Featuring stand-alone dramas — sharp, suspenseful, satirical tales that explore techno-paranoia — “Black Mirror” is a contemporary reworking of “The Twilight Zone” with stories that tap into the collective unease about the modern world.
Even though the series just debuted its seventh season, there’s no need to feel intimidated and binge-watch the first six. Anyone can approach Black Mirror at any time or any episode without worrying about feeling lost. This satirical anthology series has no direct continuity to previous arcs, and each episode is a new story on its own. Having not seen the first six seasons myself, I’m unable to compare, however, I do feel it’s safe to say creator Charlie Brooker has something special here with his understanding of what nerdy, creative, and curious fans desire from home entertainment. He delivers six new episodes with similar advances in AI technology and vastly different perspectives ranging from society’s everyday life, 1940s films, and Star Trek-themed space adventures. It’s a new taste of every genre that’s easily capable of appeasing a wide audience.
One of the best aspects of season seven is the moral questions it poses. How far will you go to achieve what you desire? How much will you sacrifice for a loved one? What’s real and what’s not, can you tell the difference, and/or does it matter? These questions are not easy to answer, and this series challenges you not just to answer the questions but to look deep within yourself and find why. Some episodes are harder to watch than others, and slightly more entertaining, but they all delivered something impactful. It may change the way you perceive reality and ponder what’s beyond your existing imagination on what’s possible with technology and human life.
It seems as if Artificial Intelligence is everywhere, and it’s abundant in this show. Some feel AI is a blessing while others feel it’s a curse. Neither opinion is wrong, but the large array of story points to delve into is endless, scary, and engaging. Though AI wasn’t just some random mindless computer here; it had personality, soul, and felt real, which made the series much more exceptional. You don’t always feel a deep connection with the characters that bring a story to life, which was the case here across the board. All sides of the spectrum were explored—the good, the bad, and the in-between. Even if you didn’t agree with someone’s end goal, you understood where they were coming from. At the start of some episodes, you’ll have a mindset, but by the end, it could be the total opposite, and for a show to do that consistently speaks volumes.
The series boasts some of the best talent. All from different backgrounds including Paul Giamatti, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Rashida Jones, etc. As expected, there were brief moments of Oscar/Emmy greatness too. If the previous seasons were this good, I’ve personally been missing out. Whether the talent was a known award winner or someone with lower acclaim, you will sympathize with their characters. Tied with great sound and editing, you’re in for a ride and won’t know how each episode will end until it does. I imagine the creator Charlie was a part of the writing process for each episode, but they each had a different director. This made each episode feel like its own film, with similar themes, yet vastly different takes, and still all tied together to express the human experiences through emotions not yet explored or at least talked about in the public sphere.
Black Mirror season seven is a near masterpiece. This series or season is a prime example of what’s possible when a production takes its time to relate everything to present-day life with talented experts across the board. It’s apparent research was done. It’s clear there was clever communication from all sides on how to connect with the audience and deliver. It wouldn’t be surprising to learn that the actors and actresses at one point in their lives experienced what their character was going through. It could also be that they are just very talented in acting. At this point, it doesn’t matter, because not only was I entertained, but I was challenged without feeling preached to. Black Mirror Season 7 is it, and it needs to be seen by as many as possible. Bring on Season 8 as fast as you can!
