Black Mirror

[Stumpy Pepys]

Enjoyed those.

If I've one criticism of this series, it's its willingness to return to the 'electronic sentient copy of your consciousness' trope, first seen in White Christmas.

USS Callister and Hang the DJ were the standouts for me. Crocodile was the only episode I was indifferent about.

[imp]

I loved Callister, Black Museum and Metalhead. I liked Hang the DJ (thought the characters were meant to be that way - quite likeable and not extraordinary), but Arkangel was way too obvious in where it was going. Having said that, it was still very well made and acted. Haven't seen the Icelandic one yet as my family broke the house rules and watched it when I was out.

[Stumpy Pepys]

Agreed on Arkangel—it was a little too much in the here and now and its plot and message were rather simple. Also there was no way Sara was 15; she looked like someone at university.

Crocodile was the weakest of the lot, I thought, but I still think you should watch it.

[Hot Pepsi]

Enjoyed those.

If I've one criticism of this series, it's its willingness to return to the 'electronic sentient copy of your consciousness' trope, first seen in White Christmas.

USS Callister and Hang the DJ were the standouts for me. Crocodile was the only episode I was indifferent about.

Yeah, I think it needs to get away from that, especially because that's way out in the future if it's ever going to happen at all. The one where she brings back her dead husband was the most intriguing of those, I thought.

I liked all the new ones. Metalheads was the most unique one, I thought. It wasn't really exploring anything new about how technology will present problems, insofar as the robots will destroy us is now a pretty standard sci-fi trope/legitimate anxiety. Metalheads was like if you took that Christian Bale Terminator film or the third Matrix film and just boiled it down to the essence.

Hang the DJ was really good, though I didn't entirely get the ending. Was that supposed to be them seeing each other for the first time when they meet for their first date after being matched by the machine?

Arkangel was kinda obvious, but then maybe that's the point in some way, like "Why didn't you see this coming?" It's also, perhaps, the most "relevant." Not that we have the tech to do that, but "do you really want to protect your kids from all stress and fear" and "do you really want to know what they're up to all the time?" are questions that parents should and do wrestle with (or so I'm told.)

The actress does look older than 15, but then so do many 15 year olds, and vice versa. There might also have been issues with finding an actual 15-year-old whose parents (or her) would be willing to pretend to shag that guy and bludgeon her mom. Just a thought.

Alligator (why is it called Alligator?) didn't really move me much, but it looked amazing and was perfectly constructed.

There's talk of a USS Callister spin-off series.

Although its been done too much, Black Museum was, I think, the first thing I've ever seen, I think, about "downloading consciousness" where it's happened against the individual's will, so that was interesting, as was the "twist" at the end. It also features Dionne Warwick's "Always Something There to Remind Me." I knew Naked Eyes' version was a cover but I'd never heard the original before.

[Wouter D]

(why is it called Alligator?)

The first comment on the avclub review of the episode offers:

"The title, IMO, refers to the crocodile’s brain—all limbic system, no empathy, no emotion, only self preservation at all cost. She kills to protect her young and herself."

[Stumpy Pepys]

Hang the DJ was really good, though I didn't entirely get the ending. Was that supposed to be them seeing each other for the first time when they meet for their first date after being matched by the machine?

Yeah, pretty much.

[Hot Pepsi]

OK

[Stumpy Pepys]

I think, if this goes to season five, Brooker has to broaden his pallette. Most episodes up to now have been on the themes of digital copies of humans, surveillance and social media.

Robots have barely been touched on at all. Or weird implications of quantum physics. Or DIY genetic manipulation. Time travel, even.

[Lang Spoon]

And almost Victorian moralism maybe has to be tempered as well. A show of comeuppance for the worst, for the most part.

[anton pulisov]

I switched off the first one (Callister) halfway through because it was boring and the acting was piss poor.

[Reginald Christ]

You're missing out.

[WOM]

Yup. Callister was a great one.

Arkangel, filmed in Toronto and directed by Jody Foster was, I thought, a bit of a dud.

Hang The DJ was marvellous.

Crocodile was eerie looking (filmed in Iceland, of all places) and clever. Enjoyed it. But (and I'm not joking), I had to turn on closed captioning to understand some of the dialogue.

[Hot Pepsi]

Did is a bit strong. It was the weakest, but also the most topical. How far parents should go to protect their kids from reality is a timeless and universal issue. It deserves a longer treatment.

[Stumpy Pepys]

So the long-awaited Bandersnatch Christmas special is out today, which I plan on watching this evening.

However, I'm not sure if we'll be able to discuss it, as it's an interactive episode where you control the narrative.

[Hot Pepsi]

Somehow I had no idea this episode was coming until yesterday and didn’t know it would be choose-your-own-adventure. It’s impressively seamless.

I didn’t know WH Smith sold music.

[Hot Pepsi]

This is very helpful.

https://m.imgur.com/a/bQeXSYm

I recommend going back and forth and trying to get to all the endings shown on the flow chart. There are actually more different endings than this shows because all of the (spoiler)In Jail/No Bandersnatch(/spoiler) ones are not entirely identical. I suggest working from left to right and then getting to the one where he (spoiler)finishes the game successfully(/spoiler). Because that one makes a lot more sense if you’ve seen the other pathways.

Also, some of what appear to be dead ends give you a chance to go back to a point earlier, but then as you move back down again, some choices you had before are cut off.

So I haven’t reached every possible conclusion. I’m going to have to start it all over a few more times to do that.

It’s remarkable there’s actually a lot more to it than some critics I’ve read seem to think. I also loved the 1982 computer-games-on-tape-written-by-one-person set-up. Those were the days when I actually wanted to go into video game writing, but I learned I didn’t have the patience to be a computer person.

[Stumpy Pepys]

I didn’t know WH Smith sold music.

In the 80s, WHSmith sold books, newspapers and magazines, stationary, records and home computers. And some electronic devices if memory serves (my dad had a WHSmith cassette recorder). And probably a few more things.

It was a good shop once.

[Hot Pepsi]

I’ve only seen them in airports, selling magazines and snacks.

[Wouter D]

"Wouldn't you be in a more entertaining scenario?"

Very nice indeed.

[imp]

Can anyone enlighten me as to why I can't find this on Netflix? And is the interactive component carried out with your remote control, or do you have to watch it on a computer (asking for my granddad)?

[Femme Folle]

I'm having to watch on my Chromebook. You will need a mouse or touchpad. I assume that if you are able to watch on a newer smart TV, your remote would work.

[Hot Pepsi]

Can anyone enlighten me as to why I can't find this on Netflix? And is the interactive component carried out with your remote control, or do you have to watch it on a computer (asking for my granddad)?

It uses the arrow controls on the remote.

I don’t know why you couldn’t find it. Sometimes new things don’t immediately appear on the choices so you have to search.

Your daughter just posted about it on Instagram, so maybe you sorted it out.

[Femme Folle]

Maybe he couldn't find it because it doesn't show up as another season of Black Mirror. It took me a minute to find it at first.

[Hot Pepsi]

That’s true. But it should pop up on the new releases or recommendations for anyone who previously like Black Mirror.

Netflix could make it easier to find stuff.

[imp]

Indeed we eventually found it, hooked up a laptop to the TV and had much family fun. Our choices meant our version was over in 90 minutes, though, so we'll definitely have another watch/play.

Especially liked the David-Mellor lookalike reviewing computer games. Was there any such kind of programme on British tv in 1984?