Image: “Black Mirror” Season 7 Poster via IMDb
Almost 15 years since debuting on Netflix, ”Black Mirror” (2011) has returned for its seventh season. “Black Mirror” is known for its blend of science fiction, horror and psychological dramas. Each episode follows its own plot in a dystopian world, giving you a look into how bad technology can evolve and lose our sense of privacy and control.
Common People
This episode may have hit a bit too close to home regarding the struggle for health coverage and those damn subscription plans. Rashida Jones and Chris O’Dowd star in this heartbreaking episode. Starting the episode, Jones plays a woman who has fallen into a coma with no way to afford surgery…until a sales rep (Trace Ellis Ross) appears. She was offered ”free” surgery with just a low payment of $300 per month for the rest of her life if her husband wanted her to wake up again. O’Dowd will do anything for his wife in this episode, no matter the consequence, and I love that for him. Never did he make his wife feel like an inconvenience; he just wanted to spend time with her and be happy. This episode just feels like a screwed up mirror for what so many people are dealing with regarding healthcare, you start to sympathize with the couple and I even caught myself getting frustrated with Ross whenever she appeared on screen. This episode just pulled at my heartstrings, and I don’t think there are many “Black Mirror” episodes that have made me want the best outcome for their characters. This might be the first episode of the season, but maybe start with something different before you watch this, unless you want to experience the five stages of grief.
Bête Noire
“I don’t care if you understand it, I’m doing it to hurt you.” Verity Greene, you’re scaring me. Two high school “friends” run into each other after years apart, coincidentally, or so they thought. Siena Kelly plays Maria, a researcher for a chocolate company who hosts a focus group for her new concept when Greene arrives, played by Rosy McEwen. Over time, Maria suspects that Greene is sabotaging her, but no one will believe her. This was a great psychological episode featuring the Mandela effect to the extreme and some light gaslighting from Greene. “Black Mirror” even announced that they released two of the same episodes with just a few differences to make their watcher think they’re being gaslighted too. All I can say is that I have never been so creeped out by someone drinking almond milk. I really enjoyed the plot of this episode; it was a really slow burn, and I wasn’t sure where it was going. The third act of the episode was very entertaining, and once we figured out how Greene had been controlling everyone, but the ending seemed abrupt and very unexpected.
Hotel Reverie
Who knew we’d be getting a love story between Issa Rae and Emma Corrin? In this universe, Rae plays Brandy, an actress looking for her next role, but this time she wants to be the one to seduce her co-star. She reaches out to play the lead in one of her favorite old movies, “Hotel Reverie.” The creators of this new version of the movie made a device that can transport your consciousness into the movie, and everything looks and feels real. Watching this episode, I was excited to see another lesbian plot line. I love “San Junipero,” it’s one of my favorite episodes to show someone, so when I realized where this episode was going, I was ready. But this episode doesn’t compare to the chemistry between the couple in “San Junipero.” Although the chemistry between the actresses was timid, it plays out the plot of two women realizing they are falling in love for the first time. I was afraid of where this episode might go, I was convinced that Brandy might even get trapped in the movie forever or that the characters might turn on Brandy, given the timeline of the original. But the lovely couple get their happy ending, or at least the “Black Mirror” version of a “happy” ending.
Plaything
Murder mystery or sci-fi? Another video game-centered “Black Mirror” episode has entered the chat. “Plaything” takes place in both 1994 and 2024, a man is wanted for suspicion of a murder that occurred in the 90s. He blames his actions on protecting the Thronglets. These little creatures are digital life forms that he takes care of daily and even takes LSD to communicate with them. Switching back and forth between the 90s and 2020s, you start to wonder what could have happened for him to commit murder. Lesson of the day: do not mess with someone else’s game. The addictive thronglets have taken over this man’s life, and he will do anything to protect them. The plot line of this was super interesting to me as a true crime fan, and the ending left me content.
Eulogy
This is one of the tamer episodes this season. The episode is led by Paul Giamatti, who discovers the news that his old girlfriend has passed away, and the opportunity to remember his girlfriend arises. This is just another classic “Black Mirror” episode featuring a small device that you attach to your head that transports you into a photograph. This isn’t the first time that one of these devices has been used in the series. ”USS Callister” and “Hotel Reverie” use similar technology devices, and “The Entire History of You” also taps into replaying past memories. Eulogy was the most predictable episode of the season for me. With no real plot twist, only emotional heartache that could’ve been solved simply by communicating.
USS Callister: Into Infinity
I need another episode following this plot, immediately. Actually, Netflix, let’s just make a limited series for this. I want the before, after and more. This was probably my most anticipated episode of the entire season. One of the first episodes I ever saw of “Black Mirror” was the first ”USS Callister,” so when I heard they were making a part two, I was excited. In “USS Callister,” a game designer has made DNA clones of his coworkers and keeps them in a digital world based on a TV show he watched when he was younger. These clones live in an almost “Star Trek-esque” universe while their real selves continue to live free. In this sequel, Nanette and the rest of the crew escaped with their ship into a new dimension, and instead of going up against Daly, played by Jessie Simmons, they have to protect themselves from 30 million players. Cristin Milioti, who plays Nanette, does an amazing job handling her character, and I was happy to see more of her in both the digital and real world. This ending was both satisfying and added a clever twist. You can never expect an ending from “Black Mirror,” or they will pull that rug from underneath you.
Lauren Flynn-Miller is a fourth-year Interdisciplinary Studies major with minors in Journalism and Media & Culture. LF954013@wcupa.edu