sumyunguy: Top 5 Black Mirror Episodes

sumyunguy 01.28.18	Special Mention number 2: most overrated episode had to be San Junipero. I actually liked it and it's just what our current PC, progressive culture would eat up, but it was a little too schmaltzy to have any real impact.
Astral Abortis 01.28.18	White Christmas was almost a compelling story when it was about a man covering up his involvement in seeing a murder take place. Then it went all “Black Mirror” on itself and literally created the worst story in television history.
Papa Universe 01.28.18	I didn't link the San Junipero episode to any of the modern PC tendencies, so it didn't ruin the experience for me, as it seems to have done for you. Loved the episode thoroughly. It definitely breaks my top 5. It's unfortunate that Charlie Brooker decided that the success of the sweetest episode of the series should be the new standard and made the whole fourth season more or less happy-ended. My top would probably look like this: 1.-2. White Christmas. -It's pretty much Black Mirror: The Movie. It has everything: chilling technology, jarring drama, memorable characters, and easily the most crushing and heartbreaking twists in the entire series. Fantastic episode front to back. 1.-2. The Entire History of You -This is what a proper Black Mirror episode should be like. It isn't trying to base its entire story and message around the technology. It uses the topical technology as a means of telling the story, not the other way around. It doesn't warn you about "the big scary life-changing tech obsession", as it does most of the time. It is merely using it as a tool. The drama that erupts is by far the most gripping in the whole series. But the thing about this episode is that even outside of the series' context, it is an all throughout compelling story. 3. Shut Up and Dance -That gritty realism is what really gets me in Black Mirror. Unfortunately, more often than not, the series venture into more hardcore sci-fi territories and leave this down-to-earth skincrawling harshness behind. But this episode is easily one of the pinnacles. 4. San Junipero -I never knew I needed a Black Mirror episode this sweet and gentle, until San Junipero came about. It may have been the betrayal of all that was Black Mirror up until now, but it made its premise worth our while more than many of the "typical" episodes. 5. The National Anthem -I suppose it is not on par with the rest of the series, but it gets its deserved spot for being 'the first'. That one moment you realise "oh shit, that's what I got myself into" and you know you have to see just what other craziness may be brought up later on. Honourable mentions: Be Right Back and White Bear Dishonourable mentions: Waldo Moments, for being the first in a long line of bloated, too in-your-face, almost cringeworthy silly episodes.
Papa Universe 01.28.18	Also, fuck Beth. [2] She was the real villain.
Papa Universe 01.28.18	So it seems we are the two opposite kinds of fans, sumy. You like it rougher and harsher, I like it more grounded and subtle.
adr 01.28.18	San Junipero is the best episode and White Bear was lame
Astral Abortis 01.28.18	Black Mirror is capable of being subtle?
Papa Universe 01.28.18	used to...
Astral Abortis 01.28.18	I’ve only seen the first two seasons so I’d hate to see what it’s like now...
Ryus 01.28.18	its incredibly heavy handed a lot of the time now
Papa Universe 01.28.18	It's a bunch of Waldo Moments, but less colourful...
Astral Abortis 01.28.18	So is every episode now just every character screaming “TECHNOLOGY IS BAD” “NO IT IS THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BAD” “NO IT IS THE INNERMOST EXPRESSIONS OF OUT PRIMAL THOUGHTS AND/OR DESIRES THAT ARE BAD” “EVERYTHING IS BAD” “YES! BAD!” “FEAR THE FUTURE” “FEAR OURSELVES” “FEAR PRINGLES”
Papa Universe 01.28.18	I blame the transition to Netflix really. Not that Netflix dictates the structure or style, as other networks do, but they have a much more restricted timeline and much more demanding schedule. Charlie Brooker used to make three episodes in two years, then it was bought by Netflix and now they want him to make twice that amount in half the time. That is bound to mess with the established parameters.
Papa Universe 01.28.18	@Astral: not really. sometimes they don't even have a message like that at all, which is fine, but the stories don't really carry it much. the first two seasons all had each episode evoke some sort of emotions in you, either good or bad, but still some. since S3 came around, we started seeing episodes that just sort of exist and are fine, but they neither disgust or shock, or enrage, or sadden. they are just there (in S3: Nosedive, Men Against Fire, Hated in the Nation; pretty much whole S4)
Astral Abortis 01.28.18	I think the only part of the first two seasons that I liked was the John Hamm bit where the guy gets murdered. It was a nice, simple story that could have had many avenues to explore in terms of character, morality and impulsive behaviour. But no. No, they just had to do “so much more”. God, it just makes me fucking mad.
Papa Universe 01.28.18	what do you mean "so much more". the other story in the episode or where Hamm's character ended up?
Astral Abortis 01.28.18	Well then we have the whole other part about Hamm’s real job (which is fucking dumb), then the part about blocking people in real life, the other guy’s story, then the real prt at the end where Hamm gets blocked by everyone??? It’s SO fucking dumb and the entire message of the end product is basically “THEY BREAK LAW THEY DO BAD GET NO GOOD” and it’s so fucking childish and stupid. There was one single meaningful and workable storyline in that full episode, and it basically amounted to nothing. Hamm’s character doesn’t learn a lesson or even get a reason why. He just does a bad thing, tries to redeem himself, and gets permanently fucked over by the world’s worst sci-fi concept based on social media functions.
Papa Universe 01.28.18	"world’s worst sci-fi concept based on social media functions" boy oh boy.. do me a favour and skip the rest of the series then, would you?
Papa Universe 01.28.18	go watch Outer Limits or something
BlueandOrange 01.28.18	first two seasons were the only ones worth watching
Astral Abortis 01.28.18	I never plan on watching the rest because I hate how all the plots are based around demonising tiny parts of online culture or human nature. “This one thing exists so let’s make it permeate EVERYTHING”
Doctuses 01.28.18	shut up and dance, hated in the nation, san junipero, white bear, all classics. "I didn't link the San Junipero episode to any of the modern PC tendencies, so it didn't ruin the experience for me, as it seems to have done for you." [2] PC is just a buzzword now. He prolly used it cause SJ uses a theme of homosexuality. And doing so will, in turn, feed the PC trolls. ironic.
Papa Universe 01.28.18	oh boo hoo, homosexuality. who cares, great story is what matters.
CygnusX1 01.28.18	Show about futurey sci-fi technology "Why is this show about technology? ugh so annoying"
LoLifant 01.28.18	I liked Be Right Back. Really great acting, I felt sorry for the woman.
Doctuses 01.28.18	you didn't understand my comment, im agreeing with you, you shithead
DarkSideOfLucca 01.28.18	"PC is just a buzzword now." In this instance I agree with you, but it definitely has relevance to many other situations.
Papa Universe 01.28.18	if you're responding to me, i was agreeing with you as well. people make too big a deal out of it, even though it is just a means of telling the story...
sumyunguy 01.28.18	"So it seems we are the two opposite kinds of fans, sumy. You like it rougher and harsher, I like it more grounded and subtle." Haha what?? 3 of our top 5 match, and we both hate the Waldo one. I'd say that means our tastes are pretty aligned.
sumyunguy 01.28.18	"I didn't link the San Junipero episode to any of the modern PC tendencies, so it didn't ruin the experience for me, as it seems to have done for you." Like I mentioned, I liked the episode, nothing ruined it for me. I just thought that compared to my favorites, it wasn't really as compelling.
sumyunguy 01.28.18	"PC is just a buzzword now. He prolly used it cause SJ uses a theme of homosexuality. And doing so will, in turn, feed the PC trolls. ironic." Haha, I'm not using it as a buzzword or to feed any trolls. But come on, let's be honest. Is it really a coincidence that the one episode that features a lesbian, interracial relationship is the ONLY episode from the entire show to win an Emmy? I doubt it.
PistolPete 01.28.18	1 is definitely 1 for me as well. Been a long time since I’d watched something that wholly entertaining
neekafat 01.28.18	Don't get the love for White Christmas, it's just pure unrelenting cynicism, though it is pretty great it's just not enough to go on
sumyunguy 01.28.18	Also, while I didn't include any episodes from season 4, I still think it unfairly gets a lot of flack. It's still some of the best television available and all the episodes were compelling and enjoyable in their own right. I particularly liked Crocodile and Black Museum.
AngryJohnny 01.28.18	I'd have San Junipero over national anthem but good list, especially good call on 1
Divaman 01.28.18	4 was totally effed up and soul-killing. I've still got about half of Season 4 to finish.
Deathconscious 01.28.18	"probably because I've always been annoyed at the idea of keyboard warriors talking shit and hiding behind anonymity." Youre dumb.
Deathconscious 01.28.18	@snox the show just showcases the possible downsides of our relationship with technology, cocknoggin. If you think the shows message is simply "technology is bad," then it sounds like youre childish and stupid, not the show. Also, i dont believe some of the episodes even have a real moral or lesson to share. Some of it is just entertainment for entertainment's sake. You think youre too smart for the show, but really youre just pretentious and autistic.
Papa Universe 01.28.18	i've heard someone try to explain how USS Callister is a commentary on our addiction to online gaming and the isolation and inability to interact with the real world it causes... ugh
Deathconscious 01.28.18	Lol
Papa Universe 01.28.18	yeah
Gameofmetal 01.29.18	I feel like The National Anthem is super underrated, it's the simplest Black Mirror epi I've seen so far and the least weighted down by pretension. Once I saw the next few episodes I really started to understand why people call it pretentious, though I do like the show overall. I do like The Waldo Moment though actually.
Astral Abortis 01.29.18	"the show just showcases the possible downsides of our relationship with technology, cocknoggin. If you think the shows message is simply "technology is bad," then it sounds like youre childish and stupid, not the show." I think you're the deluded one if there actually any subtlety to the pure cynical messages of the show that brings no depth of real discussion to man's relationship with technology. The show might try to showcase the "possible downsides" (fucking lol) of our relationship with technology, but what it ends up doing is coming across as almost entirely moronic in its depiction of certain subsets of subcultures of subtechnologies taking over the world and then telling us it's bad. It's not even good from a pure entertainment standpoint. As I mentioned previously in my gripes with White Christmas, the show COULD have had a poignant story about many of the things the show wants to address, but instead went to the most black/white and banal route via the most absurdly stupid plot devices I've ever seen. It's like the Big Bang Theory for people who call other people zombies for using their phones in public.
Orb 01.29.18	I've only seen the one with the circuit boarder collie
Astral Abortis 01.29.18	Every Black Mirror fan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAGxQQdYUUQ
SCREAM! 01.29.18	"It's like the Big Bang Theory for people who call other people zombies for using their phones in public. " No one I know who watches the show (which is quite a few people) is like that Honestly, if you don't like it, fine, but the grudge you seem to hold against it is more absurd than any of the episodes lmao
Astral Abortis 01.29.18	You and I have met very different fans of the show it seems
Deathconscious 01.29.18	^ see what i mean? Pure autism and pretension.
Astral Abortis 01.29.18	I'm merely mimicking Black Mirror.
TheSupernatural 01.29.18	Season 4 was bad, and Crocodile is definitely the worst episode of the series. Stylistically great, but written so absurdly bad that it was borderline unwatchable. My personal top 5 is as follows. I'm sure I'll publish my full ranking eventually. 5. Nosedive 4. The Entire History of You 3. USS Callister 2. Shut Up and Dance 1. The National Anthem
Deathconscious 01.29.18	"I'm merely mimicking Black Mirror" If that was true youd be a good user.
sumyunguy 01.29.18	Haha, take it easy bro's. Despite the show's obvious social commentary and warnings about technology, I treat it like entertainment television. To me, the most important factor is, do I find it fun to watch? Everything else is secondary. Like I heard so many criticisms of Metalhead, saying it's just a dog chasing a lady for 40 minutes, what's even the message? But who the hell cares, honestly? It's a beautifully shot, tense bit of television with a heartfelt ending. At some point you gotta stop searching for every little meaning and just enjoy the damn thing.
Astral Abortis 01.29.18	I feel like the main reason I can’t enjoy Black Mirror isn’t because I’m too busy searching for meaning, it’s because the show keeps slapping me around with its “meaning” like a smegma-covered cock