Black Mirror’s third season is the most consistent of the entire series. Three of the best episodes are in this season: Nosedive, Shut Up and Dance and the surprisingly emotional San Junipero. With the exception of Men Against Fire (An episode I consider the worst of the series) the rest of the season is solid, telling compelling and often thought provoking science fiction stories.
Nosedive
Co-written by Rashida Jones, Nosedive is one of the best satires that Black Mirror has to offer. It starts with a simple, but brilliant premise. In a world that uses social media likes as an indication of social status, Lacie Pound (Bryce Dallas Howard) obsesses about boosting her standing. Her dreams come true when old friend (And highly rated) Naomi (Alice Eve) invites her to her wedding, a massive social media event. But not everything goes to according to Lacie’s plan.
Jones’ script is the most American of the series, but also one of the series’ most biting satires. Using popularity on social media as a class system is not that far off and instead of taking an overly dark and cynical approach, Jones uses dark humor to riff on the problem. This is probably one of the funniest episodes of the series, and honestly, the smartest use of profanity. There is also subtle racial commentary in the script…Many of the “outsiders” or people with few likes, are people of color. Director Joe Wright also gives Lucie’s world a bright and cheery look, adding a glossy and obviously artificial feel to the episode.
Bryce Dallas Howard is excellent as Lucie, who steadily (And entertainingly) starts to lose her cool. Alice Eve is great as the egomaniac Naomi. A woman who has completely mastered the art of social media popularity, Eve perfectly captures the vapid character with even just a look. And though her role is basically a cameo, Cherry Jones is fun as a woman who tries to show Lucie that the constant clamoring for likes is foolhardy.
Nosedive’s ending is pitch perfect, bringing all of the satire together in a riotous conclusion. My only complaint about the episode is that it takes a while for the story to get going, causing it to feel a little long.
SCORE: 9.5 OUT OF 10
Playtest
Virtual reality and video games are favorite subjects in science fiction, so it’s not surprising to see Black Mirror take them on in Playtest. While the episode doesn’t do anything particularly groundbreaking with the premise, the sheer likability of the episode’s protagonist, decent scares, and a solid script make for a solid outing.
When American Cooper (Wyatt Russell) is in need of money while on a trip in Europe, game journalist Sonja (Hannah John-Kamen) points him in the direction of a world famous game developer looking for play testers on their new VR game. Cooper is implanted with device that allows him to experience a survival horror game first hand. At first, Cooper is creeped out, but entertained, but then the device begins to dig deep into his deepest fears.
Playtest’s script isn’t that innovative and projects some of its twists early. Cooper struggles with family issues at the start of the episode, so you know that they will come up when a device that feeds on his fears is implanted in his brain. Granted, the episode does have Cooper comment on that several times, playing with our expectations, but it’s still problematic.
But that is the strength of the episode. Cooper is incredibly likeable as he jokes his way through the predictable, but fun jump scares early in his experience. It’s a very human reaction. When his breakdown eventually comes as the scares become more real, Russell expresses them perfectly. The script also does keep you guessing as it goes.
Unfortunately, the finale becomes muddled. There are a few too many endings that confuse the narrative and take away any emotion the conclusion should have. That doesn’t take away from a decent episode.
SCORE: 7 OUT OF 10
Shut Up and Dance
While Shut Up and Dance is one of Black Mirror’s darkest and hard to watch episodes, it’s also one of the best. The episode dances that line between being overly cynical and brilliantly dark with a story about a shy teen named Kenny (Alex Lawther) blackmailed into a series of increasingly dangerous tasks, but ultimately gives us one of the most emotionally devastating endings the show has ever offered.
Taking a note from the brilliant White Christmas, this episode follows people we shouldn’t sympathize with. Kenny pleasured himself to “young kids.” His fellow victim, Hector (Jerome Flynn), is cheating on his wife. These are terrible people, but we are compelled by the hellish punishment they are put through. Unlike White Bear, which had a similar storyline about punishment, Shut Up and Dance makes everything more personal and devastating.
The episode is anchored by a devastating performance from Lawther. His gradual deterioration is amazingly portrayed. Even though he has done a terrible thing, you can’t help feeling something for him as his life slowly falls apart. Flynn is solid as Hector as well, though it feels like he’s simply playing a variation of Bron from Game of Thrones.
And of course, there’s that ending. Making amazing use of Radiohead’s Exit Music (For a Film), the end of Kenny’s journey is disturbing and dark in the best way possible. I have complained that Black Mirror can get very sadistic, but this is a case where that sadism is used perfectly and, more importantly, in the proper way. It fits for these characters and doesn’t feel gratuitous. That said, this is possibly one of the hardest episodes to watch due to the bleak nature of its story.
SCORE: 8 OUT OF 10
San Junipero
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Shut Up and Dance, San Junipero is a ray of bright sunshine in the dark world of Black Mirror. One of the few times the show takes a more optimistic view, the love story of Kelly (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Yorkie (Mackenzie Davis) will have you smiling from ear to ear for almost the entire episode. At least during those moments when you aren’t crying.
As shy Yorkie tries to find a place in the sunny beach resort town of San Junipero 1987, she meets party girl Kelly. The two form a bond and somehow manage to meet in different eras in the same town. Yorkie wants to pursue Kelly, knowing that she has found something special in the woman, but a personal promise Kelly made in her past brings their relationship into doubt.
Brooker’s script and the electric chemistry between Mbatha-Raw and Davis make San Junipero special. The two leads make the romance completely believable, as you truly believe in the bond the two form. The script also keeps you guessing: There are two outcomes that would make total sense for the characters and it is up in the air for much of the third act.
I’m purposely being vague because this is one of the best, if not the best, episodes of Black Mirror. This is definitely one episode you must experience yourself.
SCORE: 10 OUT OF 10
Men Against Fire
An obvious twist, heavy handed messaging, and badly written characters lead to Men Against Fire, the worst episode of Black Mirror. Warfare and its effect on the soldiers on the ground have always been great material for science fiction writers, but the episode horribly botches an already strange take on PTSD.
Following young soldier Stripe (Malachi Kirby) and his fellow soldiers as they hunt down mutated humans dubbed “Roaches” in a near-future wasteland, the twist is obvious almost from the start. Noble themes about PTSD and ethnic cleansing are lost with terrible execution and ham fisted exposition.
Every soldier character is a badly written “jarhead” stereotype, leading to some poor performances from the main actors. Part of this may be an artistic choice by the creators to show just how gung ho these soldiers are, but it makes for boring characters. The reasoning behind the twist is also convoluted and leads you to ask, “Wouldn’t doing something else be easier?”
There is nothing redeeming about this episode.
SCORE: 1 OUT OF 10
Hated in the Nation
Black Mirror’s first feature length episode, Hated in the Nation, feels slightly unworthy of the length, but it is still a solid conclusion to the season. It takes an interesting look at vigilante justice in the social media age, and while it’s mechanical-bee-swarm-as-a-metaphor-for-gang-mentality plot line is strange, it is effective.
When Detective Karin Parke (Kelly Macdonald) is paired with tech savvy Blue (Faye Marsay), they investigate the mysterious deaths of unpopular people from social media. Discovering a hashtag that targets the most hated people in the UK, the two detectives pair with government agent Shaun Li (Benedict Wong) to hunt down the culprit behind the deaths. Taking control of a swarm of mechanical bees used to help pollinate the world’s food supply, the person behind the deaths may have the ultimate weapon to kill those the world deems the most hated.
To say the plot is complicated is an understatement. It feels as though Brooker’s script dances around the main idea: Vigilante justice, mob mentality, and its consequences. Like previous episodes, Hated in the Nation takes some time to get going, but when it does find its stride, the story does have a powerful and timely message. Does anonymously calling for the death of someone you hate on social media really carry no consequences? Should it, even if you don’t actually wish death on that person? The villain’s ultimate plan is actually pretty twisted and leads to a suitably tragic ending.
The length of the episode is used to develop the main characters a bit more than usual, and while individually the characters work, the relationship between them is not as solid. Macdonald is great as the less than tech savvy Parke, while Marsay injects Blue with a believable sense of naive justice. The episode means to build a comradery between the two, but I never buy it. It’s not terrible, but I never get the impression that the characters ever form a bond. Wong is good as well, though he feels slightly underutilized and his character’s introduction is awkward and sudden.
This mixed bag of an episode is actually a solid one worth watching, if only to see how the episode dances to an interesting conclusion.
SCORE: 7.5 OUT OF 10
Best Season So Far
Despite the presence of one of the worst episodes of the series so far, this is Black Mirror at its best. The season shows that Black Mirror doesn’t always have to be bleak to be successful, with the fun satire of Nosedive or the unapologetic optimism of San Junipero. The darkness is still present, but there’s nothing wrong with a little sunshine now and then.
SEASON SCORE: 8 OUT OF 10