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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

#51

Post by the_af »

1123581321 wrote: post #11
AcerbicZero wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Fully agreed! "The Entire History of You" is when I realized Black Mirror was great. Such an interesting episode -- more about human behavior than about tech, really.

For some reason I also liked the episode's title itself; to me it sounds like a name Neil Gaiman would come up with.

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

#52

Post by rhizome »

the_af wrote: post #19
soneca wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Interesting about "Playtest," did you see "10 Cloverfield Lane?" Same director.

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

#53

Post by rhizome »

skciva wrote: post #45
soneca wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

You think that was a worse episode than the first episode of the series? Or The Waldo Moment? I really think Black Mirror is suffering from the Internet hype machine. If you never saw the show and only read the buzz online you'd think the first 2 seasons were masterclass and this one was a disaster..I thoroughly enjoyed all 3 seasons and thought some episodes were stronger than others but there was no large change in…

I agree. I think it's always been good and it might even be getting better.

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

#54

Post by rhizome »

josu wrote: post #9
tptacek wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The first episode of the new season seems like it's literally a "serious" hour-long version of the Community MeowMeowBeenz episode.

Also, that episode was written by Rashida Jones and Michael Schur, both from The Office and Parks and Recreation.

Michael Shur also played Dwight's cousin Mose.

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

#55

Post by rhizome »

josu wrote: post #16
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?

The initial shock thing, I agree, and also backlash inflation.

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

#56

Post by pluma »

tptacek wrote: post #36
tintor wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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.

There was a trailer a few years back with a bunch of 20-something white gamer dudes in some kind of dystopian future gamer den playing a CoD style shooter, which was in reality --- well, the same plot twist as "Men Against Fire". I thought (a) the trailer was much more evocative than the Man Against Fire episode, and (b) that it was possible that "Man Against Fire" borrowed its idea from that trailer. Later Found it!…

Both UV and the BM episode strongly reminded me of an Outer Limits (I think?) episode about a perpetual war between humans and aliens in some underground cave. The reveal is pretty similar to that in Men Against Fire, except the justification is different.

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

#57

Post by pluma »

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.…

Honestly? Season 3 seemed the weakest of the bunch but I feel that the final episode made up for the rest. And even a weak Black Mirror episode is still pretty decent if you don't hold it up to the ridiculous standards that seasons 1 and 2 set for the show.

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

#58

Post by wavefunction »

tdkl wrote: post #44
tintor wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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.

The basic idea also isn't that novel, collective dehumanizing the enemy with using LSD on soldiers was quite a popular sport some decades ago.

It didn't work with LSD though.

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

#59

Post by nickpsecurity »

tptacek wrote: post #36
tintor wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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.

There was a trailer a few years back with a bunch of 20-something white gamer dudes in some kind of dystopian future gamer den playing a CoD style shooter, which was in reality --- well, the same plot twist as "Men Against Fire". I thought (a) the trailer was much more evocative than the Man Against Fire episode, and (b) that it was possible that "Man Against Fire" borrowed its idea from that trailer. Later Found it!…

Still haven't watched Black Mirror yet. The Uncanny Valley thing was really good. I think it's a plausible scenario at some point with it likely being UAV's first given they have less detail to begin with. Reminds me of a particular scene in Enders Game that ended up being my favorite since it was all around awesome. Wonder if that was the inspiration.

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

#60

Post by the_af »

rhizome wrote: post #52
the_af wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Interesting about "Playtest," did you see "10 Cloverfield Lane?" Same director.

Not yet, but my friends spoiled the plot for me. I know enough about it to think I'd probably like it. I'll probably watch it even knowing the plot.

There's nothing in Playtest that's similar to 10 Cloverfield Lane. It really has no redeeming qualities.

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