Black Mirror reflects our dark future
“Black Mirror,” a Netflix original drama that explores technological innovations and their consequences, is an entertaining and spooky show that I am glad to have in my Netflix repertoire.
“Black Mirror: Season 4,” the most recent entry into Netflix’s deep dystopian coffers, tackles a couple new issues. One of the greater themes of the season had to do with memory and simulations, with several issues arising when consciousness is peered into or attached to different vessels. Begging the viewer to ask themselves several questions about the implications of theoretical technologies, Black Mirror is a thought provoking show that feels closer to real life with each season that comes out.
“Metalhead,” the fifth episode in the new season, was one of the darkest and most mysterious episodes in the entire series. Following a woman and her escape from a human-exterminating robot dog, the episode was confusing at times but quite interesting. While these dogs were not ever explained and the issues of the greater world are not reviewed or resolved in any way, it has excellent acting and cinematography, and it is the best produced show in the season. It feels reminiscent of an art film, with interesting shots and excellent acting giving us a vivid picture of a desolate world.
The new season also had more genuinely funny moments and fun plot elements compared to past seasons. “Hang the DJ,” an episode that explores two people and the foibles of an advanced dating service, has a satisfying feel-good ending that made me feel warm and fuzzy after watching “Crocodile”. “Black Museum”, an episode about the “history” of moving consciousness between people and objects also has some funny elements, and in conjunction with a clever plot the episode had a comforting ending. This more light-hearted tone applied to three of the six new Black Mirror episodes, and they do a brilliant job of complimenting the darker episodes by cleansing our palettes and allowing us to better understand the season’s more complicated issues.
In classic Netflix style, I watched all six episodes in one sitting, and I can confidently say that the mix of humor and catharsis left me entertained, intrigued, and most importantly not exhausted.
