Patreon "Movie Review" - Black Mirror (S7)

Interactive Transcript

spk_0 Welcome to the coffee clatch crew black mirror season seven review. I'm Jason Pisterino. I'm Christina Lomangino

spk_0 And today clatchers we're giving you a taste of what our patreon is all about

spk_0 We figured we put so much work into patreon and we have so many listeners over here

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spk_0 Volume one 98% fatal those will be ongoing in the future

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spk_0 We cover new movies that are out in the theaters this year

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spk_0 This black mirror and this month we will be doing the last of us season two

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spk_0 We have done season five and season six in the past

spk_0 We've rated all of the seasons our favorite episodes. We've talked about Easter eggs. We go through it all

spk_0 So Clatchers enjoy this episode. We're giving you the first half episodes one two and three

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spk_0 Welcome to the coffee catch crew patreon exclusive show review I'm Jason Pisterino. I'm Christina Lomangino and this month is black mirror season seven

spk_0 As promised are you excited back in the black mirror world?

spk_0 We're gonna talk about our previous reviews and rankings for other seasons and then we will get into each episode

spk_0 As per all the seasons this is created by Charlie Brooker produced by Brooker and Annabel Jones

spk_0 It's on Netflix this season is six episodes

spk_0 So we've gone back and forth some are three or four or some are six

spk_0 It's currently getting a 7.6 on IMDB and a rotten tomatoes of 85%

spk_0 I will tell you in a minute where that stands, but it is the lowest current overall IMDB score of all the seasons

spk_0 Now they can change over time. Yeah some go up and down

spk_0 Also with anthologies like this especially considering how many years between them often these go higher and higher

spk_0 The longer it goes because you look back on it with more nostalgia

spk_0 Yes, however, their highest episodes are only getting an 8.2

spk_0 Which is low in the scheme of black mirror

spk_0 But let's give a little overall first the critics are saying after years of anticipation

spk_0 Black Mirror returns with its seventh season and while not every episode lands with the same impact

spk_0 The overall is a welcome and thought provoking addition to Brooker's dark universe

spk_0 It's a season that reminds us why black Mirror remains one of TV's sharpest and most unsettling reflections of society and its future

spk_0 Now in particular they think the first two episodes are outstanding. We will talk about specific thoughts

spk_0 It says they capture everything that makes the show great clever writing tense atmosphere emotional weight and twists

spk_0 They feel tightly constructed and packed with ideas and even while season seven as a whole isn't operating at full power

spk_0 It's still solid and engaging

spk_0 Some lean a little more into familiar territory or simple premises

spk_0 But they remain entertaining with good performances and an ever present ability to tap into modern anxieties

spk_0 That's a bit that I'm not sure this season totally lands with a lot of times the show feels

spk_0 Pressioned in its ability to look forward to some future stuff

spk_0 And I guess you would say their big theme this time around is AI

spk_0 Yes, so some stuff feels like

spk_0 Well, yeah, it's already here and it's already happening and other stuff feels more

spk_0 fantasy than necessarily future thinking you just have to open your mind did

spk_0 Now we're into fantasy so I like that and there are some that are very

spk_0 Kind of hallmarked black Mirror and those are the ones I actually enjoy that aren't getting the highest ratings

spk_0 Like people are loving the USS Callister sequel

spk_0 And I too was pretty excited because I liked the first one wasn't sure how I felt about black Mirror doing a sequel

spk_0 It was okay

spk_0 Well, it wasn't the best but I I did really enjoy it

spk_0 This was more of an action episode and I think the season needed

spk_0 In one action episode they would one thing I really liked about this season it crosses the gambit of like

spk_0 Oh my god, that was so well written

spk_0 But so depressing to

spk_0 Action pack to a thinker which episodes did you feel weren't black Mirror?

spk_0 Well, episode one certainly is but we'll

spk_0 We'll get really far into it as we go through it

spk_0 Just do too depressing and a lot of people say the same thing. It's relentless

spk_0 Yes, it is it gets to a certain point where you're like I get it

spk_0 But I don't even know why this is entertaining anymore whereas

spk_0 Episode five which spoiler was my favorite of the season youla G

spk_0 I thought did a really good job of walking that line. It's sad material

spk_0 But I don't feel like they're

spk_0 Incessantly forcing me to just feel awful about life. Yes. I really enjoyed the very simple

spk_0 Future tech they imagine here. It doesn't have to go to USS Callister lengths

spk_0 It's just this one idea about what you could do with it and how it might be accessed

spk_0 I could see that happening. Oh for sure in a couple of years easily

spk_0 So I enjoyed that that felt true black Mirror to me the performances were strong

spk_0 I guess what I'm saying is when they keep it tight and focused

spk_0 That's when I really like what they're doing here. I'm trying to refrain from

spk_0 Every episode you bring up. I want to talk. Well, yes

spk_0 We will discuss but briefly what was your favorite? I have been thinking about it

spk_0 I've written home to my mother about it because I can't

spk_0 Decide I'm fluctuating with

spk_0 Episode four

spk_0 Plaything yes underrated

spk_0 Because Capaldi again knocked it out of the park. Yeah, his voice his cadence can get you in a trance

spk_0 Yeah, this was the lowest IMDB rated it scored badly on every ranking list and

spk_0 Wonder why I I really that's my second. I thought that was great too

spk_0 You're gonna see that we feel the opposite of the internet

spk_0 with

spk_0 The season and Eulogy yeah, so I'm between those two. Yeah, episode three hotel reverie

spk_0 Was a good one-time viewing, but I don't think I would watch it again. Plus we have holes. There's certain things, right?

spk_0 Well, let's talk about what we've said in the past

spk_0 We did official patreon reviews for season five and season six

spk_0 Season five I gave a seven point seven you gave a seven point nine and season six

spk_0 I gave an eight point one you gave a seven I didn't like as much so I preferred six you preferred five

spk_0 However overall we both gave our top being season three and when you look at ratings that critics give as well as IMDB

spk_0 Season three is for sure the standout with a nine point three. Oh, yeah, and IMDB that included

spk_0 Nose dive playtest, which was my

spk_0 ultimate favorite ranked episode

spk_0 Shut up and dance

spk_0 San Junipero men against fire and hated in the nation. They were cooking at that point. That is the best season

spk_0 Then they give to season four that gets a nine and that included the first USS Calister

spk_0 Then season two

spk_0 eight point six season one eight point three which included your top ranked episode 15 million merits that also gets a lot of love as well as the entire history of you

spk_0 Then season six eight point one and then season five seven point seven which would be my ultimate lowest

spk_0 It had some things in there, but it was pretty rocky striking vipers smithareens Rachel jack and Ashley too

spk_0 And especially when you only have three episodes if they're not all strong. Yeah, so I think this season seven will surpass that at some point

spk_0 I agree. I think five and six will stay

spk_0 Lingerying at the bottom. This goes without saying so I'm gonna say it

spk_0 This is black mirror. So even the bottom is still way better than most TV shows out there. Oh, yes, and always worth talking about

spk_0 Now Charlie Brooker did speak a little about last season six and why it feels pretty different from this one

spk_0 He says six started out. They were all going to be red mirror stories

spk_0 We talked about this at the time if you're not familiar

spk_0 That's his sort of horror brand and his ability to create episodes that feel different

spk_0 That's right

spk_0 They tend to be some of my more favorite like I would put playtest into that category

spk_0 It felt very horror movie

spk_0 So he was gonna do that until he came up with the idea for Joan is awful

spk_0 Which everybody loves I was kind of

spk_0 okay on

spk_0 And he just thought I need to have this in this season and pivoted to changing it and it wound up being a mashup

spk_0 This season seven he says is more OG black mirror

spk_0 Which I agree with you've got human beings and then some sort of miraculous technology is introduced that upends their lives

spk_0 But it's always been clear to me that tech is not necessarily the problem

spk_0 And those are his best episodes where it's just people being terrible. Yeah, and abusing

spk_0 These tools that they have yeah a perfect example of that is nose dive. Yeah, I mean the technology is pretty messed up

spk_0 That you have a a great above your head

spk_0 But it's what the humans do with that that is profoundly more dark

spk_0 That's high ranking as being kind of the essence of black mirror

spk_0 Yeah, if you remember that that was your value now

spk_0 And you really had no control

spk_0 I value myself

spk_0 But I have this big score following me, but that comes into sort of the feeling of this season's

spk_0 Common people which I think they take too far at times

spk_0 We're going to get into the episodes because it is hard not to

spk_0 Discuss them all separately. We'll go through the characters for that episode and then the plot itself. Okay

spk_0 However, we will give a ranking once we get to the end

spk_0 And we will talk about some Easter eggs. Yes

spk_0 There are a million and we're not going to get to them all, but we will review some of the big ones

spk_0 So let's start off with episode one common people

spk_0 Wherever mind is a revolution in neurological science

spk_0 I am living proof much is this one of God

spk_0 You're running ads through me. Have you tried espresso grande the beans are roasted slow and long for a richer smoother taste

spk_0 It gets an 8.1

spk_0 Which is just under the top ranking episodes of 8.2

spk_0 It comes in second. I can understand that because of the impact that story has on everyone

spk_0 A guaranteed no one watched that and didn't feel anything

spk_0 Mm-hmm. So this is starring firstly

spk_0 Amanda played by Rashida Jones who is an elementary school teacher and she's married to Mike

spk_0 And she becomes threatened by a medical issue

spk_0 Speaking of Mike that's played by Chris O'Dowd a construction worker who is married to Amanda and the couple are trying for a baby

spk_0 I always like this actor. He's great. He really plays the sweet man role very well

spk_0 And you can see that in the beginning of this episode

spk_0 But man can he do dark as well because I never looked at him and said he's acting

spk_0 It felt really good and this is the first time I think I've seen him play a role like that

spk_0 I first for me as well

spk_0 But you also have Gaynor who played by Tracy Ellis Ross the amount you hate her. Yeah, I think demonstrates what a great performance

spk_0 She's putting on she's the representative of the medical tech company

spk_0 Rivermind who visits Mike in his hour of need and becomes critical to this story

spk_0 And again, I should say this for the entire show because I don't want to say it for every person

spk_0 Everyone hit it out of the park the acting this season was tremendous

spk_0 Yeah, and that's been for me the whole of some previous

spk_0 seasons if there are episodes where the actors are not nailing it

spk_0 Yeah, I think it suffers because yes, it's about the tech

spk_0 But we say this all the time what makes a great story is if you're really connected to the characters

spk_0 Yes, and if that's lining up for you in the past

spk_0 I feel like it either really was or it really wasn't

spk_0 And there's a couple and I think that's why they land weaker for me

spk_0 But on the whole yes this season it's pretty amazing Tracy her character at times and this isn't a bad thing

spk_0 It kind of reminded me of the good place yes

spk_0 I'll give you that that's it

spk_0 Because it's it's almost not even real

spk_0 Which she so let's say altered

spk_0 That I think that's how you're supposed to feel later that makes sense

spk_0 We open up finding that Amanda and Mike who is a welder are a happy couple who are trying for a child

spk_0 Until Amanda falls ill with a brain tumor and Mike accepts an offer from the startup river mind because she is

spk_0 Basically looking like she will be

spk_0 Brain dead in a coma. He's gonna lose her

spk_0 But this woman promises that Amanda's brain will be restored and operated for a small monthly fee very affordable

spk_0 Right she puts this out there up front doesn't really say much else except what they're gonna do

spk_0 So her lost brain function will be transferred wirelessly to the company servers

spk_0 Basically uploaded to a cloud so it can be given back to her

spk_0 There's a couple small caveats that don't seem to be too bad at first such as she's gonna sleep more

spk_0 That gets to be more and more and more

spk_0 At first, it's just like you need a solid eight hours

spk_0 Okay, that's a little frustrating when there's times where we want to get seven

spk_0 Six five maybe we're busy right we've got stuff to do we want to work a double shift whatever

spk_0 But eight hours isn't too bad

spk_0 But then it's 10 and 12 and even more where you're just sleeping most of the day

spk_0 This reminds me of things that we've seen with tech already sure back in the day

spk_0 The first unlimited wireless plans for your phone

spk_0 Unlimited one low cost and then people realize later on towards the end of the month if they've used a lot of data

spk_0 It's slowed down for that nothing's working right?

spk_0 Less and it's and they said for our service we had to do that so that everything could continue running smoothly

spk_0 That sounds just like this one

spk_0 Well and the other aspects of it which is that she can't go outside of her coverage zone

spk_0 Yeah, yeah, or she completely just shuts down

spk_0 Like a phone turning off. Yes, and at first that coverage zone is her town

spk_0 And they promise that it's gonna be rolled out, you know nation wide eventually and then even beyond

spk_0 But in the beginning that's all she's got

spk_0 But again, they're thinking at some point that will expand

spk_0 This is all a worthy sacrifice right to be able to have back the person you love

spk_0 Absolutely, I think in the beginning

spk_0 It's more than doable. Mm-hmm and even the cost while it is a stretch and he needs to take some extra shifts or whatever

spk_0 It's affordable. They can do it with some extra pushing. Yeah

spk_0 And remember last year this director

spk_0 Basically gave an F you to Netflix right in front of them and Netflix didn't care

spk_0 But I think this is also a little bit of a F you to Netflix and services the like

spk_0 Mm-hmm in the beginning if you remember I don't remember the exact cost let's say it was 599

spk_0 No commercials never and we'll release everything all at once for you. This is our promise. This is why we're better

spk_0 Then that would go up $2 every year then it went to well, we're gonna do tiers

spk_0 So if you want to continue enjoying what you've been getting you have to pay now this much

spk_0 Which you're already paying which was supposed to ensure no commercials because that's the point that

spk_0 Either you're getting funded by subscription or buy commercials much like a podcast. You shouldn't have both

spk_0 Yes

spk_0 Now what Netflix did do well is they didn't the latest one they didn't then turn what you were on

spk_0 To a commercial one they made a smaller lower tier which I guess I appreciate

spk_0 But still we're paying like $20 a month now

spk_0 Yeah

spk_0 Well, and so you're bringing up the first real kind of clincher thing that begins ruining everything

spk_0 Is that they don't know at first until Amanda begins to

spk_0 unconsciously

spk_0 Receive and speak out at

spk_0 Advertising messages at school and it's sporadic in the beginning like one here or there she's saying something about a coffee

spk_0 Oh, yeah to him at home at first

spk_0 He's like why are you talking about Grande espresso? She's like I wasn't you were

spk_0 What do you mean and this reminds me of YouTube in the beginning they're like we're gonna introduce commercials

spk_0 But you'll barely notice it won't be on every video you click on and now it's tailored to your interest

spk_0 Like if you're talking about coffee it'll be a coffee-ed, right?

spk_0 But yes, it becomes more and more leading to problems with her job and they're even telling her we're gonna have to fire you if this keeps

spk_0 Continues they did a great job with that because they showed you in

spk_0 specific instances the implications of this they establish this student who doesn't have the money for nice shoes

spk_0 And you see how sweet Amanda is to her and

spk_0 Then you see when she has a commercial about getting new shoes. Yeah

spk_0 just

spk_0 awful and the little boy whose parents are gonna get divorced and she gives them a thing for

spk_0 Christian oh my goodness

spk_0 Counseling or something the worst so this is clearly a problem and the couple goes to find out about the ad free plus version

spk_0 the first new tier of river mind service

spk_0 She's so flippant about it like oh what we got this great new thing

spk_0 Well, you you can have no ads or whatever. She just got to upgrade to plus and it's more and more and more now at first

spk_0 It is pretty ridiculous, but Mike says to himself. I'm gonna take more over time

spk_0 And so we see that he's pretty much working that almost every day. Yeah, the man barely sleeps or does anything else

spk_0 But eventually even that is too much and he hears about this internet streaming platform from a coworker

spk_0 Dumb dummies. I think something like that. Yeah, something like that

spk_0 But basically people do

spk_0 Humiliating things painful things whatever like drink their own pee. I think he mouse traps his tongue at some point

spk_0 To make extra money. He's he's bidding it out and this is how he's financing the increases

spk_0 Eventually it leads to a big increase river mind luxe a deluxe version

spk_0 Which allows the users to alter their senses so you can turn up your pleasure. You can turn up your

spk_0 relaxation

spk_0 You can tune your mood using the app

spk_0 But that costs even more money also the sleeping if you have to pay more to be awake longer

spk_0 And that's the whole thing where the higher tears for the servers for the higher paid people

spk_0 Well, and basically the higher tiers are being

spk_0 Fueled by these people at the lower tiers. That's why they're sleeping more because she starts complaining

spk_0 Yes, but I don't even feel rested after the sleep and she's like well, that's because you're in sleep mode

spk_0 It's not actual sleep where this is restorative. They are harnessing the brain power while these people are sleeping

spk_0 To serve the higher platforms. That's crazy

spk_0 So this is the first hole that I found in this one. It's not a big deal

spk_0 But you know just overthinking if they paid for this tier one of the things that you could do is you could learn how to do something

spk_0 Based off the brains of the best person to do it

spk_0 So I would have had Amanda learn something high paying job some really high paying job

spk_0 And then go do that job and now you're making a lot of money and you can afford it

spk_0 It was a hole. They shouldn't have had it include skills

spk_0 It should have just been emotional states of being

spk_0 Not that you could practically learn to do things because I even said with the senses, you know they go to

spk_0 Gain or several times

spk_0 Pleading, you know, we've been customers for a long time. We can't afford

spk_0 Can we get a lease on this? Can we get a temporary thing like a payment service

spk_0 And she's not giving them anything and so I said to you well, I would have found an excuse

spk_0 To get her out of the room for five seconds and jacked her empathy

spk_0 sensor way up

spk_0 So that when she comes back, I'm like you really want to help us out though

spk_0 Don't you and get her to

spk_0 Give them some type of free upgrade or whatever that's right because gain or is we find out gain or is on it too

spk_0 Yeah, but she's definitely on luck. She's adjusting her own oh, yeah

spk_0 meters, so yeah, there are some things where you're saying well, why not this why not that but essentially

spk_0 It's not too bad because as you said earlier

spk_0 It is very much where we're at now

spk_0 Just if the human brain could be plugged into that they're doing a current

spk_0 None of this is so far out of the realm except that you could download your brain to it

spk_0 Yeah, but I think that's what makes it depressing is you could see all of this you could see how it would be exploited

spk_0 And the fact that we can relate to this

spk_0 Overpromising effect that we've seen companies do to us all of us

spk_0 Obviously doesn't impact us like this, but you can see it you can relate to it

spk_0 And I think when they start doing episodes like this you say to yourself

spk_0 Well, this would be really awesome if it shook somebody up if it changed somebody

spk_0 But it doesn't I feel like all it does is give them bad ideas

spk_0 For how that they could exploit for real people in the future

spk_0 So back to the episode Mike begins going on this site more and more often

spk_0 To make extra money

spk_0 He does buy a limited you can buy almost like gift cards of this luck service that you don't have to do a monthly

spk_0 Right so she can have it for two days while they're on vacation together

spk_0 Let's say but even that doesn't work out well. It's a false

spk_0 We're not really enjoying this time that she gets like Amanda does appreciate some of it

spk_0 It feels better than her regular day to day

spk_0 But it's not enough. Well, no, it's like going on a vacation. That's only two days long

spk_0 You're like we're leaving soon. I can't even really relax yet. I can't believe they sell even 10 minute cards

spk_0 Like they say this company will sell anything to make money

spk_0 And a part of what they're realizing is their happiness was contingent upon their relationship

spk_0 So even if she is having this amazing time for an hour while they're at dinner

spk_0 He's not no and can't understand what's going on with her. They're on two

spk_0 Absolutely separate wavelengths

spk_0 This episode did that very well. They established the relationship in the beginning

spk_0 So we felt the impact and we cared about their relationship. They did that so well in such a little time

spk_0 And they are super sweet together. I mean he is literally willing to do anything sacrifice himself

spk_0 To keep her around, but they both kind of start questioning at some point

spk_0 Is this worth it how long can we go on like this? Yeah

spk_0 And it all comes to a head when Mike's co-worker exposes him for being on this site

spk_0 So far now I hate this co-worker is awful. Yeah, he pinned something up in his office

spk_0 It leads

spk_0 Mike to being fired for which he knows now. They're not going to be able to afford their plus subscription

spk_0 They're going to have to go all the way down to the lowest tier and

spk_0 PS they find out if they were to become pregnant as they've been trying that'd be an extra fee

spk_0 Wow, they would have to pay even more

spk_0 God it's no it's not freedom. You're basically owned by this company

spk_0 Well, so when Mike confronts this co-worker they get into a physical altercation

spk_0 He pushes him the co-worker is pushed in front of one of the construction vehicles

spk_0 We don't know if he's horribly injured

spk_0 I don't think he dies unless this would have led to real criminal charges

spk_0 But it's not good what happens to him and Mike gets fired

spk_0 Unsurprisingly what's going to happen after that?

spk_0 So now he's down to just getting money off the site

spk_0 I hope he didn't die. I hope he suffered

spk_0 Well, and can't walk away. He couldn't after being steamrolled apparently

spk_0 But I do think that would have led to legal criminal

spk_0 jail time whatever if he had died it probably would have anyway

spk_0 But I'm glad they didn't bring that into things they have enough to worry about here

spk_0 So Mike is back there

spk_0 Kind of they're on the lower tier. They're in real bad situation to the point where he has to sell their unused crib

spk_0 And the baby stuff that the extra baby money they had

spk_0 It finally we don't know how long it feels like a couple of years later

spk_0 They get to the point where

spk_0 It seems they've come to a mutual agreement. They're going to pay for one last I don't know half an hour

spk_0 Yeah, of this luxe subscription so she can have a final moment of peace and relaxation

spk_0 And then she's going to go out on her own terms which I thought was going to be I don't know doing this to herself

spk_0 But it turns out he smothers her with a pillow

spk_0 woof I mean

spk_0 It's more impactful on TV. It got too dark to quit. This was like

spk_0 At that point I was like oh my god a miserable on top of everything he's been through now

spk_0 He has to have that too where he's the one to do that

spk_0 She's running an ed. That's right while that's happening

spk_0 You're like what forgot what it was. I kid was it like trouble breathing. This is too much try this

spk_0 And it ends on this really ambiguous final note where he walks into that room where he's been streaming

spk_0 For money with a box knife and shuts the door

spk_0 And you don't know is he gonna take his own life

spk_0 Now is he going to just continue doing increasingly horrible things to himself because well

spk_0 I got nothing else left anyway. I think he was gonna stream himself killing himself

spk_0 It looked like that. Yeah, but they don't really lay it out. They leave it open to your interpretation. He's

spk_0 He's lost either way. Yeah. Now if I was this company

spk_0 I think a better way to do this would be

spk_0 We're gonna run ads to make more money

spk_0 But you'll be notified when an ad comes up and it's up to you if you want to run it meaning say it out loud

spk_0 And if you do you get a percentage like youtube when your video has an ad on it you get a percentage of it or you could

spk_0 Save them all up like she could do them at night when she gets home and just be running ads for an hour

spk_0 They wanted so that it's not happening at work

spk_0 That but the company the ad ad agencies wouldn't want that because it's wasted ads

spk_0 So instead it gives you opportune times

spk_0 And then like we could be at dinner and then ad come up and we're with friends. I'm like well with friends

spk_0 But like half the time it's just for him and you're like what are they gaining?

spk_0 Yeah, like he's not accessing any of these things. How was that ad helpful to them? No idea

spk_0 You know

spk_0 Anyway, that was episode one a little dark and depressing for us a little dark and depressing

spk_0 But the story was very well written and I'm glad I watched it

spk_0 I just won't watch it again and act it very well. Yes. Let's move into episode two bet noir

spk_0 To remember me co-with Fennel high. Oh my god

spk_0 She's done nothing wrong. I know she changes things. No one is doing anything

spk_0 Bet noir we basically have two big characters first is Maria played by Sienna Kelly

spk_0 Who is a food researcher that works for an international snack company second is Variety played by Rose

spk_0 McEwen an old schoolmate of Maria who starts working at the same food company

spk_0 Boy, hmm. This gets a 7.2 so it's actually fourth because we have tied for first the last one is third and this is fourth

spk_0 In case you're wondering bet noir means black beast or a person or thing that someone strongly dislikes

spk_0 It begins you see Maria is an R&D food scientist for a chocolate company. She's doing very well there

spk_0 I think she's about to get promoted and she encounters Variety during a focus group test

spk_0 And she remembers her from school vaguely oh

spk_0 So I hate this bitch, which means it was played well, but I hate her

spk_0 Now Maria is

spk_0 It seems like about to have a hiccup in this food test that she is proposing a new snack

spk_0 That initially the testers do not like yes until

spk_0 Variety who's part of this group starts to

spk_0 Change the tide of opinion

spk_0 And it winds up they all love it by the time they leave which is very good for Maria

spk_0 But Variety it turns out has a perfect background for the new R&D assistant position

spk_0 That Maria is saying I didn't think we had an opening at this company where did that come from

spk_0 Some very strange things right off the bat, but Variety gets hired immediately

spk_0 Maria starts discovering small differences as well in her life

spk_0 Compared to what she remembers as an example the chicken restaurant her boyfriend worked for yeah

spk_0 She could have sworn it was Barney's and now it's Bernies something like that. Yeah, it's like Bernstein Bears

spk_0 So it starts small I like the mandala effect exactly and I like how this episode starts small and then gets bigger and bigger and bigger

spk_0 Just want to state the fact the obvious fact that her boyfriend

spk_0 Irregardless of what's happening is an asshole is terrible. He's the worst. He's a shitty human being never believes her

spk_0 Ever if you were to come home and tell me these stories about the strange things at my first thought would be

spk_0 This is awful. We got to look into this. I'm so sorry like my first thing would not be

spk_0 You might be just blowing this out of proportion and not understanding a and B

spk_0 You're actually at fault for a lot of this have you sat down and thought about that yet? What kind of partner are you?

spk_0 Yeah, you know at first. I thought Variety had the ability to change people's minds

spk_0 She's talking to but it's yes, she has the ability to change the reality. Yes, the reality of everything. Yeah

spk_0 That's how she makes things online be different makes the name of that restaurant

spk_0 It's not just the way people are remembering it

spk_0 It's actually changing it we're going to find out to an alternate reality where things were slightly different

spk_0 And she could just call up that reality and bring it into existence

spk_0 But Maria doesn't know that yet at first. This is just weird stuff that's happening and

spk_0 One of the bigger things is when she makes a mistake

spk_0 There's an ingredient put into a product that she did not have on the list when she gave Variety the list of items to go get

spk_0 That's right. She very clearly recalls

spk_0 There's a conversation where she has to explain to her the items she's talking about because it's it's a non-meat

spk_0 It's a complete non-meat product. It's something else

spk_0 Caraguinin maybe anyhow it winds up being that there is

spk_0 Pork in the product and Variety says that was not an email. They pull up the email

spk_0 In fact, it's not there

spk_0 So she feels like she's going crazy and nobody believes her

spk_0 I would start going crazy at this point

spk_0 Yeah, and this is where she begins blaming Variety because it seems clear

spk_0 I don't know how she's doing it

spk_0 But she is at the center of all of these bizarre occurrences where it's just not right

spk_0 Yes, she has the ability to change emails

spk_0 Well, now we've learned she has the ability to make a position open that wasn't open before

spk_0 Mm-hmm

spk_0 But some of those things initially you could write off as but maybe she charmed everybody so much

spk_0 They decided to open a position right that she would make a great assistant and hire her and they just haven't told her

spk_0 The email did she actually write that wrong because she was

spk_0 Distracted at the time and she really believes that she wrote it correctly

spk_0 But then there's just bigger and bigger instances where it's clear she is doing something

spk_0 But you much like Maria now are saying how

spk_0 Yeah, how could she possibly have altered these things

spk_0 But also we realized something pretty scary that Variety was an anti-social schoolmate

spk_0 Who was teased and mocked and there was a big drama with what happened to her

spk_0 Seemingly at the hands of Maria's friend group Maria keeps saying she had nothing to do with this

spk_0 She was not part of starting this rumor that

spk_0 Trashed her reputation and everything else and Maria continues to find her reality changed even when it confronting Variety via security footage for drinking that milk

spk_0 They find the footage shows Variety's sad in the story. Yeah, it shows Maria drinking the milk

spk_0 That scene was very well acted by Rose because she looked psycho drinking that milk the way she stared at her

spk_0 Wow, I would have been afraid of her

spk_0 And it is it's giving very single white female vibes. Yes, the further we get into this that you actually are beginning to be terrified of Variety and think

spk_0 Well, what can I do and at this point? It's just too much Maria snaps. She attacks Variety and loses her job over it

spk_0 And she decides with nothing left to lose

spk_0 She's gonna break into her home and figure it out what's going on here

spk_0 She thinks she's pinpointed that every time a situation like that happens Variety is clutching this necklace pendant

spk_0 So she doesn't know how but this has to be a part of it. She's gonna see

spk_0 What's in her apartment? Can she take that thing? Well that take her power?

spk_0 I don't know how it's happening, but I'm gonna look into it

spk_0 So she breaks in but without really much of a plan at all

spk_0 She's blundering her way through

spk_0 She does discover Variety created a quantum computer to shift realities

spk_0 So that she can just call up any reality that suits her using this remote control pendant

spk_0 All okay to get revenge on Maria and that group for starting rumors about her at school

spk_0 This is the main crux of everything Variety discovers her

spk_0 Extremely easily is telling her. She's just gonna change it

spk_0 Does she has no control over any of this she'll just choose a different reality

spk_0 She's got a million of those remote control pendants so taking one does absolutely nothing

spk_0 But Maria she takes it all the way she manages to kill Variety

spk_0 Take her off the board sees control of the computer herself with that pendant and shift to a reality where she is now

spk_0 Empress of the universe

spk_0 So a few things there at first I was a little disappointed

spk_0 Because I was thinking you have all this power you invented this

spk_0 Quantum computer and all you're using it for it is to get it back at everyone

spk_0 Because again in the episode we started seeing her past friends. She did it to all of them Maria's pet yep

spk_0 But when Variety explained it to Maria

spk_0 She did do all those other things she was an empress. She was the best in the world

spk_0 She was the most famous didn't make her happy and make her happy so she thought revenge would now

spk_0 There's a point here that I really didn't like

spk_0 I would love to know how you feel about it when they're having this final confrontation and Variety is telling her

spk_0 Just tell me the truth like essentially what I learned from all these other people

spk_0 Was that it was you who supposedly started all of these rumors and was the

spk_0 root of all the problems

spk_0 And she keeps denying until finally

spk_0 She says yeah, you know what it was me and I didn't like that it wound up being her all along not that any of this

spk_0 Comes anywhere close to justifying Variety is still

spk_0 Completely off her rocker unhinged. This is insane

spk_0 But I didn't like that it made her

spk_0 Be the problem after all and that she could never come to the point until right now where she's apologizing for that

spk_0 Yeah, I couldn't understand that either it didn't really fit the storyline

spk_0 Because they made it look like Maria's a good person, but then again she was a kid

spk_0 It didn't make her a bad person

spk_0 I just felt it was a twist that I wasn't sure we needed then

spk_0 Yeah, it wasn't needed what's funny is the quantum computer

spk_0 Being able to go into multi-verses

spk_0 So she's not changing the reality she's bringing that reality from another multi-verses

spk_0 There's some multiverse where you are emperors of the universe

spk_0 I get yeah, they said it's unlimited

spk_0 I just come on and how did she create this thing?

spk_0 That is a good question

spk_0 This goes so far beyond it's high fantasy at this point

spk_0 Do you know that scientists are theorizing that the quantum computers they've made now in real life

spk_0 The way it's answering questions that have never been answered and how quickly it's doing it

spk_0 They're theorizing that it might be

spk_0 Somehow getting the information from the multiverse

spk_0 Because even with the powerful quantum computer the amount of compute time it would need

spk_0 Mathematically to come up with that answer

spk_0 Would still be like 10 years and it will do it in a couple hours like hitchhikers got to the galaxy

spk_0 Where they keep asking the quantum computer? Oh, yeah, yeah for the answer to life

spk_0 And now it's gonna take time to process all of them exactly yes

spk_0 42

spk_0 Well, I think it just some people really like this the wild spin at the end. Yeah, it almost ruined it for me

spk_0 That it got it went from a semi believable

spk_0 Really stressful situation you could see yourself being in to not just that she has some

spk_0 high tech thing that's giving her this power

spk_0 It's some unknowable unachievable fantastical the only part of it that I liked was that she actually killed Verity in the end

spk_0 Yeah, that's what I was gonna say to you. I felt good because coming off of episode one

spk_0 I was like oh good happy ending. I really needed that happy ending

spk_0 You say that initially and I did too

spk_0 Well, take it as she didn't just get seized by the police and now go to jail for that would be just awful and depressing

spk_0 But then you think Verity just said getting revenge never made her happy

spk_0 Becoming Empress of the universe didn't do anything. This is gonna make Maria happy for about five minutes

spk_0 Maybe she'll make it where she's the head of that chocolate company

spk_0 That's what I would like to see like eventually what I actually was enjoying doing was just being successful in my own life

spk_0 Yeah, and so I just want to go back to that and do not

spk_0 Maybe get a promotion, you know, you cannot get the same boyfriend back

spk_0 Yeah, I get a new boyfriend

spk_0 Kelly who plays Maria is an English actress known for the UK series like temple

spk_0 adult material and dominoe day

spk_0 She described Bet noir as being one of the seasons quote lighter more fun

spk_0 Unquote episodes in the chat. It's not too existential

spk_0 I don't think people are going to come away from it shaking about the state of humanity

spk_0 She said I have a few friends who don't watch black mirror because it's too dark for them

spk_0 They can't shake it and I do think that every season has one episode

spk_0 That's just a little more lighthearted and silly when that laughs at us a bit

spk_0 Yet to me it's a bit of a throw away

spk_0 Honestly like it was fun for a little while and I don't think I'll ever remember it or go back to it after this season passes

spk_0 I have trouble now even when people say the name linking it to what episode it was

spk_0 If you asked me the title of it, yeah, I would have trouble pulling that out

spk_0 Well bet noir is so different too, so

spk_0 And it makes you think of like film noir and the next episode is noir which is too confusing

spk_0 I just think it's poorly titled. I don't know. It's it's not bad

spk_0 It's not great. It made me feel the feels while I was watching it

spk_0 Which black mirror always does I was like oh my god. I feel creeped out. I feel at point anxious

spk_0 Yes, but um

spk_0 I just wasn't enough of anything for me. Let's get to our third episode the midpoint which is hotel reverie

spk_0 Redream is a system that we're using we're making movie in real time

spk_0 There are ais there constructs

spk_0 None of this is real. I'm as real as you are matter attempt imminent

spk_0 Again, we have two key people, but then a couple extra

spk_0 Characters here will start off with Dorothy or Clara

spk_0 Depending on if you're using her film name or her real name played by Emma corn. She's in 1940s movie star

spk_0 And Clara is the character she played in this classic film hotel reverie

spk_0 That's remembered very fondly in the present times as being kind of like oh remember that great black and white movie

spk_0 How we used to do movies yes? I am db is giving this a six point seven the lowest of the season

spk_0 Oh, wow the runtime was 77 minutes

spk_0 It had a great idea a great concept, but I don't think it was delivered correctly

spk_0 And this was another episode

spk_0 This is one of two episodes with that one of three episodes with that temple thing yeah

spk_0 Access another reality. Yeah, we also have Brandy Friday played by issa ray a successful Hollywood actor who dropped into an AI remake of the film hotel reverie

spk_0 She's not prepared for

spk_0 In addition to those two main we have Kimi played by aquafina the director behind this remake she is

spk_0 Accessing the tech and running this reproduction which is going to hopefully

spk_0 Re-invigorate the studio that's agreed to doing this and Judith Keyworth played by Harriet Walter

spk_0 She runs keyworth pictures the movie studio her father founded, but it's not doing well

spk_0 So yes, we see this Hollywood star Brandy Friday is invited by the entertainment technology company

spk_0 Redream who agrees to remake a classic romantic film hotel reverie by immersing her consciousness into this story

spk_0 Using an AI based virtual production technology now Brandy

spk_0 proposed herself for this position because this is one of her favorite movies of all time she feels a very strong connection to

spk_0 Clara

spk_0 Who plays the leading role and feels like she would just make the great

spk_0 Lead who is currently male in here. So she puts that forth at first. They're saying oh is that gonna work

spk_0 But then it's just like well. Yeah, actually we're redoing it. Let's just redo everything right. Let's have a new idea for this

spk_0 But Brandy doesn't know anything about the technology because she failed to read this package

spk_0 She was supposed to telling her all about how they were going to do she shows up thinking she's just gonna act right a regular

spk_0 Movie production of this redo. They'll prepare to actor. Uh-huh

spk_0 She is going to be starring opposite this recreation. They're gonna smurs her into of the actress Dorothy Chambers

spk_0 Throughout the remake they begin to have a connection of an eventually fallen love. However

spk_0 The redream technology malfunctions

spk_0 They say malfunctions somebody spills coffee

spk_0 Yeah

spk_0 On their computer because we couldn't figure out a better way to do that and everybody within the film is frozen for some reason other than

spk_0 Brandy and Dorothy

spk_0 I don't get it. Do we know why they were not frozen like everyone else?

spk_0 But it winds up being it's just them and it kind of looks like time has stopped and the two spend

spk_0 It says countless romantic days there together

spk_0 It shows us weeks and months going by yeah, there's a lot of time passing and they even mentioned time moves much quicker

spk_0 Within this universe again for some reason that we have no idea that it does in the current time that I understood because in video games

spk_0 Some games like 20 minutes is a full day. Yeah, they've made it to be that way

spk_0 They've created this AI technology. They would not have done that purposefully. They have no idea why it's even happening

spk_0 They don't even know exactly how much time is passing

spk_0 It's like it just took on a mind of its own

spk_0 And they don't have a lot of control over it

spk_0 They really don't want to explain anything about how this tech works and yet

spk_0 They're needing to use it within their stories so often that the holes are becoming bigger and more frustrating

spk_0 I have so many issues. This is my least favorite. Oh, it's it's not good episode

spk_0 They would get worried if

spk_0 Brandy messed up her lines and changed things like she's gonna change the fabric of

spk_0 The past and I'm like it's a movie and you're in a simulation just yell cut like a regular movie

spk_0 And say rewind please redo that line

spk_0 Well, they started off by making it feel like this is just a problem because we're gonna get to a different

spk_0 logical ending if the characters are going to continue along in this universe the reality

spk_0 They live in by changing this thing you're creating a ripple effect that now changes the ending which

spk_0 When they started off with that's just gonna make a different movie and we don't know if we like that or we can

spk_0 Compensate for that made some sense such as Brandy not knowing how to play the piano

spk_0 Which by the way they would have thought of that yeah if this is a main

spk_0 Factor in how these two fall in love

spk_0 You would be sure that either your actors knows how to play the piano or there is some sort of

spk_0 Pre-recorded fake thing that's running so it looks like she's playing the piano like a player piano

spk_0 All of these things that they just have not considered but now at some point they change this

spk_0 Problem to be that Brandy's actually not going to be able to get out of the AI universe if they don't wind up at that same ending

spk_0 And basically it's just that one line that needs to be said if it's not delivered she stuck there silly and again

spk_0 We have no idea why

spk_0 Nothing felt like it meant anything or made sense

spk_0 Which some of it was interesting before those problems wound up

spk_0 Racking up to the point that I can't just suspend my disbelief anymore

spk_0 Except that what was good and allowing me to put that to the side was again the characters in my investment

spk_0 And I thought Emma Koran was doing an amazing job. I really have liked her and everything I've seen her in so far

spk_0 I think a little more than you murder at the end of the world which we covered

spk_0 Um

spk_0 However, and I'm sorry to anybody who's a fan. I really did not like Issa Rae. I thought her acting was horrible

spk_0 It felt terrible

spk_0 Now I get she was supposed to be kind of like modern lost in and modern yeah

spk_0 Why would you want a modern person talking normal and then everyone else when everybody else

spk_0 And this is apparently why Dorothy starts falling in love with her because she is different which makes a certain degree of sense

spk_0 But I didn't even think she was acting the modern take on it

spk_0 Well, there was times where she was just sitting there saying nothing yeah or delivering very blunt one lines that you're going

spk_0 Why is Dorothy falling in love with her? Yeah, or why is she a good actress? I don't it was just so bad

spk_0 I'm not buying any of even their chemistry like Emma Koran's trying to sell it, but it's not landing for me

spk_0 Yeah, that it all hinges on them really having this true love that's about to be ripped away

spk_0 And I don't believe it and that's we always say when there's a lack of real

spk_0 chemistry

spk_0 It's an issue. Yeah, because I'm supposed to feel terrible for her

spk_0 And that is what happens they spend all this time together they establish this relationship

spk_0 However, they wind up being able to get it sort of back on track

spk_0 So that they're able to get the AI running again once they clean the coffee out. I don't know

spk_0 One more thing before that happens though that again they never explain at some point Dorothy is mad

spk_0 And she storms off and she's walking around this set where everything is frozen and she stumbles into a room

spk_0 That puts her

spk_0 seemingly in an in-between space in between the AI generated fake movie world and the real world

spk_0 I don't do you understand anything about what happened there? No

spk_0 The only thing I understood that they were trying to lean on to make everything make more sense was that

spk_0 These people in this AI have the consciousness of the real humans that played with them

spk_0 So that's why there was real implications

spk_0 But they lean on that too much to think that that would tie everything together

spk_0 This going outside of basically she walked outside of what the computer

spk_0 programmed the landscape that it created

spk_0 But doing so wouldn't make it where now you're in the mainframe and now all of your

spk_0 The consciousness of your human self she became self-aware. Yeah, that's this character

spk_0 Clara was an actor

spk_0 In a movie and there was a real Dorothy and she started to get real memories of her real life like

spk_0 Doesn't make sense. Why did that occur?

spk_0 There's a lot depending upon that the now self-aware Dorothy discovered her real counterpart died of heartbreak

spk_0 Due to not being able to be with her lover at the time which it turns out she was actually in love with another woman who was

spk_0 On this production set that we didn't know about that felt really sort of stuffed in there

spk_0 Yeah, and now the redream technology starts back up again and Kimmy tells Brandy

spk_0 We're going back to that moment. So everything's just going to reset. Yeah, so basically she's going to lose all the memories of everything that just occurred in their time together in this blip

spk_0 um

spk_0 She's supposed to be devastated about that again. I'm not like

spk_0 truly feeling that no

spk_0 It resets to Dorothy and them in this kind of final moment and

spk_0 And the film concludes they wind up at a wildly different ending confronting the former

spk_0 lover and he chases them up to the rooftop

spk_0 And now they're going to be killed and they're like how are we going to get to this same ending

spk_0 But it winds up being that Dorothy kind of steps in to sacrifice herself and she is the one shot and

spk_0 Brandy is devastated, but she says the line before she dies and it fixes everything

spk_0 And so Brad is able to get out somehow that nothing makes sense anymore as if this wasn't wild enough

spk_0 We see months later redream sends Brandy a telephone that she's able to somehow talk to this AI

spk_0 Simulation of Dorothy who has now been reset again though, so they have to restart all of this and

spk_0 Dorothy telling her she has all the time in the world

spk_0 Yeah, they could just have this phone relationship look what it's just a it's a what

spk_0 Ridiculous episode and

spk_0 Instead of the top of the podcast every character here every actor and actress here did amazing

spk_0 I forgot about Brandy this is what I don't yeah or whatever real name is I don't think she's good no

spk_0 And the other people now you had Harriet Walter who's in silo. Oh, yeah, but she was

spk_0 In like two minutes of this movie. I needed a lot more of her

spk_0 Charlie Brooker spoke about hotel reverie and he said it was born from two different ideas

spk_0 One about someone being thrust inside a movie in the vein of James Bond and another spookyer premise about a digital ghost

spk_0 Sometimes the stories come out in a different form to how I necessarily would have expected going in a bad form

spk_0 I couldn't quite work out how to make either of these work

spk_0 And then I watched brief encounter this British romance from the 1940s and something went zonk

spk_0 You tried to jam the two together and these two ideas glammed together. Yeah, okay

spk_0 Did you try to superglue him Charlie and it didn't work? I'm sorry

spk_0 He basically said it. It started off. Okay, and went so far off the rails by the end that I really do not like this episode

spk_0 I ranked this at two. Yeah, this is not let's move on because I'm really excited to talk about the back half year

spk_0 First up we have episode four plaything

spk_0 These are living individuals. I'm also sort of seeing puppets like Sonic the Hedgehog

spk_0 More that I spoke the deeper our connection became

spk_0 No, I could receive that first message

spk_0 I greeting which gets a 7.1 it is only the second from the bottom according to IMDB

spk_0 bullshit

spk_0 All right, Clatchers, that's the end if you really enjoyed what you were listening to we have that and thousands of hours more of

spk_0 podcasting over at patreon just go to patreon.com slash ckc podcast and join us

spk_0 It's worth it and you're bound to find a tier that's right for you try it out

spk_0 Till next time this rounds on me. This round is on me

spk_0 oh

spk_0 Please hang up and try again

Patreon "Movie Review" - Black Mirror (S7)

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