Back to back mid Black Mirror episodes in an otherwise impeccable season. San Junipero was definitely mid but at least it's somewhat iconic with an amazing core idea. This one has about 20% of a good idea and then decides to completely ruin it... The idea of a nation's government controlling the sight of their military to make them obey orders and kill whoever the nation wants wiped out is a great jumping off point (and an eerily but uncomfortably true one :eyes:) but the potential was utterly squandered by Brooker basically just saying 'yeah the government is racist and nazi Germany could return through technology'. Like, c'mon, you could've gone a little deeper than that Charles, especially when the episode just ends with the entire point of the episode, the most annoyingly blatant Black Mirror episode in history I might add, being explained in one big expository monologue...and the nazi/jew parallels were examples of awful screenwriting in my opinion. The acting's also bad too... idk just not a fan of this one - a truly strange blip in this show's catalogue.
After finishing S3 now I am convinced Charlie Brooker started off with a 3-episode season just like the previous two but Netflix wanted him to make more, in which 3 more were produced but unfortunately rushed. The three thought-provoking and fleshed out episodes would be Nosedive, Shut Up & Dance and Hated in the Nation. The three rushed ones would be Playtest, San Junipero and this one - all seem weirdly lazy for Black Mirror standards (Playtest is still great entertainment-wise though). Men Against Fire takes the number 1 spot for MOST lazy though. It kinda feels too generous giving this anything above a 4. My 14-year-old self loved this one though so you could say Netflix expanded their audience ig. :neutral_face:
Review by LucanBlockedParent2023-07-10T23:02:44Z
Back to back mid Black Mirror episodes in an otherwise impeccable season. San Junipero was definitely mid but at least it's somewhat iconic with an amazing core idea. This one has about 20% of a good idea and then decides to completely ruin it...
The idea of a nation's government controlling the sight of their military to make them obey orders and kill whoever the nation wants wiped out is a great jumping off point (and an eerily but uncomfortably true one :eyes:) but the potential was utterly squandered by Brooker basically just saying 'yeah the government is racist and nazi Germany could return through technology'. Like, c'mon, you could've gone a little deeper than that Charles, especially when the episode just ends with the entire point of the episode, the most annoyingly blatant Black Mirror episode in history I might add, being explained in one big expository monologue...and the nazi/jew parallels were examples of awful screenwriting in my opinion. The acting's also bad too... idk just not a fan of this one - a truly strange blip in this show's catalogue.
After finishing S3 now I am convinced Charlie Brooker started off with a 3-episode season just like the previous two but Netflix wanted him to make more, in which 3 more were produced but unfortunately rushed. The three thought-provoking and fleshed out episodes would be Nosedive, Shut Up & Dance and Hated in the Nation. The three rushed ones would be Playtest, San Junipero and this one - all seem weirdly lazy for Black Mirror standards (Playtest is still great entertainment-wise though).
Men Against Fire takes the number 1 spot for MOST lazy though. It kinda feels too generous giving this anything above a 4.
My 14-year-old self loved this one though so you could say Netflix expanded their audience ig. :neutral_face: