Black Mirrror | Season 7 Thoughts

 


Wild year to come back to this series, but I'm glad it's back to allow a little escapism for those of us with darker hearts in need of filling. 

And the latest season mostly delivers. Certainly more so than season 6 did, but here's how I ranked those episodes: 

S6E1: "Joan is Dead" - This one was fine, if a bit over the top in moments (necessarily so). I give this one a solid 4/5. 

S6E2: "Loch Henry" - Loved this one for the tension. It's dark, no one wins, and the use of tech is present in a fun way. My second favorite episode of the season: 5/5.

S6E3: "Beyond the Sea" - My absolute favorite episode of this season. Great storyline, great worldbuilding, absolutely brutal ending that's so earned. A super enthusiastic 5/5 for sure. 

S6E4: "Mazey Day" - Absolute nonsense. This felt less like a Black Mirror episode and more like a creature of the week thing. The only episode worse than this one was the final one. Barely a 1/5, but only because there was the semblance of tech being leveraged here. 

S6E5: "Demon 79" - More absolute nonsense. I honestly don't know what they were thinking when greenlighting this. Has no business being in the series: 0/5. 


*


Now, onto the latest season. And again, it's mostly better...and where it's better is where it remains intensely focused on tech issues and tech problems that can be relatable, regardless of where they appear in the Black Mirror timeline. There is a deeper horror to be mined when the sci-fi aspects become married to the dirty, gritty realism we can recognize as the present. 

This is my belief, anyway. When the story's resolution comes at the hands of more fantastical or unreal elements is where it loses me (and many others that I know). 



The newest season's first episode, "Common People," does not suffer from this problem. In fact, it hits so close to home that it should make everyone very, very uncomfortable. 

The spoiler-free summary: a struggling couple suffer a medical emergency that causes them to make some tough financial decicions while dealing with other complications during their healing journey. 

The first appearance of a an common theme made me say out loud "oh absolutely not" and then they did. And to great effect. This was a tough watch in that it was so unbelievably relevant and relatable on several levels. Absolute banger of an episode: 5/5. 



 

The second episode, "Bête Noire," however, suffers from the previous season's issues. This had very real potential to be good, and was building up to a great outcome and then...a narrative switcheroo. 

The spoiler-free summary: a former classmate comes to work at the protagonist's office. Thereafter, bad things start happening to the protagonist, who tries to prove her theories as to what, why, and who. 

Don't get me wrong, this is a fine and interesting story on its own, but it doesn't feel like it belongs in the world of Black Mirror. Because of this, it was a really unsatisfying ending, personally: 2/5




"Hotel Reverie" is the season's third entry, and gives off really strong "San Junipero" vibes in a great way. Loved the implementation of tech horror here. There was also a fantastic use of time at play that caused some lovely interactions to occur. 

The spoiler-free summary: an actress in love with an old film gets a chance to portray a main character in a new rendition of the film. An accident during the filmmaking process changes her view of the film and its characters. 

Honestly, this was a stunning entry. Beautifully shot, fantastically acted and incredibly relevant to things we're seeing happening in the movie industry today. Another banger entry: 5/5. 




The fourth episode, "Plaything," has a fun tie-in to the interactive Black Mirror movie "Bandersnatch." The two are completely different stories, but they intersect in two very important ways that made this a fun viewing. 

The spoiler-free summary: A video game reviewer is contracted to do a write up on a new product from a video game designer. The game itself becomes a life-altering experience, which ends up sending the game reviewer down a path he never would've chosen himself. The story is mostly told through the lens of memory and how it all affects the present. 

Some interesting tropes being used here, but to good effect. The tension-building in this one is really the best part, as is much of the dialogue delivery. A fun episode with an interesting enough ending: 4/5. 




"Eulogy" was unbelievably unique in its execution. I kept expecting the wrong kind of twist with this one, and I'm glad it went down the path it did. Really fun set and design work with this one, providing some great practical effects to achieve narrative possibilities. 

The spoiler-free summary: a man finds out an old acquaintance has passed and is tasked with helping provide memories of their times together through unique tech advancements. 

I don't know what to say so as to not ruin this one. Masterfully done, and hit me on several levels I was definitely not expecting. Probably my favorite of the series: 5/5



So, Netflix kicked me out of my friend's account before I could finish the season, so I'll have to come back to this one. I don't recall liking the original USS Callister episode as much as others did, but I may have to revisit that one again before trying this one out...purely to remember some of the more salient parts that may (or may not) arise in this....sequel?


*


Anyway, this season was far, far better than season six. And, again, the show is at its best when it leverages tech and horror with each other while excluding anything related to magical origins or monster-of-the-week type stuff; those episodes have fallen really, really flat to me and a few others I've chatted with after viewings. 

I am, however, consistently surprised at how good the optimistic or "happy ending" episodes tend to be. Not that there can't be joy or resolution found in a dystopian landscape, only that they're incredibly refreshing when they occur. They temper out the bleak nature of a season nicely. 

There's also something to be said for a lot of the music choices this season. Really exceptional choices made, particularly all the classic rave tracks in "Playthings," that really helped solidify the vibe and the era of the story. 


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