Wow, Beyond the Sea was too long, too boring and too predictable.
So much wrong about that one.
Oh, and they couldn’t use the best and most famous version of the song?
The Robbie Williams version from Finding Nemo?
“Lar Mer” by Charles Trenet was the first hit version of the song and there were a few English versions before Bobby Darin’s in 1959. It plays a lot in the show and its use was one of the few surprising elements of the episode.
Of the episodes you have left, we liked “Demon 79”. Note from the opening credits that it’s released under the label “Red Mirror” (not quite sure what that means)
Brooker said: “Demon 79 opens with a ‘Red Mirror presents’ title sequence, marking it out as ‘different-from-yet-adjacent-to’ Black Mirror. This is because, typically, Black Mirror has focused on tech dystopias or media satire, whereas this story has a stronger supernatural element, harking back to 1970s horror. The episode is almost unclassifiable.” … Brooker said we could “possibly” see more episodes under the label.
Not sure why Mazey Day wasn’t also in that category. Loch Henry had nothing to do with technology or the supernatural, so it fits with neither.
Alas, the show has an irritating habit of front loading its best episode each season.
But it did have a major component of media satire, in the whole “True Crime as Economic Development” aspect. They turned the worst crime in their town’s history into a major driving force of its economy.
Plus, just because it’s old technology doesn’t mean the VHS tapes aren’t technology. This crime hit in just the right period for videotaping everything to be a thing. Prior to this, home cameras like that were much less common, and you needed to develop the film too. This was the first time in history you could make decent quality videos all by yourself, with no need to have special skills like developing film. It was also possible to hide it in plain sight, on a shelf of recorded TV shows. It would have taken actual effort to find the evidence on those tapes. The point is, every new technology can have great impacts on things we might not think about. It happened 30 years ago, it’s happening today, and it will still be happening 30 years from now.
Let’s look:
Season 1: Best episode is probably NOT The National Anthem.
Season 2: Debateable. I’d pick White Bear, but first episode was Entire History of You. Maybe?
Season 3: San Junipero is the fourth episode and one of the best in the series. Nosedive was first.
Season 4: USS Calister probably was the best one in the bunch and was first.
Season 5: I have no opinion on this season’s 3 episodes. They were all generic.
Season 6: Joan is Awful is first and one of the best in the entire show.
I believe, but am not sure, that Joan is Awful was indeed moved to the first episode even though Brooker said it was filmed last. He said it as the most Black Mirror-ish of the new episodes and Netflix wanted it as the lead episode.
Anyway, sometimes they put the best first, sometimes not.
I’m slowly catching up and have made it through the first three.
I share the love for Joan is Awful, but it isn’t what I watch Black Mirror for. Like San Junipero, I enjoy JiA more than other episodes, but it doesn’t make me think as much as The Entire History of You or Be Right Back. That said, it’s hilarious, especially the break-in at Streamberry and Michael Cera.
Loch Henry was so-so. It was predictable and disturbing, and I really dislike torture even when there’s nothing explicit. But the last 10 minutes was perfect. Throughout the awards ceremony, after party, and alone in his hotel room, Davis has no lines of dialog. You just see the emotions play out on his face as everything happens around him. Then alone in the hotel room, he pulls out his mother’s suicide note: “For your film.” He looks at the award trophy, a mask…and roll credits. Sublime.
I liked Beyond the Sea much more than many of you. From the moment Cliff had the idea to loan his avatar, everything after was completely predictable, but it was executed so well. I thought they did a great job showing how deranged David was becoming, so his actions weren’t surprising at all.
And I appreciated the slower pace. It worked well for the mood, and gives more time for dread to set it.
I thought it made perfect sense. As I said above, David seemed completely insane to me by that point. He realizes he can never have what Cliff has, and worse, can no longer even go visit briefly, and he thinks Cliff doesn’t appreciate what he does have. The most obvious move would be to kill Cliff, but staying alive requires two people to service the ship, so his next best option is to put them on equal footing. And when Cliff walks in at the end and David pushes out his chair, Cliff also realizes he has no choice.