Black Mirror

I'm gonna feel dumb if I'm just now noticing, but is it a recurring gag that they start each episode by having the character looking/look into a mirror? I just noticed it on the first two episodes of this season, and Im vaguely recalling it happening in other episodes as well.

The first episode was pretty big. It absolutely is a thing today, though not at all to the extent the show plays it. People always care about their social standings online, be it twitter or whatever. Verified blue checks are all the rage. It hurt to watch it.

Void said:

Many of them do, I'm not sure if it is an every episode thing, but now that you mention it (I never noticed) I can definitely remember a few of them doing it.

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I'm through 5 episodes, one left, and so far it has happened in each episode, but not all at the beginning. So, I think it is intentional by the writer/producer of the show, or possibly just a subconscious word association thing that each director has coincidentally put into their episodes due to the series name.
If anyone has watched the first two seasons recently, or is about to, let us know if you notice the same thing. I remember it happening a few times, but I don't want to go back and watch them all just to double check.

I think the first episode honestly could be a thing if Facebook bought out experian/transunion. I'm almost done with the 3rd season now, show makes you damn scared for what the future could be. I think San Juniper was really the only one with a "happy" ending.

Pretty sure that was the case Liquid.

daly said:

I've just started picking this back up. I randomly saw the episode where the people filmed the chick getting chased by the "murderers" and really like it but never followed up on the rest. Only episodes I didn't really enjoy was the election episode and the "her" wannabe episode. Christmas episode was all kinds of fucked up though.

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The Her wannabe episode was an homage to the twilight zone, I think. That episode where the telephone line falls into the grave. They updated it.

It was really well done, and a great update. But you're right. It's the one that didn't really fit.

The one I didn't like that much was the one with PePe the Frog and his non political voice actor. LOL. But god damn, that shit was on point, wasn't it?

Enzee said:

I'm not quite through with episode 1, but the first half was annoying as fuck.. started getting good halfway through, just before the truck lady.

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Yeah. Episode 1. The pacing of the series as a whole is strange. They hit the ground running with that though. If you make it through episode one, you don't even have to like it that much but just make it through -- then you'll love all the rest of them. That episode is a giant neon sign "Yes. This -IS- going to be that kind of show."

I didn't hate the "Her" episode by any means, because it was somewhat different. I also didn't realize it came out before. It just didn't really bring a new concept to me.

Think I have the 3 last episodes left for this season. Looking forward to finishing them.

I talked with my wife about how big BDH looked. My wife did some research and found out she gained 80 fucking goddamn pounds during her last pregnancy. I don't know how you do that without shoving food in your face all day for 10 months, but that is apparently why she looks like she does. She is a shitty actress, though, so I don't know how she keeps landing gigs with her weight problems plus her general terribleness keep.

yeah. starting S3.

first episode was decent commentary... But way too long. it had 10min of commentary/story, and 50min run time... good idea, but horrible execution honestly. They told you the point within 3minutes, if it wasn't obvious immediately, 10s into showing her preening for the selfies.

2nd episode, was very good. total nightmare fuel. with a good joke at the end. Perfect episode. much like the xmas special. It took what is a very likely future tech, and took it into a dark direction. Augmented reality tech is marching along. and it IS going to be a great tool. But, their is a real danger of "not being able to tell reality from simulation", the moment we do start bypassing our senses, and going straight into the brain. Even before we get that far, when we start programming our brains to see things, that are not there, it will naturally create dillusions, and hallucinations, in shadows, etc. Then on top of that, poor programming. it layered on top of that first danger, the idea of a computer mining your thoughts for "fears". and as the show, suggests, fears come in many forms.. spiders... aging... debt.. betrayal..
in a way, it probably should have ended when he went home. that would have been a solid poetic "good ending". the programmer even mentioned the adrenaline rush of facing your fears and living. And returning and facing his mother was his biggest fear.. So the nightmare test actually serving its purpose accidentally, and getting him home would have been a solid ending. But, the joke ending after, is more of a troll on the audience.

xmas special is also layered like that. not just one element of commentary. theres many. and multiple pieces of technology.
And, the show does a good job of making it notable, its not technology that is bad. its, just easy to be real stupid about using technology. Its US, not the tech.

4th episode threw me for a loop. I probably need to rewatch this one, because I wasn't aware of what was going on for the first 25 minutes.

Love the show. Found S301 unwatchable because its not sci fi, its literally exactly reality in the present day. 10 minutes in I was painfully bored. It would have been a great episode 3-5 years ago. Now its like making a sci fi show about how strange life will be once we all have horseless carriages.

Trex has trained you well.

She's blaming it on the role Bryce Dallas Howard reveals she gained 30lbs for Black Mirror role | Daily Mail Online

Void said:

Finished the whole season, definitely feel like it was worthy of the series. Episode 2 was maybe the most fucked up for me, San Junipero was the most "damn I wish they had that tech" episode. .

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finishing up ep 4. San Junipero.
This kindof goes back to what I said about the show doing a good job targeting people, not the tech. This is the same exact tech used for the xmas special. there its used to create AI slaves, mine memories, and unending torture. here its used to create immortality ,paradise and memberberries.

member bubblebobble?


ep 5. not done. but this one has been done over and over before. "augmented reality used to trick soldiers into killing civilians". will see if there is a twist. outerlimits did it. several short story/movies. surrogate idea. people controlling drones killing civilians, thinking its a game. ffs the 5th wave did it, as well as arguably enders game.

The tech does play into the previous episodes. again same tech as the fear game one. and very similar the others.