Tyler Krenzin
Lantern Staff
Prologue: Black Mirror is a series that will make you question all forms of existence and change how you view technology. With only three seasons prior to this installment, episodes have been scarce, and like an alcoholic, I was savoring each and every drop to stave off the withdrawal. The stories are just pure brilliance that only a psychopath could think about, and they’ve had me addicted from the first taste.
The excitement flowed through my veins as I knew I now no longer have settle for the dregs leftover from previous seasons. With each episode their own, with little to no connection to the others, each would have their own unique taste, a new and different way to mess with my way of thinking. I knew there was little chance that these episodes would last through the night…
1. “USS Callister:” The first episode set a trend however, one that I had not been prepared for. Never in Black Mirror’s short history has a first episode hit without any remorse. What was arguably one of the coolest ideas in the history of the show, the writers carefully crafted a scenario that even I, a well-known pessimist, didn’t think could go wrong. This caught me off guard, how could this safe family friendly “Star Trek” like world go wrong. Well, in true Black Mirror fashion the turn comes fast and hits like a brick wall… 8/10
2. “Arkangel”: Like I had said previously I thought I would be able to make it through all the episodes in true bingeing form. However, this episode is where my night stopped. “Arkangel” kept up the usual trend of big twists and unnerving plots. The problem, however, arises with just how soured I was during the final 20 minutes. The idea of how this device has controlled the girl through her entire life seemed a little far-fetched. It seems that the filter had been off for quite some-time and all the building to the abrupt ending fell short due to my skepticism of how the situation would actually play out… 6/10
I picked back up the next night and finished the rest of the series.”Crocodile” and “Metalhead” proceeded to be nothing special. “Crocodile’s” ending was just dark for the sake of being dark, and “Metalhead” played out as a giant chase scene. While this is cool in theory, the lack of actual story didn’t pan out. “Black Museum” for me could seemed like four writers had 4 cool ideas of what to do for the last episode, and they said “Screw it. Let’s shove it all together. “It wasn’t bad, but it could have been so much more.
3. “Hang the DJ:” This would become my favorite episode of the entire season. While yes, the “USS Calister” had the much more original concept, I believed the way human emotions and how people would react given the scenario was captured perfectly. While the idea of a computer controlling the dating of individuals is not at all new, the concept that it knows and tells you exactly when your relationship starts and stops is telling. The twist at the end is telegraphed, but not to the point where the end was surprising. This ultimately became the “San Junipero” of this season, as it is by far the best episode. 9/10