Importance Score: 55 / 100 🔵
The latest installment of Black Mirror, Season 7, has arrived, emerging from a not-so-distant future with its signature blend of technology-driven dread, cautionary narratives, and subtle glimmers of optimism. While the series may not possess the same prophetic aura it held at its inception in 2011 – an inevitable shift given the pace of technological advancement – the episodes within this technological dystopia, reminiscent of a modern Twilight Zone, remain compelling viewing, even for a generation accustomed to dual-screening.
This season includes several episodes centered around gaming themes. One explores artificial intelligence within a simulation game, blurring the lines of reality. Another revisits the space-based MMO Infinity from Season 4. A third delves into a universally experienced modern anxiety: the pervasive nature of streaming subscription services.
Subscription Nightmares in “Cancel Anytime”
The episode “Common People” presents a particularly relatable tech-induced predicament. Amanda (Rashida Jones), an elementary school teacher, and Mike (Chris O’Dowd), a welder, embody a modest yet content suburban couple. Their lives are disrupted when a serious health crisis befalls Amanda, necessitating brain surgery. The only viable and accessible solution is Rivermind, a startup offering to stream aspects of Amanda’s brain function from their cloud servers – for a recurring monthly fee.
In contemporary society, subscriptions are ubiquitous, spanning smartphone plans, on-demand viewing platforms, applications, music, news outlets, and interactive entertainment. Purchasing outright ownership feels increasingly archaic. The difficulty in finding a fitness tracker devoid of subscription requirements is a testament to this shift. Even service industries are adopting this model; a plumber recently disclosed offering monthly maintenance plans.
The drawbacks of subscription models are well-documented: sudden price increases, tiered service levels, and the frustrating realization of encountering advertisements despite payment. “Common People” amplifies these anxieties by applying them to something far more personal than entertainment – your very thoughts. This concept is profoundly unsettling, particularly when considering the implications of those thoughts being hosted and streamed from a remote server.
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Simulation and Sentience in “Simulation Nation”
Another compelling installment, “Plaything,” transports viewers to the 1990s, where a young journalist for PC Zone magazine – mirroring series creator Charlie Brooker’s early career – is invited to preview a new creation from Colin Ritman (Will Poulter). Ritman is the game developer previously encountered in the interactive episode Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. (It’s important to note that beyond Poulter’s cameo, this episode is not a direct Bandersnatch sequel and lacks the interactive format.)
Are Game Characters Alive?
Ritman’s new project, “Thronglets,” ostensibly a creature simulation, is not a game in the traditional sense, he asserts. He posits that the pixelated entities on screen are genuinely sentient. “They’re not some obscene puppets, like Sonic the Hedgehog,” Ritman declares. “These are living individuals,” brought into existence through code.
These charming pixelated creatures inhabit a virtual nature reserve, multiplying, evolving, and occasionally vocalizing through song. The journalist discerns that the Thronglets are attempting communication. Gathering vintage hardware – including an Atari Jaguar, a Quickcam, and a Sound Blaster sound card – he augments his setup to facilitate direct interaction. His initial professional interest soon morphs into obsession. The episode raises a provocative question: if your Sims possessed genuine sentience, would your engagement with them intensify beyond current levels of player involvement?
Echoes of Games Past
“Thronglets” draws inspiration from simulation games like 1996’s Creatures, featuring virtual animals called Norns. Players could nurture, interact, and educate these Norns, which communicated through sounds akin to the Thronglets’ singing. Creatures employed machine learning and neural networks, anticipating contemporary AI research. (Creatures is even available on Steam.)
However, while intriguing in premise, this episode struggles to fully realize its potential, remaining largely in the setup phase. The notion of simulated game characters achieving actual sentience, capable of learning and growth, is fertile ground for exploration, but it remains somewhat underdeveloped here. The nostalgic appeal of retro hardware and references to games like 1994’s Magic Carpet (recalled as receiving a 93% review in the episode, though PC Zone reportedly gave it a 96%) is a highlight. Even Peter Capaldi’s portrayal of an older version of the games journalist is not enough to elevate this episode to memorable status.
Space Opera and Monetization in “Engage”
Arguably the season’s most anticipated offering is “USS Callister: Into Infinity,” a sequel to the acclaimed Black Mirror Season 4 episode “USS Callister.” The original episode featured a malevolent game developer (Jesse Plemons) who created digital clones of his colleagues using DNA and subjected them to torment within his space-based MMO.
MMO Survival
In this Season 7 continuation, the starship crew, led by Captain Nanette Cole (Cristin Milioti), faces a new predicament. Their game environment has become intensely monetized, requiring in-game currency for even fundamental actions like activating the hyperdrive. As non-player characters existing within the game’s universe, they are targeted for deletion by the avaricious CEO James Walton (Jimmi Simpson reprising his role).
The episode relies heavily on the compelling performances of Milioti and Simpson, both undertaking dual roles as their real-world counterparts and their digital avatars within the game. Despite its movie-length runtime (90 minutes), the episode feels somewhat stretched thin, offering fleeting moments of levity but lacking substantial depth. The premise of sentient beings struggling for survival within a heavily monetized MMO holds considerable promise, but much of the narrative unfolds outside the game, diminishing its immersive potential and impact.
Other Episodes: “Fine” But Not Groundbreaking
Describing the remaining episodes of Season 7 as “fine” may be apt—they are competent but not transformative. Paul Giamatti portrays a character delving into painful memories through photographs aided by an AI guide. Issa Rae embodies a contemporary actor digitally inserted into a classic film for a modern re-release (again, leveraging AI). Siena Kelly plays a chef grappling with increasingly unsettling manifestations of the Mandela Effect triggered by the reappearance of a former classmate.
Similar to Season 6, many episodes lack a strong sense of technological prescience. The series frequently employs the “Experiencer Disk,” a recurring device attached to the temple that instantaneously transports users into immersive virtual realms. This device, while visually engaging, often leans more toward fantastical escapism than grounded science fiction.
Final Verdict: Still Worth Watching
Although Black Mirror may have experienced a slight reduction in the impactful, weighty narratives of its earlier seasons, Season 7 still offers worthwhile viewing. The episodes, exploring themes of digital dependency, virtual realities, and the potential pitfalls of advanced technology, are certainly worth streaming on your “black mirror” screens – at least until Netflix develops the technology to beam them directly into our consciousness.