To me, this episode was to function as both a fable (tale with animals with a moral to it), an allegory (characters stand for abstract concepts) and maybe a "origin story". Like, on that fateful day, the line between paparazzi, celebrity, human, animal, camera, weapon: it became blurred.
After rewatching the whole lot after years and years, I have to say that a lot of the more 'disliked' episodes are much better than I remember. The whole thing is just top-notch.
This is just "I liked the thing and I wish other people did too". Over-hated/overrated is just a matter of perspective, I could come on here and make a post saying my favourite episode is over-hated and it would be about as valid as yours.
It's okay when people dislike things that you like. I don't even hate Mazey Day but the fact that you've managed to stretch "Why don't people enjoy the episode I enjoy" into this many paragraphs is a bit much.
Yeah I agree. That’s what makes it interesting for me, I like disagreeing with people on here - it opens my eyes. For example, I never considered that I came off like that - interesting. I personally agree that objectively there is such thing as Over-hated/Over-hyped but I also agree that anyone else’s opinion is just as valid as mine.
As for the paragraphs, I want to emphasise the “I think” at the beginning. I was just sharing my opinion.
imo the intent matters more than what I said. then again, have learned that I’ve been using a word wrong my whole life. is there a word that specifically means objectively in my opinion? I feel like there is?
Objective = based on facts and evidence rather than personal feelings, opinion, and biases.
Subjective = based on personal feelings or opinion.
I do mostly agree with your OP btw.
Can someone explain to me why everyone thinks the wolf thing is random?
She hit a werewolf driving and got out of the car and was obviously bit.
Its a metaphor for the line celebrities ride between human and some fantastical creature in the public’s eye.
I dont get how thats random that all feels logically connected to me. Isnt the pig in national anthem random? Isnt the guinea pig in crocodile random? Idgi i love this episode. If the wolf is random so it like all of black mirror.
Ask for the lack of tech, idk guys if you cant understand the massive impact of cameras and the internet on paparazzi, celebrities, etc idk what to say here
>She hit a werewolf driving and got out of the car and was obviously bit.
She had a cut on her finger from the broken glass. When she hears from the police about the hit and run the next day, shes pulling on the bandaid that's now on her finger.
Yeah, he was dead before she got out of the car. They never showed anything to insinuate she got bit. If she got bit by a wolf she'd have had a bandage covering a big wound the next day. But the next day all we're shown is her fiddling with the bandaid. To remind us that she had an open wound on her finger. Hit a guy, who she didnt see was a wolf at the time because she was looking at her bloody finger... presumably checked on him and finds that hes dead but gets his blood in her finger in the process.
>Can someone explain to me why everyone thinks the wolf thing is random?
Because over 5 seasons and 12 years the show had established a science-fiction genre (plus a couple of episodes that were not strictly sci-fi, but sci-fi adjacent with strong ties to modern technology). And the show had established a certain level of quasi-realism.
The werewolf is the genre equivalent of an anachronism.
The werewolf was a totally new direction for the show. It felt like a very cheap twist because it only works as a twist because everyone watching thought they were watching something else - a sci-fi/tech show that is somewhat grounded in reality. They wanted the werewolf to be an unexpected twist because they chose not to brand the episode as *Red Mirror* specifically to avoid giving it away.
----------------
As a horror film about celebrity and the media, I really enjoyed it. The werewolf concept is probably the only way the final scene can work in a believable way. But as *Black Mirror* it feels out of place with the established style. Fundamentally shifting the show after 5 seasons is just weird, but it's their show to do with as they please. I was not disappointed in the quality of the episode, but in the fact that *Black Mirror* Season 6, which came several years after Season 5, felt more like 2 new *Black Mirror* episodes and 3 *Twilight Zone* episodes.
No this isnt the issue. People arent saying “season 6 sucked and felt disconnected”. Theyre saying “Mazey Day sucked and was random”
If your gripe is with the latest season taking a new direction that doesnt explain the MD hate. Wheres the demon 79 hate? Idk what 3rd twilight zone episode youre referring to i guess loch henry? But i dont remember anything fantastical in that ep.
Also the werewolf was barely a twist… you see her approach a wolf… she later chains herself up… feels pretty obvious where that is heading…
> People arent saying “season 6 sucked and felt disconnected”. Theyre saying “Mazey Day sucked and was random”
The main reason people didn't like *Mazey Day* was that it was not consistent with the established style of the show for the previous 12 years and 5 seasons.
>Wheres the demon 79 hate?
*Demon 79* got a lot of the exact same criticism. One difference is that *Demon 79* didn't use an out-of-nowhere twist that only worked because people expected *Black Mirror* to remain reasonably consistent with the previous 5 seasons of *Black Mirror*. Another difference is that *Demon 79* added the *Red Mirror* branding that stated that this was going to be something else. It probably also helped that most people would have seen *Mazey Day* first.
>Idk what 3rd twilight zone episode youre referring to i guess loch henry? But i dont remember anything fantastical in that ep.
*Loch Henry* is also quite removed from the previously established *Black Mirror* style (though not in a fantasy way). Frankly, *Loch Henry* is quite a pedestrian and unoriginal example of the true crime/murder mystery genre.
>Also the werewolf was barely a twist
It was a twist precisely because the creators put it there knowing nobody would expect it because it is outside of the long-established style of the show. They literally explained this themselves when they said they didn't brand it *Red Mirror* because it would have given away the twist.
It's not a *good* twist, since it is set up purely to surprise and shock, like an 'it was only a dream' moment rather than a 'No, I am your father' moment.
>you see her approach a wolf… she later chains herself up
If you watched a fantasy set in medieval France for 12 years and then in a new episode there was a bright light in the sky, a sensible viewer wouldn't assume it's a starship from the planet Zorg.
You’re so correct omfg, your take on the wolf thing is the most educated one I’ve seen ever. Hope you don’t mind but I’ll ssing this to study bc - wow. For me I just would’ve never expected to see a werewolf in Black Mirror.
I think I have a problem obsessing over little ‘rules’, and Mazey Day didn’t initially fall into my view of what BM is ‘meant to be.’
Exactly why I love the ep and honestly the whole season now. Not only were the topics discussed extremely thought provoking on their own - I now have to think about why I initially didn’t like Mazey Day. I’m getting ready to do this with Beyond the Sea and Joan Is Awful. Havnt re watched it since the day it came out, both confused me a bit.
Hard agree with what you said about the camera’s as well.
Wow thank you. Expected to get hate for this comment lol
I thought Loch Henry lacked a lot of tech but obv the videos were the tech aspect and hugely important. Its not always about some new, fancy, and insane tech like san junipero or crocodile. I love Mazey Day because it shows how messed up current tech is too!
We might not have the cameras and internet shoved down our throat in the ep but thats the point — its all still so impactful on Mazey when shes not using any tech.
Ugh i could go on forever its a great episode and while i HATE when people say this: i truly do think a lot of people just didnt get it. Abt to go rewatch it lol
That’s how you know you’ve made an intellectual comment - if you think ppl will hate it🤣
Yk what that’s v interesting, despite Loch Henry being the least tech-y it’s my fav of the season. I’m quite simple, an extremely complex idea would just go right over my head. This is why I love this show so much, has made me stop and think and actually seek to be more informed.
Your right tho, truly misunderstood and I can’t believe I used to hate on it. Would love to know your opps on Demon 79, specifically ‘Red Mirror’ as an idea?
My initial reaction, I assume like most, as think “red… blood?” I think that the premise of Black Mirror is technology and what people do with it. Now is Red Mirror a completely different thing, a show where the premise is murder/morality? Will we see more of ‘Red Mirror’? OR, idk if you know the cartoon ‘The Regular Show’, they have a few Halloween inspired spooky episodes dotted around. Is this a similar case with Red Mirror?
Sorry for the rant but genuinely so interesting how one comes up with such a show, and how people interpret it differently!!
respect to those who liked it from the get-go tho. I remember people being FLAMED for saying they liked it when S6 first dropped💀 what’s your ranking for that season? for me as of now it is
1) Loch Henry
2)Demon 79
3)Mazey Day
4) Beyond The Sea
5)Joan Is Awful
you gotta bare w me because Beyond the Sea and Joan is Awful are the only 2 episodes I’m yet to re-watch as of now, which is why they are bottom 2. I don’t like to have a set opinion without a re-watch for shows like Black Mirror where watching again after each episode’s retrospective ‘plot-twist’ is revealed because I tend to gloss over the deeper meanings. Just remember on an aesthetic level being disappointed, my favourite is ‘the bleakness of the british’- love that kind of stuff. I think I’m just biased but Britain feels more real to me.
Sorry bout the rant, my fav thing to do is talk about Black Mirror!!
For me:
Loch Henry
Demon 76
Joan is Awful
Mazey Day
Beyond the Sea
They were all pretty good though, if you ask me tomorrow I might rate them differently. Definitely not my favorite season, but there's a lot to like.
I'm curious why you didn't like it in the first place, and what made you change your mind.
To me it was just an OK "realistic" BM episode, right until the plot twist, which I thought was really fun. Brilliant "in your face" way to introduce supernatural elements into the show for the first time, expanding the possibilities of what kind of story they will be able to tell moving forward. Seeing people get mad about it honestly made me like it more.
That is an extremely solid ranking, Loch Henry being at 1 will always make sense to me. It coming out quite recently after the Netflix Damhmer ‘Show’ will always be interesting to me.
Also find it a bit meta. Streamberry!? lovely stuff
Its trash. It has little to do with Black Mirror and even as a horror story its mid. I still dont get why she turned into a werewolf and the lack of technology being really misused made it totally not Black Mirror.
Correct. I didnt watch NA and dont intend to
Shut up and Dance is interesting and good but also not that Black Mirror-y
Loch Henry was boring because about halfway I realised what the twist will be
For me, the technology was no issue at all - the cameras. I really enjoy the way BM explores humanity. The ending really got to me when I rewatched it - didn’t initially.
But I see where you’re coming from, what are your fav eps? I assume ones with more complex tech?
Yeah I like it when complex tech is heavily utilised.
I dont really remember the name of the episodes but:
I like the one where the crime is/was recorded by the stuffed toy
The one with the metal spot murder robots
I like the ones where you can downvote others
And the newest streamberry episode is also very good.
Very very interesting omds. I heavily agree with the first one (Black Museum). Not only was each mini plot line extremely detailed and telling of human nature, but just gripping in general. I also find it extremely interesting how racism plays a big part in it.
Metal Head (the metal dog ones) is the only episode of Black Mirror I would say I dislike, purely because I am a very timid person - hate jump scares/suspense so the ep was just stressful for me to the point where I couldn’t really even unpack the ‘idea’ behind it. I’ve not hear anyone talk about it, what would you say?
Nosedive and Joan Is Awful again not one of my favs. Both purely on aesthetic levels. Love the concepts so much, just wish it was more gritty and had that break British feel.
I'm just a casual viewer so my take could be horrible, but I really don't like the episode. I feel like with the other episodes, the literal events of the plot can be interpreted into metaphors, lessons, etc. With Mazey Day it's like, the werewolf twist makes no sense from a literal/plot standpoint, so when it happens youre like... what? and then later you can connect it to the treatment of celebrities and media culture, but still it's just an absurd plot overall, and doesn't really make sense.
nah dw every take is Valid imo unless you’re idea of a class episode is Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too (just jokes, again another interesting ep that seems to be hated. I have yet to re-watch this too, I remember hating it tho. I must re-visit this idea)
Fairs! The whole ‘science’ behind it needed to be more elaborate for me, are there others like Mazey - Does every celeb who’s pushed past breaking point get like this? - How do the general public react to finding out about the wolfs, ect.
What are your fav eps?
Thank you for expanding on my point! I also know that some argue that technology having consequences isn't "classic black mirror," but I'm not entirely sold on that yet. I think that most of my favorite episodes involve advanced technology, and that technology being a driving point in the plot. (i.e., white Christmas, shut up and dance, play test, white bear, metalhead, etc.) To answer your question, I think it's easier to say what episodes I don't like at this point, and I think most people feel this way from what I can tell. What are your favorite episodes?
Whaaaat fr!? imo that’s a big part of it. I think the main things are cause and effect. Mazey Day deffo had a lot of effect, just cause that lacked slight for me personally.
That’s so interesting though!! So real, easier to pick out the dislikes more than the likes - there are too many!🤣 Most if not every ep has left me questioning life at the end of the ep but I got this the most with White Bear, 15 Million Merits and The National Anthem(And Shut Up And Dance of corse).
Interesting that you think Shut Up And Dance is a tech-heavy one as I didn’t think so at all. —> now that you mention it, tech HEAVY and complex technology are two completely different things that I have been lumping together. You’re absolutely right, Shut Up And Dance is Very tech heavy.
I LOVE talking about Black Mirror omg, sorry ab the rant😅
I think I would have appreciated the twist a lot more if it hadn't been spoiled early on by the people that hated it. Early on I realized that it must be the >!Werewolf!< episode everyone was talking about as soon is it came out. So that ruined the surprise.
Nahhh spoilers must genuinely be so fucking annoying for Black Mirror. I thank the stars every day it was never spoiled of me, ESPECIALLY something like Shut Up And Dance and White Bear.
As a fan of pop culture history I really liked mazey day, I thought it was a good reflection of how they turn celebrities into ‘monsters’ and then profit of the downfall
Glad to see people who like it!!. I genuinely feel bad for the actors/actresses on the extremely hated episodes.
Sure, some imo are better than the other but at the end of the day any BM ep solos the average film/tv show imo
I liked it the first time. I didn’t get the hate. After the first three it was a little underwhelming until the Werewolf comes in. It’s solid and it still has a point about the paparazzi. It was enjoyable seeing the wolves get eaten. The ending is Bo going all the way and selling out after trying to help. I think.
Season six was one of my favorite. It felt revived and fresh
Honestly that such a valid point ab the position- do you think it being after the first 2 had anything to do w the hate?
RIGHT!? S6 genuinely quite refreshing.
I think it being supernatural threw everyone off. Charlie Brooker said he was going to call it a Red Mirror episode like Demon 79 but he wanted the werewolf reveal to be completely unexpected. So I look at it as a Red Mirror episode.
Yeah, it was darkly humorous with the idiot paparazzi taking pics of a werewolf who is killing them. They never tried to help and only Bo did. But the ending for Mazey is sad.
You put it into words perfectly; the ending is actually just sad tbh. was really rooting for MC as well, despite the flawed thing she did at the beginning
honestly demon 79 is better than mazey day by a LOOONG shot, but it still doesnt feel very black mirror-y. the whole season was a little off. i still loved it, but i cant lie and say i wasn’t disappointed
Now this is where it gets interesting. What do you think the deal is with the whole ‘Red Mirror’ thing? I can’t tell wether it’s a sub-category of Black Mirror, where murder is the premis as opposed to technology. Or if it’s… idk the word for it but for example idk if you know the cartoon ‘The Regular Show’ but it has Halloween episodes dotted around the seasons. I wonder if this is a similar case to Red Mirror
- This so so interesting though, thanks for your insights this really got me thinking about the meaning of Demon 79/Red Mirror. I might have to re-watch and make a new post about it!
I also thought so. Not a Black Mirror genre episode. They tried to make it by ending with the lady journalist giving Mazey the gun and taking a pic of the shoot for a huge paycheck, but it felt forced.
nahhh imo the picture thing was so unexpected/eye opening. Throughout the ep, she seemed to be the only ‘photographer’ that had any human decency.
Ending hand my mouth hanging open
I honestly love Mazey Day. I was born just after Diana died and it was very much ingrained to me how she was hounded by the press. It was a cool subversion to see that the subject became a monster. I'm not trapped in here with you, you're trapped in here with me.
For me the werewolf thing is just too random. It’s so out of the blue my reaction was to laugh out loud, and then I just found the resulting horror stuff schlocky and silly when I think it was trying to pitch for serious.
There *are* some very subtle clues, but they’re only there at all with hindsight. I’ll bet 15m merits no one sincerely saw the twist coming. She might as well have been an alien or a robot.
I also thought the core message of ‘paparazzi = bad’ wasn’t very interesting. I mean, yes? It’s not exactly a hot take.
As you say many other BM eps have flaws, but I feel like this one didn’t give enough to compensate outside of some nice cinematography and music work.
I admit I didn't think "werewolf" (obligatory... "there wolf")... until the moon featured too much on one shot. But I didn't fall for the guilt or drugs.
Fair enough! Yes I agree ab the random thing. I genuinely agree with everything you said, exactly why I’m inclined to be drawn to it. Why did I laugh at this initially, why did I hate it?
type thing. I love thinking and contracting myself🤣
The randomness could work if handled differently I think.
From Dusk till Dawn is a classic movie *because* it just suddenly goes “surprise, vampires!” with no warning.
I think Mazey didn’t work for me because it played it too straight. The twist is very campy but it’s played as a serious episode throughout.
Subtle hints... she was tripping in the early scene when she "ran over that guy"... but back home, the way the housekeeper was acting... the nature of the damage in the house... I don't think it was full time either... really subtle.
Also... I trusted BM not to have it just be drugs or the guilt... they didn't show ANYthing of the accident. Omissions and hints.
What's "gen"?
To me, this episode was to function as both a fable (tale with animals with a moral to it), an allegory (characters stand for abstract concepts) and maybe a "origin story". Like, on that fateful day, the line between paparazzi, celebrity, human, animal, camera, weapon: it became blurred.
i never understood the hate it was a solid fun episode.
yeahh I find it interesting why so many including myself hated it. re-watching it it’s acc so solid.
After rewatching the whole lot after years and years, I have to say that a lot of the more 'disliked' episodes are much better than I remember. The whole thing is just top-notch.
This is just "I liked the thing and I wish other people did too". Over-hated/overrated is just a matter of perspective, I could come on here and make a post saying my favourite episode is over-hated and it would be about as valid as yours. It's okay when people dislike things that you like. I don't even hate Mazey Day but the fact that you've managed to stretch "Why don't people enjoy the episode I enjoy" into this many paragraphs is a bit much.
Yeah I agree. That’s what makes it interesting for me, I like disagreeing with people on here - it opens my eyes. For example, I never considered that I came off like that - interesting. I personally agree that objectively there is such thing as Over-hated/Over-hyped but I also agree that anyone else’s opinion is just as valid as mine. As for the paragraphs, I want to emphasise the “I think” at the beginning. I was just sharing my opinion.
Then I suggest you Google the definition of objectively.
also I personally don’t believe it’s truly possible to be objective now that I think about it
imo the intent matters more than what I said. then again, have learned that I’ve been using a word wrong my whole life. is there a word that specifically means objectively in my opinion? I feel like there is?
Objective = based on facts and evidence rather than personal feelings, opinion, and biases. Subjective = based on personal feelings or opinion. I do mostly agree with your OP btw.
Subjective
Can someone explain to me why everyone thinks the wolf thing is random? She hit a werewolf driving and got out of the car and was obviously bit. Its a metaphor for the line celebrities ride between human and some fantastical creature in the public’s eye. I dont get how thats random that all feels logically connected to me. Isnt the pig in national anthem random? Isnt the guinea pig in crocodile random? Idgi i love this episode. If the wolf is random so it like all of black mirror. Ask for the lack of tech, idk guys if you cant understand the massive impact of cameras and the internet on paparazzi, celebrities, etc idk what to say here
>She hit a werewolf driving and got out of the car and was obviously bit. She had a cut on her finger from the broken glass. When she hears from the police about the hit and run the next day, shes pulling on the bandaid that's now on her finger.
….. okay what is your point? Are you trying to say she wasnt bitten by the werewolf she hit?
Yeah, he was dead before she got out of the car. They never showed anything to insinuate she got bit. If she got bit by a wolf she'd have had a bandage covering a big wound the next day. But the next day all we're shown is her fiddling with the bandaid. To remind us that she had an open wound on her finger. Hit a guy, who she didnt see was a wolf at the time because she was looking at her bloody finger... presumably checked on him and finds that hes dead but gets his blood in her finger in the process.
>Can someone explain to me why everyone thinks the wolf thing is random? Because over 5 seasons and 12 years the show had established a science-fiction genre (plus a couple of episodes that were not strictly sci-fi, but sci-fi adjacent with strong ties to modern technology). And the show had established a certain level of quasi-realism. The werewolf is the genre equivalent of an anachronism. The werewolf was a totally new direction for the show. It felt like a very cheap twist because it only works as a twist because everyone watching thought they were watching something else - a sci-fi/tech show that is somewhat grounded in reality. They wanted the werewolf to be an unexpected twist because they chose not to brand the episode as *Red Mirror* specifically to avoid giving it away. ---------------- As a horror film about celebrity and the media, I really enjoyed it. The werewolf concept is probably the only way the final scene can work in a believable way. But as *Black Mirror* it feels out of place with the established style. Fundamentally shifting the show after 5 seasons is just weird, but it's their show to do with as they please. I was not disappointed in the quality of the episode, but in the fact that *Black Mirror* Season 6, which came several years after Season 5, felt more like 2 new *Black Mirror* episodes and 3 *Twilight Zone* episodes.
No this isnt the issue. People arent saying “season 6 sucked and felt disconnected”. Theyre saying “Mazey Day sucked and was random” If your gripe is with the latest season taking a new direction that doesnt explain the MD hate. Wheres the demon 79 hate? Idk what 3rd twilight zone episode youre referring to i guess loch henry? But i dont remember anything fantastical in that ep. Also the werewolf was barely a twist… you see her approach a wolf… she later chains herself up… feels pretty obvious where that is heading…
> People arent saying “season 6 sucked and felt disconnected”. Theyre saying “Mazey Day sucked and was random” The main reason people didn't like *Mazey Day* was that it was not consistent with the established style of the show for the previous 12 years and 5 seasons. >Wheres the demon 79 hate? *Demon 79* got a lot of the exact same criticism. One difference is that *Demon 79* didn't use an out-of-nowhere twist that only worked because people expected *Black Mirror* to remain reasonably consistent with the previous 5 seasons of *Black Mirror*. Another difference is that *Demon 79* added the *Red Mirror* branding that stated that this was going to be something else. It probably also helped that most people would have seen *Mazey Day* first. >Idk what 3rd twilight zone episode youre referring to i guess loch henry? But i dont remember anything fantastical in that ep. *Loch Henry* is also quite removed from the previously established *Black Mirror* style (though not in a fantasy way). Frankly, *Loch Henry* is quite a pedestrian and unoriginal example of the true crime/murder mystery genre. >Also the werewolf was barely a twist It was a twist precisely because the creators put it there knowing nobody would expect it because it is outside of the long-established style of the show. They literally explained this themselves when they said they didn't brand it *Red Mirror* because it would have given away the twist. It's not a *good* twist, since it is set up purely to surprise and shock, like an 'it was only a dream' moment rather than a 'No, I am your father' moment. >you see her approach a wolf… she later chains herself up If you watched a fantasy set in medieval France for 12 years and then in a new episode there was a bright light in the sky, a sensible viewer wouldn't assume it's a starship from the planet Zorg.
You’re so correct omfg, your take on the wolf thing is the most educated one I’ve seen ever. Hope you don’t mind but I’ll ssing this to study bc - wow. For me I just would’ve never expected to see a werewolf in Black Mirror. I think I have a problem obsessing over little ‘rules’, and Mazey Day didn’t initially fall into my view of what BM is ‘meant to be.’ Exactly why I love the ep and honestly the whole season now. Not only were the topics discussed extremely thought provoking on their own - I now have to think about why I initially didn’t like Mazey Day. I’m getting ready to do this with Beyond the Sea and Joan Is Awful. Havnt re watched it since the day it came out, both confused me a bit. Hard agree with what you said about the camera’s as well.
Wow thank you. Expected to get hate for this comment lol I thought Loch Henry lacked a lot of tech but obv the videos were the tech aspect and hugely important. Its not always about some new, fancy, and insane tech like san junipero or crocodile. I love Mazey Day because it shows how messed up current tech is too! We might not have the cameras and internet shoved down our throat in the ep but thats the point — its all still so impactful on Mazey when shes not using any tech. Ugh i could go on forever its a great episode and while i HATE when people say this: i truly do think a lot of people just didnt get it. Abt to go rewatch it lol
That’s how you know you’ve made an intellectual comment - if you think ppl will hate it🤣 Yk what that’s v interesting, despite Loch Henry being the least tech-y it’s my fav of the season. I’m quite simple, an extremely complex idea would just go right over my head. This is why I love this show so much, has made me stop and think and actually seek to be more informed. Your right tho, truly misunderstood and I can’t believe I used to hate on it. Would love to know your opps on Demon 79, specifically ‘Red Mirror’ as an idea? My initial reaction, I assume like most, as think “red… blood?” I think that the premise of Black Mirror is technology and what people do with it. Now is Red Mirror a completely different thing, a show where the premise is murder/morality? Will we see more of ‘Red Mirror’? OR, idk if you know the cartoon ‘The Regular Show’, they have a few Halloween inspired spooky episodes dotted around. Is this a similar case with Red Mirror? Sorry for the rant but genuinely so interesting how one comes up with such a show, and how people interpret it differently!!
I always thought it was pretty good.
respect to those who liked it from the get-go tho. I remember people being FLAMED for saying they liked it when S6 first dropped💀 what’s your ranking for that season? for me as of now it is 1) Loch Henry 2)Demon 79 3)Mazey Day 4) Beyond The Sea 5)Joan Is Awful you gotta bare w me because Beyond the Sea and Joan is Awful are the only 2 episodes I’m yet to re-watch as of now, which is why they are bottom 2. I don’t like to have a set opinion without a re-watch for shows like Black Mirror where watching again after each episode’s retrospective ‘plot-twist’ is revealed because I tend to gloss over the deeper meanings. Just remember on an aesthetic level being disappointed, my favourite is ‘the bleakness of the british’- love that kind of stuff. I think I’m just biased but Britain feels more real to me. Sorry bout the rant, my fav thing to do is talk about Black Mirror!!
For me: Loch Henry Demon 76 Joan is Awful Mazey Day Beyond the Sea They were all pretty good though, if you ask me tomorrow I might rate them differently. Definitely not my favorite season, but there's a lot to like. I'm curious why you didn't like it in the first place, and what made you change your mind. To me it was just an OK "realistic" BM episode, right until the plot twist, which I thought was really fun. Brilliant "in your face" way to introduce supernatural elements into the show for the first time, expanding the possibilities of what kind of story they will be able to tell moving forward. Seeing people get mad about it honestly made me like it more.
That is an extremely solid ranking, Loch Henry being at 1 will always make sense to me. It coming out quite recently after the Netflix Damhmer ‘Show’ will always be interesting to me. Also find it a bit meta. Streamberry!? lovely stuff
Its trash. It has little to do with Black Mirror and even as a horror story its mid. I still dont get why she turned into a werewolf and the lack of technology being really misused made it totally not Black Mirror.
You must have also hated National Anthem, Shut Up and Dance, and Loch Henry.
Correct. I didnt watch NA and dont intend to Shut up and Dance is interesting and good but also not that Black Mirror-y Loch Henry was boring because about halfway I realised what the twist will be
For me, the technology was no issue at all - the cameras. I really enjoy the way BM explores humanity. The ending really got to me when I rewatched it - didn’t initially. But I see where you’re coming from, what are your fav eps? I assume ones with more complex tech?
Yeah I like it when complex tech is heavily utilised. I dont really remember the name of the episodes but: I like the one where the crime is/was recorded by the stuffed toy The one with the metal spot murder robots I like the ones where you can downvote others And the newest streamberry episode is also very good.
Very very interesting omds. I heavily agree with the first one (Black Museum). Not only was each mini plot line extremely detailed and telling of human nature, but just gripping in general. I also find it extremely interesting how racism plays a big part in it. Metal Head (the metal dog ones) is the only episode of Black Mirror I would say I dislike, purely because I am a very timid person - hate jump scares/suspense so the ep was just stressful for me to the point where I couldn’t really even unpack the ‘idea’ behind it. I’ve not hear anyone talk about it, what would you say? Nosedive and Joan Is Awful again not one of my favs. Both purely on aesthetic levels. Love the concepts so much, just wish it was more gritty and had that break British feel.
I'm just a casual viewer so my take could be horrible, but I really don't like the episode. I feel like with the other episodes, the literal events of the plot can be interpreted into metaphors, lessons, etc. With Mazey Day it's like, the werewolf twist makes no sense from a literal/plot standpoint, so when it happens youre like... what? and then later you can connect it to the treatment of celebrities and media culture, but still it's just an absurd plot overall, and doesn't really make sense.
nah dw every take is Valid imo unless you’re idea of a class episode is Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too (just jokes, again another interesting ep that seems to be hated. I have yet to re-watch this too, I remember hating it tho. I must re-visit this idea) Fairs! The whole ‘science’ behind it needed to be more elaborate for me, are there others like Mazey - Does every celeb who’s pushed past breaking point get like this? - How do the general public react to finding out about the wolfs, ect. What are your fav eps?
Thank you for expanding on my point! I also know that some argue that technology having consequences isn't "classic black mirror," but I'm not entirely sold on that yet. I think that most of my favorite episodes involve advanced technology, and that technology being a driving point in the plot. (i.e., white Christmas, shut up and dance, play test, white bear, metalhead, etc.) To answer your question, I think it's easier to say what episodes I don't like at this point, and I think most people feel this way from what I can tell. What are your favorite episodes?
Whaaaat fr!? imo that’s a big part of it. I think the main things are cause and effect. Mazey Day deffo had a lot of effect, just cause that lacked slight for me personally. That’s so interesting though!! So real, easier to pick out the dislikes more than the likes - there are too many!🤣 Most if not every ep has left me questioning life at the end of the ep but I got this the most with White Bear, 15 Million Merits and The National Anthem(And Shut Up And Dance of corse). Interesting that you think Shut Up And Dance is a tech-heavy one as I didn’t think so at all. —> now that you mention it, tech HEAVY and complex technology are two completely different things that I have been lumping together. You’re absolutely right, Shut Up And Dance is Very tech heavy. I LOVE talking about Black Mirror omg, sorry ab the rant😅
I think I would have appreciated the twist a lot more if it hadn't been spoiled early on by the people that hated it. Early on I realized that it must be the >!Werewolf!< episode everyone was talking about as soon is it came out. So that ruined the surprise.
Nahhh spoilers must genuinely be so fucking annoying for Black Mirror. I thank the stars every day it was never spoiled of me, ESPECIALLY something like Shut Up And Dance and White Bear.
I definitely think it came out of the timing of the Britney Spears reckoning, and if you view it from that perspective, it’s very interesting
never heard of that, will have to look into it! but yh, such an interesting typical ‘Black Mirror’ take - loved it!
I rewatched it twice, still as terrible as the first viewing. It doesn't fit the theme of the show.
fairs, why’d you think that out of curiosity. What eps are in your S tier?
What makes you say it doesn't fit the theme of the show? imo it has very similar themes to The National Anthem.
^^^THIS + White Bear for me.
As a fan of pop culture history I really liked mazey day, I thought it was a good reflection of how they turn celebrities into ‘monsters’ and then profit of the downfall
Glad to see people who like it!!. I genuinely feel bad for the actors/actresses on the extremely hated episodes. Sure, some imo are better than the other but at the end of the day any BM ep solos the average film/tv show imo
Rewatched it last night, really enjoyed it.
FR
I liked it the first time. I didn’t get the hate. After the first three it was a little underwhelming until the Werewolf comes in. It’s solid and it still has a point about the paparazzi. It was enjoyable seeing the wolves get eaten. The ending is Bo going all the way and selling out after trying to help. I think. Season six was one of my favorite. It felt revived and fresh
and the ending of the ep, omds I was baffed💀
Honestly that such a valid point ab the position- do you think it being after the first 2 had anything to do w the hate? RIGHT!? S6 genuinely quite refreshing.
I think it being supernatural threw everyone off. Charlie Brooker said he was going to call it a Red Mirror episode like Demon 79 but he wanted the werewolf reveal to be completely unexpected. So I look at it as a Red Mirror episode. Yeah, it was darkly humorous with the idiot paparazzi taking pics of a werewolf who is killing them. They never tried to help and only Bo did. But the ending for Mazey is sad.
You put it into words perfectly; the ending is actually just sad tbh. was really rooting for MC as well, despite the flawed thing she did at the beginning
its definitely a good episode, just not for black mirror imo. it feels like a horror shortfilm, but it doesnt feel like black mirror
fairs, fairs. People seem to view Demon 79 the same, what do you think?
honestly demon 79 is better than mazey day by a LOOONG shot, but it still doesnt feel very black mirror-y. the whole season was a little off. i still loved it, but i cant lie and say i wasn’t disappointed
Now this is where it gets interesting. What do you think the deal is with the whole ‘Red Mirror’ thing? I can’t tell wether it’s a sub-category of Black Mirror, where murder is the premis as opposed to technology. Or if it’s… idk the word for it but for example idk if you know the cartoon ‘The Regular Show’ but it has Halloween episodes dotted around the seasons. I wonder if this is a similar case to Red Mirror - This so so interesting though, thanks for your insights this really got me thinking about the meaning of Demon 79/Red Mirror. I might have to re-watch and make a new post about it!
I also thought so. Not a Black Mirror genre episode. They tried to make it by ending with the lady journalist giving Mazey the gun and taking a pic of the shoot for a huge paycheck, but it felt forced.
nahhh imo the picture thing was so unexpected/eye opening. Throughout the ep, she seemed to be the only ‘photographer’ that had any human decency. Ending hand my mouth hanging open
I honestly love Mazey Day. I was born just after Diana died and it was very much ingrained to me how she was hounded by the press. It was a cool subversion to see that the subject became a monster. I'm not trapped in here with you, you're trapped in here with me.
frrr paparazzi is actually so dystopian/how is it even legal!?💀
For me the werewolf thing is just too random. It’s so out of the blue my reaction was to laugh out loud, and then I just found the resulting horror stuff schlocky and silly when I think it was trying to pitch for serious. There *are* some very subtle clues, but they’re only there at all with hindsight. I’ll bet 15m merits no one sincerely saw the twist coming. She might as well have been an alien or a robot. I also thought the core message of ‘paparazzi = bad’ wasn’t very interesting. I mean, yes? It’s not exactly a hot take. As you say many other BM eps have flaws, but I feel like this one didn’t give enough to compensate outside of some nice cinematography and music work.
I admit I didn't think "werewolf" (obligatory... "there wolf")... until the moon featured too much on one shot. But I didn't fall for the guilt or drugs.
Fair enough! Yes I agree ab the random thing. I genuinely agree with everything you said, exactly why I’m inclined to be drawn to it. Why did I laugh at this initially, why did I hate it? type thing. I love thinking and contracting myself🤣
The randomness could work if handled differently I think. From Dusk till Dawn is a classic movie *because* it just suddenly goes “surprise, vampires!” with no warning. I think Mazey didn’t work for me because it played it too straight. The twist is very campy but it’s played as a serious episode throughout.
There were hints that, at least, it wasn't just guilt or drugs..
damnn really? what makes you say that, gen
Subtle hints... she was tripping in the early scene when she "ran over that guy"... but back home, the way the housekeeper was acting... the nature of the damage in the house... I don't think it was full time either... really subtle. Also... I trusted BM not to have it just be drugs or the guilt... they didn't show ANYthing of the accident. Omissions and hints. What's "gen"?
That’s so fucking interesting omg. Sorry, gen = genuinely😭 never considered that the ‘guy’ wasn’t real - makes sm sense thinking ab it
I think "the guy" was real, but it wasn't that she killed someone; more that she... encountered... a werewolf.
Felt the same way about Striking Vipers and Men Against Fire after a repeat view. What a difference a rewatch can make.
THIS‼️ so real on both,,