'Black' History Month: Shut Up and Dance (Black Mirror)

If nothing else, it will validate all of those people who put stickers and/or band-aids on their webcams.  This is...

In a normal (British) City, Kenny is a seemingly-normal guy.  He works at a place that looks McDonalds and Subway had a baby.

So...

How and why does he end up robbing a bank?

Well, to answer that, we need to go back to the previous day...

A series of events leads to him having some personal stuff being possibly exposed to the World.

He doesn't take it well.  I mean, who would?

The situation continues to escalate as he gets deeper and deeper into whatever the mystery men or women behind his blackmail have in mind.

Will he find an escape?  Will he find redemption?  To find out, stream it on Netflix.

A pretty nihilistic look at modern technology and how people can use it.  I suppose that's a good summary for Black Mirror as a whole, no?  This one definitely feels extra mean.  The people have clearly done bad things, some seemingly worse than others.  The people behind making them do what they do are definitely bad.  The only innocent people here are the ones caught in the middle.  It does a good job of making you empathize for people being put in a bad situation, even if it was due to their own actions.  They clearly aren't 100% bad people.  That said, they did things that got them put into this situation in the first place.  Do you root for them?  When you find out everything about them, can you still?  It's an interesting moral quandary and the kind of thing that Black Mirror does quite well.  The technological aspect, as noted, feels real enough to be genuinely-scary.  With all that said, it won't be everyone's favorite.  That said, take a look at this image shared on Reddit (with the text and circles added by me) highlighting all of the Easter Eggs in this quick shot from near the end...

A bleak, but compelling narrative.  It feels close enough to real life to truly be scary...and depressing.

'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.

'Black' History Month: Hated in the Nation (Black Mirror)

It is that Month again and it is time to cover the *Netflix* Episodes of the British Show about how bad technology can be.

If you are reading this on your phone, then, well, you don't seem to get it...

In 'Hated in the Nation,' we begin with a woman giving testimony before the House of Lords.

It's like Congress, but they act belligerent, cut Healthcare and get very little done.  Wait...

We are then taken back to what led to these Hearings...

A controversial Newspaper Writer dies a violent death after trending on legally-distinct-from-Twitter.

Can a world-weary Detective and a younger Tech-friendly Officer solve the case?

What does this have to do with the fact that the UK has replaced its Bee Population with complex Bee Drones?

It's Black Mirror, so...yeah.

Can Double Wong (his name is Wong and he played 'Wong') solve the case?

Can one of these have a happy Ending?

To find out, stream it on Netflix.  I mean, you all have it anyhow...

A harsh, but effective Episode.  This is not one to watch if you're hoping to feel better in your day.  It's not the darkest Episode ever, but it's not cheery.  That said, I liked it quite a bit.  The Acting is good.  The Writing is good.  Hell, even the CG Bees look good.  The Plot flows nicely, even if I figured out the first twist right away.  I'm just super-smart- it's a curse.  All joking aside, they build things up nicely and I haven't been this excited about a Plot involving Bees since The X-Files.  After a long time away, I'm happy to return to the Show if they all end up like this.  Oh and...Bees- my God!

An Episode that packs some good twists and turns.  It sure isn't upbeat, but has a good message (like most of these Episodes).

'Black' History: Black Mirror- Hang the DJ

As the year comes to a close, I need to go back to cover stuff I've overlooked/missed.

In that vein, more of this Show!

This time, they tackle Dating and Apps.  It gets weird, of course.  Cue the Morrisey...

In this world, dating works a bit differently.

You use an App and it sets you up with a partner and tells you how long you will be together.
It's just how it all works- don't question it!

Our Leads seem to be a good match, but they only have 12 hours.  Ouch.

After their short stint, they get paired up with more people.  They don't seem to be as good of a match though.

Is the system perfect and they're just wrong?  Will they get back together?

More importantly, what is the twist?  I mean, they all have one, right?
To find out, stream away like I did.

An interesting Episode, to say the least.  The core premise is neat, to say the least.  The whole place feels both real and artificial.  That's obviously the point, says everyone who's seen it already.  No SPOILERS, sheesh.  The idea that people just accept what they are told and are essentially controlled by their smart phones is...eerily accurate.  Breaking news- Black Mirror proves prescient and touches upon modern issues!  The Leads are nice and feel very real.  They have lots of little touches of reality that make them feel fleshed out and natural.  You can see them as real people and probably know someone like them in some way.  Side-note: the Show was British and now it's not, yet this Episode stars Brits.  That's weird, right?  In any event, the Sci-Fi Element is not so pervasive that it dehumanizes the whole Story, but is also present enough to not be an afterthought.  Like many good Season 1 Episodes, this one works really well.  It will make you feel happy.  It will make you feel sad.  It will make you feel whatever emotion this face conveys...

Next time, another Season 4 Episode I didn't get to yet.  You want more than that?  See you then...

'Black' History Month: Nosedive (Black Mirror)

After a short break, I'm back to cover the 2nd biggest Episode of Season 3. It got all of the Awards buzz first, but it got overtaken by San Junipero.
How does it stand up on its own? Let's see...

Bryce Dallas Howard is a lowly Office Worker who does everything to be liked, never really being herself.

In this Alternate Future, everyone is obsessed with Social Media and Rating things.

Does my sarcasm drip enough off of the Screen yet?

Above and beyond our actual addiction, this World brings back the eye cameras from a previous Season and has everyone rank each other all the time.

When you get Ranked low enough, it affects everything in your life. For example, we learn that you can't enter Gated Communities unless you ranked a 3.8 (out of 5) or higher.

When she wants to move up in her life, a chance comes in the form of being in the Wedding of a girl who was always mean to her as a kid. All of her friends are highly-ranked though, so, she goes for it.

Will she get what she's always wanted- a .3 increase in her Social Rank- or will it backfire?

Look at the name of the Episode and tell me. Even so, it is great to watch.

Society is messed up- also this Episode can be quite bleak. That was too easy. In any event, this one delivers on what Black Mirror is best at- showing how Technology can make us into assholes. Whether we are trying to see through our Wife's eyes to check if she's cheating or we're running for Prime Minister as a Cartoon, it changes us all. It is notable to see the comparisons between this and San Junipero, even if they can stand equally on their own. Both are about how the shiny veneer of the World covers up the things that we don't want to face. In this case, it is about people giving up their own identities in order to 'fit in.' Don't be a free spirit, lest a series of people you don't know Rank you lower and affect your life. We see one person not able to work at his job when his rank goes too low, while another is not a 'preferred member' when they go from a 4.2 to a 4.18. People are dicks. The biggest thing here is seeing just how good Bryce Dallas Howard is. When she's not playing not-so-subtle-attacks-on-Feminism-disguised-as-Characters that run in high heels, she can be really, really good. You see at her artificial highs and her realistic lows. She deserves all the praise she got for this! The whole thing looks great too, really committing to its World. Its a shame that other things on Netflix can't commit to World-building. I still probably like Junipero a little better, although that is probably mostly how I prefer hopeful to cringe-worthy. It is still great and teaches us to be ourselves...unless you're Chester.

A great mix of bright and shiny & bleak and dark. This theme has been explored in Shows like Community, The Orville and The Amazing Word of Gumball, but this is the acerbic best.

'Black'ish: USS Callister (Black Mirror)

At last, I cover the Episode that got all of the attention when the first Trailer was released.  How does it stand up on its own?  Let's see...

The USS Callister is a big part of Space Fleet, an Agency that saves the day and stops villains.

The attention to detail and homages here are great.  They don't miss much.

 However, it is not real.

No, it is the Game Mod of a big MMORPG created in part by this man.  He made himself the 'Kirk,' since, well, wouldn't you?

A new Worker shows up and she seems friendly.  She looks up to the often-stepped-on- man.

As such, he steals her DNA and puts a Digital Copy of her in his Mod.  Naturally.

Will the adventure in Space Fleet be enjoyable or is there a dark underbelly to this?

Obviously, no more SPOILERS.  See it for yourself.  The End.

This is...really good.  Right off the bat, they hook you with the spot-on homage/parody of original series Star Trek.  They then drop the main Plot onto you and see so much more.  What seems like a fun game turns out to be a bit of a power fantasy.  Is this one dark?  Yes.  Is this one dark by Black Mirror standards?  Not so much.  Given how much bleak stuff happened in the previous Season 4 Episode, the fact that most of this gets wrapped up neatly is nice.  There are winners and losers still- obviously.  What this one does well is to match the style and tone, while also making it its own.  While I really like The Orville, it is very much just a well-made copy/homage to Star Trek: The Next Generation.  It does its thing well, but doesn't change much.  This one is more a twisted mirror look at what the Series could be- double pun intended.  Is this super-original if you know much about Science-Fiction Novels?  No.  It is darn good though and definitely makes the most of what Black Mirror could and should be.  It is good enough to already inspire a bit of Fan Art too...

Next time, do I step back again to Season 3 or move forward with Season 4?  One way to find out.  See you then...

'Black'ish: Playtest (Black Mirror)

As Technology continues to be a bigger part of our life, this Show just gets more relatable.  Will this week's Season 3 Episode keep that going?  Let's see...

In this Episode, a Hipster is traveling the World on a long Vacation.  Why?  To not have to deal with a personal issue.

When his money is suddenly and inexplicably cut off, he takes a job as a Play Tester in Britain.  It involves a small, medical implant.

What could go wrong?

They let him taste a game where only he sees a Digital Character and interacts with it.

The future of Porn, ladies and gentlemen.

When that goes well, he agrees to another, more in-depth test.  Naturally, the Game's Creator is an insane Japanese Man.

Will he live to regret this decision?  Will he live at all?

To find out, watch the Episode.

Interesting and intense stuff.  Like many Black Mirror Episodes, it is a bit of a slow burn.  You meet the people, you see the set-up and then it starts out innocent enough.  I don't know if I would let someone insert a chip into my neck just to play a Rabbids Game, but to each his/her own.  I can't go too much into the Story since it loops back on itself so much that any Plot Point is kind of major.  Basically, he plays too real Resident Evil and things get more bizarre from there.  This one does a good job of making you question reality and trying to separate it from fantasy.  Does it cheat?  Maybe.  To be fair, the Show did play with the concept of how time is relative many times before (see below).  The whole thing builds nicely in terms of suspense and drama.  Some may not like the conclusion, but it worked well enough for me.  This one is not going to be one of the favorites to many, but I thought that it is certainly above being labeled a 'disappointing Episode' or anything like.  I guess they just wanted more Jon Hamm.

Next time, I finally tackle the big, attention-getting Episode from Season 4.  Should I boldly go where every Critic already has?  See you then...

'Black'ish: Crocodile (Black Mirror)

We got a whole bunch of new Episodes to watch and Review!  I need to play catch-up, especially since I've barely touched Season 3.

To make up for lost time, here's one from Season 4.  I'll do the Star Trek one later.  Instead, this bleak tale...

This icy tale begins with an accident and continues with the long-term effects on one of the people involved.

Some 15 Years later, an Insurance Investigator is working a case in the area.  Since this is Black Mirror, she can scan recent memories of yours with a device.

The cover-up for the crime leads to even more crime!  Did someone witness it?  Can she trust herself with the information?

When it comes down to it, can she hide her guilt while being looked at for help with a different case?  To find out, watch the Show.

I can't SPOIL this now, can I?

Dark, dark stuff.  Black Mirror is not always a fun, wacky Show.  In fact, it almost never is.  I'm not sure why I even presented that as a possible option.  In this case, they go cold, bleak and dark without looking back.  The Story involves murder and people who aren't always potential victims.  The Science Fiction element is fairly-minimal, but also integral.  This feels like a world with Science-Fiction tech available, but it also isn't some advanced civilization with flying cars or any of that.  They really only have the one major thing and it is integral to the Plot.  Like much of the Show, this Episode is much more about the human drama of it all.  These people have nice, little touches that make them feel real.  That's important for something like this, since you need to be anchored to the world and rooting for these Characters.  Not everyone is easy to root for, of course.  Crocodile is a good, but bleak Drama with Science-Fiction elements.  If you look at it for a deep dive of Science Fiction, you won't get it.  You'll certainly get 'the feels' as people say though...

Next time, I jump back to finish up with Season 3 some more.  Is VR deadly?  See you then...