gryndstone
User

Reviews 26
Approval 99%

Soundoffs 237
News Articles 5
Band Edits + Tags 10
Album Edits 153

Album Ratings 2351
Objectivity 71%

Last Active 12-19-18 7:20 pm
Joined 06-11-12

Review Comments 2,739

 Lists
03.28.24 Fave 1987 Albums02.23.24 Fave 1990 Albums
01.04.24 Bandcamp Listens01.01.24 2024
12.19.23 Fave 2007 Albums12.18.23 The Top 25 Albums Of The Year 2023 Acco ♦
11.30.23 Tunes of the Year11.15.23 Ranking My 5's (2023)
11.09.23 Listening Log: Part Vier10.18.23 Beach Boys Ranked ( - 1977)
08.11.23 2023 Listening Log: Part Tres05.10.23 Boyfriend In Survival Mode ♦
04.22.23 2023 Listening Log: Part Deux01.24.23 100 Favorite Songs Ever (50-1) ♦
01.04.23 2023 Listening Log12.25.22 100 Favorite Songs Ever :) (100-51)
12.23.22 22 for '2212.16.22 All Time Tunes Of 2022
More »

Black Mirror Season 4 Ranked

wot if ya mum ran on batteries list is digs
1ABBA
ABBA Gold

#6 - Arkangel

All hail the new king of the worst. Arkangel takes an idea that has already been floated around in previous episodes and makes it as dull as can be. I think Arkangel could’ve taken a much darker route (which this season needed more of) and turned out better. Have the ending result in mutual destruction for mother and daughter, or have the mother never turn off the Arkangel and turn the daughter into a mentally stunted recluse or something. Instead we get voyeurism and the weirdest/lamest climax event of the entire show. The ingredients for a good episode were there, but they never came even close together. 3/10
2Fela Kuti
Expensive Shit

#5 - Metalhead

One of the two big problem episodes this season. Metalhead’s reason for happening is dumb, the character herself does too many stupid things, the black and white definitely only exists to make CGI easier to do, and there’s not really any message behind it. Not that that’s necessary, but all we’re left with is an extended chase scene with a murderous Boston Dynamics robot. Best part was when the robot was like “Knife...yes…” and then twirled it around like a fuckin power drill 5/10
3 The Go! Team
Semicircle

#4 - Hang The DJ

I put Hang The DJ below Crocodile, but they're relatively on the same level.

Hang The DJ is the spiritual successor to San Junipero, but with less of an impactful twist. Watching the two fall in love with each other only for them to pine over one another when a system forces them apart does tug on the heartstrings! The commentary on dating apps is apparent, and alright I guess.When the twist does come, it’s only the second half that really hits. Yeah, duh, of course they were in a computer simulation - wait, no, it’s for a dating app! And look, there they are in the real world! Not as important as San Junipero, but still a nice BM episode. 7/10
4Taylor Swift
Reputation

#3 - Crocodile

I put Hang the DJ below Crocodile, but they’re relatively on the same level. Crocodile gets a slight edge because...it’s fucking hilarious. Here’s this woman willing to go through such crucial lengths to hide one murder only to commit more and more in the process. There were so many points where she could’ve saved herself or stopped things from getting worse, but nope! She just spiraled into being the stupidest serial killer around. The whole episode can be summed up by the alien from Rick and Morty - “Oh boy, here I go killing again!” I genuinely like the characters of the architect and the insurance investigator, and points for using technology that isn’t quite a rehash of anything else the show has done. The fact that she killed four people to cover up a murder she didn’t even commit only to get fucked on by a guinea pig? Priceless. 7/10
5Car Seat Headrest
Twin Fantasy

#2 - USS Callister

What happens when you give a socially inept loner the power of a God? That’s what USS Callister is framed around. This ep. Covers a lot of ground but here, the main idea is how people act in virtual space, with no one to tell them off. Our antagonist, initially presented as someone to pity, turns out to paint a picture of the average, ‘power-mad’ internet troll who thinks no one can stop him - until someone does, of course. One big problem I had with this season is the amount of happy endings for the sake of happy endings. Hang the DJ was obviously supposed to be a spiritual successor to San Junipero in terms of feel, and Black Museum’s revenge was sweet. My only real gripe with this episode was the unnecessary ending of the antagonist getting stuck in the system or whatever. I wanted to see him rage and find out that his shit got all fucked up! 8/10
6Chairlift
Something

#1 - Black Museum

Like White Christmas, Black Museum is an anthology within an anthology, comprised of 3 short stories connecting to each other, and ultimately the story the anthology is framed around. Also like White Christmas, Black Museums twist is fucking excellent. The way they tied all the characters together wasn’t even apparent until the end, but it worked out so well and was so satisfying to watch the curator get his comeuppance. I liked the racism commentary as well - it wasn’t too hamfisted at all. My major complaint with this season is a seeming lack of new ideas - the ‘upload your conscience’ idea was in half of these episodes. And while it was alright in USS Callister, the way it was expanded upon here made it excellent. 9/10
7Ani DiFranco
Binary

Season Placement

3>2>1>4

Sadly, I’ve got to say that Season 4 is the worst season yet. So many old ideas that have already been done in the show come back, and when an idea comes back for the third or fourth time, interest wanes quickly. Twists don’t end up as powerful. I can’t see myself revisiting Arkangel or Metalhead ever again, something I can only say for one other Black Mirror episode. It might be best for the show to go back to working on 3 really good episodes per release. Six good episodes last season just might’ve been a fluke, because there’s too much missing in most of the episodes this time around.
Show/Add Comments (32)

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS // CONTACT US

Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Site Copyright 2005-2023 Sputnikmusic.com
All Album Reviews Displayed With Permission of Authors | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy