# Electric Dreams (Amazon's answer to Black Mirror) is pretty darn good. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 12, 2018, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495 "2018-01-12T22:54:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2018, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/21 "2018-01-16T15:46:32Z")
I really enjoyed “Real Life” and I think the questions that arise are great fun. Philip K. Dick loved endings that made you argue and discuss what was real and what wasn’t. I also thought “Autofac” was very well done (and I always love seeing Janelle Monae). I wasn’t all that much of a fan of “Human Is” - maybe it needs a sequel to explore its themes in more detail? I saw “Crazy Diamond” last night and thought it fairly decent but not great. In addition, each episode has been absolutely gorgeous to look at (especially in 4k HDR). Crazy Diamond, specifically, looked utterly fantastic! ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2018, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/22 "2018-01-16T23:55:00Z")
I could not make sense of _Crazy Diamond_. What did Jill tell Sally? Why did Sally leave? Why was she mad at the protagonist? I felt like maybe this was a movie’s worth of story too far compressed? ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/23 "2018-01-17T00:48:18Z")
And _Hood Maker_, Why was the dialog between Ross and his boss different, when Honor read it, from what we saw portrayed before. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/24 "2018-01-17T00:52:56Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > You can tell that it was co-produced in the U.S. and the U.K. because the actors and the settings for the show are a mixture of British and American ones. Also, the trains and cars keep switching sides of the road. Very distracting. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/25 "2018-01-17T17:30:34Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > I could not make sense of _Crazy Diamond_. > > What did Jill tell Sally? Why did Sally leave? Why was she mad at the protagonist? > > I felt like maybe this was a movie’s worth of story too far compressed? My understanding was that she told Sally that Ed was going to leave her and run away with Jill, leaving Sally there to deal with their house collapsing and dying alone ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/26 "2018-01-17T19:51:07Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I’d never heard of the show until this thread. Saw a couple episodes. It is decent, but is more like outer limits than black mirror. That’s how I felt! Cheap, more recent Outer Limits too, with pretty bad acting and cheap plots. The two episodes I saw (Impossible Planet and the one with Bryan Cranston) were just really hard to relate to for some reason. The stories I saw lack the nuance of Black Mirror or the Twilight Zone. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/27 "2018-01-17T22:48:48Z")
> [@SigMan](#): > > What about the scene where “he” hops in the car and expected it to come alive? Instead “he” said,“I think you’d better drive!” > > This suggest to me the future life is the real life. Or that his mind is getting scrambled from using the VR device too much, just like his paramour is telling him is happening. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/28 "2018-01-17T22:50:22Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > I could not make sense of _Crazy Diamond_. > > What did Jill tell Sally? Why did Sally leave? Why was she mad at the protagonist? > > I felt like maybe this was a movie’s worth of story too far compressed? I understood none of this episode. Steve Buscemi was in it and that was nice. But other than that, I’m not sure what happened and I want that hour of my life back. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/29 "2018-01-17T23:35:29Z")
“Father Thing” was pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/30 "2018-01-18T00:33:21Z")
Was the kid’s vest supposed to be sort of an homage to _Stranger Things_ with its color scheme and 80s appearance, as well as the general “kids discover something” theme of the episode? ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/31 "2018-01-18T00:42:55Z")
I think in general the show is similar to _Black Mirror_ in terms of the scenarios that it sets up, but less similar in terms of the way the plot progresses. The “world-building” aspect is similar to _Black Mirror_ and very good. With each new episode, you feel immersed in the setting and whatever technological contrivance it revolves around. “Wow! What an intriguing concept!” I say to myself with each episode. However, that’s where the similarity ends. The episodes of _Electric Dreams_ are much more opaque in terms of their narrative, where as _Black Mirror_ is pretty straightforward. The _Electric Dreams_ episodes are frequently confusing and they don’t always have a sense of _direction_ the way that the episodes of _Black Mirror_ do. _Black Mirror_ is heavy on existential horror and the idea of people or consciousnesses being trapped in some horrific scenario, the old _I Have No Mouth_ / _The Jaunt_ scenario. Almost to the point where you expect it to happen in every episode. And _Black Mirror_ almost always has what I’d describe as an _OHHHH SHIIIIIIT_ moment…some kind of shocking twist with hard-hitting emotional impact. _Electric Dreams_ just isn’t written this way. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/32 "2018-01-18T00:45:30Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > FWIW, it’s an Anthology so each episode has a different cast. You might have better luck with a different episode. I randomly picked Human Is and The Commuter, and enjoyed them a lot. I’m really glad I gave it another shot. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2018, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/33 "2018-01-20T18:07:09Z")
Since no one else has pointed this out, I will. I’m pretty sure that the face of the partially-completed robot that turns around during the opening credits is that of Dick himself. [![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G6_t-jCtHVk/UdupDwYXz6I/AAAAAAAAMmU/DIeaNs_0qzE/s1600/Philip-K.-Dick.jpg) ](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G6_t-jCtHVk/UdupDwYXz6I/AAAAAAAAMmU/DIeaNs_0qzE/s1600/Philip-K.-Dick.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2018, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/34 "2018-01-21T00:27:30Z")
Clearly it is supposed to look like Dick. In this, it’s similar to the shot in the 2005 movie of _The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy_ where Douglas Adam’s face appears on a planet. It also reminds me of the robotic head built to look like Dick, which you can read about in _How to Build an Android: The True Story of Philip K. Dick’s Robotic Resurrection_ by David F. Dufty ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2018, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/35 "2018-01-21T00:41:13Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > Since no one else has pointed this out, I will. I’m pretty sure that the face of the partially-completed robot that turns around during the opening credits is that of Dick himself. > > [https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G6\_t-jCtHVk/UdupDwYXz6I/AAAAAAAAMmU/DIeaNs\_0qzE/s1600/Philip-K.-Dick.jpg](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G6_t-jCtHVk/UdupDwYXz6I/AAAAAAAAMmU/DIeaNs_0qzE/s1600/Philip-K.-Dick.jpg) Hell, hands down the most fascinating/ teasing/ interesting 1.5 seconds of the entire opening sequence is the profile shot of the pregnant man seen through a window, [seen here at the :28-30 second mark](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JZo4Vf6mh4). What’s THAT story? The image referenced of Dick’s supposed face hits in [2 overlapping shots around :49 and lasts a few seconds.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JZo4Vf6mh4) By comparison, [this is a close shot of the author.](https://www.biography.com/.image/t_share/MTE5NDg0MDU0OTQ0OTA4ODE1/philip-k-dick-9274047-1-402.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2018, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/36 "2018-01-21T04:08:49Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > Must say, the last 15 seconds of “The Commuter” ruined what was a near-perfect little film, for me. I’m befuddled - the last 15 seconds didn’t hold any significance for me. Just the natural finish after the drama of the last 10 minutes and the decision he made, no? What did that spoil for you? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2018, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/37 "2018-01-21T11:19:02Z")
As far as I can tell, the individual shots in the opening sequence have nothing to do with the series except to establish that it’s about weird stuff. A close-up of an eyeball in bright artificial colors, a group of robots floating in the lobby in a modernist building, butterflies around a light, five babies joined hands in a circle floating in the air, two people with things on their heads that have lights on each side, repeated rotating shots of two men in bowler hats standing at a window looking away - what does any of that have to do with the show? As I said, I only watched two episodes, so I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2018, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/38 "2018-01-21T16:39:11Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > I’m befuddled - the last 15 seconds didn’t hold any significance for me. Just the natural finish after the drama of the last 10 minutes and the decision he made, no? What did that spoil for you? He made his decision and then he went back to his house. I think it would have been a lot more interesting to have him walk in the front door and not have the perfect closure of him staring at the sullen faced teenage boy. So much of the story turned on what he thought was real and what we thought was real I thought it would have been a lot more interesting to leave that last couple of shots out. Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2018, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/39 "2018-01-21T23:28:34Z")
3 episodes in (the one with Anna Paquin, “Autofac”, and Bryan Cranston), and they’re all great so far, IMO. Dick was an amazing writer, and these are excellent adaptations. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2018, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495/40 "2018-01-21T23:35:13Z")
At the very beginning of “Crazy Diamond”, my wife asked me which one was the robot. My answer: No one would make a robot that looks like Steve Buscemi. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-dreams-amazons-answer-to-black-mirror-is-pretty-darn-good/806495.md?page=3)