Television Black Mirror | Season 6 out June 15th

[lynchie]

Mockney, do you ever read collections of short stories? I reckon they'd send you over the edge. They're forever leaving dangling threads, and things or characters you'd like to know more about.

I like the Black Mirror thing of it being a glimpse into an alternate reality. If you could only spend a couple of days in an alternate world, you could only really see a couple of things in focus, but there would be all sorts of interesting people or ideas that you'd like to know more on the periphery, things that would drive you mad because you'd been pulled away before you could find out more.

 

[Mockney]

He was clearly looking for something, it just happened that he was right...I think he would've found the same path without the grain - but we all do stuff like that, I guess... paranoia eh? But yeah...I think the scope was massive but they didn't quite follow it through, a missed opportunity perhaps? probably. Whether it would've worked or not...I think it could've been more interesting. Anyway, cracking TV...best thing I've seen for a long time. It's a shame the box is full of reality TV shows and what not.

I think it's quite hard to make something with a large scope fit into a 45 minute running time. The 2nd one tried to have huge scope, but neglected the characters for me. This one was the opposite (and even Kebbell's obsession was progressed unnaturally quickly) so unless you made a film out of it, you were always going to be let down one way or the other.

My solution would've been to have him hire someone to steal her implant (like the girl at the party) after he'd become more obsessed and aware that after deleting Jonas', that was his only choice ...possibly killing her in the process even? only to find out he was actually wrong (or that it wasn't as bad as he imagined) That would've perhaps given it a bit more scope/weaved in some of the other elements/made it more dramatic. But then that probably would've felt a bit too OTT in a 45 minute setting. And the fact that he wasn't just right all along, but that it was worse, made a good use of the "do you really want to know?/Truth Hurts" factor.

I think that last scene when he was goading her to show him was suitably dramatic, and alarmingly plausible enough tbh..

The dinner party woman said the power of suggestion can manipulate people's actual brain-stored memories, not the grains.

Ooh Ok. That makes more sense with her being very pro-grain.

Mockney, do you ever read collections of short stories? I reckon they'd send you over the edge. They're forever leaving dangling threads, and things or characters you'd like to know more about..

I'm not that bad. The one that bothered me the most was the one with the most tied up ending, but just the least drawn characters.

I think we should write one Mike. Call it White Window. No one would clock on.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

On the whole grain thing, I don't think it purported to be a download of all your memories, so much as a direct recording of what you see/hear, without all the other sensory overlays you get with a memory. Basically a live feed from your auditory/optical cortex (which made the location a bit silly, as it happens) Otherwise, reviewing past sexual encounters would be just like actually going through them again. No need to simultaneously have sex/masturbate.

I think was quite an important point to bear in mind in the closing scene when all he could do was review his relationship almost as a series of home movies, without being able to tap into any of the positive emotions.

If you could actually full on, relive memories then people might spend their whole live re-living happier times from their past, completely ignoring the present. Be a bit like those "dream junkies" in Until The End of the World.

 

[MikeUpNorth]

Yeah, that's how I saw it Pogue.

 

[Randall Flagg]

Watched all 3 of these over the weekend. Outstanding show...didnt realise there are only 3 though.

Will there be more?

 

[Randall Flagg]

Cant make up my mind which the best one was. All 3 make a good case

 

[Dobba]

Second series has been commissioned

http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2012/07/12/15757/another_look_in_the_black_mirror

 

[MikeUpNorth]

 

[Mockney]

Booya. Good trailer. Great ending shot.

 

[CassiusClaymore]

Robert Downey Jr has bought the film rights to an episode of Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror.

The Iron Man star will adapt Jesse Armstrong's script 'The Entire History of You' for the big screen, reports Broadcast.

Downey Jr is said to have beaten off competition from George Clooney to acquire the rights.

The original 'Entire History of You' aired on Channel 4 in December 2011 and was set in a near-future world in which everyone has a memory chip implanted in their head. The chip allowed the user to re-watch moments from their past, leading to dark consequences.

Toby Kebbell (Wrath of the Titans) played the lead role in the hour-long drama, penned by Peep Show scribe Armstrong.

A second series of Black Mirror begins tonight at 11pm on Channel 4.

Can't say I didn't see that coming. It's got just the sort of high concept vision that Hollywood producers love and I thought it was the best of the original series.

It reminded me a touch of 'Eternal Sunshine...' and I imagine they could go a few ways with a movie version.

 

[Mockney]

Whoa Black Mirror, bam-a-lam.

First thoughts are that it needed another half hour, a bit like the 2nd one of last series.

The first half was excellent. Very well paced, ingeniously prod. designed and brilliantly acted by Attwell.

Then when the "jump" came, my first instinct was it had gone too far. But once it got going a bit, I wanted another half hour, so by the end, I felt it hadn't gone far enough. It just seemed to end because they only had an hour, and favoured a well paced hour rather than rush to a satisfyingly "big" conclusion. Which, tbf, is the right way to go. I probably expected it to be bleaker because the others were, and I can't really bitch about it because, like Adam Curtis docs, you can pick holes in it, but it's the kind of stuff I'm eternally glad is being made.

Great concept, and for the most part, very good TV. The next one looks odd.

 

[MikeUpNorth]

Very well done again. The concept was great, and they played it well.

 

[Mockney]

Good to see Claire Ashcroft back in a Brooker production. The 3rd one's the one I'm most interested in, 'cos it's based on a concept conceived by Brooker & Morris during Barely, apparently.

Also, http://liveson.org/

 

[Spoony]

Creepy. Personally, I think they went too far with the introduction of the actual 'dummy', but thankfully it didn't quite replace Ash. Cracking episode, though, again highlights Brooker's technophobia. And the future is bendy phones FFS!

 

[Mockney]

I thought it showed a real maturity in Brooker's writing too (without trying to go all poncy) This wasn't funny. At all in fact. It was a straight drama/romance in a Phillip K Dick short mould.

And I thought that aspect of it (which was, basically, 80% of the aspects of it) was very, very well done. Which is impressive considering it's not at all what Brooker is known for, or shown to be good at. In fact the one in the last series it's closest to was the one written by Jesse Armstrong.

 

[Spoony]

Watch... Skin I Live In. I won't say much more, but it's an even more creepy obsession... romance/relationship...modern day Frankenstein.

 

[Pexbo]

I really like this program but like you say Mockney, the hour doesn't seem to be quite enough. I appreciate they are supposed to be short stories but as they are all set at a "slow burner" kind of pace I think they'd benefit from being that bit longer and having some real character development. It all feels a little rushed which at the pace it is set just doesn't sit quite right for me.

 

[Zen]

Don't worry, America will buy all the stories eventually, and make them all TOO long in some form, RDJ has one, the other 5 will probably be 5 new shows or something.

 

[CassiusClaymore]

Really good episode again.

Yeah, the doll was perhaps overkill and a tad predictable but finding myself increasingly surrounded by people who's primary social interaction seems to be tapping away into a smartphone you have to wonder how far away the rest of it really is.

# sent from my Nexus 4

 

[Duafc]

Thought it was very good myself, had a different feel to the last series. Over-riding feeling through-out was tremendous sadness, testament to Brooker's writing prowess, I felt more emotionally moved than with any of the last series.

As for the shortness debate I actually think it's better this way, Black Mirror as a series is hugely conceptual. Brooker puts forward a challenging or frightening idea and explores it. For me the core concept is more important than the depth of story; Keeping it short makes it more impactful, in a way.

Spoiler

Only criticism would be the ending felt a bit soft. I was anticipating and hoping for a real violent outburst or complete meltdown - When she was saying hit me, I like "fecking sock her and take over the world!". Don't think it was due to a lack of time and a sort of "oh shit, wind it up" process though.

 

[MikeUpNorth]

I don't think it needed much more time, but would probably have benefited from being a full BBC hour, not a 45 minute commercial hour.

 

[R.N7]

I really need to catch up with this!

Watch... Skin I Live In. I won't say much more, but it's an even more creepy obsession... romance/relationship...modern day Frankenstein.

I actually watched it again yesterday with a Spanish friend and he was singing it's praises even more than me, which I thought was impossible!

 

[Mockney]

I was all but ready to call that the worst one of the whole run at the half way point, but the twist saved it and then some. Brilliantly wicked idea.

 

[MikeUpNorth]

I was all but ready to call it the worst one of the show at the half way point, but the twist saved it and then some. Brilliantly wicked idea.

Same. Interesting comment on the people who call for torture after horrific crimes.

 

[sincher]

Should I bother with this then? Looked a bit boring from the trailers?

 

[Mockney]

It's a rare piece of television that will unite Daily Mail readers and sensible people in their appreciation.

 

[Spoony]

Spoiler

Yeah that was brilliant, must admit that I was thinking it was going to be a Running Man / Trueman Show rip off, one that was more staged and predictable but how wrong I was. And we don't have to look into the future, it's very relevant to this day and age. Murder! Death! Kill! It's just a perverse soap opera as well for a large section of society.

 

[sincher]

You are still making it sound really borin'

 

[Spoony]

Daily Mailer.

 

[sincher]

That is low.

Right, I have decided to bother. I will report back when have done so.

 

[Mockney]

Yeah that was brilliant, must admit that I was thinking it was going to be a Running Man / Trueman Show rip off, one that was more staged and predictable but how wrong I was.

I think part of the annoyance with the first half was that (might as well spoiler it if sinch is going to insist on selfishly reading the thread)..

Spoiler

We all guessed it was going to be some sort of show. It was Derren Brown's Apocalypse, and it wasn't very interestingly done, and a bit silly. When the second part ended with the reveal that it was, I presume everyone else also went "yep, called it..better start getting good now cos it's been pretty flat for almost 40 whole minutes now"

..And it really did. Not only did the reveal make up completely for the prior 40 minutes, it entirely validated it, and couldn't have been done any other way.

I'm genuinely now considering whether it might be the best one. I think it's still probably the pig, but it's up there.

 

[sincher]

Thoughtful, thanks Lefty.

 

[Spoony]

Yeah, it's certainly up there, I thought it was better than the last one which descended into a creepy sci fi Twilight Zone type of an episode..Sure it was very good but I don't think he nailed it, this one however, was tight.

 

[Scrumpet]

Loved it.

I had a look on digital spy just because I knew I'd be able to find responses like this.

Yeah, they put it in a 'I dont sympathise with child killers' kinda way. I'm sure you didnt mean it that way either, but I don't think the main focus was the audiences need to torture child killers, but the actual fact that child killers ought to be tortured.

Says it all really.

 

[Mockney]

There were a fair amount of comments on Twitter also displaying the unwavering ability of stupid people to not get satire.

 

[Boothy]

Loved it.

I had a look on digital spy just because I knew I'd be able to find responses like this.



Says it all really.

Jesus.

The second half of tonight's was outstanding. Don't think anything will beat the first one though. Brooker is a genius.

 

[Mockney]

Yeah, it's certainly up there, I thought it was better than the last one which descended into a creepy sci fi Twilight Zone type of an episode..Sure it was very good but I don't think he nailed it, this one however, was tight.

I had the same problem with 15 Million Merits. I didn't feel it satisfactorily fit into the run time, and as such never quite made the most of it's setting/premise. This however managed to pack it's punch, make it's point, explain it's idiosyncrasies and have a satisfying narrative conclusion, in just 50 minutes. 40 of which I thought were rubbish!

The more I think about it, the more I think it was a truly fantastic piece of television.

 

[Gambit]

Enjoyed the ending but thought this weeks was poorer overall. The whole episode could have been done within half the time yet still pack the same punch. The most impressive thing for me about was making the audience feel sympathy for a child killer.

 

[buckooo1978]

Not as good as the first one but covered some interesting concepts of 'justice'

Still think the best one was the episode with the seed

This reminded me a bit about the episode with the Prime Minister and the revulsion of the twitter troll reality tv generation who would actually watch this stuff

I hope next weeks is a bit different

 

[MikeUpNorth]

The most impressive thing for me about was making the audience feel sympathy for a child killer.

To be fair, they didn't show her doing anything wrong, so we had no reason to do anything but sympathise with her. It may have been interesting if they'd showed the child murder at the end, and then we'd have seen which way our emotions really pull us.