I've never reviewed a tv episode before but since I enjoyed this so much I felt the need to put my thoughts out there. As of writing this review the reception of this episode is mixed to say the least, it's one of those episodes you either love or absolutely loathe.
Black Mirror is a series which has opened the minds of an entire generation as it showcases the more frightening and disturbing aspects of technology. With each stand alone story it manages to freak you out or even if it doesn't it touches into very real subject matter that Hollywood wouldn't even dare touch.
Many who hated this episode highlighted how the story was predictable or how there was a message which wasn't all that profound as some other episodes. I can see where people are coming from and I must stress it's not an episode that's going to freak you out with anything extremely mind blowing. What really makes this episode work and left such an impact on me was how it explored a very real subject matter that easily could have come across as exploitative but through the drama of the characters really makes it touching especially if one has experienced trauma or extreme depression.
It's sad to say but younger people have become more depressed nowadays throughout the world for a variety reasons but more often than not its due to the distractions and pressures of websites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. This fact forms the basis of this episode and really makes scenes that much more tragic whether it's the protagonist accidentally running into a car killing his fiance and another driver because he was distracted by a notification on a fake social media network called Persona or a mother grieving over her daughter's suicide which may or may not have been caused by something on social media.
The episode isn't trying to suggest that social media is evil and you shouldn't use it whatsoever, but instead like all the cautionary tales in Black Mirror, showcases how it can devastate lives when it is used poorly, in this case when it's an addiction.
The acting is absolutely phenomenal and it was great seeing Topher Grace who I thought was absolutely phenomenal as Billy Bouer, the head of Persona. I could see a lot of people making parallels between his character and Mark Zuckerberg in addition to criticising the fact that he's portrayed as an understanding guy which in Zuckerberg's case is probably far from the truth. Again this is fiction and even though there is that parallel, the episode I feel needed that heart because if everyone for instance wanted him to kill himself it may be a bit too pessimistic, even for Black Mirror standards.
This might be the most important Black Mirror episode yet, a close second being Shut Up and Dance. I can see Black Mirror in the future been seen as a cultural reflection of this decade's obsession with social media, our reliance on technology and how downright paranoid a generation it was... If you hate this episode I'm not going to change your mind but if you liked it I'm sure you liked it for the same reasons I did.
Black Mirror is a series which has opened the minds of an entire generation as it showcases the more frightening and disturbing aspects of technology. With each stand alone story it manages to freak you out or even if it doesn't it touches into very real subject matter that Hollywood wouldn't even dare touch.
Many who hated this episode highlighted how the story was predictable or how there was a message which wasn't all that profound as some other episodes. I can see where people are coming from and I must stress it's not an episode that's going to freak you out with anything extremely mind blowing. What really makes this episode work and left such an impact on me was how it explored a very real subject matter that easily could have come across as exploitative but through the drama of the characters really makes it touching especially if one has experienced trauma or extreme depression.
It's sad to say but younger people have become more depressed nowadays throughout the world for a variety reasons but more often than not its due to the distractions and pressures of websites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. This fact forms the basis of this episode and really makes scenes that much more tragic whether it's the protagonist accidentally running into a car killing his fiance and another driver because he was distracted by a notification on a fake social media network called Persona or a mother grieving over her daughter's suicide which may or may not have been caused by something on social media.
The episode isn't trying to suggest that social media is evil and you shouldn't use it whatsoever, but instead like all the cautionary tales in Black Mirror, showcases how it can devastate lives when it is used poorly, in this case when it's an addiction.
The acting is absolutely phenomenal and it was great seeing Topher Grace who I thought was absolutely phenomenal as Billy Bouer, the head of Persona. I could see a lot of people making parallels between his character and Mark Zuckerberg in addition to criticising the fact that he's portrayed as an understanding guy which in Zuckerberg's case is probably far from the truth. Again this is fiction and even though there is that parallel, the episode I feel needed that heart because if everyone for instance wanted him to kill himself it may be a bit too pessimistic, even for Black Mirror standards.
This might be the most important Black Mirror episode yet, a close second being Shut Up and Dance. I can see Black Mirror in the future been seen as a cultural reflection of this decade's obsession with social media, our reliance on technology and how downright paranoid a generation it was... If you hate this episode I'm not going to change your mind but if you liked it I'm sure you liked it for the same reasons I did.