The twist? They can split their time on Earth and space via life-size replicas of themselves with keys that assist in the transfer of consciousness. Set in an alternate 1969 - where technology is far more advanced than it was in its historical counterpart - “Beyond the Sea ” follows astronauts Cliff Stanfield (Aaron Paul) and David Ross (Josh Hartnett) as they embark on a six-year deep space mission. Season six of “Black Mirror” was disappointing.
In this episode, the writers excelled at achieving that skin-crawling feeling that something isn’t quite right, which pairs well with the lonely landscape of Ireland and the sinking feeling as the characters learn about the ghost town, and the many things it’s hiding. The slow-burning first act introduces some cool characters that make the Black Mirror twist at the end truly gripping. That’s all to say that this latest season is no different despite the lack of technology. But “creepy” to describe Black Mirror is a compliment to the writers, who achieved the heavy but hypnotic effect with each of our protagonists’ interactions. They give the episode a lonely feeling that explodes by the sad, creepy ending. As “Loch Henry ” reflects, the show’s capacity for this is only heightened by set design and charming acting, which all capture the horror aesthetic in the midst of the Irish countryside. Regardless, the show’s appeal comes from an ability to portray reality and gradually twist it into different genres. Many have avoided the show for that reason, while dedicated fans remain entranced by its dark side. But it’s a far cry from what “Black Mirror” used to be.īlack Mirror’s explosion in popularity came from the disturbing aesthetic of its early seasons. Hayek’s appearance as herself in the episode is little more than a cameo, and it is clear that our familiarity with the actress is meant to do much of the character building. Her emotional gamut is narrow, spanning from hapless frustration to explosive anger. Joan is moreso a device to explore the bleak digital premise than an actual person. The technology takes up too much narrative space, leaving little room to flesh out the characters. The episode essentially answers the question, “What’s the worst that could happen if I skip through the Terms and Conditions?”īut it doesn’t do much else. Streamberry, a Netflix-esque streaming service, deploys CGI to release the show at record speed using personal data from Joan’s devices. It’s an ironic twist of fate for a woman who told her therapist that she didn’t feel like the “main character” in her own life. The titular character, Joan Tait (Annie Murphy), suddenly finds her life in disarray when she becomes the subject of a drama series, “Joan is Awful,” starring actress Salma Hayek as herself. There was a time when “Black Mirror” was lauded as cutting-edge television, but “Joan is Awful,” the sixth season’s premiere, is a tacky, outdated caricature of the show, muddled with one-dimensional characters and an uninteresting twist.
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