Black Mirror

I watched the third episode in the first season of Black Mirror. The concept of the episode is that people have a device implanted in them that allows them to record their memories and play them back at any time. The memories can be played for themselves in their eyes or people can project the memories for others to see. The concept is cool in itself but I was impressed more by how the show utilized the concept to explore one of the base human emotions of jealousy. Emotions that are felt so heavily internally are inherently hard to present in a visual medium but I felt the use of this memory recording concept allowed the filmmakers to explore the visual presentation of jealousy in a new way. The characters in the film are privy to each other’s memories and because of this ability to see each other’s indiscretions, problems naturally occur. I think that by being able to see the characters watching the memories that are causing them to feel jealous, the viewer is better able to understand and connect with the characters in the show. While the episode is hard to watch due to its dark nature much like the first episode in the season, I found it perhaps even more engaging.