By Meliha Gutic
Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor
The Netflix original series, “Black Mirror,” aired it’s fourth season on December 29, 2017. The season contains six episodes.
It originally aired in 2011 in England, and was bought by Netflix in 2015.
“I actually got into the show, because a professor showed us an episode in class regarding virtual reality,” said gradute student Brian LoDebole. “I found it interesting how the show dove into the ethical issues surrounding near future uses of technology. After that, I decided to start the show from the beginning.”
While the episodes don’t have a link connecting them, the consistency lies in the theme presented in each episode. The theme is that each episode is set in a futuristic tone, and shows the human and technology interactions and how they affect us. The genre can be described as science fiction and dystopian.
“I don’t really understand the hype about ‘Black Mirror,’ because the show is super weird and I personally find it hard to follow because it’s not a typical show I’m used to. I do like the concept of not having to follow the seasons cause I can just pick an episode and watch,” said senior Katie Lindskog.
Seasons one and two only contained three episodes each, while seasons three and four contain six episodes each. There is no word yet on whether there will be a season five.
“I do not find it hard to follow, because the episodes are not connected in anyway, so each episode is a fresh setting in a dystopia and a new future technology,” said LoDebole. “This is probably a big reason why it’s so popular as well. Also, there’s no need to track characters or plots. Each episode concludes on it’s own.”
The show’s popularity shows in its ratings. On IMDb, it has an 8.9 rating out of 10, and on Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 96% rating.
“The show is actually kind of scary, because sometimes it feels too real, and other times it just really gets me thinking. I don’t know what to think about the series as a whole, because I can connect with some episodes, but with others, I’m at a total loss,” said senior McKenzie DeGroot.
The show is an anthology and resembles many previous anthology shows that viewers may know, such as The Twilight Zone. These types of shows seem to be making a comeback onto television screens.
“I keep watching the show, because all the episodes have and edge that keeps you hooked,” said LoDebole. “This is not a show you can just watchmindlessly, you actually have to pay attention. I suggest watching it with someone so you can talk about the episodes right after watching them.”
“Black Mirror” has won many awards, including two Emmy’s for “Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special” and “Outstanding Television Movie.” It has also one a BAFTA, and has been nominated for a countless number of other awards.
“I believe that they deserve all of the awards, because they change the way you think about technology and humans, and the interaction between the two. When you can watch a show that really changes your perspective, you know it is doing something right,” said DeGroot.
Seasons 1-4 are available for streaming on Netflix.
“If I had to describe this show in one word: crazy,” said Lindskog.
