I’m through the first three. Really liked Common People even though it was a total downer. I’ll give it an A. Felt like vintage Black Mirror and O’Dowd and Jones were brilliant. Thought Bête Noire had a lot of promise but ultimately didn’t stick the landing. B-. Hotel Reverie I really wanted to like and thought it might be another San Junipero, but no. An interesting premise and style, but too slow for my taste, and other than the actress playing Clare, I thought all of the performances were really lackluster. C-.
Okay, finished the season. First up, Plaything. I must say, my problem with it is actually its greatest strength. It was hyper-efficient and left me wanting more. I had so many questions. But within the scope of the story being told it was expertly crafted. I’ll give it an A-. Eulogy. Oh my. This just might have been my favorite Black Mirror episode ever. It is the epitome of why I love Black Mirror - technology is a huge central part of the tale, but the technology is merely a vehicle to spin a story about the human condition. And Eulogy was a heartbreakingly beautiful story. Love, anger, sorrow, regret. Giamatti’s performance was one of the best of the series. A+!! USS Callister Into Infinity. It was enjoyable and it looked great (wonder what the budget was on this one). But in the end, it felt like a conventional sequel lacking the magic of the original. And once we get to the point that we can discuss spoilers I have some thoughts about the ending, which didn’t sit well with me at all. It’s hard to say that I’m disappointed by something that I enjoyed, but it really does pale in comparison to the first installment. B
So my rankings from first to worst are as follows:
Eulogy (A+)
Common People (A)
Plaything (A-)
USS Callister Into Infinity (B)
Bette Noir (B-)
Hotel Reverie (C-)
Notable acting performances that I thought were exceptional:
Paul Giamatti (Phillip in Eulogy)
Emma Corrin (Dorothy Chambers in Hotel Reverie)
Chris O’Dowd (Mike in Common People)
Rashida Jones (Amanda in Common People)
With an honorable mention to:
Rosy McEwen (Verity Greene in Bête Noire)
