Look in the mirror…
Step through the looking glass again as you enter a world where technology has the potential to hurt. Where your social media governs your lot in life, video games can push you to the edge of fear, blackmail takes to the internet and mobile phones, a person can travel through time and find love, soldiers wage war against inhuman enemies, and hashtags can be killers…the reflection of society is warped again!
Black Mirror—Season 3 is a sci-fi anthology series. The season was the first season of the series to be released exclusively to Netflix on October 21, 2016 and continued to garner positive reviews. The season received Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special (“San Junipero”) and Outstanding Television Movie (“San Junipero”) and a nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series of Movie (“Nosedive”).
“Oh, I feel so sorry for him”…until…
While I love anthologies, I sometimes struggle a bit with Black Mirror. It isn’t that there have been any really bad episodes, but I want to watch and I don’t want to watch the series. This season starts out on a stopping episode for me in that I struggled to get through “Nosedive”…fortunately, the series picked up again after the episode.
The series continues to innovate and manages to incorporate a lot of different styles and stories. The storytelling for the series is strong with different aspects of cyber technology being explored…and inducing fear. If any of the stories in this show become possible, it would be terrifying. Black Mirror smartly combines enough realism with science-fiction to create a scary perception. Even though I wasn’t a fan of “Nosedive”, it doesn’t feel that far off from reality, while episodes like “San Jupitero” take a more subtle storytelling approach.
True love in a fantasy world
The series is primarily built around twists like its spiritual successor The Twilight Zone. Each episode leads you down the obvious path then takes a turn. Generally it puts a lot of a red herrings out toward the audience to give you a perception of what you think is happening, but it generally takes a bigger twist than you’d expect. The best example of this is “Shut Up and Dance” which has you feeling sorry for the Kenny character before revealing he is a young pedophile…it is a shock and a great twist (while jabbing at people who think they know who to “like”).
The casting is strong. With its amplified exposure, the series is able to get bigger and bigger stars. Bryce Dallas Howard bring a lot of attention to the series in her story, and with bigger actors and actresses, more people will come to Black Mirror…it becomes a show that people want to be on.
War is hell!
The show continues to look stylish and that aids in the quality of the series. Instead of being a cheap sci-fi series, each episode looks like a mini-movie. It makes you imagine what The Twilight Zone would have been if it had a bigger budget since it was almost already perfect. Black Mirror takes great visuals and applies it to a great stories. It is a fun, smart series.
Black Mirror continues to be a very innovative series that takes the anthology series to the modern day. Horror, science and technology meet to form a great series that surprises and forces thought along the way. Black Mirror is a must watch for sci-fi fans but can reach audiences who like smart writing from any genre. Look into the mirror!
Black Mirror—Season 3 Complete Episode Guide:
“Nosedive”
3.1 Nosedive Release Date: 10/21/16
Lacie Pound (Bryce Dallas Howard) needs a boost in her online popularity in the hopes of reaching a 4.5 to get into a new community called Pelican Cove. When she is selected by her childhood friend Naomi Jayne Blestow (Bryce Dallas Howard) to be maid-of-honor, it could be Lacie’s big shot, but things go from bad-to-worse as Lacie learns keeping her numbers up could be harder than she ever thought.
“Playtest”
3.2 Playtest Release Date: 10/21/16
Cooper Redfield (Wyatt Russell) is on a worldwide adventure to find himself after the death of his father. When he becomes stuck due to his credit being shut off, he meets a woman named Sonja (Hannah John-Kamen) who is a video game reviewer. Cooper gets the opportunity to test a new virtual game system…but there could be a glitch.
“Shut Up and Dance”
3.3 Shut Up and Dance Release Date: 10/21/16
An accidental download of spyware by his sister has Kenny (Alex Lawther) the victim of ransom from an unseen blackmailer. Delivering a cake to Hector (Jerome Flynn), Kenny finds himself trapped with Hector in a plot.
“San Junipero”
3.4 San Junipero Release Date: 10/21/16
It is 1987, and awkward Yorkie (Mackenzie Davis) finds a strange, unusual bond with party girl named Kelly Booth (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), and their love begins to somehow transcend time.
“Men Against Fire”
3.5 Men Against Fire Release Date: 10/21/16
Soldier “Stripe” Koinange (Malachi Kirby) has joined the war against the Roaches that plague humankind and threaten to destroy humanity. When his first battle has him hit with a strange weapon, Stripe learns that what he has been taught might not be the truth.
“Hated in the Nation”
3.6 Hated in the Nation Release Date: 10/21/16
Detective Karin Parke (Kelly Macdonald) and her new partner Blue Coulson (Faye Marsay) are called in to investigate the death of Jo Powers (Elizabeth Berrington)…the most hated woman in England. With multiple death threats and claims that she committed suicide, the truth might shock them…and her death might only be the first.
Related Links:
Black Mirror—Season 1 Review and Complete Episode Guide
