If long-form, episodic television series are novels, then “Black Mirror” is a compilation of short stories. The crux here is in the reality of “Black Mirror,” humans are merely pawns to the unexplained technological systems above them. The horror of this show comes from not only the disturbed cynicism of rapidly advancing technology, but also the looming thought that this could happen in real life.
Much of the tech that makes up the seventh season of “Black Mirror” boils down to a small device, no larger than a marble, being placed on the side of a character’s head and transporting them to a hyper-realistic, simulated landscape. While this type of technology does get a bit stale as the show drags on, the show is more about the different industries affected by this technology and how they might adapt. A movie with AI-generated actors and sets.
A romance story with tech that allows the user to step into old photos. A medical device keeping a woman alive that is plagued by a hostile subscription model. These are concepts that critique modernization in a uniquely “Black Mirror” way, which often result in bloody endings.
Though some could compare “Black Mirror” to the iconic 1960s sci-fi hit, “The Twilight Zone,” that would be doing both shows a disservice. “Black Mirror” is uniquely its own thing for better and for worse. Certain episodes are plagued by bizarre premises that struggle to complement any of their characters, cringeworthy dialogue, and inescapable feelings of dullness.
However, the anthology is what saves “Black Mirror” from itself. If you don’t like an episode, skip it and find one you do like. In the wake of more long-form shows continuously added to Netflix, each episode of “Black Mirror” stands alone, with most of the stories wrapping up in under an hour.
It moves along at a brisk pace, and while the weaker episodes drag a bit, you aren’t locked into an 8-hour series just to see a story to the end. What makes the show so exciting is finding that elusive good episode that challenges our perceptions of human nature and brings us to think more critically about the seemingly endless possibilities that technology brings. Season 7 of “Black Mirror” is certainly not the show’s finest season, though it is home to some of the show’s most depraved concepts yet.
It’s fitting that, as we become more reliant on technology that is seemingly pushing us backwards, there is a piece of mainstream media out there that represents the darkest possible path forward. bs344923@ohio.edu
