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Rating: All episodes of Black Mirror are somewhat shocking and chilling, but the 2014 Christmas special is a bit more so, at least compared to the first two seasons. Perhaps the dystopian charge seems less evident because the narrative structure is a series of nested stories that reverses perspective at least a couple of times. But it is fierce, even more than usual.
Maybe it’s because time is one of the most mysterious (and frightening) issues of being in the world, but this invention of cookies really left me speechless. The ease with which they are inflicted with the sentence of time is something that far exceeds all the moral perversions of the first two seasons.
The structure of the episode is exceptional. The first part is the most lighthearted, while still sharply depicting the inherent risks in facial recognition technologies and, in general, the harmful potential of social networks. The progression of the story then becomes further cruel, due to the terrible misunderstanding that arises. But there’s more: we also have a representation of human typifications that cannot help but provoke reflection. To every behavioral element, there’s a perfect response to give, as if to group human beings into a number, large but limited, of standard categories. The trivialization and plasticization of these categories is at the core of the final misunderstanding. The fatal error lies in viewing others' characteristics as extras on an object, the person, which is merely an erotic target. The real consequences are not calculated, as in a virtual reality where you only have to win the game.
And alongside the master who guides the inept character through the webcam present in his eyes, there’s a group of voyeurs who enjoy spying on and sarcastically commenting on the private life of the poor incapable man. Among other things, he has memorized a series of impactful phrases, consistent with the standardizing view of human beings.
The dystopian vision becomes even more terrifying in the second part, when Matt Trent explains his job. And here, truly, the genius of the writers is matched only by the unease generated. The cookies extracted from people (I won’t add details so as not to spoil the surprise for those who haven’t seen the episode) are indeed something frightening. And the idea that they can be subjected to any temporal torture, with impunity, is just as terrible. This technology is used both for domestic functions (because man is increasingly lazy and allergic to effort) and for criminal justice issues.
The premises set out in these two sections allow for a better telling of Joe Potter's story, which is the most serious drama presented here. And while he has made mistakes, the one most under accusation is the pseudo-justice of this future, which truly does not weigh the punishments inflicted on men and their respective cookies. The finale then is a sadistic triumph, both for the life that Matt finds himself forced to live (the block that one undergoes and/or applies to others, through the augmented reality device, is another ingenious and scary script idea that well outlines the dangers of a life parameterized by social networks), and for the cookie condemned to millennia of solitude. A much harsher Inception.
Apart from the structural perfection with which the episode unfolds and the well-disseminated surprises, I find this dystopian vision one of the most frightening among those proposed in Black Mirror. The alternation between flashback narration and present explanations is perfectly calibrated. With the final revelation about the reason why Matt is there, adding an additional dose of venomous disenchantment to the story. And that colorful coat in the snow, for millennia.
8.5/10
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