Sure, there are only seven, but with a series this good, it’s hard work picking favorites. SPOILERS AHOY.
7. "The Waldo Moment"
Channel 4/DirecTV
Even the least successful episode of Black Mirror packs quite a punch, and "The Waldo Moment" gets in its share of body blows, especially in the televised debate scene, where it bubbles over with some genuine ire at a political system in which so much that's said and done is only for show. But the sixth episode of Charlie Brooker's anthology series of dark, near-future technofables is the only one in which Black Mirror's ever-present undercurrent of pessimism feels unearned.
Based on an idea conceived of for Brooker and Chris Morris' biting hipster satire Nathan Barley, "The Waldo Moment" isn't precise enough in its depiction of how a cartoon bear voiced by a failed comedian (Daniel Rigby) goes on to become a legit political figure — there's just too little to Waldo to explain the devoted following he accrues. The character's origins as an Ali G–style prankster ambushing unsuspecting interviewees who think they're guesting on a kiddie show make sense, but removed from that, he's just not funny, all name-calling and lazy dick jokes. Brooker may be trying to take aim at his own history of media mockery, raising questions about whether such nihilistic send-ups just encourage people to further disengage. But in not making its cartoon bear convincingly compelling, the episode ends up feeling like a too-easy jab at the public being dumb and dupable.
6. "White Christmas"
Channel 4/DirecTV
As the most recent installment of Black Mirror, the 2014 Christmas special has the distinction of running longer than the other episodes and serving as a sort of tribute to them, filled with little nods to the other alt-universes that have come before. Its own alt-universe is a gleefully bleak one in which everyone has an ocular implant called a Z-Eye that's like the ultimate smart device, and also it's possible to make a Cookie, a copy of your own consciousness to use as the best, most disturbing digital assistant.
These are two different and unrelated types of technology, and "White Christmas" is terrific when it's engaged in the mini-stories contained in its larger framing one, where it can explore the implications of each. As the slickly manipulative Matt, Jon Hamm first introduces us to the Z-Eye's capacity for voyeurism, as he links up to an awkward young man to help Cyrano de Bergerac him into potentially getting lucky at a party. As the anguished Joe, Rafe Spall experiences the way Z-Eye can allow someone to cut off your real-life access to them by blocking you. There's an intriguing MRA theme to the Z-Eye tales — Matt's a PUA guru on steroids, while Joe is essentially a thwarted stalker who sees himself as a victim of the tools his ex has been given to distance herself from him. They're both twisted characters who don't see themselves that way. The Cookie segment works well as its own Twilight Zone nightmare.
So why the low ranking? "White Christmas" eventually brings its two types of tech together, but they still feel like they could have been separate episodes entirely in which there would have been more space to explore the fascinating possibilities of each. The blocking idea in particular could have benefitted from more balance — it's only seen as used by women in relationships, silent treatment that can be flipped on with the touch of a button and maintained forever, making it seem uncomfortably like some passive-aggressive power play rather than something presumably used and misused by all of society.
That final shot though — it's a killer.
No comments:
Post a Comment