Episode 1 - Striking Vipers
Director: Owen Harris
Writers: Charlie Brooker
Release Date: 5th June 2019
Hot Rating: 💥💥💥💥
Striking Vipers offers the most consistent and thought-provoking drama in series 5. Vipers is A twisted romance of two old friends, Danny (Anthony Mackie) and Karl (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who find passion in a virtual reality video game. The air of mystery in human behaviour and the escapism found in technology surround the episode and doubly make it a figurehead of Black Mirror ethos. Mackie and Mateen offer intriguing chemistry that shifts from a genuine friendship to a troubling lust that risks Danny's marriage and personal life. These performances excuse Brooker's temptation to divulge into similar territory as previous episodes 'San Junipero' (S3 E04) and 'Hang the DJ' (S4 E04). The male-centric focus of this episode aligns the narrative with sociopolitical issues surrounding masculinity and repressed homoerotic romance, both of which maintain the relevance of this episode within today's society and confirm its topicality as a forewarning of the technology.
Episode 2 - Smithereens
Director: James Hawes
Writers: Charlie Brooker
Release Date: 5th June 2019
Hot Rating: 💥💥💥
A lonely cabbie, Chris (Andrew Scott), takes the young intern, Jaden (Damson Idris), hostage so that he may instigate a dialogue with social media CEO, Billy Bauer (Topher Grace). The straightforward premise of the narrative proves to be the achilles heel of the episode, as the drama finds itself going round in circles of intensity. Once the events are set into motion, and a haphazard collection of middlemen characters are set into place, there's little more to figure out in the narrative. Naturally, audiences will find themselves aligned with our anti-hero Chris, and the tragic past that has provoked his actions. Scott does well to ramp up these alliances in the final stages, which prove to be emotional if not somewhat predictable. Topher Grace is similarly committed to his hippie facade as Billy Bauer and the relationship between these two leads is the saving grace in an otherwise uninspired episode.
Episode 3 - Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too
Director: Anne Sewitsky
Writers: Charlie Brooker
Release Date: 5th June 2019
Hot Rating: 💥💥
While the trailer offered dystopian, technological advancements in pop stardom, the actuality of the final Black Mirror episode was much duller. Miley Cyrus is 'Ashley O' a pop star who masks her inner dissatisfaction through scribbling her feelings into a notebook. A young fan, Rachel, is a similarly isolated and seeks friendship in Ashley's 'buddy' device. After Ashley's manager, Catherine (Susan Pourfar) takes the reigns of Ashley's career and life, the two troubled characters meet head-on and must team up in order to save one another. Past the sentimental friendship, the episode treads heavily on its dystopian roots and trades any sort of originality in for a more conventional action flick. The performances are questionable from the teen characters, who lack the diction to convince audiences of their intentions. While Miley appears to be having fun with her role, she remains similarly distanced from the predictable plot developments that occur.
Director: Owen Harris
Writers: Charlie Brooker
Release Date: 5th June 2019
Hot Rating: 💥💥💥💥
Striking Vipers offers the most consistent and thought-provoking drama in series 5. Vipers is A twisted romance of two old friends, Danny (Anthony Mackie) and Karl (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who find passion in a virtual reality video game. The air of mystery in human behaviour and the escapism found in technology surround the episode and doubly make it a figurehead of Black Mirror ethos. Mackie and Mateen offer intriguing chemistry that shifts from a genuine friendship to a troubling lust that risks Danny's marriage and personal life. These performances excuse Brooker's temptation to divulge into similar territory as previous episodes 'San Junipero' (S3 E04) and 'Hang the DJ' (S4 E04). The male-centric focus of this episode aligns the narrative with sociopolitical issues surrounding masculinity and repressed homoerotic romance, both of which maintain the relevance of this episode within today's society and confirm its topicality as a forewarning of the technology.
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| Image: YouTube |
Episode 2 - Smithereens
Director: James Hawes
Writers: Charlie Brooker
Release Date: 5th June 2019
Hot Rating: 💥💥💥
A lonely cabbie, Chris (Andrew Scott), takes the young intern, Jaden (Damson Idris), hostage so that he may instigate a dialogue with social media CEO, Billy Bauer (Topher Grace). The straightforward premise of the narrative proves to be the achilles heel of the episode, as the drama finds itself going round in circles of intensity. Once the events are set into motion, and a haphazard collection of middlemen characters are set into place, there's little more to figure out in the narrative. Naturally, audiences will find themselves aligned with our anti-hero Chris, and the tragic past that has provoked his actions. Scott does well to ramp up these alliances in the final stages, which prove to be emotional if not somewhat predictable. Topher Grace is similarly committed to his hippie facade as Billy Bauer and the relationship between these two leads is the saving grace in an otherwise uninspired episode.
 |
| Image: YouTube |
Episode 3 - Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too
Director: Anne Sewitsky
Writers: Charlie Brooker
Release Date: 5th June 2019
Hot Rating: 💥💥
While the trailer offered dystopian, technological advancements in pop stardom, the actuality of the final Black Mirror episode was much duller. Miley Cyrus is 'Ashley O' a pop star who masks her inner dissatisfaction through scribbling her feelings into a notebook. A young fan, Rachel, is a similarly isolated and seeks friendship in Ashley's 'buddy' device. After Ashley's manager, Catherine (Susan Pourfar) takes the reigns of Ashley's career and life, the two troubled characters meet head-on and must team up in order to save one another. Past the sentimental friendship, the episode treads heavily on its dystopian roots and trades any sort of originality in for a more conventional action flick. The performances are questionable from the teen characters, who lack the diction to convince audiences of their intentions. While Miley appears to be having fun with her role, she remains similarly distanced from the predictable plot developments that occur.
 |
| Image: YouTube |
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