Black mirror is British dystopian science fiction anthology television series created by Charlie Brooker. He and Annabel Jones are the programme's show runners. As the word anthology suggests, each episode can be watched on a standalone basis and the episodes are only interconnected by subliminal Easter eggs like for example, the same song reappearing in several episodes, symbols and references to other episodes and concluding that all the episodes take place within the same universe. I for one love finding out secret messages and references within the screenwriting, so it's one of the reasons why I enjoy Black mirror so much. In fact, the name Black mirror is a clever play of words with a deeper message. Black mirror’s themes revolve around modern society and the problems technology will bring along as time passes by and consequences of getting too comfortable with technology so the idea behind the name is that you’re surrounded by screens everywhere around you and when you finally do turn it off all the screens, all you’re left with is a dark reflection of you. It’s impressive how well thought out the show is.
Source: IMDb
In one of Black mirror’s more iconic episodes, Nosedive, they were clearly inspired by an event hardly spoken about but very much occurring, even as we speak. In the People Republic of China, in the Northern province in Shanghai there is an established “social credit system” which not only the financial creditworthiness of citizens, but also their social and possibly political behaviour. I’m sure this sounds invasive and insane, but for more detail, you can check out The Economist’s article on this topic (linked at the end) Nosedive definitely takes its inspiration from this currently occurring event and it is one of the more popular episodes for a reason, it’s just so reminiscent of what we see around us and the world we live in which revolves around this obsession with likes brought about by social media and the need to be validated by strangers online. It describes an oppressive society where everyone constantly grades other people’s words, actions, and publications on a five-point scale. This episode shows a world where everything in life depends upon the person's “rating” even given by some strangers on the road! The way it is shown about the people getting obsessed with getting high ratings and acting accordingly to get ratings when they are actually different in real life is beautiful and apt.
In another iconic episode, Fifteen Million Merits which seems to borrow it’s concept from the philosopher Herbert Marcuse, whose model suggests that humanity will be enslaved by mass media, advertising and industry. The main character, Bing is one of the middle class who has to cycle everyday in front of a television screen in order to earn credits called “merits” to buy products or services. In this materialistic society, where technology dominates and corrupts, everyone is constantly being filmed. Reality TV and gaming are the only entertainment, and fame the only ambition. Bing wants to fight the system, but as the episode progresses we see that he lets go of his morals and gets consumed by it too. He lives a dull, boring life in which he feels oppressed by and doesn’t enjoy any of the things he is forced to do, but a touch of opulence and his moral compass started to deviate. It symbolises the kind of world we live in, the stark contrast between the rich and the poor, friends who seem to change over night and the truth that people change. The episode is thought provoking and very well directed.
Source: Daily Mail
Black mirror is one of those shows that leaves you feeling empty and worn, and I guarantee that at least 3 episodes will leave you thinking. Black mirror isn’t a horror series so the word “scary” is subjective. It depicts the world we live in and the world we might live in if we aren’t aware of the consequences of technology. It’s meant to leave you thinking, meant to leave you feeling like you just watched a car crash. Most of black mirror’s episodes refer to some event that has taken place in real life, whether it be the release of the Facebook Oculus Rift Headset released in 2016 or the creation of robot dogs by a company called Boston Dynamics (linked below) in partnership with the US military. When you watch these episodes, maybe you’ll look at these inventions a little differently.
I highly recommend the show to anyone who likes something thought provoking, intelligent and dark. It’s probably one of the best shows made of all time in my personal opinion. Of course, like any other Black Mirror fan, I recommend any episodes from seasons 1, 2, 3 and 4 and in particular I would recommend episodes like "National Anthem" and "Shut up and Dance"
Out of 10, I'd give it the 8 hours I was left thinking about what I had just watched, in a catatonic state at 2 a.m.
Social Credit System:
Robot Dogs by Boston Dynamic:
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