Black Mirror (UK)

[meowington]

Well, not quite live. I watched the first 15 minutes last night, but then it was 12:20am and I really needed to sleep so as to get to work today...

You're aware you're ruining the viewer experience right ?

Ah gotcha -- yeah, I haven't seen that movie for many years so I don't remember anyone except for maybe Ewan MacGregor and Robert Carlyle... they were both in that, right? MOAH SCOTS

Yes, both in that.

You do remember this right ? Trainspotting - Spud's Brown Sheet Scene - YouTube
best scene ever

Did you have another username once a upon a time ? Didn't you have a blog "what dunnoanymore watched" where you posted what stuff you had seen ? Don't recall if it was you, but that was fun.

 

[Totenkindly]

Did you have another username once a upon a time ? Didn't you have a blog "what dunnoanymore watched" where you posted what stuff you had seen ? Don't recall if it was you, but that was fun.

Yes, I was writing "What Jenny Saw" over on WordPress; but eventually I moved over to Letterboxd.com.

(Link here)

So it lists all the movies I've seen + anything I write about them. It's kinda like a FaceBook/IMDB love-child for movie reviewers.

 

[miss fortune]

we watched all of season 3 in one go once we realized that it was online because we're a netflix binging household

favorite was San Junipero

because the love story was adorable... I loved having a bi character shown as someone who could have solid relationships and settle down with someone instead of just being an unmoored slut like the usual portrayal goes. I kind of related to things from the opposite viewpoint of [MENTION=7]Totenkindly[/MENTION] ... as an ExxP type I'm used to being the wildchild who draws people out of their shells and skips around trying to avoid attachments... I spent years doing that and I can understand the frustrations of getting feelings for someone when you didn't want to... when all you wanted was some fun because you've been hurt by attachments in the past and you just want to live a little and someone makes you fall in love with them... the happy ending to the episode definitely made me smile though

Nosedive and Hatred in the Nation

were both a bit unsettling to me just because they seemed kind of plausible in a way... people seem increasingly enthralled with social media and what they can do with it and to people with it... that disconnect between face to face interactions with people and what you're willing to say to people online and I'm assuming that's what he was aiming for with those episodes. and as someone who doesn't even have a facebook account that's the sort of world that I dread

overall I liked season 3... it didn't have quite the impact of White Christmas, but that's possibly a good thing... I found it overall more solid than either of the previous seasons (which we also binge watched)

 

[Totenkindly]

we watched all of season 3 in one go once we realized that it was online because we're a netflix binging household

favorite was San Junipero

because the love story was adorable... I loved having a bi character shown as someone who could have solid relationships and settle down with someone instead of just being an unmoored slut like the usual portrayal goes. I kind of related to things from the opposite viewpoint of [MENTION=7]Totenkindly[/MENTION] ... as an ExxP type I'm used to being the wildchild who draws people out of their shells and skips around trying to avoid attachments... I spent years doing that and I can understand the frustrations of getting feelings for someone when you didn't want to... when all you wanted was some fun because you've been hurt by attachments in the past and you just want to live a little and someone makes you fall in love with them... the happy ending to the episode definitely made me smile though

Yeah, Rex and I discussed it a little outside the thread too.

I just think it's great they managed to capture some aspect of introvert vs extrovert experience in the same episode, without maybe even thinking of it in those terms; it sounds like we could all really relate on some level to what was unfolding, from one side or another... and then see the "meeting point" in between the two.

I could watch that episode a few more times. I think it's really funny because the name is kind of incomprehensible -- What is San Junipero, and why would I care? But care I did, by the end.

It kinds of reminds me of my experiences in Second Life a bit, although I never talked to the one friend I had made. This was before / in the early part of my transition, and we would just talk to each other while doing stuff in-world. She was in the process of getting married and planning her wedding, and we talked about many things and providing some emotional connection and support... but I didn't really go into what I was dealing with at the time. It was just happy to finally be in a place where I could be friends and talk to someone at face value. But she and I were both introverts and the dynamics thus were more along those lines.

I did have another "friends breaking the wall" experience in WoW and we still occasionally (very occasionally) talk to each other in the real world. He was more of an extrovert and encouraging to me when we broke the virtual wall.

overall I liked season 3... it didn't have quite the impact of White Christmas, but that's possibly a good thing... I found it overall more solid than either of the previous seasons (which we also binge watched)

If I wasn't on my Halloween binge, I'd have finished it by now. Instead I watched "The Hills Have Eyes" (1977), which unfortunately wasn't really as exciting as I hoped.

 

[Frosty]

Watched the first episode- thought it was well written and worth watching- which is kind of a lot from me since I can be kind of a snob with tv... but yeah. I thought it was good. The premise was interesting... half way through the third one- skipped the second because I dunno... the premise of it... I dont like torture generally... and it sounded sort of like that and I dunno... decided to skip it. But might go back. I like this show because Im not thinking you have to watch it linearly... and I like to pick and choose episodes depending on just how interesting they sound so not having to fight against whether to do THAT or watch them in order... is nice. So yeah.

 

[Totenkindly]

well, just to specify, s03e02 "Playtest" isn't about torture. The scenario is simply about being in a VR setting where the mind can populate the surroundings with one's personal fears, supposedly as a way to explore and possibly overcome them. But also it seems to be considered one of the lesser episodes of the season. I'll rank them all from my perspective after I finish the last one tonight....

EDIT: Just finished the last one. It starts out as a regular procedural so to speak, but the enormity of it by the end is pretty powerful. I managed most of the time to get to the twist a minute or two ahead of the show, but I missed a few and it's pretty crazy by the end.

True spoilers -- it's a total kitchen sink there:

- Hashtags
- Online h8rs + social violence
- Killer bees
- Government surveillance
- Machiavellian mastermind
- Remote destruction
- Manifestos
- Driverless cars
- Home invasion (by bees!)

One of the best lines: "Yes, the government's a cunt." [in a tone that suggests "Can we move on now?"]
There were some others -- like most of the prime minister's lines as he's flipping out in the security meeting.

Benedict Wong just seemed to have one bad day after the next.

Also, for those who have seen this episode and "White Bear":

When Blue (?) says she worked on the Iain Rannock case, that case refers to the child killer in the Black Mirror episode "White Bear".

-----------------------------------

my ranking is pretty much what Rex already said, except I have two "Tie" slots.
1. San Junipero [hands down]
2 [tie]. Men Against Fire [Very focused and on target, just smaller scale]
2 [tie]. Hated in the Nation [needs time to warm up but HUGE scale]
4 [tie]. Nose Dive [Very relevant and with a Main Point, but the plot was kind of uneven]
4 [tie]. Shut Up and Dance [Well-done and very plausible; but the point made was rather small]
6. Playtest

I felt like Playtest, while adequate, was notably below the rest of the pack.

 

[violet_crown]

I finished the rest of the series as of now, I'd rank the episodes like this:

1. San Junipero
2. Men Against Fire
3. Hated in the Nation
4. Nose Dive
5. Shut Up and Dance
6. Playtest

my ranking is pretty much what Rex already said, except I have two "Tie" slots.
1. San Junipero [hands down]
2 [tie]. Men Against Fire [Very focused and on target, just smaller scale]
2 [tie]. Hated in the Nation [needs time to warm up but HUGE scale]
4 [tie]. Nose Dive [Very relevant and with a Main Point, but the plot was kind of uneven]
4 [tie]. Shut Up and Dance [Well-done and very plausible; but the point made was rather small]
6. Playtest

I felt like Playtest, while adequate, was notably below the rest of the pack.

Might be gratifying for you to see that AV Club just wrapped up its reviews for the show this week and was very much in line with the rankings we came up with.

1. San Junipero A
2. [tie] Men Against Fire A-
2. [tie] Nosedive A-
3. Hated in the Nation B+
4. [tie] Playtest B
4. [tie] Shut up and Dance B

 

[Totenkindly]

Might be gratifying for you to see that AV Club just wrapped up its reviews for the show this week and was very much in line with the rankings we came up with.

1. San Junipero A
2. [tie] Men Against Fire A-
2. [tie] Nosedive A-
3. Hated in the Nation B+
4. [tie] Playtest B
4. [tie] Shut up and Dance B

For other reviews, the Forbes reviewer really HATED "Hated in the Nation" and gave it last place because he thought it was all fabricated and irrelevant. (I think he was way overreacting, it's like he was carrying baggage nito his review from some other show he hated -- maybe he's been forced to watch too many procedurals or something.) But his #5 was Playtest and #1 was San Junipero. I think he also gave Men Against Fire the #4 slot as well; don't ask me. I think he gave SHut Up and Dance the #2 slot mainly for the things I liked about it -- it's pretty lean, it cultivates curiosity (because you're trying to figure out what is going on and what comes next), and has a twist in it, but as noted its main flaw is just that there isn't much more to it.

The only bitching I saw about San Junipero was some reviewer on IMDB who seemed to miss the value of the episode based on the cursory review... like they missed all the nuances of the growing relationship and/or didn't value that aspect and wanted something different, but the human relational drama was the core of the episode.

 

[meowington]

I saw "shut up and dance" *realistic and creepy as hell. has the potential of ruining jerking off forever. Did Kenny really watch kiddie porn ? Or did the trolls just made that up ?* and San Junipero *amazing and a happy end for a change. I would however not "cross over". I consider the fact that we all die one day as solace. Living forever seems more like a nightmare, even if it's in a fun place like San Junipero.*

Who ever comes up with these scripts is a genius. Casting is also exceptional.

Looking forward to "men against fire" cause it's directed by a fellow countryman. 2 more to go, bummer

 

[Totenkindly]

I saw "shut up and dance" *realistic and creepy as hell. has the potential of ruining jerking off forever. Did Kenny really watch kiddie porn ? Or did the trolls just made that up ?* and San Junipero *amazing and a happy end for a change. I would however not "cross over". I consider the fact that we all die one day as solace. Living forever seems more like a nightmare, even if it's in a fun place like San Junipero.*

Who ever comes up with these scripts is a genius. Casting is also exceptional.

Looking forward to "men against fire" cause it's directed by a fellow countryman. 2 more to go, bummer

- It's highly suggestive he did, although it plays off his demeanor as nice and shy which creates ambiguity that makes the episode work. Like I mentioned earlier, it seems odd he'd take such big risks if all he did was jerk off once to regular porn since I dare say it's kind of expected. And he robs a bank to avoid being exposed. Also, the other guy he has to fight to death says, "How young were they?" Makes sense they'd put two people with the same issue together; Kenny tries to even murder him with the gun to cover up. At some point if it was just regular porn, wouldn't he have said, "Screw this!" ?
- I think Yorkie drops a line that says you can always choose to cross over from San Junipero, you're not stuck there forever just because you choose to go there upon death for awhile. Although that opens up other areas of complexity -- like what's an authenticated process to allow one to in essence die? If it's not complex enough, then what happens if the system accidentally flags someone as choosing death but it's a bug, and the company kills them? What if there is an incident and some folks' data is wiped, in effect killing them, but the company forges data to pretend they chose death? What if the infamous zombie virus from WoW or Rhakghoul virus from SWTOR runs through the population, which could be worse than death? Are these "dead people" still legally alive, and what rights do they have? ETC

 

[Frosty]

I was just coming to this thread to ask what the best episodes were! And then I see all these rankings and YES. Perfect!

So far my favorite is the first one-the one with the pig. Ive only seen 4 though so far.

My dad watched the second episode of the third and said it was just absolutely terrifying.

 

[meowington]

- It's highly suggestive he did, although it plays off his demeanor as nice and shy which creates ambiguity that makes the episode work. Like I mentioned earlier, it seems odd he'd take such big risks if all he did was jerk off once to regular porn since I dare say it's kind of expected. And he robs a bank to avoid being exposed. Also, the other guy he has to fight to death says, "How young were they?" Makes sense they'd put two people with the same issue together; Kenny tries to even murder him with the gun to cover up. At some point if it was just regular porn, wouldn't he have said, "Screw this!" ?

yeah, you're right that it was suggested. But the way these trolls operate is scary. they can still make it look like anything. This made me come up with this premise about a technology where all you need is 5 minutes of video of someone and you can manipulate it anyway you want. I think that might even be happening if you see how powerful photo manipulation already is.
Wasn't there a movie where a female star turned out to be a fabricated virtuality ?

- I think Yorkie drops a line that says you can always choose to cross over from San Junipero, you're not stuck there forever just because you choose to go there upon death for awhile. Although that opens up other areas of complexity -- like what's an authenticated process to allow one to in essence die? If it's not complex enough, then what happens if the system accidentally flags someone as choosing death but it's a bug, and the company kills them? What if there is an incident and some folks' data is wiped, in effect killing them, but the company forges data to pretend they chose death? What if the infamous zombie virus from WoW or Rhakghoul virus from SWTOR runs through the population, which could be worse than death? Are these "dead people" still legally alive, and what rights do they have? ETC

yeah, I'm pretty sure the "terms of agreement" you'd need to sign would be lengthy As for the actual technological setup. Or the moral and political aspects of it.
I had never heard of those viruses. Interesting.

 

[meowington]

So far my favorite is the first one-the one with the pig. Ive only seen 4 though so far.

The one with the pig is a lot different than all the others to me. I find it an odd choice for first episode as I think that one particularly doesn't appeal to everyone.
But I liked every single episode so far. Can't pick a favorite. 2 to go.

 

[Totenkindly]

yeah, you're right that it was suggested. But the way these trolls operate is scary. they can still make it look like anything. This made me come up with this premise about a technology where all you need is 5 minutes of video of someone and you can manipulate it anyway you want. I think that might even be happening if you see how powerful photo manipulation already is.
Wasn't there a movie where a female star turned out to be a fabricated virtuality ?

S1m0ne or something? I don't remember. Not much of a spoiler, it was in the promo ads. There might have been another movie or two based on the same concept.

The one with the pig is a lot different than all the others to me. I find it an odd choice for first episode as I think that one particularly doesn't appeal to everyone.
But I liked every single episode so far. Can't pick a favorite. 2 to go.

I really liked s1e1 with the pig. It was outrageous but that's why it worked -- that social media is so strong that despite the absurdity of the idea, the PM was in a position where he had a lot of pressure to go along with the demands. It's all technically "non-existent" pressure, it's not like a gun is being pointed at his head, but it's still pressure strong enough to force behavior. That's what's fascinating about it... kind of like the social pressure in s301 Nosedive, except there you also have economic ramifications. This is what social media has come to, alas.

It might seem like an odd choice for the opener, but out of the three episodes, I think they wanted to end strong with s1e3, and let's face it... EVERYONE IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT EPISODE 1. I mean, dear god, there isn't going to be any confusion over what series people are talking about at the water cooler, you just mention "the PM and the pig." And it sets the bar as "anything can happen in this series." They needed buzz and wanted buzz so people would watch the other episodes. I think the second episode is pretty slow and not in my top list, so... couldn't start with that, and then they end strong for season 1.

I think the episodes I cared least for were s302 Playtest and s203 The Waldo Moment... although maybe the latter is worth a rewatch after this fubar election season. Good grief.

My favorites have been: s1e3 The Entire History of You, s2e2 White Bear, s2e4 White Christmas, and s3e4 San Junipero. And maybe the pig one.

It really can't be overstated that, for a show with new actors each time out, the acting is typically really solid and/or strong. I've always been impressed by the people they get to star in these, considering they're not typically celebrity stars.

 

[Totenkindly]

Oh, more on Kenny from "Shut Up and Dance"

I forgot about the small scene at the beginning where he notices the little girl who left her toy at the table. This takes on a shocking tone when you have the new information at the end that he's potentially a pedo. There's no reason for the scene except to establish that he has an interest in kids, although if you DON'T know his fixation, then it comes off as kind and big-hearted. That's kind of scary too.

The actor looks very young, which is also a point of confusion. Apparently he has just gotten his license or is getting it. To USA audiences, well, we start people practice driving at 16 and many have a license by 17-18. Someone from GB mentioned in discussion that it's common for brits in the cities to not get a license until their 20's? that would establish him as older. Also, Kenny seems to be working full-time, as we are only shown him coming home and spending the evening at home after work during the day, we don't see him in school or doing homework and when he gets to work at 11am, he can bail without having to go back to school. Etc.

Certainly there's a little ambiguity in there because the trolls can tie anything they want to him, but it looks like the bulk of the episode is suggesting he's a young adult, not a minor himself. He only comes off as a minor because he looks very young. But that's another reason -- like with how adults seem to respect him even if his peers don't -- for no one to suspect.

 

[meowington]

Yeah all true.

Waldo is in the bottom of my list too. The idea fits the series but it's a lot less compelling than most episodes.

... although maybe the latter is worth a rewatch after this fubar election season. Good grief.

lol yeah

I thought Playtest was on par with the rest.

 

[Totenkindly]

Yeah all true.

Waldo is in the bottom of my list too. The idea fits the series but it's a lot less compelling than most episodes.



lol yeah

I thought Playtest was on par with the rest.

I've seen a few people say they like it.

I think Tractenberg directed it? (the director of 10 Cloverfield Lane?)

 

[meowington]

I think Tractenberg directed it? (the director of 10 Cloverfield Lane?)

Still haven't seen 10 Cloverfield Lane. Did you like it ?
My friend didn't trust my instinct to see it, so we went to The Revenant instead, of which I said it would suck. Afterwords I was like "told you so" (thought it was long-winded)

 

[Totenkindly]

Still haven't seen 10 Cloverfield Lane. Did you like it ?
My friend didn't trust my instinct to see it, so we went to The Revenant instead, of which I said it would suck. Afterwords I was like "told you so" (thought it was long-winded)

10 Cloverfield Lane is a good movie. I liked it, just not as much as I wanted to; but I know a lot of people who did like it a lot. (I like the original "Cloverfield" better, although production quality was better here I think.)

I liked The Revenant as well -- some beautiful cinematography and painful scenes to watch -- although I think Tom Hardy probably out-acted diCaprio in that movie. A decent movie that wasn't quite as good as it could have been.

 

[meowington]

I liked The Revenant as well -- some beautiful cinematography and painful scenes to watch -- although I think Tom Hardy probably out-acted diCaprio in that movie. A decent movie that wasn't quite as good as it could have been.

Yeah thank god for Tom Hardy or it would have been even more dull. The story lacked substance. And yeah the cinematography was exceptional but forced. Arty Farty kind of. I mean 2 minutes of water dripping from trees ?
Di Caprio should have gotten his Oscar for Shutter Island instead of Revenant. The Oscars never make sense
I liked Tom Hardy a lot in The Drop. He's great.