Black Mirror (Season 4)

[Ja'moke]

Teaser trailer for Season 4 is out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH85obU350E

Plus episode titles and cast credits:

"Arkangel"
Cast: Rosemarie Dewitt (La La Land), Brenna Harding (A Place to Call Home), Owen Teague (Bloodline)
Director: Jodie Foster
Written by: Charlie Brooker

"USS Callister"
Cast: Jesse Plemons (Fargo), Cristin Milioti (The Wolf of Wall Street), Jimmi Simpson (Westworld), Michaela Coel (Chewing Gum)
Director: Toby Haynes (Sherlock)
Written By: Charlie Brooker & William Bridges

"Crocodile"
Cast: Andrea Riseborough (Birdman, Bloodline), Andrew Gower (Outlander), Kiran Sonia Sawar (Murdered By My Father)
Director: John Hillcoat (Triple Nine, Lawless)
Written By: Charlie Brooker

"Hang the DJ"
Cast: Georgina Campbell (Flowers), Joe Cole (Peaky Blinders), George Blagden (Versailles)
Director: Tim Van Patten (The Sopranos)
Written By: Charlie Brooker

"Metalhead"
Cast: Maxine Peake (The Theory Of Everything), Jake Davies (The Missing), Clint Dyer (Hope Springs)
Director: David Slade (Hannibal)
Written By: Charlie Brooker

"Black Museum"
Cast: Douglas Hodge (The Night Manager), Letitia Wright (Humans), Babs Olusanmokun (Roots)
Director: Colm McCarthy
Written By: Charlie Brooker

[Blinder Data]

Bloody hell. Jodie Foster! Tim van Patten! Brooker is going up in the world.

I was impressed at the variety and consistency of series 3 seeing as it's pretty much a solo thing. Not seen all of series 3 tbf, but only episode 1 was a bit of a stinker.

The horror episode in the video game mansion was one of the scariest things I'd seen in ages.

[Ja'moke]

I still need to watch the last two episodes of Season 3 actually.

[Dr Syntax Head]

FUCKIN' A! Been waiting for this. Season 3 was better on a rewatch. and yeah the video game one was full on

[Alberon]

Technically series 3 news, but Charlie Brooker just picked up an Emmy for the San Junipero episode in the 'Best Writing for a Limited Series or Movie' category.

[kidsick5000]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9dtKWLrvig

The Emmys namechecked Oink comic. As if it couldn't get any stranger

[Alberon]

The same episode of Black Mirror also won "Best TV Movie' last night.

[Hat FM]

brooker did a wanking gesture when picking up the award right??

[Icehaven]

brooker did a wanking gesture when picking up the award right??

Dunno but when his win was mentioned during the bit about the Emmys on BBC News this morning they showed a second or two of him walking from his seat to the stage, then when they showed the same thing on Sky News the film was flipped so he was walking from the other direction. Ain't that fascinating. Also I think there was a screenshot of CAB visible in the....sorry.

[BlodwynPig]

...its an award for all of us.

[Dr Syntax Head]

It's funny cos San Junipero wasn't the best episode. Should have been either the social media one or the VR game one. But anyway, bloody happy about this.

[phantom_power]

I think it was my favourite episode of the series, but even if it wasn't I think it was probably picked as it stands out from all the others due to its positivity and excellent direction/cinematography

[BlodwynPig]

The incidental music (not the soundtrack) and cinematography raise San Junipero above mere rose-tinted nostalgia (albeit through a rose-tinted lens).

[Squink]

I love San Junipero, so very happy about the news. Watched it twice and I cried both times, sentimental old fool that I am.

[Neville Chamberlain]

I think I'm going to have to watch San Junipero because I sure as heck didn't get it the first time round!

[MoonDust]

Yeah I liked San Junipero purely because of how positive it was. For Black Mirror that's pushing the boundaries a bit, so it was nice to see something different. Some of their future tech being used for something heart-warming rather than sinister.

[asids]

"Shut Up and Dance" was probably the best episode of Season 3 for me, almost entirely because of the twist at the end that completely changes your perspective of the whole thing.

[Artemis]

We're three episodes deep into season 4 here in Melbourne, and we'll watch the next three tomorrow.

Some thoughts, obviously including spoilers which I take it are acceptable now the entire thing has been released (I'll spoiler very specific things)...

USS Callister
I thought this was the best Black Mirror for ages and deserved it's extended runtime. What set it apart was the light touch and the originality of the approach. The central idea was well thought out and delivered, the acting was enjoyable and the way it didn't take itself too seriously in the way some Black Mirror's have before was refreshing. "Stealing my pussy is a red fucking line" was in Samuel L Jackson territory, in a good way. I'm sure it was trying to say something, but we mainly just enjoyed it at face value. Great stuff.

Arkangel
The weakest of the first three, we felt. It didn't feel like it was new - the pixelation of others has been done before just a few episodes ago, and the whole thing felt a bit Black Mirror by numbers. We went with it when the unlikely notion of being able to see what the child saw was presented, but it didn't feel like it really went anywhere, said anything as profound as I thought it might like to think it did, and didn't really remotely nuanced in the way the best episodes did. It felt like there wasn't much development between storyboard and execution, so we got a 'then she does this, then she does that' played out as first conceived. Meh.

Crocodile
A definite step up and entertaining. Very well acted by Andrea Riseborough. The problem I had was the idea that memories could be visualised even down to peripheral detail. That was a stretch too far and not at all how memories work. The entire episode hinged on accepting this tech, and it wasn't credible enough to believe in, which damaged the whole thing. That aside, and the slightly ham-fisted the baby was blind anyway, this was gripping and beautiful to look at.

[up_the_hampipe]

USS Callister was fucking great. Pretty funny in places too, as Black Mirror should be considering all the concepts are quite silly.

"Shut Up and Dance" was probably the best episode of Season 3 for me, almost entirely because of the twist at the end that completely changes your perspective of the whole thing.

It didn't change my perspective completely. I still felt a bit bad for the lad.

[Custard]

USS Callister is brilliant. Very well written, performed, and funny too. Almost the perfect BM episode

Anyone recognise Aaron Paul's voice at the end? Noice

[up_the_hampipe]

Anyone recognise Aaron Paul's voice at the end? Noice

I was expecting him to say "bitch" right at the end, but I'm glad he didn't.

[chocky909]

I was convinced all the way through that the main actress in USS Callister was the same woman who played the 'cookie' and her owner in White Christmas but it appears not, just very similar looking gals.

Great episode too anyway.

[itsfredtitmus]

sometimes phones is good... but othertimes phones is bad

[BritishHobo]

Aye, echoing how brilliant USS Callister was. Unique, gripping, very funny. I really loved the way that it took a trope that's old hat even as parody now (the 'fly through the asteroid belt to get there quicker!') and actually managed to deliver it with a real sense of stakes and tension.

Not so fussed on Arkangel. Neat idea, but the episode itself just feels a bit Lifetime.

[Dr Syntax Head]

I am missing the brit council estate background but I have never felt so anxious about our modern world. My god I love you Charlie Brooker!

[Dr Syntax Head]

I avoided pointing out breaking bad voice to Mrs Syntax because she is really fed up with my pop culture references lately

[up_the_hampipe]

I avoided pointing out breaking bad voice to Mrs Syntax because she is really fed up with my pop culture references lately

"That's Jesse from Breaking Bad doing the voice"
"Enough with the pop culture references!"
"Sorry, dear, I'll stop behaving like Abed from Community"
"GRRRR! SYYYNTAAAX!"

[itsfredtitmus]

Is Mrs Syntax your sock?

[Custard]

Fuck me, Crocodile is grim. Well grim. Grim3000

[itsfredtitmus]

i hope when i go into s4 its more pig sex and shut and dance and less nosedive (phones is bad) and LOL80S