StoiCynic
Trakanon Raider
- 2,683
- 989
Black Mirror
- Thread starter Void
- Start date
1 and 6 were the clear best episodes. The others I'd say were enjoyable. Wasn't torture to sit through them but I can barely even recall what they were about.
Nidhogg
Molten Core Raider
- 1,484
- 88
Review:
Ep 1: USS Calister
Ep2: ArkAngel
Ep3: Crocodile
Ep4: Hang the DJ
Ep5: Metalhead
Ep6: Black Museum
All in all, look forward to a season 5.
Ep 1: USS Calister
This one was a fun romp through the established digital consciousness and the extremes people can take it to. Budget Matt Damon did a great job, but I'm not sure why he bothered to give new-girl chick another chance at usurping him. If a chick I added (even if it was because I had a thing for her) decided to try and not be a conformist, I'd have leapt right to alien-ifying her and moving on. He got what was coming to him though. Lot of laughs - I kinda wanna know what the real new girl ended up doing after her CTO never showed up for work again.
Ep2: ArkAngel
Jodie Foster directed this one, and while it was a fun romp through parenting gone to the extremes, the ending was very unsatisfying. Mother-knows-best bites her in the ass, but you still feel sorry for her. The precursor to Grain/Blocking/Filter was neat.
Ep3: Crocodile
This one was probably the weakest, but I guess it was to showcase that anyone can be a monster when it comes to self preservation. The lead lady never really totally convinced me that she was as cold blooded as she ended up being, especially since she so vehemently denied wanting to ditch the initial body in her early years. Still, she gets what's coming to her, and the whammy of how they get her made me giggle. Not sure what the baby being blind had to do with the story, other than add even more emotional weight to the scene.
Ep4: Hang the DJ
A fun one, easily top 3 of this series, top 5 of all BM episodes. You know something's up but doesn't really click til the end. I was assuming whoever they wanted to say their final goodbye to would end up being their match (as long as they both picked the same person) but was pleasantly surprised by the ending. Feel-good episodes break up the dreariness of the majority of BM episodes, so at least one of these per season seems appropriate.
Ep5: Metalhead
I enjoyed this one as well - the Mad Max vibe wasn't lost on me, and the chase scenes were well done. This ep gets kudos for having the viewer fill in the blanks that normally draws you out of the story if a narrator has to hand feed you what is going on. This includes her throwing things at the dog from the tree (which you have to surmise is her safe way of getting the dog to hard shutdown to recharge) all the way to her giving up at the end as she realizes she has too many trackers and one is in a major artery. The trackers seem to bring all dogs in the vicinity - which the viewer doesn't immediately realize (and makes them question why she is giving up.)
Overarching reasonings as to why or how the dogs came to be (seems to be a household sentry-dog gone extreme) which makes sense with how they can access all security-related material and override them. Them not explaining it however lets the viewer reach their own conclusions, and hey maybe even do a prequel episode for season 5.
Overarching reasonings as to why or how the dogs came to be (seems to be a household sentry-dog gone extreme) which makes sense with how they can access all security-related material and override them. Them not explaining it however lets the viewer reach their own conclusions, and hey maybe even do a prequel episode for season 5.
Ep6: Black Museum
My favorite of the series - an anthology of short stories like you'd read from an Isaac Asimov novella or something from an old Outer Limits episode. The setting, the easter eggs and the conclusion all perfectly wrap up this season. Definitely top 3. The girl's reveal makes you go aha when you re-watch her introduction to him at the beginning, and her taking the monkey was icing on the cake. I'm sure the monkey loved watching him get his commupence.
All in all, look forward to a season 5.
- 1
Your hang the DJ review says that is top 3 of the season and top 5 of all BM episodes. You honestly think 3/5 of the best BM episodes reside in this season?
chaos
Buzzfeed Editor
- 17,324
- 4,839
In Crocodile, I think you missed the point with her early reticence to get rid of the body and drastic change.
The point of the kid being blind is that she didn't have to do what she did, the memory people would never have been able to use his memory. But by doing it she fucked herself because of the gerbil. It leaves it you wondering for a moment, "is she willing to go this far??"Then you get your answer and she gets fucked.
The point of the kid being blind is that she didn't have to do what she did, the memory people would never have been able to use his memory. But by doing it she fucked herself because of the gerbil. It leaves it you wondering for a moment, "is she willing to go this far??"Then you get your answer and she gets fucked.
McCheese
SW: Sean, CW: Crone, GW: Wizardhawk
- 6,889
- 4,248
I was watching this with my girlfriend, and when it cut away from the baby's room and to her showing up at the school play, my girlfriend exclaimed "DID SHE KILL THE BABY?!?!" I really love those few minutes when you're debating with yourself if she was willing to go that far or not. I told her "No, I don't think so." only to be like "Well shit, she really is a monster." shortly after. I thought Crocodile was a pretty solid episode overall.
I just assumed she killed the baby. In fact while watching it with my wife I kept saying #KillTheBaby. Maybe it didn't resonate with me since I don't really care about babies. I'd be more pissed if she killed the guniea pig.
Enzee
Trakanon Raider
- 2,197
- 715
Nidhogg
Molten Core Raider
- 1,484
- 88
Hmm I think I got my series/season stuff mixed - although Black Museum is one of my favorites of the whole series, for the season it'd probably be BM, Hang the DJ, Callister, Metalhead, Crocodile, Arkangel. Series I'm torn on, probably BM, San Junipero, 15m, Playtest, White Christmas.
Oh and for the Croc ep
- yea I guess if she didn't off the kid she would have gotten away with it. Maybe? I think despite how advanced their memory scanners are, some good ol fashioned police work could have worked out who killed them. Was just more poetic to have her done in by the gerbil.
- 1
Enzee
Trakanon Raider
- 2,197
- 715
sort of. If she hadn't of gone in the kid's room at all, then yes, she would have gotten away with it. The implication was she killed him unnecessarily, cause he was blind, but once she walked into his room and the gerbil could see her, she was screwed.
Ambiturner
Ssraeszha Raider
- 16,040
- 19,499
The police who were there saying something to the effect of "We don't have any idea who did this" was there to imply she definitely would have gotten away with it had she not gone in that room
Void
Experiencer
- 9,412
- 11,077
I disagree about telling people to skip S1E1. To me, it is a perfect encapsulation of what the series is about, and if you can't handle that episode, you won't like the rest of the series. I realize that it is a lot different than many of the other episodes, but while I LOVED episode 2 (15 Million Credits or whatever it is called), it is pretty slow and cerebral and mentally draining compared to episode 1. I watched them both in a row, not knowing anything about the series really, and I had to stop after E2 because it really kind of fucked me up. I would wake up in the middle of the night thinking about that episode and what they did to the girl. While I was definitely disturbed by E1, I never really thought about it much afterward.
I think I've become a little desensitized to all of this though, because I sort of felt like this season wasn't as "hard hitting" in the feels as some of the others. Looking at it objectively, some of them are just as tough as earlier ones, but I really kind of feel like Seasons 1 and 2 were much harsher, and after Netflix took over in 3 it mellowed a bit. Or, as I said, I'm just getting used to it? I mean, USS Callister was completely awesome, but I sort of feel like it was a happy ending, you know?
And Black Museum I loved as well, but as soon as they showed the final set piece, I knew who she was and where it was headed. And again, it is almost a happy ending from my point of view. Fucked up, certainly, but deserved.
Still loved the season without a doubt, and it was way better than almost everything else out there, but maybe I'm just getting used to it and they have to up their game to shock me anymore.
I think I've become a little desensitized to all of this though, because I sort of felt like this season wasn't as "hard hitting" in the feels as some of the others. Looking at it objectively, some of them are just as tough as earlier ones, but I really kind of feel like Seasons 1 and 2 were much harsher, and after Netflix took over in 3 it mellowed a bit. Or, as I said, I'm just getting used to it? I mean, USS Callister was completely awesome, but I sort of feel like it was a happy ending, you know?
And Black Museum I loved as well, but as soon as they showed the final set piece, I knew who she was and where it was headed. And again, it is almost a happy ending from my point of view. Fucked up, certainly, but deserved.
Still loved the season without a doubt, and it was way better than almost everything else out there, but maybe I'm just getting used to it and they have to up their game to shock me anymore.
McCheese
SW: Sean, CW: Crone, GW: Wizardhawk
- 6,889
- 4,248
For people who haven't been desensitized to everything under the sun thanks to this forum (i.e., normals), the pig fucking in S1E1 is a little too absurd/gross/weird for them. I think once they've seen a few other episodes and realize the kinds of themes the episodes explore, it's easier to go back to S1E1 and overlook the silliness of fucking a pig.
- 1
Ambiturner
Ssraeszha Raider
- 16,040
- 19,499
I disagree with your disagreeing. Fucking a pig does not encapsulate what the series is about.
I almost stopped after that because it just seemed juvenile and not all that interesting
- 1
It's also not futuristic at all. I had no idea what Black Mirror was going into it and although I liked the first episode, it made me think the show was going to be something completely different, and after you watch the entire rest of the episodes, it really stands out as not "belonging".
I tell everyone to skip it and come back to it after watching at least the next few - not that it's bad, it's just not representative of the show as a whole.
But I do agree with Void about USS McCallister... it should have had a darker ending. I think the perfect ending would've been him escaping, getting another DNA sample, and re-creating things and then the crew finds out they're all fucked all over again (nevermind the fact that it's completely ridiculous that a DNA sample contains your entire memories and consciousness).
I tell everyone to skip it and come back to it after watching at least the next few - not that it's bad, it's just not representative of the show as a whole.
But I do agree with Void about USS McCallister... it should have had a darker ending. I think the perfect ending would've been him escaping, getting another DNA sample, and re-creating things and then the crew finds out they're all fucked all over again (nevermind the fact that it's completely ridiculous that a DNA sample contains your entire memories and consciousness).
- 1