BLACK MIRROR (Season 6 officially greenlit, in the works)

80% of the way through Hang the DJ, I thought the premise was ridiculous, but then it made alot more sense at the end. So I liked it alot more.
 
Finished the season with Arkangel. Liked it a lot. USS Callister & Black Museum were my favorites. Then Arkangel, Crocodile, Hang The DJ, & then Metalhead in last place.

Very good season overall. We nitpick, partly because we are the interwebz & that's what we do; but also partly because 6 episodes is just too awkwardly short for this kind of show, it should really have 8-12 like most series of this caliber. Having only 6 episodes makes the focus & expectations too much for each one, and most of them can't live up to that. Hopefully they up the number of episodes for next season, assuming there is one.
 
Fell asleep in San Junipero. Was that the story about the old dykes?
 
80% of the way through Hang the DJ, I thought the premise was ridiculous, but then it made alot more sense at the end. So I liked it alot more.

Funny, I felt the opposite way. I was invested in the episode up until the end, and then it made the whole thing seem kinda pointless. And not in a 'wow that's so cool' way, but in an 'oh well that was kinda dumb' way.
 
Funny, I felt the opposite way. I was invested in the episode up until the end, and then it made the whole thing seem kinda pointless. And not in a 'wow that's so cool' way, but in an 'oh well that was kinda dumb' way.

The first 80% of the episode, I could not rationalize why anyone would "participate" because the rules were so restrictive. The ending showed the viewers it wasn't what they thought it was, and in that new light, the episode made sense. Had they carried on without the reveal, without reconciling why the "parameters" were what they were, then it would've been a terrible episode because the whole premise was so ridiculous to begin with.

Also, I would not be surprised if I was the only person who feels this way. I tend to like everything to make sense.
 
The first 80% of the episode, I could not rationalize why anyone would "participate" because the rules were so restrictive. The ending showed the viewers it wasn't what they thought it was, and in that new light, the episode made sense. Had they carried on without the reveal, without reconciling why the "parameters" were what they were, then it would've been a terrible episode because the whole premise is so ridiculous to begin with.

Also, I would not be surprised if I was the only person who feels this way. I tend to like everything to make sense.

I just figured they were in some kind of totalitarian regime of the technological future, and were being matched up for breeding purposes, following some kind of complicated algorithm to determine the best formula for making the most flawless humans. So I was disappointed when it turned out we were just watching a bunch of nonsense that wasn't real. I didn't think it was a clever twist, kind of hackey really, and more to the point it killed any emotional connection I had with anything happening.

Like you kinda said though, to each their own. It's the sort of show where people can see & get out of it a lot of different things, and end up with some pretty varied rankings lists of favorite episodes.
 
I just figured they were in some kind of totalitarian regime of the technological future, and were being matched up for breeding purposes, following some kind of complicated algorithm to determine the best formula for making the most flawless humans. So I was disappointed when it turned out we were just watching a bunch of nonsense that wasn't real. I didn't think it was a clever twist, kind of hackey really, and more to the point it killed any emotional connection I had with anything happening.

Like you kinda said though, to each their own. It's the sort of show where people can see & get out of it a lot of different things, and end up with some pretty varied rankings lists of favorite episodes.

Your take is really interesting and never really crossed my mind at all (not until the taser goons). The characters seemed far too emotionally invested for it to be about some kind of super cold, systematic breeding project to me. I very rarely emotionally connect to characters from television to begin with, which seems to explain our differences regarding this episode really well.

I wonder if there's any correlation between how much folks connected with the characters in the episode and their opinion of the episode overall!
 
I think it the point was to show how little we would think of the "human" rights of A.I. even if if that AI is basically you. The characters basically did put themselves (although not really themselves) through that ordeal 998 times for a dating app. In a way, it would make these initially likable characters a lot less likable.
 
I very rarely emotionally connect to characters from television to begin with

On the rare occasions when you do, do you tend to find watching those shows more enjoyable?
 
I think it the point was to show how little we would think of the "human" rights of A.I. even if if that AI is basically you. The characters basically did put themselves (although not really themselves) through that ordeal 998 times for a dating app. In a way, it would make these initially likable characters a lot less likable.

Unless you can really buy in 100% to the idea that they are definitely just programs, no feelings or sentience, not real, just smoke & mirrors.
 
Unless you can really buy in 100% to the idea that they are definitely just programs, no feelings or sentience, not real, just smoke & mirrors.
I imagine in a world where this technology was real, the people who sign up for the app may not be told that versions of themselves are being put through this ordeal repeatedly. Even if you knew, would you still go through it since they're just computer programs? Maybe that's the question they're trying to ask. This seems to be a recurring theme in Black Mirror too, especially this season.
 
On the rare occasions when you do, do you tend to find watching those shows more enjoyable?

I'll level with you, I do not remember the last time I "emotionally connected" to a character in television. It is completely foreign to me. But I have definitely seen other people do it.

A former co worker's favorite tv show is The Walking Dead. I couldn't understand why. The pacing moves at the viscosity of molasses. His explanation was that, he would get so engaged in the show and characters, that it felt like he was in there running from zombies and shit. My reaction was like, "wtf?? I have no idea what that is like!" All I see are actors, and actors with alot of bloody makeup on, reading their lines. Clearly, if I had my coworker's brain, I'd be thrilled with the show, living each moment on screen like I was in it. I wish I had the ability to do that, but I can't seem to get out of the "I'm watching a tv show right now" zone.

Someone once told me that she stopped watching 24 because it was too intense.
 
I imagine in a world where this technology was real, the people who sign up for the app may not be told that versions of themselves are being put through this ordeal repeatedly. Even if you knew, would you still go through it since they're just computer programs? Maybe that's the question they're trying to ask. This seems to be a recurring theme in Black Mirror too, especially this season.

Yeah I definitely think that's one of the questions they want us asking. And to answer for myself: no. I don't think any of the simulated consciousnesses in any of these episodes are really sentient, or people, or really existing / feeling anything; however, I wouldn't want to take the chance.

That said, I probably already have agreed to it. I'm sure it's somewhere in the 10,000 words of fine print of my 'yes I agree' contracts I've clicked on for a zillion apps, from Facebook to Words With Friends.
 
I'll level with you, I do not remember the last time I "emotionally connected" to a character in television. It is completely foreign to me. But I have definitely seen other people do it.

A former co worker's favorite tv show is The Walking Dead. I couldn't understand why. The pacing moves at the viscosity of molasses. His explanation was that, he would get so engaged in the show and characters, that it felt like he was in there running from zombies and shit. My reaction was like, "wtf?? I have no idea what that is like!" All I see are actors, and actors with alot of bloody makeup on, reading their lines. Clearly, if I had my coworker's brain, I'd be thrilled with the show, living each moment on screen like I was in it. I wish I had the ability to do that, but I can't seem to get out of the "I'm watching a tv show right now" zone.

Someone once told me that she stopped watching 24 because it was too intense.

Well I guess I'm somewhere in the middle. I don't feel disconnected (unless the writing/acting/directing is bad enough), a good show hooks me emotionally; but I also don't feel like I'm in the show alongside the characters either, ha. It sounds like your friend is smoking some good shit.

Do you ever get feels during movies/TV? Or is your enjoyment of the medium purely from intellectual stimulation when the artform delivers clever ideas?
 
I do remember involuntarily getting feels from movies/tv, but pretty much it'll only be for top notch, amazing shit that's pretty much universally liked. For example, in breaking bad, when Jesse visits Gail at the apartment (you know the one), or when Walt commands Jesse to "Run..". But even those feels are like, "this acting is fucking amazing" and less "oo shitt, what's he gon dooo??!?"

So basically, I'll enjoy things with cool ideas that gets wrapped up neatly, or where the acting is just fucking amazing. I guess it's no surprise that I'm watching Black Mirror then! I think I'll watch whatever is after Hang the DJ now. Hopefully the acting is fucking amazing!
 
I think Crocodile would've worked better if they simply switched the protagonist to the guy.
He was the one who seemed like the leader of the two in the beginning. He was the one driving, and I got the feeling he was the one who lead the girl into the partying/drinking lifestyle. He was the one who decided to dump the body and keep quite about it while she protested it at first. It would've made more sense for him to snap into the dark side and start killing, while the girl was still racked with guilt. It also would've made a lot more physical sense for him to kill her and drag her body around.

She had much more to lose, though. She was now a successful architect (I think,) with a family, whereas the guy hadn't or couldn't move on with his life.

Seemed to me like he didn't have anything else to gain, (except a sense of closure,) but she had everything to lose.
 
She had much more to lose, though. She was now a successful architect (I think,) with a family, whereas the guy hadn't or couldn't move on with his life .

Seemed to me like he didn't have anything else to gain, (except a sense of closure,) but she had everything to lose.

I presume he was saying they could have just made the guy the successful architect instead.
 
I presume he was saying they could have just made the guy the successful architect instead.

Ahh.

I think then the episode would've lost a sense of...something.

Kinda made it more chilling that it was the female, IMO.

Just my $0.02
 
Ahh.

I think then the episode would've lost a sense of...something.

Kinda made it more chilling that it was the female, IMO.

Just my $0.02

Crocodile spoilers

Yeah I kind of agree. Also I didn't mind the violence part that seems to be bothering people. A woman could absolutely trip a guy by accident, it's not like he was really fighting back before then. He was doing that thing guys do when they don't want to fight a woman. And then he hit the back of his head on the floor, that shit happens. Then the Indian broad, she seemed pretty timid, so a cutthroat chick beating her ass isn't unrealistic either. A lot of average chicks just freeze up in physical confrontation. Sneaking up on anyone in a bathtub and braining them with a hammer is also legit. Okay, I suppose that baby would have totally kicked her ass. Other than that though, I don't see what some people are complaining about.
 
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