It's been a few years since Black Mirror released any new episodes. The last 2 seasons, and the interactive special, Bandersnatch were all let-downs, and it was starting to feel like the show had run out of creative juices. I kept hearing that the reason for the hiatus was a combination of the creators having run out of ideas, and also that some of the ideas that had come up with were getting too close to being real, and they didn't want to give real-life companies any ideas. (But I can't find a primary source for any of these claims, so take them with a grain of salt).
Well, Black Mirror is back with a seventh season, and I think it's a return to form for the series!
If you were disappointed with Bandersnatch and seasons 5 and 6, then you will be in for a pleasant surprise, as season 7 comes out of the gates swinging with an episode that I believe to be one of the series' best. It follows that up with 2 underwhelming episodes. I feel like these are more a problem of a failure to stick the landing, than of being fundamentally bad ideas, as they both start out with interesting premises. But then it goes on a real tear with 3 good-to-great episodes to close out the season. The penultimate episode is also fantastic and ranks among my favorite of the entire series.
Image ©: Netflix.
Image ©: Netflix.
Season 7 includes 2 of the best episodes of the entire series.
The most headline-grabbing episode is the finale, which is the series' first direct sequel. This one follows up on the events of "U.S.S. Callister from season 4. It was fine. I think the first "Callister" episode is much better. But the sequel follows up on some of the concepts from "U.S.S. Callister" that weren't really the focus of the original episode, such as the treatment of digital life. Actually, the treatment of digital life was a recurring theme this season, since an earlier episode was also entirely about that particular concept.
In any case, if the creators of Black Mirror were worried about giving ideas for the real-life techno-capitalist dystopia that we are rapidly sinking into, they seem to have gotten over that particular fear. The 2 best episodes of this season, "Common People" and "Eulogy" both work so well, in part, because of how real and imminent they feel. These episodes don't feel as much like a "possible future" that might happen a decade or so from now, like so many of Black Mirror's earlier episodes felt like. These episodes feel like they are already on track to be news headlines as early as next year.
"Common People" explores the potential pitfalls of healthcare becoming a subscription services in the same vein as a cell phone or streaming service plan. And "Eulogy" involves an A.I. based on a real person's personality and memories.
A.I.s and deep fakes are, of course, an incredibly relevant issue right now. A.I. deep fakes for the purposes of pornography, politics, reincarnating dead celebrities, and even giving court testimony from a deceased person are all happening right now! This season of Black Mirror explores these issues directly and bluntly, without relying on the fantastical abstraction along the lines of the original "U.S.S. Callister" or "Fifteen Million Merits" episodes.
Image ©: Netflix.
"Into Infinity" picks up on concepts that weren't thoroughly explored in "U.S.S. Callister".
If this is what Black Mirror can give us after a hiatus, then it was well worth the wait. Now excuse me while I go find a quiet corner to cry in...