After a two year break and an interactive film in between, Black Mirror came back in June 2019 with a fifth season - and here’s how the episodes rank. Created by Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror premiered on British television in December 2011, with the second season airing in February 2013. Netflix acquired the series in 2015 and became its new home, with the subsequent seasons and film releasing on the platform.
Black Mirror has been praised by critics and viewers for its examination of society, new technologies, and the link between these two. The series often takes a dark turn, with a couple of episodes going on a lighter, more positive route. Black Mirror has been building its own connected universe by adding references to past seasons on each new episode, including the interactive film Bandersnatch. However, some viewers feel like the series lost its touch in the latest episodes.
Like the first two seasons, Black Mirror’s season 5 has three episodes, and while they are different not only from each other but from previous episodes, they are still worth watching as they address some current social and technological issues. Here’s how season 5 episodes rank.
3. Smithereens
Episode 2 of the season is not bad, but compared to the other two, it’s definitely the weakest. “Smithereens” follows a rideshare driver named Chris (Andrew Scott) who takes Jaden (Damson Idris), an employee of the social media company Smithereens, hostage. Turns out that Chris has some unfinished business with the company, and demands to speak with the company’s CEO, Billy Bauer (Topher Grace). Brooker has said he didn’t want “Smithereens” to be about near-future technology but about technologies and social issues that are happening in the present day, and it certainly feels closer than other episodes.
As such, “Smithereens” addresses the topic of social media and how it takes over people’s lives, affecting them in much deeper levels than it seems. The story also touches on “spiritual retreats” and how people in positions of power have been taking these as a trend while the world (or just their companies) are going through a crisis – except Bauer did take time to talk to Chris and wanted to help, something you don’t really see in the real world. That’s possibly the most sci-fi part of this episode. However, it doesn’t really warrant an episode that long (70 minutes) and the subplot of the mother whose daughter committed suicide wasn’t developed, and they could have gotten rid of it as it didn’t bring anything to the main plot. It’s a bit sluggish, especially as it spends a lot of time with Chris and Jaden in the car, in the middle of a field, although this is what makes Scott’s performance shine – and it’s one of his best. Even though the main theme is one to think about every time you take your phone and check your social media, “Smithereens” probably won’t be remembered in the near future.
2. Striking Vipers
The first episode of the season is all about virtual reality, friends, and sex – and it’s as crazy and dangerous as it sounds. “Striking Vipers” follows Danny (Anthony Mackie) and Karl (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), two friends who take their favorite video game, Striking Vipers X, to a new level when they discover they can have virtual sex as their characters thanks to the virtual reality nature of it. Soon, the lines between friendship and love, what’s real and what’s not, become too blurry and virtual reality begins to affect some aspects of real life. “Striking Vipers” was directed by Owen Harris, who has previously directed the episodes “Be Right Back” and “San Junipero”, and this is yet another love story in an era where technology can either be used to your advantage (like in “San Junipero”) or make matters more complicated – like in this episode.
The chemistry between Mackie and Abdul-Mateen makes you wonder if they will be able to overcome this type of obstacle in their relationship, while making you question – just like they do – if there really isn’t anything between them beyond friendship. The story takes shots at the hipersexualization of characters in fighting video games, fidelity, virtual personas, marriage, friendships, and addiction to video games. It also offers a different perspective of marriage, with Danny and Theo (Nicole Beharie) allowing themselves a day to indulge in their own fantasies, whether virtual or real, in order to keep a balance in their marriage, which is not an unusual practice in the real world but it’s definitely not something for every couple out there. “Striking Vipers” also raises questions about porn and how it affects people, sexual repression, and sexual fantasies, which make it standout from the rest of the episodes (not only from the season but from the series in general) and also makes it a bit controversial. Times have changed a lot, but there are topics that are still considered taboo by many, and “Striking Vipers” was not afraid to address some of these.
1. Rachel, Jack, And Ashley Too
“Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too” is the third and final episode of the season. It follows pop singer Ashley O (Miley Cyrus) who is creatively restricted by her management team, and Rachel (Angourie Rice) and Jack Goggins (Madison Davenport). Rachel is a big fan of Ashley O, and gets the new AI doll “Ashley Too” as a birthday present. The story is then split in two: Ashley’s struggles with her career and her manipulative aunt/manager, and Rachel’s bond with the doll. Later on, the two stories converge and the doll becomes key in helping the real Ashley O.
“Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too” questions the use of holographic performances of dead artists to keep making money out of them (as has happened with Tupac and Michael Jackson, just to name some), as well as how young artists are treated and how the world tends to turn their backs at them when they are struggling, only caring about getting the performances and songs they want. The “sisters struggling after the death of their mother” plot is overused by now, but the rest of the story – namely Ashley O’s part of it – makes up for it, focusing on the mental health of the biggest pop star in the world and of Rachel, who has a stronger bond with a robotic doll instead of with her sister or other people as result of her struggle with loneliness and grief. Miley Cyrus brings a powerful performance as both struggling artist Ashley O and as sweet-then-unfiltered doll Ashley Too, using her own experience in the entertainment business to bring realness to both characters.
The episode takes a comedic turn at times, which has drawn some negative comments to it as viewers are used to Black Mirror being more suspenseful and dark than funny, but the themes addressed in it (loneliness, artificial intelligence, the exploitation and manipulation of young artists, mental health, and more) are what make it part of the Black Mirror universe. This will most likely be one of those episodes that will make viewers and critics rethink their initial opinions when they revisit it.
Next: What To Expect From Black Mirror Season 6
