Originally a British show lasting two seasons on the network Channel 4 (2011-14), “Black Mirror” was picked up by Netflix in 2016 and given a third season. The series is heavily science-fiction based, while also taking place in a grounded reality (most of the time).
The show gets its title from the themes it deals with. “Black Mirror” presents issues and ideas about technology that we deal with today, and imagines what will happen in the future if we continue down the path we’re going, such as security monitoring, Internet trolling, and virtual reality. The ideas are dark, pessimistic, and frightening. Technically, the show counts as humorless satire.
To live in a reality that “Black Mirror” presents would be horrifying. The series shows us the dark and undesirable future in store for us, like a black mirror.
While the show presents some pretty unsettling and uncomfortable imagery and topics, it’s an incredible show. Charlie Brooker, the creator, executive producer and writer of the series, has put a lot of time, passion, and thought into every episode (he’s the only writer! The episodes aren’t even connected!).
Between the first two seasons and the third one, backed by Netflix, you can see the major increase in quality from the boost in budget. The support from Netflix allowed Brooker to not only bring his show back, but to make it better than ever by giving him and his production team more resources than they had for the first two seasons.
Each season is very short, the first two having only three episodes each. Season three has six episodes, with the season finale being as long as a feature length film (with no commercials). The episodes don’t share common ideas or themes apart from the major overarching “black mirror” motif, making Brooker’s writing skills even more impressive.
Considering each episode can stand alone, you don’t have to start from the beginning. Each episode can be enjoyed by itself, so just pick whichever episodes look the most interesting. Granted, they all are, but some are definitely better than others. Every episode in season three is gold, from an episode about cyberbullying and the dangers of personal computer hacking, to transferring your consciousness to a virtual paradise with other people when your body dies.
“Black Mirror” is one of the best shows available on Netflix, and it’s not at all worth skipping over. Grab some friends, make some food, and spend a day binging all 12 episodes. You won’t regret it.
