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How “Black Mirror” Gets Its Barely Sci-Fi Tech Just Right

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Re: How “Black Mirror” Gets Its Barely Sci-Fi Tech Just Right

#11

Post by 1123581321 »

AcerbicZero wrote: post #3
Analemma_ wrote: post #2

Are people liking the latest season of Black Mirror? I'm only three episodes in and haven't yet gotten to San Junipero, which everyone says is the really good one, but so far I've been a little disappointed. This might be regression to the mean, since I felt that the first six episodes were six home runs in a row and it must be tough to keep a streak like that going, but so far season 3 seems to have lost something.…

I watched 2 or 3 episodes in this latest season, and they were solid, but a little predictable. Significantly better than the 1st season, which beyond the shock factor of the first episode, was pretty much blah.

Many people think the third episode of the first season is the best of the series. It is the one I recommend people view first.

Re: How “Black Mirror” Gets Its Barely Sci-Fi Tech Just Right

#12

Post by DSteinmann »

Analemma_ wrote: post #2

Are people liking the latest season of Black Mirror? I'm only three episodes in and haven't yet gotten to San Junipero, which everyone says is the really good one, but so far I've been a little disappointed. This might be regression to the mean, since I felt that the first six episodes were six home runs in a row and it must be tough to keep a streak like that going, but so far season 3 seems to have lost something.…

They can only reuse the same tropes so many times. Season 3 takes most of the "mind blowing" ideas from the first series and repackages them in a weaker presentation. The first episode was a weaker repackaging of Fifteen Million Merits (intrusion of social media rankings). I think there were two rehashes of White Christmas (protagonist being in an alternate universe where time moves slowly, which is always revealed a the end of the episode). White Chrismas did this much more effectively. Season 3 is just a thin shell around the same tropes.

Re: How “Black Mirror” Gets Its Barely Sci-Fi Tech Just Right

#13

Post by danso »

Analemma_ wrote: post #2

Are people liking the latest season of Black Mirror? I'm only three episodes in and haven't yet gotten to San Junipero, which everyone says is the really good one, but so far I've been a little disappointed. This might be regression to the mean, since I felt that the first six episodes were six home runs in a row and it must be tough to keep a streak like that going, but so far season 3 seems to have lost something.…

I've only watched episodes 2, 3, and 6, and I agree, not particularly compelling compared to even the 3 worst episodes of the previous seasons. It's still good, but not uniquely interesting or provoking in the way that past seasons have been.

Re: How “Black Mirror” Gets Its Barely Sci-Fi Tech Just Right

#14

Post by josu »

soneca wrote: post #6
Analemma_ wrote: post #2

Are people liking the latest season of Black Mirror? I'm only three episodes in and haven't yet gotten to San Junipero, which everyone says is the really good one, but so far I've been a little disappointed. This might be regression to the mean, since I felt that the first six episodes were six home runs in a row and it must be tough to keep a streak like that going, but so far season 3 seems to have lost something.…

The first episode is the very worst of the whole serious. "Fan-fiction" level of writing. Everything so obvious with tired tropes. A critique to social media that could be done by an imaginative high school kid. The other ones are good, interesting and worth watching. Although only San Junipero is great. Edit: Shut up and dance is great too.

I don't think this comment should be downvoted. While I did enjoy this episode, it does stand out in the series. While there is certainly some dark humor throughout the series, this one is straight out dark comedy, from beginning to end. AFAIK it is also the only one not written by Charlie Brooker, thus the fanfiction feel that soneca talks about.

Re: How “Black Mirror” Gets Its Barely Sci-Fi Tech Just Right

#15

Post by unfunco »

Analemma_ wrote: post #2

Are people liking the latest season of Black Mirror? I'm only three episodes in and haven't yet gotten to San Junipero, which everyone says is the really good one, but so far I've been a little disappointed. This might be regression to the mean, since I felt that the first six episodes were six home runs in a row and it must be tough to keep a streak like that going, but so far season 3 seems to have lost something.…

Sorry to comment again, but you mentioned "six home runs in a row" – there's also a Christmas special called "White Christmas" – if you haven't seen it already, is also one of the better episodes, starring the main guy from Mad Men (Jo(h?)n Hamm?)

Re: How “Black Mirror” Gets Its Barely Sci-Fi Tech Just Right

#16

Post by josu »

Analemma_ wrote: post #2

Are people liking the latest season of Black Mirror? I'm only three episodes in and haven't yet gotten to San Junipero, which everyone says is the really good one, but so far I've been a little disappointed. This might be regression to the mean, since I felt that the first six episodes were six home runs in a row and it must be tough to keep a streak like that going, but so far season 3 seems to have lost something.…

I really enjoyed this season. Maybe the fact that is 6 episodes long (I spaced them out throughout a couple of weeks) made me spend more time thinking about it, than the first seasons.

I don't think that the quality has slipped. Maybe you are being too critical because it has lost its initial shock factor?

Re: How “Black Mirror” Gets Its Barely Sci-Fi Tech Just Right

#17

Post by tintor »

unfunco wrote: post #5
Analemma_ wrote: post #2

Are people liking the latest season of Black Mirror? I'm only three episodes in and haven't yet gotten to San Junipero, which everyone says is the really good one, but so far I've been a little disappointed. This might be regression to the mean, since I felt that the first six episodes were six home runs in a row and it must be tough to keep a streak like that going, but so far season 3 seems to have lost something.…

To me, the third episode (Shut up and dance) is the outstanding episode, at the end I was mentally exhausted and incredibly saddened. San Junipero is different, without ruining things, it's the only episode where at the end, I wasn't considering the "where" that we're heading towards as a society (though on further thinking, it's a question of whether something good is also something moral.) – It's just very differen…

> there's one episode which I didn't finish as it just didn't interest me, it was the army-type episode, I got bored incredibly quickly.

"Men Against Fire" was the most disturbing episode of the season. Army with AR implants for zero-empathy ethnic cleansing.

Re: How “Black Mirror” Gets Its Barely Sci-Fi Tech Just Right

#18

Post by alvern »

unfunco wrote: post #5
Analemma_ wrote: post #2

Are people liking the latest season of Black Mirror? I'm only three episodes in and haven't yet gotten to San Junipero, which everyone says is the really good one, but so far I've been a little disappointed. This might be regression to the mean, since I felt that the first six episodes were six home runs in a row and it must be tough to keep a streak like that going, but so far season 3 seems to have lost something.…

To me, the third episode (Shut up and dance) is the outstanding episode, at the end I was mentally exhausted and incredibly saddened. San Junipero is different, without ruining things, it's the only episode where at the end, I wasn't considering the "where" that we're heading towards as a society (though on further thinking, it's a question of whether something good is also something moral.) – It's just very differen…

The Twitter-death-drone episode could have been a stand alone movie. Everything in that story and execution was polished and well put together. The pacing was fantastic compared to the others in the bunch.

Re: How “Black Mirror” Gets Its Barely Sci-Fi Tech Just Right

#19

Post by the_af »

soneca wrote: post #6
Analemma_ wrote: post #2

Are people liking the latest season of Black Mirror? I'm only three episodes in and haven't yet gotten to San Junipero, which everyone says is the really good one, but so far I've been a little disappointed. This might be regression to the mean, since I felt that the first six episodes were six home runs in a row and it must be tough to keep a streak like that going, but so far season 3 seems to have lost something.…

The first episode is the very worst of the whole serious. "Fan-fiction" level of writing. Everything so obvious with tired tropes. A critique to social media that could be done by an imaginative high school kid. The other ones are good, interesting and worth watching. Although only San Junipero is great. Edit: Shut up and dance is great too.

Really? I liked the first episode. What I think is the absolute worst (of all Black Mirror, I'd say!) is the second episode, Playtest. It's embarrassingly bad, completely amateurish, not really scary, too drawn out and with dodgy SFX and a weak premise.

I also didn't like Shut Up & Dance much. To me it felt like a weaker "White Rabbit", and much of the episode hinges on a single plot twist at the end (much like White Rabbit, but that one was better executed).

I liked San Junipero. I liked that it has a different, unexpected tone from the rest. I liked that it was kind-hearted, for a change. Haven't watched the rest of the season yet.

Just my opinions, of course.

Re: How “Black Mirror” Gets Its Barely Sci-Fi Tech Just Right

#20

Post by unfunco »

tintor wrote: post #17
unfunco wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To me, the third episode (Shut up and dance) is the outstanding episode, at the end I was mentally exhausted and incredibly saddened. San Junipero is different, without ruining things, it's the only episode where at the end, I wasn't considering the "where" that we're heading towards as a society (though on further thinking, it's a question of whether something good is also something moral.) – It's just very differen…

> there's one episode which I didn't finish as it just didn't interest me, it was the army-type episode, I got bored incredibly quickly. "Men Against Fire" was the most disturbing episode of the season. Army with AR implants for zero-empathy ethnic cleansing.

I might try it again, it got to the point where they were visiting the man that was a sympathiser and I switched off. It felt a bit like Starship Troopers (that isn't bad I suppose) but I just wasn't captivated at the time.
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