# Black mirror -why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 9, 2019, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270 "2019-06-09T23:14:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/1 "2019-06-09T23:14:46Z")
OK, here’s me with a three day weekend, so I decide to try out Black Mirror, from critical acclaim and all that. The first episode is a Prime Minister being forced to fuck a pig because of a kidnapped princess. Totally unpleasant show. I know this show has many devotees. How does it go from this repulsive beginning to something someone would want to see? ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/2 "2019-06-09T23:19:56Z")
> [@singular1](#): > > OK, here’s me with a three day weekend, so I decide to try out Black Mirror, from critical acclaim and all that. The first episode is a Prime Minister being forced to fuck a pig because of a kidnapped princess. Totally unpleasant show. I know this show has many devotees. How does it go from this repulsive beginning to something someone would want to see? I feel the same way. Tried a few EPs, didn’t like any of them. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/3 "2019-06-09T23:30:01Z")
I love the show. I have recommended it to several people with the suggestion that they save the first episode for later. The people I recommended it to didn’t stick with it, regardless of what episode they start with. It’s not for everybody. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/4 "2019-06-09T23:34:39Z")
I’ve been binging the first 3 seasons this weekend. it seems like a black satirical / speculative anthology show with emphasis on new technology. It’s absolutely great IMO. No one has done this before, that’s why. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/5 "2019-06-09T23:38:21Z")
The first episode is one of the worst. But you have to like dark and bleak stories to really like the series. If you want happy garbage, go watch the rest of all entertainment. Edit, not that there aren’t some truly heartfelt tear-jerkingly happy moments in black mirror (san junipero) just presented in a bleak way. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/6 "2019-06-09T23:43:31Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > The first episode is one of the worst. But you have to like dark and bleak stories to really like the series. If you want happy garbage, go watch the rest of all entertainment. but that is the thing for me. I love noir, books and movies. Maybe I should try again, a lot of people I know love it. I feel the same way about the Phillip K Dick series. Got excited when I heard of it. Saw a few and they were just OK. BTW, the “happy garbage” comment is a little insulting ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/7 "2019-06-09T23:44:12Z")
The majority of episodes are disturbing in some way, that one is disturbing in a way that’s a deal breaker for a lot of people. I tell friends to skip it when i recommend Black Mirror. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/8 "2019-06-09T23:56:24Z")
I think one of the best episodes is the [“White Christmas”](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3973198/?ref_=ttep_ep4) episode with Jon Hamm. Just when you think it’s reached peak _messed up-ness_ it steps it up some more. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/9 "2019-06-10T00:03:56Z")
BTW, I just went back to the IMDb link for White Christmas and noticed that under the heading “Storyline” (under the cast listing) it is very spoilery. Better to go in knowing nothing. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/10 "2019-06-10T00:04:33Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > but that is the thing for me. I love noir, books and movies. Maybe I should try again, a lot of people I know love it. > > I feel the same way about the Phillip K Dick series. Got excited when I heard of it. Saw a few and they were just OK. > > BTW, the “happy garbage” comment is a little insulting I find most “entertainment” a lot insultingly fake and stupid. I dont care if you like them or not. I know I’m in the minority. But I find one God damn show out of thousands that finally makes me think and, heaven forbid, actually _feel_ something and express my love for it only to be told I’m being insulting…no wonder I’m cynical and this love this show. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/11 "2019-06-10T00:15:33Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > I find most “entertainment” a lot insultingly fake and stupid. I dont care if you like them or not. I know I’m in the minority. But I find one God damn show out of thousands that finally makes me think and, heaven forbid, actually _feel_ something and express my love for it only to be told I’m being insulting…no wonder I’m cynical and this love this show. I find most of “entertainment” the same way. I’m with you. But you, because I didn’t love the show that you love, presume to say that I, and others who don’t love the show you love, only want happy garbage. Some of my favorite movies are Chinatown, Body Heat, Double Indeminity, etc ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/12 "2019-06-10T00:17:49Z")
I got hooked from the first episode, though I can understand why people were grossed out by it. I loved the way it always went beyond the obvious and dealt with ramifications that you wouldn’t have thought of. Some episodes are better than others, but there are few duds. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/13 "2019-06-10T00:17:51Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > I find most of “entertainment” the same way. I’m with you. But you, because I didn’t love the show that you love, presume to say that I, and others who don’t love the show you love, only want happy garbage. It wasn’t personal, man. It was “you” as in “all you in this stupid and insulting society.” Sorry if I was unclear. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/14 "2019-06-10T00:21:28Z")
Watch **USS Calister** for a treat. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/15 "2019-06-10T00:24:23Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > It wasn’t personal, man. It was “you” as in “all you in this stupid and insulting society.” Sorry if I was unclear. Well, I guess I overreacted. Sorry ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/16 "2019-06-10T00:27:24Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > Well, I guess I overreacted. Sorry I may have too. Let’s go get a beer. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/17 "2019-06-10T00:30:24Z")
**Black Mirror** is very much like **The Twilight Zone**. Some of the episodes are just OK. Others are bad. But the ones that are great are really great. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/18 "2019-06-10T00:32:47Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > I may have too. Let’s go get a beer. Cool, but be careful. This is sounding a little like an episode as yet unfilmed ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/19 "2019-06-10T00:39:49Z")
Have we really made up? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/PJzNUydlQ4I/hqdefault.jpg "Now Go Home And Get Your F\*\*king Shinebox") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJzNUydlQ4I) ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270/20 "2019-06-10T00:42:42Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > **Black Mirror** is very much like **The Twilight Zone**. Some of the episodes are just OK. Others are bad. But the ones that are great are really great. recommend some? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-mirror-why/835270.md?page=2)