A show with humble beginnings yet blessed with the mastermind of Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror has always been this remarkable exception in postmodern sci-fi storytelling that thrives on the radical, and evidently terrifying, potential of technology. Yet, recent series have faced unprecedented criticism, notably relating to the programmes shift in ownership.
To be honest this concept of ‘owning’ an asset that relies on one man’s creative prowess is confusing enough but the bottom line is people aren’t happy with Netflix swooping up what was once a Channel 4 fan favourite – born and bread in Britain. Supposedly the dreaded Americanisation of a grassroots British production would ruin the humble magic of the beloved Black Mirror – because who would want to see their favourite show get a better budget and production values right? Regardless, and putting my vaguely satirical rant aside, social media would have you believe that Black Mirror has dropped in quality and been a so called ‘flop’ since its transition in parental control shall we say.
Now, I can’t claim to be a die hard fan who’s been around since its pilot episode but, like the majority of the anthology series’ newfound (and let’s face it, much bigger) audience since its been on Netflix, I’ve delved into some of the more renowned and high rated episodes. The fan favourite – Nosedive- which boasts a breath-taking performance from Bryce Dallas Howard, I found to be a compelling episode that utilises its uncomfortable resemblance with the popularity obsessed, like-fishing social media culture that unapologetically intrudes on all of our lives. San Junipero is a captivating and moving watch that tackles some of the most polarising debates in modern society. The list goes on: Black Museum, White Christmas, Plaything, USS Callister. The point is, I quite like Black Mirror. And so, with the cautiously anticipated release of Season 7 this past Tuesday, I rather efficiently binged all 6 episodes of the new season and like any sane person took to social media to see if what I thought about it was right.
For the most part I was relieved to see that I wasn’t all on my own and the majority of people felt it was a return to form for a series that was on a gradual critical downward spiral. Many creators I saw on TikTok identified episodes like Eulogy and Common People as real strongpoints for the series, and I couldn’t agree more. I think Common People in particular is a showcase of Netflix and Charlie Brooker working at their synergetic best. Without spoiling too much, Common People is a pessimistic commentary generally on the selfishness of capitalism but more specifically on how this spills over into the healthcare system, pricing the less fortunate out of basic survival and rights. There’s also a notable stab at subscription culture, which is rather bold for Netflix. Brooker clearly lets loose on some personal grievances here and its truly a great watch so if you can, please go watch it yourself because my little review can not do it justice. Anyway, what I wanted to drive home here was that Black Mirror hasn’t become a meaningless corporate shill under Netflix and in fact they have merely given Brooker the platform he deserves to showcase his masterful writing.
Season 7 is rife with the essence of Charlie Brooker and provides a refreshing variety of genre-hybridity and tone. There’s a real mix of tear-jerkers, heart-stoppers and overall what-the-fuckers. And to me that’s what Black Mirror is all about, emotive storytelling with clever twists and overriding theme of tech-terror. Chef’s kiss Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror is back!
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