TV: Black Mirror (Channel4(UK)/Netflix)

[chicagoskycam]

Yeah but everyone in the real world is not affected by what is going on in the infinity.

True but the clone is essentially you just stuck in that reality. It's hard to grasp and the White Christmas episode did a good job illustrating it. I guess just imagine waking up tomorrow and you're stuck in there. That's how it is for them. The story was okay but the execution during the scenes, everything was very well done IMO. What was strange was it seemed like a small company and neither were aware of the new hire starting that day. It was also good that who you first thought was the bad guy ended up turning very early on.

 

[Mario Lemieux fan 66]

Black Mirror season 4: 7.3/10 Outside of San Junipero the last 2 seasons are nowhere near the quality of the best episodes of the first 2 seasons: White Christmas , Be Right Back and The Entire History of You.

 

[Muston Atthews]

I liked episode 2 better than 1. All I’ve watched so far though

 

[Jumptheshark]

episode 1 was inspired by the trek legendary story told at many convention where during shooting the next generation they allowed outside scripts to be submitted--one trekkie reportedly submitted up to 50 scripts where a new character was introduced and was the hero in every script--he named the character after himself

 

[Led Zappa]

I really enjoyed the first EP. The second EP was meh and the 3rd not much better. Hoping for more from that last 3. Already disappointed there are only 6. FTR: Calling a BM episode meh is still saying a lot compared to most TV.

Watched San Junipero after those and it was just as good on re-watch because what was lost on knowing the story was gained by knowing the story.

 

[Deen]

I really enjoyed the first EP. The second EP was meh and the 3rd not much better. Hoping for more from that last 3. Already disappointed there are only 6. FTR: Calling a BM episode meh is still saying a lot compared to most TV.

Watched San Junipero after those and it was just as good on re-watch because what was lost on knowing the story was gained by knowing the story.

I liked the first one too, 2 and 3 kind of bored me tbh. I haven't watched 4-6 yet either.

 

[BonMorrison]

Episode 4 was my fave of the season, thought episode 5 was terrible. Everything else was good. Weak season though.

 

[HanSolo]

Got through the first four.

4 and 1 I definitely enjoyed. 2 and 3 were snoozers. 3 was also particularly uncompelling. I know technology is just a platform for human dramas and exploration of certain social concepts but in episode 3 it seemed pretty tertiary to the entire premise of the episode. It was more of a plot moving device than anything else. A tech trick that allowed for an ultimately flat series of events to occur.

Spoiler

I mean usually with an episode like this, the key technological feature is something that inspires negative events to occur. Something like Man Against Fire or Hated in the Nation for example. Hated in the nation you've got the tech making soldiers think they're killing monsters to kill civilians, Hated in the Nation you've got the bee population killing specific targets then a large scale genocide. Here, it's a pretty mundane memory recollection thing which could've made for some compelling stuff but in the end it just serves to get the main character from one murder to the next. Like I get that if anyone's memories are free game then she wouldn't have killed anyone but ultimately I just felt like I was watching that Futurama "what if machine" gag where Leela keeps killing witnesses who saw her first murder. I know they were going for "even this woman who had this great life could be pushed to do something like this if memories aren't private." but I just didn't care.

I wrote more than I thought I would but I guess the episode just bothered me more than it should have. Arkangel was less disappointing to me for those kinds of reasons but it just felt like. Okay. That's how that episode went. Next.

 

[Peasy]

Disappointing season. Really only felt like 1 and 6 were Black Mirrorish.

 

[Sleemans]

Overall a disappointing season:
My Rank:
6
4
1
2
3
5

 

[Peasy]

This season was also way too positive compared to the others. Not one episode left me thinking, wow, that's f***ed up...

I find it difficult to rate any of the episodes really above ones from the first 3 seasons.

 

[Ainec]

Episode 1 is up there with the best from BM

great cast

no comment on ep 2...

 

[PB37]

Man, so many people sleeping on Crocidle. That shit was dark. I've only watched the first 4 episodes, and that was my favorite. Hang the DJ was pretty good too; this season's San Junipero. USS Callister was interesting and pretty cool but i felt it broke Black Mirror's internal third wall in a way that made the climax reveal a little too shallow. I don't like my BM characters realizing technology is their downfall until the end lol.

I wanted to like Archangel because the groundwork and concepts for a great episode were all there, but the execution was poor. That was easily the worst of the four I watched. Way too predictable.

 

[McMozesmadness]

Just finished the new season.

My Rankings:

#1 - USS Callister
#2 - Hang the DJ
#3 - Metalhead
#4 - Black Museum
#5 - Arkangel
#6 - Crocodile

No real standout, but I can honestly say I enjoyed them all. None wowed me like some episodes form the past. My favourite from the whole series is “Be Right Back”. That one stayed in my mind for months.

 

[Ainec]

Ep 3 Crocodile

Absolutely the worst episode ever written and made.

Holy shit I can't get over how bad it was.

It's not even real. None of my gripes with this ep has to do with the darkness it's literally everything else

 

[Peasy]

Where was the introduction of new technology? Where was the walk between what was morally right and wrong. Where did we see the really good in certain technologies, to then slowly see the bad? Why did basically every episode have to do with a chip inside a person's head. It really seems like this season they were just lazy and recycled what was done in some of the favourite episodes. I still think about the ending of The Entire History of You and I saw that over 3 years ago... Can't say I'll be thinking about the endings of any of these episodes.

 

[chicagoskycam]

They did tend to use some of the same concepts and tech in this season as previous and even within the season. I don't think it's a huge issue as long as the stories are good. #6 and #1 were good while the others were lacking a bit. I'm sure everyone noticed in Black Museum all the pieces from previous BM episodes, even the cracked iPad from Arkangel.

I get the five minutes in the future stuff but for the next season I hope he comes up with fresh stuff. #6 was all over the place and the part where they suggested his disabled wife be put in his head.... I was like why would you ever think that's a good idea.

Crocodile - end was good but I think her motivations were absurd based on what was happening unless we find out later she just got off on it.

I have not finished Metalhead.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

I'm just through first 5 but this season has been disappointing to me. USS Callisto was great and up there with rest of BM but none of the others were, IMO. Hang the DJ was ok, but entirely too predictable and as others have said felt like it was trying to hard to be this season's San Junipero (I loved it last season but it was special because it was different). The fifth one was just a mess, metalhead I think? It was not BM. Worst episode of the series. Arkangel was too predictable as well, imo. The concept was interesting, but the execution was sloppy. Crocodile again had an ok concept but was poorly executed even alot worse than arkangel. Metalhead was my least favourite BM ever, crocodile my 2nd. Most people here have Black Museum high up so I hope that can help save the season.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

For me, it goes:
1, 4, 6, 5, 3, 2

Spoiler

Metalhead was the only time the series has explored the "what if machines take over" approach, which is nice to see given what AI could do. It's also the darkest, bleakest, most post-apocalyptic approach to an episode. It didn't have the most interesting plot or likeable character, but damn those dogs were frightening. I want to see more episodes like it, with more deep plots and better characters.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

For me, it goes:
1, 4, 6, 5, 3, 2

Spoiler

Metalhead was the only time the series has explored the "what if machines take over" approach, which is nice to see given what AI could do. It's also the darkest, bleakest, most post-apocalyptic approach to an episode. It didn't have the most interesting plot or likeable character, but damn those dogs were frightening. I want to see more episodes like it, with more deep plots and better characters.

Re: Metalhead

Spoiler

I agree to a point. Like you say I liked the "what if machines take over" kind of thing, but the complete lack of any backstory to it makes it not feel BM to me. I like the concept of not knowing, the unbeatable enemy in like another movie, but in BM it just seemed to far out of place, IMO. In all the other stories we explore the consequences of the technology or society. In Metalhead it's just a straight survival story, no idea where, when, how of this technology. That's what I didn't like, it wasn't BM.

 

[void]

I really didn't like the first episode so I'm a bit worried for the rest of the season considering almost everyone is saying that it's season 5's best episode.

 

[Legionnaire]

I thought it was brilliant. The line about taking my "p" and crossing a red line made it so alone.

 

[TheCanasianfrasian]

Watched Hang The DJ, really enjoyed it.

Started USS something, was pretty interesting but i fell asleep, it was late.

 

[silverfish]

I've been reflecting on these episodes basically any time I find myself day dreaming. Has been a lot today, being back at work. One thought on what could've made CROCODILE better:

Spoiler

They should've explored the subjectivity of our memories more than they did, which really wasn't at all outside of Shazia mentioning it in passing a couple of times, and then the color of the women's jacket changing in the dentist's memory.

 

[ghostnights]

I really liked Crocodile and thought it was one of the most visually beautiful episodes of black mirror to date