by Landry Harlan

“If technology is a drug, and it does feel like a drug, then what precisely are the side effects?”

This chilling statement by creator Charlie Brooker is the catalyst of each entry in the British science-fiction anthology series Black Mirror.  I’ll be clear right from the beginning; this show is probably not the best date night material. The darker side of human nature manifests itself in the dystopias created by Brooker: settings where technological advancements have chipped away at our souls. This show will make you stop and ask yourself, “Is it worth it?”

Sorry, I’m not doing a good job of selling this show am I? Bear with me…
 

In a similar vein to Twilight Zone, each Black Mirror episode has a different setting, a different cast, and perhaps even a different reality. One is a pitch-black political satire, one a cutting critique of our surveillance culture, and one a tragic look at the lengths a widowed woman will go to recreate the past. There are a few duds in the bunch (“The Waldo Moment” in particular treads down the well worn path of media satire), but several have moments of transcendence that modern science fiction rarely achieves. In particular, this occurs in the best (and the one you should start with) of the bunch, “The Entire History of You”.  I won’t delve too far into spoilery details, but just imagine a world where you can record and re-watch everything you have ever seen. How would that affect your job? Your marriage? The answers are not so pleasant, but worth a conversation when this fiction is becoming more and more a reality everyday.

When it comes to science fiction in particular, it is important that the writing is air tight for the new reality to make sense. Black Mirror excels at this particularly because Brooker understands the importance of withholding expository dialogue and letting the audience discover the world for themselves. This is especially evident in another excellent episode, “Fifteen Million Merits”.  The expertly designed world offers little information. Why is everyone inside all the time? Why are there worker bees riding exercise bikes all day long? Why is everyone trying to make it in this “American Idol”-esque competition? The joy of watching the episode is trying to guess the answers for yourself and then constantly having your expectations upended by cleverly devised twists and turns.

You guessed it; an American remake of this show is already in the works. Robert Downey Jr. has even bought the film rights to the “Entire History of You” entry. However, I strongly encourage you to rush over to Netflix to binge the originals before this happens. First, because British accents are always better. Second, because American television writers are never as subtle as our English counterparts (see Gracepoint). Only three are released a year (you Sherlock fans know what that’s like), so currently you only have six plus a Christmas special starring Jon Hamm to get through.

Netflix thinks it knows the order you should watch them in, but I’d like to offer another option with some marks thrown in for good measure.

Time for you to go down the rabbit hole.
 

“The Entire History of You” (A)
“Fifteen Million Merits” (A)
“Be Right Back” (A-)
“White Christmas” (B+)
“The National Anthem” (B)
“White Bear” (C+)
“The Waldo Moment” (C-)