Black Mirror (BBC)(Netflix)

[oaken1]

No, S1E1 was "The National Anthem" featuring the British PM.

okay... my brothers netflix is sketchy...not even sure of the name but it was the one in which folks had that little computer chip put in their neck and it recorded everything they do and stored it as memory for them.

Redo??

 

[Superbone]

okay... my brothers netflix is sketchy...not even sure of the name but it was the one in which folks had that little computer chip put in their neck and it recorded everything they do and stored it as memory for them.

Redo??

I haven't seen that one yet but the technology is very similar to one featured in a S4 episode.

 

[Shaggy]

okay... my brothers netflix is sketchy...not even sure of the name but it was the one in which folks had that little computer chip put in their neck and it recorded everything they do and stored it as memory for them.

Redo??

The one that Robin Williams played in?

 

[oaken1]

The one that Robin Williams played in?

havent seen any with Robin williams

 

[Superbone]

The one that Robin Williams played in?

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Had to google to figure out what you’re talking about.

 

[oaken1]

That appears to be a recurring theme in Black Mirror.. I have only seen four episodes and there were two with this type of theme... one where a "grain" was implanted in the neck and everyone carried around a little remote... they reviewed memories at parties,...displyed on TV...they could also look back just in their own eyes to zoom in and check peoples reactions and such..
another was a chip implanted in the brains of kids...so the parents could see what the kids see on an ipad.. then edit stressful images and sounds so the kids didnt have to see them.

great for philosophical discussions... IMO, we need memory degradation to survive...otherwise traumatic events will eventually just eat us up

 

[Cheesebeef]

That appears to be a recurring theme in Black Mirror.. I have only seen four episodes and there were two with this type of theme... one where a "grain" was implanted in the neck and everyone carried around a little remote... they reviewed memories at parties,...displyed on TV...they could also look back just in their own eyes to zoom in and check peoples reactions and such..
another was a chip implanted in the brains of kids...so the parents could see what the kids see on an ipad.. then edit stressful images and sounds so the kids didnt have to see them.

great for philosophical discussions... IMO, we need memory degradation to survive...otherwise traumatic events will eventually just eat us up

I think black mirror can be summed up in two words:

Technology bad.

 

[oaken1]

I think black mirror can be summed up in two words:

Technology bad.

from what I saw that did seem to come to the forefront.... Technology mixed with human nature also very bad...lol.
on that one with the ipad...I just knew nosey mom was gonna see her daughter get raped and murdered over that ipad and be helpless to stop it... but they were even less creative with it.

 

[Covert Rain]

from what I saw that did seem to come to the forefront.... Technology mixed with human nature also very bad...lol.
on that one with the ipad...I just knew nosey mom was gonna see her daughter get raped and murdered over that ipad and be helpless to stop it... but they were even less creative with it.

Yeah, I take the show to mean that technology not used properly by US is bad. I don't think the show is anti-technology as much as trying to tell us that technology without moral boundaries can have consequences.

 

[oaken1]

Yeah, I take the show to mean that technology not used properly by US is bad. I don't think the show is anti-technology as much as trying to tell us that technology without moral boundaries can have consequences.

agreed.

one of my biggest disappointments is that I will not likely ever get to plug a playstation into my head and play games with no screen or controllers ... but my grandkids will

 

[Superbone]

That appears to be a recurring theme in Black Mirror.. I have only seen four episodes and there were two with this type of theme... one where a "grain" was implanted in the neck and everyone carried around a little remote... they reviewed memories at parties,...displyed on TV...they could also look back just in their own eyes to zoom in and check peoples reactions and such..
another was a chip implanted in the brains of kids...so the parents could see what the kids see on an ipad.. then edit stressful images and sounds so the kids didnt have to see them.

great for philosophical discussions... IMO, we need memory degradation to survive...otherwise traumatic events will eventually just eat us up

Yeah, just watched The Entire History of You last night. That's the grain episode. It was a little disappointing for me since I had read that it was arguably the best episode in the entire run of the show. The fact that I had already seen the other episode you referenced from season 4 lessened the effect. It appears that they reuse ideas on the show. Another episode in S4 also was similar where they could review other's experiences for insurance purposes.

 

[Superbone]

Yeah, I take the show to mean that technology not used properly by US is bad. I don't think the show is anti-technology as much as trying to tell us that technology without moral boundaries can have consequences.

Agreed. Technology alone isn't bad but certain things just shouldn't be made available like the whole of your experiences visually and auditorily. Just like pretty much any tool can be used for evil.

 

[Superbone]

agreed.

one of my biggest disappointments is that I will not likely ever get to plug a playstation into my head and play games with no screen or controllers ... but my grandkids will

Yes, I want to experience the holodeck from Star Trek TNG.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Yeah, I take the show to mean that technology not used properly by US is bad. I don't think the show is anti-technology as much as trying to tell us that technology without moral boundaries can have consequences.

Well, yeah... it’s more like Humans bad. Humans with tech... worse.

 

[Shaggy]

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Had to google to figure out what you’re talking about.

What did you post from reddit? Nothing came up. I forgot the name of the movie but its where they had a recorder implanted in their brain when they were born. Their whole life was recorded and you could only view it when they died.

 

[Superbone]

What did you post from reddit? Nothing came up. I forgot the name of the movie but its where they had a recorder implanted in their brain when they were born. Their whole life was recorded and you could only view it when they died.

From Reddit:

I'm wondering if anyone out there has seen this little-known Robin Williams film that shares a similar concept with the Black Mirror episode The Entire History of You?

In The Final Cut, people are implanted with retinal recording devices at birth. They can't access these recordings or replay things (unlike in Black Mirror) until they die, when a person called a Cutter comes in and edits together their life footage for a funeral, called a rememory. Friends and family have input in special memories they want included to help them narrow it down. Cutters see people's darkest secrets and are often tasked with making terrible people look like saints.

This creates a paranoid society where people are never sure if they're being recorded or not. Young people start getting special tattoos that disable the recordings. It's a world of uncertainty and obsession.

I just discovered this show and I love it, and the connections between this episode and the movie are really interesting. It's fun to see how different creative people can have similar ideas and take them in their own unique directions. I like both approaches and I'd definitely recommend you guys check The Final Cut out.

 

[Shaggy]

From Reddit:

That's it! Its been years since I watched it and it was one of a few dark movies Robin did.

 

[oaken1]

That's it! Its been years since I watched it and it was one of a few dark movies Robin did.

Williams did a few dark ,movies.

The Fisher King is maybe one of my all time favorite movies...it is a bit odd and you have to pay attention to it...but it really is fantastic


Worlds Greatest Dad was also a dark one, but at the same time a hilarious screw you to the world. its an awesome look at how fake people really are

and of course...One Hour Photo was fairly dark as well..it did a good job of highlighting people who live on the fringe

Robin did "disturbed" maybe better than anybody

Insomnia was very good... he studied Dahmer for that one.... very likable serial killer

then of course "Death to Smoochy"...comedic but also very dark

what about "What Dreams May Come".. colorful, but explores the folly and consequence of suicide, and is also dark.

I guess "Dark" is subjective.. dark movie, dark subject, dark theme...each a little different.

we all remember Williams for his amazing comedy but IMO he did his best work when he wasnt being funny...dude was truly talented. I remember being so pissed when he didnt win an oscar for Dead Poets Society

 

[Superbone]

That's it! Its been years since I watched it and it was one of a few dark movies Robin did.

I'd never even heard of it. I'll definitely have to watch it. It sounds right up my alley.

 

[Shaggy]

I'd never even heard of it. I'll definitely have to watch it. It sounds right up my alley.

I thought it was pretty good from what I can remember. I liked it due to the theme of the movie. Your whole life recorded.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

It it just me or is it that almost every episode is incredibly well written until the end. The last 5-10 minutes on most episodes just fall flat. It is a shame too because they all seem to be well written until that point.

 

[Covert Rain]

It it just me or is it that almost every episode is incredibly well written until the end. The last 5-10 minutes on most episodes just fall flat. It is a shame too because they all seem to be well written until that point.

I don't think they all fall flat. However, it's interesting you bring this up because usually I do feel left wanting more of a story line because I think they are so good. It ends up feeling like they realize that towards the end and you get a quick wrap up.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I don't think they all fall flat. However, it's interesting you bring this up because usually I do feel left wanting more of a story line because I think they are so good. It ends up feeling like they realize that towards the end and you get a quick wrap up.

The story starts being so well developed, that I wished that some of them were 2 or even 3 episodes in a mini-series.. Like you said, I am left wanting more on just about every one because it seems like they hit an arbitrary time limit and need to wrap it up.

 

[Hoop Head]

I agree with all of you in that I'd like to see some of the stories continued into a second or third episode. I'm a little surprised that they haven't tried creating a spinoff yet, using one of the ideas from an episode to base a series around. Something like San Junipero would probably do well as a series, since that particular episode was very well received, it even got some award recognition. That is the only episode of the series that had a happy ending of sorts also. The rest are rather bleak, while some are depressing. I know the creator has mentioned that he's asked about San Junipero more than any other episode and that's the episode that fans request a follow up to the most as well. He hasn't ruled out doing followup episodes eventually but he wants to keep creating new stories and environments as long as they're able to before they decide to do followups. With how few episodes are in a season I'm glad that we're not getting followups right now, if they had longer seasons I'd be more interested then myself.

I think every episode in the series could have either a follow up on the story that was told, direct continuation of the story that would start almost as the episode previously ended, or another story being told using the same world that was created in the previous episode. That would be using a different narrative with the same technology previously revealed. I'd like to see more of certain stories the most, picking up where the previous episode ended. Specifically though I'd like to see more of the USS Callister story. That could be continued easily, IMO. There's a lot of things that could be explored if they continued that story. Not enough for a series itself but at least a few more episodes.

Here's what I'd like to see in a follow-up to USS Callister...

Spoiler

They could pick up right where it left off with the escaped clones trying to survive in that virtual world. Since they're now online in a large community of players the options are almost limitless in regards to who they'd encounter. That episode only briefly touched on trolls in the online gaming world, which there are a lot of. The interactions with those sort of players would be entertaining. Of course they'd need to expand on what happened with Robert Daly, if he's stuck in the game until someone is able to help him out of the gaming world. They could show him trying to leave the game to no avail and then him hunting down the clones. First he'd need to find a way to get online since he's trapped in the offline portion that he created for himself. I believe there are other clones still stuck in that portion also. Going back to the clones they could show them trying to contact their real world selves to tell them what Daly was doing with the game. Of course they'd also have to convince their real world selves that they're really "real" as well. What the real versions of them would do with that info though, who knows. What could be done though, legally, if anything?

There are a few other episodes I wouldn't mind seeing visited again either, telling a different story though within that world, like "Nosedive", "Hang The DJ", and "Fifteen Million Merits". Those were all fun concepts and interesting worlds I'd like to see more of and from a different point of view. I'm surprised they've put out 19 episodes so far and they haven't really recycled the same story or technology throughout. The closest they've come to recycling technology was the implant that recorded memories from "The Entire History of You" and "Arkangel" but they were presented very differently and with just enough changes made that it was interesting. I guess the technology from "White Christmas" was similar to that used in "USS Callister" but again, they used that completely different than one another. I'm surprised they've managed to create so many interesting ideas and worlds. Some shows struggles to create an intriguing and interesting world throughout the course of an entire season but Black Mirror manages to create intriguing worlds within every hour they've produced.

 

[jf-08]

Started watching this. It is so unique. I love it. "White Bear" was a fantastic episode - probably one of my favorite episodes in all of tv history.