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

[The Crypto Guy]

FINALLY got into this. Not sure how I didn't start watching this sooner. This reminds me SO much of one of my favorite shows growing up, "The Outer Limits" (the 90's ones).

I've probably watched about half so far, and i'm really bouncing all over the place from seasons, but here are my favs so far, and my least favs:


Fav: (no order)
Playtest
Nosedive
San Junipero
Black Museum

Least:
The National Anthem (Season 1, esp 1) - really scared me that this was going to be a terrible show, thank god I kept watching...
Metalhead- not sure how this was rated so high by so many, thought it was terrible. She was super annoying and it really had no story at all.


Again though, i still have about 10 eps to watch.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

FINALLY got into this. Not sure how I didn't start watching this sooner. This reminds me SO much of one of my favorite shows growing up, "The Outer Limits" (the 90's ones).

I've probably watched about half so far, and i'm really bouncing all over the place from seasons, but here are my favs so far, and my least favs:


Fav: (no order)
Playtest
Fifteen Million Merits
San Junipero
Black Museum

Least:
The National Anthem (Season 1, esp 1) - really scared me that this was going to be a terrible show, thank god I kept watching...
Metalhead- not sure how this was rated so high by so many, thought it was terrible. She was super annoying and it really had no story at all.


Again though, i still have about 10 eps to watch.

The show was actually inspired by the Twilight Zone, which Outer Limits has been frequently compared to.

My girlfriend and I just finished the show and we are obsessed with it.

I agree with 3/4 of your favorites, I wasn't big on Fifteen Million Merits but the other 3 are pretty high on my list. Whenever you finish all of the episodes now you should post another list on here.

Agree with both of your Leasts... When trying to turn people onto this show I've actually recommended that they watch something other than National Anthem because of the "gross-ness" of it.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

I thought the National Anthem was a solid episode, but man is that a tough way to jump into a series, lol.

 

[PB37]

I really enjoyed National Anthem.

Playtest is probably my least favorite ( or 2nd least ). I couldn't stand the acting style of the lead character.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

The show was actually inspired by the Twilight Zone, which Outer Limits has been frequently compared to.

My girlfriend and I just finished the show and we are obsessed with it.

I agree with 3/4 of your favorites, I wasn't big on Fifteen Million Merits but the other 3 are pretty high on my list. Whenever you finish all of the episodes now you should post another list on here.

Agree with both of your Leasts... When trying to turn people onto this show I've actually recommended that they watch something other than National Anthem because of the "gross-ness" of it.

Oops! Mixed up the titles...I didn't mean Fifteen Million Merits (average ep), I meant Nosedive.

Just watched "Be Right Back" Another decent ep.

 

[silverfish]

Just watched "Be Right Back" Another decent ep.

I love that ep. Think everyone else really underrates it. I'm feeling rather ornamental.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

I really enjoyed National Anthem.

Playtest is probably my least favorite ( or 2nd least ). I couldn't stand the acting style of the lead character.

Agreed. I thought they cast this show pretty well for the most part, but that guy just rubbed me the wrong way.

Oops! Mixed up the titles...I didn't mean Fifteen Million Merits (average ep), I meant Nosedive.

Just watched "Be Right Back" Another decent ep.

Ah okay, yeah, I enjoyed Nosedive, I thought the ending speech could have been a bit better, but the rest of the episode was good, and very easy to translate into a real-life lesson.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

I love that ep. Think everyone else really underrates it. I'm feeling rather ornamental.

I also think it's underrated, it's one of my favorite episodes of the series.

 

[silverfish]

I also think it's underrated, it's one of my favorite episodes of the series.

Same here. My rankings change often, but I think that one is solidified in the top-5. It doesn't hurt that it has two of the best actors across the entire series in the same episode.

The ending of that one just really f***s with me.

Spoiler

How he is just there, all the time, in the attic, and it's a totally normal lifestyle for the daughter. I originally typed out 'his' daughter, which is another testament to the episode

Probably...

White Christams
San Junipero
Be Right Back
Fifteen Million Merits
Hang the DJ/Entire History of You

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Same here. My rankings change often, but I think that one is solidified in the top-5. It doesn't hurt that it has two of the best actors across the entire series in the same episode.

The ending of that one just really ****s with me.

Spoiler

How he is just there, all the time, in the attic, and it's a totally normal lifestyle for the daughter. I originally typed out 'his' daughter, which is another testament to the episode

Probably...

White Christams
San Junipero
Be Right Back
Fifteen Million Merits
Hang the DJ/Entire History of You

Yeah man, the ending is pretty messed up. Really throws you for a trip.

My top 6 would probably be:

Hang the DJ
San Junipero
Arkangel
White Christmas
Be Right Back
Black Museum

I had to make a top 6 because I couldn't decide which one to remove in order to add Black Museum... lol

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I forgot to ask...are any of the later eps sequels to any earlier eps in the first 2 seasons? I want to make sure i dont watch a sequel by accident since i have been just jumping around

 

[SeidoN]

I forgot to ask...are any of the later eps sequels to any earlier eps in the first 2 seasons? I want to make sure i dont watch a sequel by accident since i have been just jumping around

no sequels, but id avoid watching Black Museum before any others

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

Yeah Black Museum indirectly references other episodes, but that's it.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

no sequels, but id avoid watching Black Museum before any others

Yeah Black Museum indirectly references other episodes, but that's it.

Dammit. Already watched it

I was wondering if those were previous stories, but they were each so long (like 10 minutes) so I figured they weren't...ugh

 

[SeidoN]

Dammit. Already watched it

I was wondering if those were previous stories, but they were each so long (like 10 minutes) so I figured they weren't...ugh

no you're fine. the 10 minute sub-stories were all new. theres just references to previous episodes in the museum

 

[The Crypto Guy]

no you're fine. the 10 minute sub-stories were all new. theres just references to previous episodes in the museum

ohhh..ok phew! Thanks

 

[SeidoN]

since top 5 was brought up

White Christmas
Playtest
Shut Up and Dance
USS Callister
Black Museum

a couple are exceptionally close to cracking that list but thats my top 5

 

[Bjorn Le]

I guess I'm pretty late to the party but I started watching this a couple weeks ago, finished season one and two, and I've also watched USS Callister. Is it just me or does anyone else have a problem with glaring plot holes and logical inconsistencies? I'm not talking about the technology, but in scenes where the world is clearly not dystopian but people do/don't things that clearly would never happen in real life.

Spoiler

Season 2 was really bad for this in my eyes. White Christmas in particular, where Jon Hamm's character was essentially given a death sentence (by being blocked by everyone) for illegally viewing someone's vision through their eyes, and not reporting a death, while Rafe Spall's character presumably was going to trial and eventually prison for murder. And why don't people simply take out the implant, which from the Entire History of You we know isn't very difficult (the transmitter seemed to be in the same spot and the technology was very similar)

My other issue was the showrunners comments about USS Callister, saying that Daly's character would die in the machine before being found. I really enjoyed the episode before hand, but it's been sort of sour since. Not that I necessarily wanted Daly to live (though he was certainly a tragic villain who wasn't actually harming living beings), but that no technology like the Infinity VR device would exist without safeguards to prevent injury and death. That would be one of the very first features designed for such a tool, otherwise you would have inevitable situations where someone doesn't wake up for a fire, carbon monoxide, declining vitals, dehydration.

It's definitely nitpicking but things like this bug the shit out of me. In Twilight Zone I didn't mind as much these inconsistencies because they focused on supernatural, philosophical and political themes, but on a show that revolves around the misuse of technology, I need it to feel real. Sort of like how Hayley Atwell's character in Be Right Back didn't feel like Domhnall Gleeson' android was real enough.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

I guess I'm pretty late to the party but I started watching this a couple weeks ago, finished season one and two, and I've also watched USS Callister. Is it just me or does anyone else have a problem with glaring plot holes and logical inconsistencies? I'm not talking about the technology, but in scenes where the world is clearly not dystopian but people do/don't things that clearly would never happen in real life.

Spoiler

Season 2 was really bad for this in my eyes. White Christmas in particular, where Jon Hamm's character was essentially given a death sentence (by being blocked by everyone) for illegally viewing someone's vision through their eyes, and not reporting a death, while Rafe Spall's character presumably was going to trial and eventually prison for murder. And why don't people simply take out the implant, which from the Entire History of You we know isn't very difficult (the transmitter seemed to be in the same spot and the technology was very similar)

My other issue was the showrunners comments about USS Callister, saying that Daly's character would die in the machine before being found. I really enjoyed the episode before hand, but it's been sort of sour since. Not that I necessarily wanted Daly to live (though he was certainly a tragic villain who wasn't actually harming living beings), but that no technology like the Infinity VR device would exist without safeguards to prevent injury and death. That would be one of the very first features designed for such a tool, otherwise you would have inevitable situations where someone doesn't wake up for a fire, carbon monoxide, declining vitals, dehydration.

It's definitely nitpicking but things like this bug the **** out of me. In Twilight Zone I didn't mind as much these inconsistencies because they focused on supernatural, philosophical and political themes, but on a show that revolves around the misuse of technology, I need it to feel real. Sort of like how Hayley Atwell's character in Be Right Back didn't feel like Domhnall Gleeson' android was real enough.

Spoiler

I try to suspend my disbelief in terms of things like this. But I thought that in White Christmas they said that the implants were irreversible, I could be wrong though. I do remember being irked though that the technology seemed to operate the same way, but was treated differently in each episode. I just chalked up to to "must be different even though it looks the same".

In terms of the USS Callister episode, I think that the reason that the Infinity VR operated that way is because Daly was such a narcissist that he didn't anticipate ever losing total control over the system, therefore he likely never thought it would be an issue. His narcissism IS what led to his downfall, after all.

 

[silverfish]

I guess I'm pretty late to the party but I started watching this a couple weeks ago, finished season one and two, and I've also watched USS Callister. Is it just me or does anyone else have a problem with glaring plot holes and logical inconsistencies? I'm not talking about the technology, but in scenes where the world is clearly not dystopian but people do/don't things that clearly would never happen in real life.

Spoiler

Season 2 was really bad for this in my eyes. White Christmas in particular, where Jon Hamm's character was essentially given a death sentence (by being blocked by everyone) for illegally viewing someone's vision through their eyes, and not reporting a death, while Rafe Spall's character presumably was going to trial and eventually prison for murder. And why don't people simply take out the implant, which from the Entire History of You we know isn't very difficult (the transmitter seemed to be in the same spot and the technology was very similar)

My other issue was the showrunners comments about USS Callister, saying that Daly's character would die in the machine before being found. I really enjoyed the episode before hand, but it's been sort of sour since. Not that I necessarily wanted Daly to live (though he was certainly a tragic villain who wasn't actually harming living beings), but that no technology like the Infinity VR device would exist without safeguards to prevent injury and death. That would be one of the very first features designed for such a tool, otherwise you would have inevitable situations where someone doesn't wake up for a fire, carbon monoxide, declining vitals, dehydration.

It's definitely nitpicking but things like this bug the **** out of me. In Twilight Zone I didn't mind as much these inconsistencies because they focused on supernatural, philosophical and political themes, but on a show that revolves around the misuse of technology, I need it to feel real. Sort of like how Hayley Atwell's character in Be Right Back didn't feel like Domhnall Gleeson' android was real enough.

USS Callister

Spoiler

Wasn't Daly in his own dev environment, though? I'd imagine in the global/production environment, there are pitfalls in place to protect against exactly what you're talking about. But since Daly was in his own environment, no one knew he was in there, or there were none of these protections in place.

Also, he knows when his doorbell or phone rings, right? That's how they distract him? So I think for things like a fire, or carbon monoxide, those things are in place, as well

 

[Rodgerwilco]

USS Callister

Spoiler

Wasn't Daly in his own dev environment, though? I'd imagine in the global/production environment, there are pitfalls in place to protect against exactly what you're talking about. But since Daly was in his own environment, no one knew he was in there, or there were none of these protections in place.

Also, he knows when his doorbell or phone rings, right? That's how they distract him? So I think for things like a fire, or carbon monoxide, those things are in place, as well

USS Callister

Spoiler

My take on it was simply that Daly is so arrogant and narcissistic that he never imagined that anyone would take his absolute control of the Infinity VR away from him. Now that you mention the pizza that's a pretty good point.

 

[silverfish]

USS Callister

Spoiler

My take on it was simply that Daly is so arrogant and narcissistic that he never imagined that anyone would take his absolute control of the Infinity VR away from him. Now that you mention the pizza that's a pretty good point.

USS Callister continued

Spoiler

I think a lot of what @Nullus Reverentia is upset about is easy to draw a line to between Daly's dev environment and the actual global/prod environment that is pushed to end-users. I don't think it's crazy to assume that the actual VR experience has indicators in place if a player is idle for too long, or if they're online for too long. We don't see these things in the episode, but not crazy to believe they are there. Whereas in Daly's dev environment, the only way these indicators would get pushed are to Daly, he's the only one with access, thus, he dies in the dev environment

 

[Bjorn Le]

Spoiler

The way I'm envisioning the VR hardware and the Infinity software is that they are two different things. While Callister seems responsible for the VR interface, it doesn't appear to be tied specifically to the game (it's open ended but I interpret the VR to be something many games use in this universe). So even with Daly enabling a developer version of Infinity, the VR hardware should still have safeguards to prevent death. My friend who is a software engineer explained it to be that Charlie Brooker probably doesn't understand this aspect of development, which is why he "killed" Daly in this way. The DND on the door is obviously his signal that Daly should die, but this doesn't pass the "sniff" test to me.

 

[The Gongshow]

I just started watching this show the other month, my god, its fantastic and some are super depressing definitely not a binge show, I needed to take several minutes after some of the episodes to just think about what I watched and how it relates to me or our society.

Really trippy/crazy stuff.

I still need to see Black Museum but i've heard good things

Playtest, The Entire History Of You and White Christmas are my favourites

 

[Natey]

Can't remember if I posted here or not. I've watched 7 episodes so far, which I think is season 1, 2, and the Christmas Special.

WHITE BEAR is by far my favourite episode yet. It was absolutely phenomenal the way it made you feel. And the question it asks is a topic you hear people talk about almost daily. I was absolutely blown away. This may very well be my favourite episode of television ever.

THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF YOU was a great episode. It shows just easily your life could be destroyed by seeing everything. It shows human desire to know every last detail and it shows how that can hurt or help us. Awesome thought provoking episode.

BE RIGHT BACK was very interesting. I enjoyed it a lot. I feel like there was no crazy twist here, but I also feel like the story told was perfectly fit for how humans would feel and react. I loved the ending and actually found it cute. Others found it creepy. So it's really cool to see how people react differently.

WHITE CHRISTMAS was a great episode that took awhile to get to where you knew it was going. The journey was great though. I loved that it evoked emotions from me and even after the expected reveal, I couldn't decide how I really felt. That is the story telling they're going for in Black Mirror and aside from a WHITE BEAR, I think this episode did it best.

THE NATIONAL ANTHEM was very interesting. Definitely not my favourite episode, but I enjoyed it. It kept my attention and kept me watching. I enjoyed it more than most. I love the question it asked. You always hear people talking about taking a bullet for someone. What if you could do something equally as horrifying but you wouldn't die? Would you do it?

FIFTEEN MILLION MERITS mmmmmm. I'm not sure. I've heard opinions on this episode range from favourite to least favourite. I'll say this. I was interested. I kept paying attention. I was waiting for something great to happen. I liked the setting. The greatness never came for me. The topic didn't get as deep as I thought it was going. It was fine. Solid episode. Definitely nowhere near the top of the list so far.

THE WALDO MOMENT did not enjoy it. Actually, I was rather bored. Almost fell asleep. Was the only episode I picked up my phone. The episode was interesting at first but went nowhere. Rehashed the same crap and the same jokes. It's a good thing this episode was smashed between two of my favourites.