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Black Mirror: A Perfect Reflection
- Kevin Ma
- Mar 13, 2016
- 2 min read
Black Mirror is an anthology series created by Charlie Brooker. It tells multiple stories about how technology runs the lives of very complicated individuals. Every episode presents us with a new story and new characters with a recurring theme. From a grieving girlfriend bringing her lover back to “life” to a couple abusing their implanted memory chips, Black Mirror shows us the dark side of humanity with the addition of technology.
“Be Right Back” tells a story of a grieving woman, Martha, who has lost her lover, Ash. She tries to move on with her life, but cannot stand being without him. She turns to a program which can generate the personality of anyone via their internet history. All you have to do is upload that person's emails, and social media accounts to the program, and it will do the rest. Martha does this and is able to talk to Ash through email and even phone calls.
Although it would be intriguing to be able to talk to the deceased, we cannot deny that it is unnatural. The program will mess with our grieving process because we would not be able to let go. We will only be replacing the memory of our loved one with a program.
“The Entire History of You” has a captivating title with an equally captivating story. In the near future, many individuals have memory chips implanted in their brains. They are known as “grains.” This allows a person to store and playback anything they have seen. Forget about ever forgetting again. We focus on a couple:Liam and Fi. They are struggling with their marriage, and the grain only makes it worse. They use the playback of memory as they argue and expose each other's lies. The grain makes it very easy to expose lies, but is it too much? Privacy does not really exist in “The Entire History of You.” Imagine living in a world where you can playback anything. Any and everything can be exposed. Can you live in a world like that?
The other five episodes of Black Mirror are similar to the two that we have explored, they examine not so perfect individuals as they struggle with their lives. The high tech world that these characters live in only bring more trouble to their lives. Each story shows us how technology can both be fascinating, but also terrifying when mixed with our complicated characters. The endings of the episodes might not settle well with certain people. However, Black Mirror shows us what we need to see, and not what we want to see. Reality is not a walk in the park. Things do not always work out. Pain and despair are a part of everyday life, but it is through that pain and despair that we find hope. Black Mirror wonderfully executes these concepts and it is a must watch.
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