'Black' History Month: Men Against Fire (Black Mirror)

As the Month continues, I might as well double-down on the Month to feature a tale with a Black Lead too.  This turns out to be one of the least popular Episodes in the Show's History.  Why?

In a vague future and foreign location, Soldiers are tasked with dealing with 'Roaches.'  We follow a young Soldier who has yet to get a kill.

Said creatures come right out of Blade II and seem quite vicious.

Given that this is technically still British, Insert British Teeth Joke Here.

During a battle where he gets his first two kills, he's exposed to a strange device...

Afterwards, the MASS Device in his head (that gives him a HUD)starts to malfunction.   What is going on his head?

After seeing a Doctor and Tech, he goes to see the Army Therapist.  Will this prove to be a fatal mistake?  Will he learn the truth and, more importantly, will that be a massive mistake?

To find out, stream the Episode.

A dark, but quite interesting Episode.  It is hard to discuss it without breaking down the whole Plot.  I'll give it the old Community College try though.  What the Episode deals with nicely is War and combat in general.  Our Lead is torn between the idea that he wants to prove himself as a Soldier and whether he really wants to kill.  You can see the conflict in him throughout the Episode.  They also nicely juxtapose him with someone that has gone 'all in' on this conflict.  That person seems to have made their whole sense of identity contingent upon being a killer of 'Roaches' and a tough Soldier.  That sure isn't healthy!  I won't give away the twist here, but...damn, it's a good one.  You might see it coming; you might not.  Regardless it works as a great example of 'crazy, but also believable' that Black Mirror deals in.  As dark as this is, it is plausible.  The only real issue I have: the fact that this use of a HUD reminds me of FMV stuff like Corpse Killer...

A good Episode.  Even if you guess the twist early on, it is still an interesting Episode to break down and discuss.