At the time, this episode felt it lacked a firm footing and tossed a few too many ideas up in the air without developing enough of them, but with the benefit of hindsight – and the election of a certain US president – once again it’s reality, and not Black Mirror that has been found truly wanting. Imagine Bo’ Selecta’s Avid Merrion running for election and you won’t be far off. Set in the midst of an election, 'The Waldo Moment' tells the story of Jamie (Daniel Rigby), a comedian behind a puerile animated bear who unexpectedly finds himself having an outsized impact on national politics. The Waldo Moment (Season 2, Episode 3)Īs with 'The National Anthem', this is another Black Mirror episode that took a little while for history to catch up with it.
Read more: The inside story of Bandersnatch, the weirdest Black Mirror tale yet 19. The final twist is suitably bleak in true Black Mirror tradition, but you can't help but wonder about the wider context of the story and its central character.
#WHAT IS THE BLACK MIRROR ABOUT TV#
Its warning about the potential misuse of technology in warfare is valid and interesting, but it's hard to cover in the space of a 50-minute TV episode. Men Against Fire (Season 4, Episode 5)īlack Mirror is sometimes guilty of getting stuck on an interesting idea or concept without a whole story to support it. Ultimately, 'White Bear' ends up an imbalanced episode that has one hand to play but does so in a final burst of violent catharsis. For most of its running length, this episode draws heavily on horror films, but the first two-thirds lack the emotional punch and are really just set-up for the film's devastating final act.
The sparse dialogue and desolate setting create an atmosphere that reflects the isolation felt by the main character, Victoria, played by Lenora Crichlow. Half disturbing zombie thriller and half slamming indictment of society’s hankerings for public punishment, 'White Bear' has one of the most unpredictable twists of any Black Mirror episode. Think an episode of The Bill but with a little bit of "social media is bad" added in too. The paper-thin plot is only just enough to keep this episode plodding from scene to scene and despite being based around a hostage situation, the stakes in the episode never feel particularly high. 'Smithereens' tells the story of Chris (Andrew Scott) – a man who can't help but blame social media for the most tragic moment in his life. Smithereens (Season 5, Episode 2)īlack Mirror's take on a British police drama. Though, as a result, it’s better on a second viewing. The brilliant final plot twist simply arrives too late. As a result, it feels disjointed and bitty. More irksomely, the episode lacks a good enough idea to hold its plot together. Simply put, Hamm is too famous for Black Mirror. As a result of the meeting, Hamm was cast into the starring role for the show’s first (and only) Christmas special. A fan of the show from the start, Hamm wanted to congratulate Charlie Brooker in person. You’ll see plenty of faces you know, but you’re unlikely to know many names. White Christmas (2014 Special)ĭespite all its success, one of the best things about Black Mirror is its ability to cast relative unknowns in starring roles. Here's our definitive ranking, for you to disagree with. The news has impressionable young Tweeters, many of whom have just realized their glittery smartphones are feeding their demons and fueling their downfalls, thoroughly “shook.Whether you've already blasted through all the episodes or are just looking to catch-up with some classic Black Mirror, we've ranked all the episodes from the first season to the fifth.
#WHAT IS THE BLACK MIRROR ABOUT SERIES#
The premise of the series is that technology can mirror and even magnify the ugliest (blackest) aspects of human nature, evidenced by social-media witch hunts and a desperation for constant “likes” and public approval. The title literally translates to the “black mirror” you see on your electronics’ screens when they’re powered down, but its meaning runs deeper. He revealed, “Any TV, any LCD, any iPhone, any iPad-something like that-if you just stare at it, it looks like a black mirror, and there’s something cold and horrifying about that, and it was such a fitting title for the show.” The title Black Mirror sounds ominous as hell, which is fitting for a speculative science fiction show about the horrors made possible by new technologies.Įveryone and their mother is hooked on the Netflix show, which just debuted its fourth season, but not all realize what its sinister AF title refers to.Ĭreator Charlie Brooker explained its double meaning in an interview with The Guardian in 2014, but a lot of people seem to have missed it.