Those looking for a new show to watch should check out “Black Mirror” on Netflix. This is a series that is so intense it is actually intimidating. You’ll be left contemplating whether you can handle another episode. Considered the “Twilight Zone” for the digital age, “Black Mirror” is a British sci-fi anthology addressing the darker side of technology by showcasing believable situations influenced by near-future, foreseeable software and gadgets.
Created by Charlie Brooker, the first two seasons were released in 2011. The series went through a slow process of appreciation, steadily becoming recognized and eventually landing a spot on Netflix’s queue. The popularity that ensued helped Netflix’s decision to commission a third season, which was released Oct. 21, 2016. Featuring stand-alone dramas, every episode is a piercing, enthralling, satirical tale exploring techno-paranoia and the unanticipated consequences of new technologies. With each story featuring its own cast of characters involved in a unique plot, the series caters to most audiences.
In an interview with The Guardian, Brooker explained his series’ title. “If technology is a drug –and it does feel like a drug– then what, precisely, are the side effects? This area –between delight and discomfort– is where ‘Black Mirror,’ my new drama series, is set. The ‘Black Mirror’ of the title is the one you’ll find on every wall, on every desk, in the palm of every hand: the cold, shiny screen of a TV, a monitor, a smartphone,” he was quoted in the article.
“Black Mirror” will creep underneath your skin and slowly gnaw away at the optimism you’ve built up, until you’re left wallowing in insecure and anxious despair. By the time the credits roll, you’ll find yourself in an existential crisis, contemplating our obsession with technology and the image we attempt to portray through it. Every episode pulls a different heartstring, resulting in an uncomfortable vibration of stress and angst. You’ll hate it and you’ll love it, always questioning why you continue to put yourself through this quick injection of trauma. But curiosity constantly prods the edges of the mind, and inevitably, you’ll be pressing the play button to tap into another dark and twisting path.
