![]() ![]() ![]() It's something unique to the Information Age and something we'll no doubt see more and more in the world around us.Black Mirror has been a staple of TV since it premiered in 2011 and Netflix's sixth season has just added five more twisted tales to the sci-fi franchise. People can be strung along by hope, given glimpses, but never whole answers they are therefore kept from closure. The ability to forcibly remove someone from an aspect of our lives (while sometimes necessary) invites unfamiliar anxiety brought on by the possibilities of technology. The episode says something interesting about human behavior. Shocked by this discovery and forced into a blind rage, Joe murders Beth's father and flees, inadvertently leaving the child without the means to survive. Beth's child was fathered by another man. Upon Beth's death, the block was removed and Joe was finally able to see his daughter, only to discover that the child wasn't, in fact, his daughter. He wasn't physically able to see or hear her or his child, which drove him to the point of obsession and desperation. The heart of "White Christmas" is on Joe, who tells of how he was blocked by his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Beth. That's not something that might happen, it's happening right now. No matter how inhumane something is, it's easier for us to watch if it's on a screen - seemingly disconnected from reality. Much like they are in the show, the audience is disgusted but they can't turn away. It highlights the disconnect caused by technology. We see that the entire nation has flocked to the nearest television screen to watch it happen as they laugh or look away in disgust. The scene in which the PM's humiliating act takes place does more than just shock us. ![]() We see the prime minister as a political figure, pressured by Twitter, Facebook and Youtube to do something vile in order to save Princess Susannah, who has been kidnapped by a twisted artist trying to make a statement. It comments on society and politics, the dangers of social media and it does it all using the technology and internet-influenced society that exists here and now. This episode is infamous for its shocking ending in which the UK's prime minister if forced to.do some very obscene things with a pig. The scary thing is, none of that is at all impossible. We can understand how tempting it would be to use technology like that and how willing we might be in the end to use it, just so we can feel the presence of a dear loved one one more time, even if we disagree with the very idea of it. But the scene is powerful because many of us know how agonizing grief is, especially its initial stages. It's a simple scene: she's alone, sitting on her bed and crying profusely as she types to what is essentially a highly-advanced chatbot. A friend recommends an AI to help her through her grief and while Martha is initially repulsed by the idea, she eventually gives in and tries it out, beginning with an AI on her tablet which uses information from social media to try and imitate Ash. The episode revolves around Martha, who loses her boyfriend, Ash. It explores our heavy use of social media, our ways of dealing with grief and our ultimately futile attempts to immortalize ourselves. Some pretty interesting concepts are explored in "Be Right Back" and none of them are too far-fetched. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |