Black Mirror

While I watched the first two episodes on my own, it was enough to get me to watch the final third episode of its first season. I thought the first episode wasn't that good, and thought it was a poor decision to make that one the show's pilot. As a whole, I love the concept of following a Twilight Zone kind of formula, with each episode distinct from each other, tackling a different technological issue. I also admire how each episode sets itself up in an entirely world that is effectively illustrated in a single hour. I get a good sense of this constructed reality, and there are so many things about them that tie in with contemporary society. Concerning the pilot, I thought it was an interested take in describing the issues of mass media and its potential negative influence on its users. However, from the moment the episode described the prime minster's conflict with having to have sex with a pig, I lost my ability to deeply engage with this world and look at it critically. Every time this horrific act was referenced, I could not take the episode so seriously.

The second episode; however, was was more entertaining and thought-provoking than its predecessor. I admired the dystopian world that it created, and how it was able to answer so many questions as the episode unfolded. I also thought the episode contained a great message, since our world is so addicted to technological screens, that we rarely have time to experience life outside of it. Of all the episodes, I thought this one created a good critique of the dominating nature of technology on our lives. Particularly, the incorporation of un-skippable ads had me laughing, since I find their existence in our culture to be irritating and unnecessary.