In near-future London, police detective Karin Parke and her tech-savvy sidekick Blue investigate a string of mysterious deaths with a sinister link to social media.In near-future London, police detective Karin Parke and her tech-savvy sidekick Blue investigate a string of mysterious deaths with a sinister link to social media.In near-future London, police detective Karin Parke and her tech-savvy sidekick Blue investigate a string of mysterious deaths with a sinister link to social media.
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Did you know
- TriviaWhen deciding the order in which the third season would air, Charlie Brooker was explicitly told by Netflix that this episode could not be the season premiere because its extended length would discourage viewers from watching the next episode right away.
- GoofsMRI magnetic fields are generally left on at all times. It can take up to 30 minutes for the field to dissipate. If the field was strong enough to pull out the mechanical bee, it would still be too strong soon after for someone to just pull it off of the MRI.
However, in case of emergency (such as a small metallic object being inadvertently removed from a patient's skull) there is the option to "quench" an MRI, which shuts down the magnetic field almost instantly. It works by rapidly releasing the liquid helium in gaseous form. In order to be used again, the liquid helium inside the scanner has to be refilled, making a quench an expensive procedure.
- Quotes
Shaun Li: Government's not going to pump billions into it just cause some lab coat says so, and it grabs 200 green votes. They saw an opportunity to get more, they took it.
Chloe 'Blue' Perrine: Total nationwide surveillance.
Shaun Li: We tracked suspects for weeks in ways they couldn't dream of. We prevented bombings, mass shootings.
Chloe 'Blue' Perrine: By spying on the public.
Shaun Li: And keeping them safe, which is what they want.
Chloe 'Blue' Perrine: Clara Meades isn't safe, though, is she, Shaun? Knowing what you knew, that might've helped us, but no, you kept your little fucking secret.
Karin Parke: Okay! The government's a cunt. We knew that already.
It's getting darker and harder hitting, too. I'd guess that this season's blackmailing-hackers episode ("Shut Up and Dance") would be the one that the majority of viewers find the most disturbing. For some reason, the man-vs.-monster story of "Men Against Fire" is the one that really got under my skin.
I was surprised to learn that nearly all of "Black Mirror's" episodes are penned by series creator Charlie Brooker. I'm still surprised at how many clever ideas and lean, smart scripts could spring from one writer. I was so impressed that I looked Brooker up on Wikipedia -- but was surprised to discover I'm unfamiliar with nearly all of his other work. The one exception is "Dead Set" (2008) -- the truly fantastic British zombie horror miniseries that I've been recommending to friends for ages. That makes sense.
Anyway, I am fully and happily converted to "Black Mirror's" cult following, and I enthusiastically recommend it to people who ask about it. (The show's popularity is still growing -- I believe it appeals to the same kind of fans as those who flocked to the various iterations of "The Twilight Zone" and "The Outer Limits" of generations past.) But I might actually suggest that newcomers begin with the second or third season, rather than the first. Season 1 is terrific, but it's three episodes are more subtle and thematic, while the latter seasons follow a more conventional story structure that might better appeal to more mainstream audiences. (They have more satisfying twists and emotional payoffs, too.)
And a quick caveat -- I'll reiterate that this show is indeed dark. There is a strictly human element to most of "Black Mirror's" twists that is intended to surprise the viewer by provoking anxiety or dread. For a show that relies on technological story devices, it succeeds even more with its old fashioned psychological horror.
- ericrnolan
- Jan 14, 2018
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- Tejeda, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain(Final scene)
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- Runtime1 hour 29 minutes
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- 2.20 : 1
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