ARE WE ACTUALLY LIVING IN A BLACK MIRROR EPISODE OR IS IT JUST COOL TO SAY THAT?
Review/Rambling about why I love the show and its newest season, prescient sci-fi, and whether we learn anything from it?
Heyo,
As Mr. Milchick utters in the opening moments of Severance Season 2, it’s been a minute...
I know, bold to be quoting a show I don’t love (yeah, I said it), but Tramell Tillman’s performance definitely stuck with me. Anyways, it actually hasn’t been that long, but I’ve been all over the place the last two months as I’ve been traveling a bit to the West Coast for work and other fun activities:
Went to San Francisco for an event (got to see the Dolby HQ!) and it was my first time there in about nine years?! I packed appropriately this time (if you know, you know…).
Two weeks later, I headed to Los Angeles for an offsite and then stayed an extra week to work and catch up with friends and enemies. Shoutout to my buddy Max Ferguson for letting me crash on his couch and Kash the dog for shedding on it!
Speaking of Max, check out the new season of Poker Face on Peacock, which he worked on. I’m even temporarily getting a subscription to watch it.
Three weeks later, I came back to LA to attend the Thunderbolts* premiere (for work), which took place at the Dolby Theatre.
The premiere was especially significant, not just because I’m a longtime Marvel fan, but the Dolby Theatre is also the home of the Oscars (a fact that made my parents think my job was cool for once)! It was really mind blowing to be in that space and thankfully Thunderbolts* turned out to be a great movie, too.
In between all these trips I have been keeping up with a lot of content, and one of the best things that I watched recently was the latest season of Black Mirror, created by Charlie Brooker, which is one of my all time favorite TV shows. It was very apparent this season was a step up given how much it utterly devastated me compared to recent installments. It’s been a few years since the show has had such an intense impact and, in a sense, I guess I was inspired to write this after getting depressed again about the world and technology’s role in it. But, isn’t that the mark of Black Mirror at its finest?
BLACK MIRROR IN RETROSPECT + LOOKING AHEAD [IN PARANOID FASHION]
🤖 PROLOGUE: WHY I LOVE SCI-FI
Sci-fi is such a broad genre that it’s easy to clump drastically different movies and shows together when there’s actually a vast and beautiful diversity in this arena. On one end, you have blockbusters like Star Wars, Dune, and Kalki 2898 AD which are massive spectacles drenched in deep world building and, while they still carry a lot of sociopolitical allegories, they also tend to incorporate more commercial and mythological components — you could call them sci-fi fantasies even. Then there’s movies like Arrival, The Martian, and Moon, which tend to ground their speculative elements in some semblance of realism or “believable” science — they still require some suspension of disbelief, but also elicit responses ranging from “If this actually happened, this is probably how it would it go” to “This will definitely happen one day.” But, there’s also a huge, murky middle ground of cerebral movies that are also commercial and vice versa, or titles that strike a balance of everything, like Inception, Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, and so on.
And I love all of it!!! In the grand scheme of genre storytelling, this realm has always resonated with me the most on an aesthetic and allegorical level. But, if I had to pick a side, that realistic style of sci-fi, which Black Mirror falls squarely into, tends to be my favorite approach.
What’s simultaneously so cool and terrifying about it is how it both embraces and disrupts the visual medium in ways other genres, or even other forms of sci-fi, can’t. It can be abstract and affecting, out-of-the-box and strikingly similar, imaginative and intimate, all at the same time. And, especially given how much technology is infused into our everyday life, for better and for worse, realistic and hard sci-fi doesn’t just mirror our current lives, but it can feel prophetic, showing us paths forwards and paths to avoid in a more visceral way than other genres.
And, for the record, I don’t hate technology or the industry. I mean, without the beauty of modern innovation, how else would I be able to send you these incoherent and overwritten ramblings that I am calling a newsletter?
But, seriously, while it’s easy to criticize the global tech industry (very easy, there are so many valid examples), obviously there’s a lot of amazing inventions that have and continue to dramatically improve our way of life. At the same time, there are also a lot of products and individuals, especially in today’s rampant and unregulated AI boom, that are actively hurting the world (or eventually will).
For me, that struggle is what’s at the core of all sci-fi: highlighting the best of human nature — manifested in the form of “innovations” — and exposing the worst — which is to say, how that innovation gets abused.
🌎 SHIT FEELS TOO REAL
In the 21st century, no other film or show has done a better job of exploring this dichotomy than Black Mirror. While it often aptly gets compared to The Twilight Zone, its technological twist has made it one of the most timely shows of our era, offering a bleak outlook on how technology exacerbates and unmasks our negligence, ignorance, and ego. But, the show also manages to traverse several genres and, at times, even incorporate dark humor without diluting the sci-fi tone and commentary, making it a profound and complex anthology series. And, of course, there are some episodes with more optimistic endings, too. It’s had its missteps, but at this point it’s in a tier now where even when they put out a middling season, I’ll still be ready to watch the next installment on day one.
It’s often said that modern life feels like a Black Mirror episode, and with the rate that technology is evolving (and the state of the world is... ya know?), that can feel a little too real at times! Admittedly, sometimes it can also feel overstated since people will shout that out anytime a tech company does anything remotely morally objectionable. But, what if we took a moment to look into examples stemming from the show to see how accurate that feeling actually is? Well…
2013’s “Be Right Back” (S2-E1) tells the story of a woman (Hayley Atwell) whose boyfriend (Domhnall Gleeson) dies, but then a company allows her to communicate with an AI imitating him — and eventually, even interact with an android replica. Well, ever hear of “grief tech”? Yeah, we’re capitalizing on mourning big time now, to the point where they came up with an official name for this sector. It’s not even just new startups — major companies like Amazon and Snapchat are trying to provide ways for people to speak with deceased loved ones.
An episode I often obsess over is “Nosedive” (S3-E1), which released in 2016, and is set in an alternate reality where people rate each other based off their interactions, using this ranking system to define their self-worth and socioeconomic status. I think we can all agree we’re just living a version of this? It’s been nearly 10 years since it premiered and, even despite how exaggerated it gets, it still remains a relevant examination of social media addiction, performative on/off-line personalities, the need for digital validation, and forms of social currency.
On a lighter, but still annoying note: dating! “Hang the DJ” (S4-E4), from 2017, centers on an algorithm that puts people into relationships for fixed lengths of time and eventually determines their life partner — in other words, the AI determines your partner for you. Well, actually dating apps may do this soon. Bumble’s CEO suggested having AI concierges, i.e. if your AI concierge matches with another person’s AI, then you guys get matched. Tangentially, Tinder just introduced the ability to practice flirting with a chatbot, so be on the lookout for more AI in your dating apps.
A week ago, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman described his goal of having ChatGPT remember “everything in a person’s life,” which takes me back to the inception of the show in 2011’s “The Entire History of You” (S1-E3).
I could legitimately go on, but even with just a handful of episodes from almost 10-15 years ago, it’s pretty crazy to see how much is being translated to real life — and, even more depressing is how the dejection I felt in those episodes is coming to fruition as well.
But, let’s jump into the latest season: what new and crazy shit is Brooker telling us about where the world is headed?
😱 SEASON 7 PROVES THE SHOW IS STILL THE GOLD STANDARD
To contradict the header, I’ll admit the show has hit a number of rough spots over the last few years. There’s Season 5, otherwise known as the Miley Cyrus season, which actually has one-and-a-half (out of three) good episodes, but her episode was so bad it became the identity of the season. Season 6 was a mixed bag and featured a few supernatural episodes which are effectively not Black Mirror...
Season 7 just dropped last month and it was a return to form. The episodes retained the series’ signature edge and prescient storytelling that left me enthralled, reeling, and conflicted. Some highlights:
“Common People” (S7-E1): A teacher (Rashida Jones) is forced to undergo a lifesaving medical procedure and ends up with a piece of her brain being linked to a cloud server — she then needs to sign up for a subscription service to survive. She and her husband (Chris O’Dowd) face dire consequences as the company increases their pricing tiers while downgrading their offerings. To illustrate how disruptive it becomes, at a certain point, Jones literally starts spewing out adverts since she’s on a lower tier (and loses consciousness when she does so!). Merging the subscription model concept with the healthcare industry, especially for a piece of lifesaving technology, was simultaneously genius and so visceral. I got so angry every time Jones and O’Dowd would visit the startup’s office to have the rules changed on them suddenly, yet they were completely helpless to do anything — especially given this company was essentially holding Jones’ life and wellbeing hostage. While the episode acutely captured the enraging duplicity of corporations and their classist abuse of innovation, perhaps the worst feeling to have was how it left me wondering when, not if, this would ever happen. I mean, are we not already well on the path for the U.S. healthcare/health tech system to reach its capitalist zenith one day?
By the way, did you know that Jones co-wrote the aforementioned “Nosedive”?
“Hotel Reverie” (S7-E3): In the episode, actress Brandy Friday (Issa Rae) stars in a remake of a 1940s romance film, but it’s an immersive AI production that places her alongside AI versions of the actors, namely the iconic actress Dorothy Chambers (Emma Corrin). On the surface, this episode seems most relevant to the trajectory of the entertainment industry right now as it tackles the use of AI in recreating art and deceased actors. From a creative/business perspective, it even poses questions about the validity of remakes. But, as the episode progresses, it evolves from a farcical commentary on Hollywood to a bittersweet romantic drama, calling into question the sentience of AI and to what degree we’re willing to accept the humanity of a robot. Also, Emma was so good that I’m legitimately considering watching The Crown now.
“Plaything” (S7-E4): Driven by incredibly creepy performances from Peter Capaldi and Lewis Gribben, this episode centers on a man (Capaldi) who voluntarily turns himself in for murder and tells the police about his obsession with an abandoned 1960s video game, Thronglets, claiming the digital creatures from the game are fully sentient. While it was gaming focused, it reflected the increasing dependence we have on tech and the “relationships” people make with digital avatars, chatbots, and even personal devices. Capaldi continuously talks up about how the Thronglets will “heal” humanity — his manic speech sounds like an obsessed cult member, but I was also kind of reminded of an executive delivering a keynote about how their latest product is going to improve/advance/enhance our lives, as long as we sign over all our protections, privacy, and data. Yay for us!
That’s just a snapshot! I also really enjoyed “Bête Noire” (S7-E2), a revenge tale that was also a potent story on gaslighting; “Eulogy” (S7-E5), a bittersweet trip down memory lane in which heartbreak is the true catharsis (and another example of grief tech); and “USS Callister: Infinity,” another parody and deconstruction of the sci-fi fantasy genre and gaming industry. I feel like “Eulogy” and “Common People” will be their big Emmys episodes.
⏳ WHAT’S THE POINT IDK
To be fair, Black Mirror isn’t the only instance of sci-fi being reflected in real life. Spike Jonze’s Her (2013) is wildly relevant now as we enter an age of people actually falling in love with chatbots. Of course, probably the most relevant and thought provoking modern meditation on AI, androids, and corrupt tech moguls exists in Alex Garland’s Ex Machina (2015). And let’s move beyond indies — Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report (2002), a film that blends complicated themes with commercial storytelling, scarily predicted a lot, including the predominance of facial recognition technology and its use in criminal investigations. I also found an old interview Spielberg did with Roger Ebert (from 2002 but for some reason dated 2012 in the article) in which he actually foresaw a lot about our loss of privacy and hyper commercialization.
To me, the unnerving part isn’t just that some of this sci-fi is coming to the real world — and not all of it is bad — but that it comes at a time when it feels like the overuse and omnipotence of technology is ruining our critical thinking and basic humanity. I especially worry about future generations. Case in point, a friend shared this article from Intelligencer about how ChatGPT has penetrated college and students have become heavily dependent on it. A student goes so far as to admit that AI “could take away that critical-thinking part…now that we rely on it, we can’t really imagine living without it.”
But, it’s not just AI, right? Broadly speaking, we’re always hearing of “innovations” happening, but these days it doesn’t feel like they’re advancing humanity. So then, what’s the point? It’s not just corporations — we are also passively and actively taking part in our own degradation, in a sense, right?
But this is what Brooker is interrogating us about — when technology becomes a tool that harms others or ourselves, in the name of profit, ego, indulgence, and/or convenience, then we’re losing sight of why that technology was created in the first place. Every episode makes you wrestle with what you would do if you had that technology in your hands. Brooker always lays bare the best and, especially, worst choices that the characters take. But, going back to the sci-fi pillars I mentioned, he’s not only holding up a mirror (no pun intended) to exhibit the flaws of the human condition, but I’d also contend it’s a warning so that we can work to be better.
So, are we living in a never-ending episode of Black Mirror // a sci-fi dystopia masquerading as a technological utopia? It’s funny how we always say how something reminds us of real life, but are we learning anything from the media we consume, too?
I’d like to think so. I’ve always looked at art like a two-way street — while it can be a reflection of current events, movements, and trends, movies and shows can similarly influence or change society. While I just wrote this whole piece about how it feels like the tech industry and the world at large are ignoring such lessons, I’m not a complete cynic — there’s a lot of thoughtful people out there who are paying attention, calling out the abuse of technological innovations, and making changes in their own life to at least prevent their own personal dystopia.
You know, Google recently lost two antitrust cases — one would force it to sell Google Chrome and the other would see it selling its ad tech business, and if both situations actually came to fruition that could dramatically change the Internet. Apple lost a case related to its App Store commissions, which now allows apps in the U.S. to direct users to the web to complete purchases, bypassing the in-app payment system (i.e. this is detrimental to their App Store business, supposedly good for developers). Are these good things?! Nobody really knows yet, but it’s still crazy that such companies can face significant losses like this at a time when it feels like they’re going to take over the world?! So, at least there’s that.
I’ll leave you with this...for good times and good info!
Drew Gooden recently put out a great video, aptly titled “Technology isn't fun anymore,” that dives into the diminishing returns of “innovation,” addictive corporate practices, and the rising trend in people reverting back to old tech (e.g. physical media, dumbphones, etc.).
My new favorite podcast is Offline with Jon Favreau, which discusses the impact of technology and the internet on our culture, mental health, privacy, and more.
HEY, DID YOU HEAR THAT…
🎟️ MORE MOVIES, MORE FUN!
On the first day of the Cannes Film Festival, Letterboxd announced the Letterboxd Video Store, which will feature themed rental “shelves” highlighting film festival selections, overlooked titles, global cinema, and emerging filmmakers.
Beginning July 9, AMC Theatres Stubs members (free to join) will enjoy a price reduction of 50% off the adult-evening base ticket price all day long at all AMC locations in the United States. This new program is in addition to their existing discount Tuesdays.
🏎️ ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER F1 PARTNERSHIP
Before doing the actual race at the Miami Grand Prix, Formula 1 teams drove 10 life-size LEGO F1 cars around the track. How they did it is mind blowing!
Disney and F1 are now collaborating, so get ready to see Mickey Mouse on the grid!
WHAT ELSE IS ON MY PLATE
🎥 AT THE CINEMA
The Assessment: This under-the-radar gem is my favorite movie of 2025. It actually felt Black Mirror-esque in the best way, as it relates to its tone (mix of deeply dramatic and dark humor) and profound commentary, but still had a unique visual identity and unpredictable story. It’s driven by a truly unhinged (and startlingly heartbreaking) performance from Alicia Vikander, but Elizabeth Olsen and Himesh Patel are practically perfect, too. It tackles broader themes about government oversight (and overreach) and bureaucratic manipulation, while still hitting on intimate ideas concerning the politics of the family unit and parenthood. I recommend avoiding trailers...
Sinners: I’ve seen this twice and my feelings were the same both times: really good movie and, while not Ryan Coogler’s best movie overall, some of the best directing he's ever done is on display. He explores a love of Black music/culture, thoughtful reflection on history, and awe-inspiring commercial flair, but there are some sequences where he ambitiously combines all those elements in one go and it was jaw dropping. THAT scene — if you’ve seen it, then you know what I mean.
Thunderbolts*: I’ve also seen this twice now and I love it! At the moment, it’s one of my favorite third acts/climaxes in a superhero film — I was really amazed at the level of creativity, emotional resonance, and introspection there. It’s ultimately a movie about a bunch of lonely people who self-sabotage/only define themselves by mistakes and have to realize they aren’t alone and can prove they’re more than their flaws. It resembles the character driven storytelling that made OG MCU so top tier. I laughed at every single line from David Harbour (and TRUE fans will catch the Easter Egg regarding an old Super Bowl commercial he did!).
Other movies I saw in theaters recently and would recommend seeing or catching on streaming, once available: Retro, The Surfer, Friendship, Black Bag (best of this bunch!), Warfare, Drop.
📺 ON STREAMING
The Simpsons: Momentously, I watched the Season 36 finale this past week...thus, bringing my journey with this series to a close. I have now seen all 790 episodes (and feature film) of the longest-running American animated show and sitcom in history. Woo hoo! Longer post coming at some point.
The Studio Season 1: Admittedly, I have only talked about this show with people who are also in the industry, so not sure if I’m in a bubble, but...this is one of the best comedies this year! It very accurately captures the manic buffoonery (and, at times, magic) of entertainment, and has some of the most uncomfortable and cringey scenes that I’ve seen in a minute. “The Pediatric Oncologist” (S1-E6) and “Casting” (S1-E7) are my favorite episodes.
The Last of Us Season 2: The best show on TV returns...to a mostly good season! For context, I’ve only played the first TLOU game and only had a general idea of the sequel’s inciting incident. I think the show started off on a phenomenal note, even despite the brutal gut punch, then faltered partway through. But, the most recent episode, “The Price” (S2-E6), was one of the best of the series. For better and for worse, the Joel/Ellie (Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey) relationship is the defining feature that makes the story excel — and if you’ve been watching you’ll understand why I say that. My favorite new addition is Dina (Isabela Merced)!
Additionally...
As I mentioned, I’m in the middle of enjoying Poker Face Season 2 — it continues to show why Rian Johnson is one of my favorite modern storytellers.
Adolescence might end up being the best show of the year. I’ve yet to see anything that matches its emotional impact, technical craft, and writing prowess.
Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 was a welcome return to one of my all time favorite TV shows and a prime example of how to do a sequel/revival correctly.
Finished Abbott Elementary Season 4, The White Lotus Season 3, Severance Season 2, and The Four Seasons Season 1.
🎹 DAYLIST
Currently on repeat…
Jakes Bejoy’s “Minnalvala”
Jen Martin’s “Thirudi”
Ludwig Göransson’s “Magic What We Do” (from Sinners)
📖 THE BOOKSHELF
![This Is How You Lose the Time War [Book]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GG9m!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F41c4f802-b21e-4701-b86f-60bda0c33de4_1400x2101.jpeg "This Is How You Lose the Time War [Book]")
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone: My literary connoisseur friend Brandi Powell (who has never failed me on a book rec) urged me to buy this and now I’m telling everybody I know to read it! It’s a sci-fi (on theme) epistolary about two agents, Red and Blue, that traverse timelines to manipulate events on behalf of their respective warring factions. They start to leave each other letters across timelines, at first taunting each other, but eventually falling in love. Not only is the love story BEAUTIFUL, but I really appreciated the writing style. The authors get very verbose on the characters and relationship, but are pretty sparse on the world building, which is unusual for this genre. I liked that, though, because a pet peeve in sci-fi/fantasy literature is authors getting bogged down in overwhelming world building instead of focusing on the story.
ON THE HORIZON
Long weekend! Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning! Summer is finally here!
For my NYC friends, I recommend checking out the M:I exhibit at the Museum of Moving Image. I’m also eager to check out the Alfred Hitchock retrospective series happening at the Paris Theater right now (until June 29).
As always, thank you so much for reading and let me know your thoughts on the above or what you’re currently enjoying.