Charlie Brooker is a social critic and storytelling dynamo who, time and again, has given us harrowing visions of the near-future, and glimpses into multiple worlds where we are overcome by the trials and terrors of technology. Whew, that sentence was almost as exhausting as any of his episodes of Black Mirror.
In his phenomenally prophetic and sensationally bleak show, he takes society to the brink of madness and/or destruction in small-scale stories about how the tech in our lives ultimately becomes our undoing. The series is impossibly grim, however, Brooker is our modern-day Paul Revere. His message is jaw-dropping, thought-provoking, and highly entertaining as it sports stylized and inventive situations. And the ideas aren’t too far-flung; if they’re not already upon us, some will be very soon.
More times than not, these stories end in tears. Brooker shows that these characters could put the metaphorical gun down. Most times, they never do. At a certain point it was thought that there is “no fate but what we make for ourselves.” As the series progresses, the “mirror” it holds to our culture and the technology we think we can’t live without becomes larger. Real-life situations keep popping up in these narratives (looking at you, A.I.) and the terrible tapestry it weaves shows that we have less and less control in the matter. More so when choice is taken away from us.
In season 7 – one of the strongest concurrent seasons to date – we get quantum physics and multiple dimensions, a heartbreaking high-tech walk down memory lane, evolving artificial lifeforms, even a trip back aboard the U.S.S. Callister. Huzzah! And right off the bat, Brooker & team hit us with a highly relatable topic: tiered subscriptions. It’s based on SAAS (Software As A Service) which is something our co-host/former video editor Tim Caffin knows about. “Common People” changes the first ‘S’ to “Survival” as the characters fight a desperate financial battle to keep the service. Cue that Lando Calrissian line from The Empire Strikes Back.
The series has something for everyone, and I will again get on my soapbox to warn you: if you want to watch the show, DO NOT start with the first episode. Save that until you have a few seasons under your belt. It just sets the wrong tone while setting the pace for the series. And that’s saying a lot thinking of the the equally crazy conceits and narratives in subsequent seasons. There are also some weak and sophomoric efforts, but if the show is anything, it is ambitious and it gets high points for that.
Black Mirror is successful in that it spreads its message (or warning shots) to multiple audiences with vastly different story styles. There’s even a “choose your own adventure” standalone episode that was incredible. And, it’s worth repeating, they all point to the same thing: the dangers of devices, algorithms, et al. The show can be enjoyed in any order but if we could suggest something, swap out the first episode for either “Nosedive” or “Shut Up and Dance” which more or less get the same point across without turning you off with the subject matter.
On this episode of the podcast we name our three favorite episodes from Season 7. We also call attention to the strongest, or should I say “most affecting” episodes in this shared universe‘s catalog so far. Our choices may not be the most popular, relatable or critically celebrated stories, but they have stuck with us like chewing gum.
So, chart a course into the world of Black Mirror and join Tim and me on this episode of The GoSeeTalk Podcast Experience!
Lose your mind. Lose your reality. The Emmy Award winning series returns with six new stories. Nothing is as it seems.
