, and no tears are shed when the character eventually gets eaten.

Jack Bandeira has a dual-purpose character, Terry the talkative bartender. He's chatty (and blond, and blue-eyed, astonishingly good-looking, really) and provided Bo with a lot of plot-pertinent information. Later on, he also functions as a casualty in the diner, accidentally shot dead by the lawman, no less.

Kenneth Collard as Dr Dmitri Babich, a celeb doctor who's into alternative medicine. Didn't do much with a largely expository role.

Corey Johnson as Clay the police officer who is, quite amusingly, really into eating chicken. I do like it when characters ramble on about stuff that doesn't necessarily tie in to the plot. It feels relatable, somehow.

David Rysdahl is Bo's housemate Nathan. He's played as passive-aggressive and annoys the hell out of me. Which I suppose is pretty effective acting because it's a major plot point that Bo wants to pay Nathan her late share of the rent.

Charles Hagerty plays Justin Camley in an extremely short appearance, as a TV actor who gets caught having a tryst with a gay partner. He appeared all of a few seconds, but I thought the actor was worth mentioning because he made the character's desperation and frustration really shine through.

Patrick Toomey is Nick, the one who pays these shutterbugs to take incriminating photographs for his scandal reporting. Toomey plays this limited role with the appropriate amount of smarminess.

Lucía Pemán also makes a short appearance as actress Sydney Alberti, who has a sex tape leaked. The purpose of this character is pretty much just to have Whitty and Duke show off what douchebags they are.

The Mood

It's a dusty atmosphere in the sunlight, but soon switches to a dim, dark color palette as the story begins taking place in the night. And soon enough, it turns into a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse with a ravaging beast. Basic monster movie fare, really.

Later on, it's a drawn-out tragedy when Bo gives Mazey a gun to kill herself with.

What I liked

I groaned and cheered in equal measure when Whitty met his grisly end after refusing to escape while he could, and continue to take pictures of a still-transforming Mazey. The trope of passion for his craft outweighing common sense was strong here, but also because the character was such a jerk, watching him get wrecked was cathartic.

Whitty and Duke finding out about Cedarwood Spa Retreat by placing a tracker on Hector's bike. This is so character-appropriate!

The unnamed actor who players the security detail that slashes Bo's tyres is so suitably menacing and nonchalant at the same time. I heartily approve.

The episode ends with Bo taking a photograph after giving Mazey the means to off herself. It's what got her into this mess in the first place, and this is darkly poetic.

What I didn't

The showrunners might not have meant to draw attention to this tattoo under Bo's navel, but draw attention they did and now I want to know why. It's never addressed. I'm a Chinese man and I know the character for "snake" when I see it. Question is, what significance does this have? Or was this to tell us that Bo, like too many non-Chinese educated people, have an unfortunate habit of inking words on their skin in languages they can't even read?

Bo finds out where Mazey is staying by accidentally running into a food delivery worker who just happened to deliver to that address. Seems a bit convenient, no? And Bo didn't even have to pay for the information, that's the best part.

It doesn't make sense that Bo wouldn't just take the 500 that Justin offered, for her photos. It's not the first time she's working for that cheap bastard Nick, so she has to know he's going to low-ball her.

Speaking of things that don't make sense, how does Cedarwood have this big-ass fence that can be defeated by digging under the fence, just like that? The soil is even conveniently loose!

This was not a tech episode, though a case could be made for it being centered around media. Still, this detracts from Black Mirror being less science fiction and more supernatural horror. I can't say I approve, really. Black Mirror has been around long enough to have its own identity. It's not like Black Mirror is in the stages of infancy, still trying to figure out what it is.

Conclusion

This episode had decent scares, a decent plot and an OK ending. It, however, doesn't really seem to qualify as a Black Mirror episode due to the supernatural elements involved.

My Rating

6 / 10

Next

Demon 79

Film Review: Black Mirror Series Six (Part 3/3)

This next one might just be my favorite of the entire bunch. It's called Beyond The Sea.

The Premise

Stanfield and Ross are two astronauts who live on a space station. They are able to visit their families by means of a technology that can transport their consciousness to avatars (called "Replicas") on Earth. Tragedy strikes as the family of one astronaut is murdered...

The Characters

Aaron Paul delivers a surprisingly nuanced performance as Cliff Stanfield, a taciturn and emotionally distant husband and father. My only experience with Paul on-screen is as Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad. This is Aaron Paul's second time in Black Mirror, having had a cameo voice-over in the episode USS Callister. Here, he has a dual role, sometimes acting as Cliff, and sometimes acting as David.

Former teen heartthrob Josh Hartnett takes on the role of the charming family man David Ross, Stanfield's colleague. And let me just say that Hartnett is severely underrated as an actor. From his early roles in 40 Days and 40 Nights and Pearl Harbor, I had him pegged as the Pretty Boy. But recently I saw him in Trap. And now this. Hartnett had me liking Ross, feeling sad for Ross, disliking Ross, hating Ross, and finally being utterly fucking terrified of Ross.

Kate Mara as Lana Stanfield, Cliff Stanfield's wife. I've only ever seen Kate Mara in House of Cards and the ill-fated Fantastic Four. At first, the role felt like one anyone could have done, but after Lisa Stanfield reveals the fact that her loyalty to her husband runs far deeper than the audience was led to believe, Kate Mara utterly sold me on her performance. Marvellous stuff.

Auden Thornton as Jessica Ross. This is really a thankless role. Thornton gets groped by Hartnett and then has to look tearful and terrified in another scene, and that's it for her.

Daniel Bell as Cliff's son Henry Stanfield. He's a meek, quiet kid with almost zero personality. The audience is led to believe that Cliff oppressed it out of him, but there are times we do see Cliff doing dad-stuff with his son, so I'm not really sure what they were going for here.

Rory Culkin has a small but memorable role as Kappa. All glowery menace and unhinged dialog.

Marama Corlett, Siân Davis and Ioachim Ciobanu as Theta, Sigma, Epsilon. I'm not sure I can tell them apart, really. They're just there as Kappa's insane sidekicks.

The Mood

It's a serene futuristic setup when in space, but when back on Earth, it's retro-style picket fences. That's because for some reason, this episode takes place in a reimagined past. This episode is long and takes a while to get to the meat of the story from the setup, so for the most part, it's quiet, somewhat sad in places, and interspersed with scenes of horrific violence.

What I liked

The beginning parts where they threw little hints that David and Cliff were... unusual. From the fans at the cinema theater to Cliff saying Grace but not actually eating with his family.

The shot of the spaceship is pretty neat, gotta say.

And also the design of their sleeping quarters.

Whatever it was I was expecting when they cut Ross open... it wasn't this. Honestly, I was expecting a metal skeleton of some kind. Not this... gel?! Mind blown. Points for originality!

That twist at the end... oof. I really thought Ross was going to murder Stanfield or something, but no, I was totally blindsided. In fact, the entire episode subverted my expectations again and again.

The characters and the dialogue are pretty well-done. It wasn't just the work of the actors that made these characters shine; it was the way they were -written-. Cliff and David weren't just good or bad guys, they were relatable, flawed men who loved sincerely and deeply. As they went back-and-forth, my sympathies shifted from David, to Cliff, then to David again. I know none of the characters actually deserved what they eventually got, but at some points they let the worst parts of themselves come through, with tragic results.

Also some of the details were pretty nice. Like when Cliff searches David's quarters and we see all the stuff his kids left for him.

What I didn't

You'd think that with these high stakes, the company would send more than the mimimum headcount out in space. It makes no kind of sense. Two people leaves very little wriggle room for accidents, mishaps and the like. This is an extended trip in space, not a buddy cop patrol beat. What's worse, the two-man thing was actually a major plot point, which drive many of the characters' decisions. Too bad it didn't make sense in the first place.

This episode went on a little long, but it's a minor quibble and one I'm inclined to forgive, all things considered.

Conclusion

Possibly the strongest episode so far, despite its flaws. That twist hit like a gut punch. The story played me like a fiddle from start to finish. And that ending was really the fucked-up finish to end all fucked-up finishes.

My Rating

9 / 10

Thoughts on Black Mirror Series Six so far

As with previous seasons, this one has been a mixed bag. Mostly positive, though. Even the one episode, Loch Henry, that I didn't like that much, was pretty good. And I didn't dislike it, just didn't think it belonged in Black Mirror. But honestly, these first three episodes are a huge improvement over Series Five.

So far, Series Six isn't Awful!
T___T

Film Review: Black Mirror Series Six (Part 2/3)

Now for the next episode, Loch Henry!

The Premise

This next episode is Loch Henry. It takes place in a quaint English countryside, always a win in my book. A well-publicized series of murders happened here a long time ago, and a young couple starts to make a documentary about it.

The Characters

Samuel Blenkin as Davis McArdle. I last saw him in The Continental. In here, he was thin, awkward, and just kind of meek. The entire performance was so-so, really. Except at the parts where he interacted with Monica Dolan, where the actor teared up a bit. I thought those were great.

Myha'la Herrold as Pia Koreshi. The role seemed a little bland. Not sure if that was the way it was written, or just the way Herrold played it.

Daniel Portman almost steals the show as Stuart King. Loud, brash, goofy, Stuart King is the buddy we all wish we had, the one we get up to crazy shenanigans with and owns a bar so he can get you free drinks. Also, his sarcasm is a delight to watch.

John Hannah plays Start's drunken dad Richard King. As a teenager, I first watched Hannah in Sliding Doors, and then in The Mummy trilogy. Guy's a hoot, and they hit peak perfection with this casting call. As Richard King, Hannah is equal parts cranky and morose, and anguished. He makes an entire meal out of this, but without detracting from the story too much.

Monica Dolan is mother Janet McCardle. This is Dolan's second role in the Black Mirror series, the first being a rather more forgettable outing as a Chief Inspector in the dreadfully tedious episode Smithereens. She does considerably better this time round playing an anxious and awkward mother who's really an enthusiastic accomplice to several murders.

Gregor Firth as Kenneth McCardle. A jovial lawman who turns out to be a perverted serial murderer. It was a somewhat believable turn, given we hadn't seen all that much of Kenneth McArdle so far.

Ellie White makes a couple appearances playing Kate Cezar, who runs Historik Productions and appears to be the boss of Davis and Pia. There's a little bit of an opportunistic vibe about her, which I guess we all associate with publishing houses.

Tom Crowhurst as Iain Adair. The part called for a mad-looking guy and Crowhurst delivered without being too obvious about it.

The Mood

It's a misty countryside and I could just about feel the cold air on my face and the rustic warmth of the bar. The tension goes up a few notches in the final act, but for the most part, it's a slow-burn kind of vibe. When Davis begins the narration of the case of the missing couple Simon and Dawn Challis, that's where a hint of it begins.

Later on, when a horrified Pia is watching a real sex murder on camera while the scene cuts back to Janet preparing food with a very lethal-looking knife, the accompanying music ratches up the tension like you wouldn't believe!

What I liked

The cast is small and tight - no one's wasted in their roles.

As mentioned before, the environment they shot this in was breathtaking in its natural beauty. Huge plus, if you ask me. And there's just something about Stuart's bar that charmed my socks off.

While I'm not a big fan of the twist itself, how it was implemented I have no complaints with. Pia accidentally overwriting a tape with incriminating evidence, and seeing just a hint of it at the end... great stuff! Makes me nostalgic for the days of old.

That last lingering shot of Janet's suicide note and the photos she left behind. So terrible, and so sad!

What I didn't

The premise is hardly original, and neither is the twist. (See 2003's Gothika for something similar) If someone as clueless as myself saw it coming a mile away...

This is supposed to be a Black Mirror episode but I see nothing about tech or media (unless you count VHS tapes).

Pia's death seemed kind of overkill, narrative-wise. I don't see what it adds to the story.

It occurs to me that Davis and Pia are the sixth (or more?) example of an interracial couple I've seen so far in Black Mirror. When it first appeared in Fifteen Million Merits and White Bear, I was all for it. Several episodes over multiple seasons later, it's gotten a bit gratuitous. Hang The DJ, San Junipero, White Christmas, Black Museum... the list goes on. Even the preceding Joan Is Awful! (Both Joan's relationship with Krish and the random couple whose wedding she interrupts) Normally, I'm pretty oblivious to this, so if even I noticed it... seriously, it feels like somebody is trying just a bit too hard.

I don't think Stuart would have called Davis to crow about the booming business in the bar. I mean, FFS, Davis lost both his girl and his mother in one go, and it turns out his parents were murderous psychopaths. I feel like Stuart can be insensitive, but surely he's not such a dick?

Conclusion

It's not that I didn't like this episode. I just didn't think it belongs in Black Mirror. There are episodes that don't have a tech angle such as Hated In the Nation or Smithereens, but still have a Media angle. This has neither. Running out of ideas?!

My Rating

7.5

Next

Beyond The Sea