Originally written March 11, 2015
Black Mirror is a British show that only really gained popularity in America after being added to Netflix’s streaming service. It’s an anthology show, much like The Twilight Zone, which is a rare thing to see these days. So each episode has a different plot with a different cast of characters, and seemingly taking place in different periods of time. The overarching theme of the show is showing the darker side of technology, as well as the negative effects it has on human nature.
Since the season is only 3 episodes (quality over quantity seems to be a popular thing in British shows), I can actually talk about each episode individually. The first episode is called “The National Anthem,” and it’s about the princess in the UK getting kidnapped. A ransom video is sent to the government, where the princess lays out the details of what her captor wants. It’s an unusual request…instead of money or any kind of compensation, the captor requests that the prime minister go on live public television and have sex with a pig. A lot of the episode revolves around the government doing everything they can to prevent this from happening, but a lot of the themes seem to be set around negative aspects of media coverage, as well as public reactions to these kinds of stories. Rather than being concerned about the princess, YouTube comments are shown that make jokes about the situation and making a mockery of the prime minister. This episode seems to take place in present day, and so it’s the most relateable one in that sense, as it reflects what our society is currently like the most. This one also has one of the best twists at the end of it.
The second episode is called “Fifteen Million Merits,” and watching this after “The National Anthem” really shows how diverse the stories on this show are. Where “The National Anthem” took place in our present day, “Fifteen Million Merits” takes place way into the future. This one is hard to fully explain, but basically low-class citizens all live in these buildings, where they get their own room and everything is pretty advanced, but it’s all digital. The currency is now merits, which are earned by getting on an exercise bike, something I never really understood. The main character is a man named Bing, who doesn’t care much at all for how the society is now, making speeches about how none of it is actually real anymore, that it’s all just fake stuff. So, when he meets a new girl that has the most beautiful singing voice he’s ever heard, he finds it to be “the most real thing he’s ever experienced” and decides to spend almost all of his merits to buy her a ticket onto a reality performing show, similar to shows like American Idol today. Long story short, the judges on the show give her a choice to either take up a career in the porn industry or go back to riding the bike every day. It’s a very strange idea for an episode, and it’s hard to explain, but it’s actually probably the best episode in the season. While the futuristic time period is a huge disconnect, it’s still a huge reflection on our current society of being obsessed with all of our “fake stuff,” subjecting famous people to deviant acts while reveling in it, and specifically targeting singing shows in the process. Great episode.
The last episode is called “The Entire History of You,” which is kind of an in between episode in terms of setting, because it takes place in the future, but looks closer to our present time period than “Fifteen Million Merits” did. This episode revolves around a fictional new technology, where everyone has implants in their minds that allow them to access any point in their memories and rewatch scenes of it over again. The story of it centers around a guy named Liam, who returns home from a business trip and holds a party with his wife. At the party, he notices his wife constantly looking at one of the guests, laughing at his jokes, etc. When they get home, Liam plays through all of these memories over and over again, obsessing over it and reading into every little thing. He suspects something going on between the two, and it starts to drive him crazy. If there’s a big theme about our society like the first episodes had, I must be missing it with this one. It’s still a great episode, but it seemed to be more of just an interesting sci-fi story, rather than any real social commentary. This might be my least favorite episode, but it’s hard to decide because all three were so good.
Black Mirror provides a different kind of experience than I’m used to with television. It doesn’t rank among my favorite shows I’ve ever seen or anything, but it scores huge points for originality. It’s amazing in the sense that each episode provides a completely different story, and they’re all really good. I respect the show for having something to say about society while using those messages to tell some interesting stories.
4.5/5
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We made the decision that it would certainly be Puerto Rico in around 5 minutes, and after one more ten we currently had our flight tickets booked:-RRB-)))) Our trip lasted seven days and also of course, customarily, it was a journey on our own. We intended our itinerary ourselves and also selected the areas that seemed one of the most interesting to us. In today’s article, I will focus on sensible information about Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is a dependent territory of the USA uncorporated arranged territory on the Atlantic Sea as well as the Caribbean Sea. For this reason, tourists from the United States do not require a key to arrive, a United States driving certificate is quite enough right here. The trip is considered domestic – so when it comes to Atlanta, where the significant airport terminal is separated right into residential as well as worldwide flights, we flew typically from the residential one. The currency of Puerto Rico is, certainly, US bucks, which was a great help for us. Furthermore, US cellular networks run usually below. And also at the same prices for phone calls, messages and network – a blessing, specifically when it pertains to the Web! Specifically since the wifi in many places in Puerto Rico was so bad. The official languages are Spanish and also English – however the large bulk of locals talk rather the former. Puerto Rico is located in the moist equatorial climate zone, and the typical annual temperature is around 25 levels Celsius. The traveler season ranges from December 15 to April 15, as well as exotic hefty rainfalls most often take place in the high period. And it became true – throughout our week-long stay it really did not rain only one day. The good news is, the rain, although it was pouring down, came really promptly as well as after 15-20 mins the storm mored than as well as the sunlight was radiating once again. A fascinating fact is that, according to a research study executed when, Puerto Ricans are the happiest country in the world. If this is true, it would certainly suggest that the well-known statement that cash does not bring joy has a grain of reality in it. It is estimated that practically half of the citizens of Public Relations have problem with hardship, which can be seen while traveling around the island. Given That Puerto Rico is an island, it is most definitely a plane Or a ship, if you intend to link on PR during a cruise in the Caribbean. The main airport terminal in San Juan the funding is well connected with major United States cities. From what I bear in mind, our flight from Atlanta lasted 3 hours It is best to lease a vehicle in Puerto Rico and circumnavigate the island this way. We had the opportunity to make use of the public Puerto Rico transportation just when, in the form of a ferry, and if all the remainder works according to comparable rules, I highly encourage this vehicle than stressful Suggestion – it’s actually worth renting a cars and truck with a higher suspension. We did not know about it and we made a decision to buy some little gingerbread due to the most effective price. We rapidly regretted this choice, due to the fact that some corners of Puerto Rico are best discovered with a 4×4 SUV. Caribbean, an island in between the Caribbean Sea and also the North Atlantic Sea, east of the Dominican Republic, purposefully situated on the Mona Strait – a vital route to the Panama Canal; San Juan is among the largest as well as best natural harbors in the Caribbean; a lot of tiny rivers as well as high hills in the facility of the nation ensure good watering of the nation; the south coast is relatively dry; in the north, a productive strip of coastal plains. No person flies to Puerto Rico to see its air-conditioned federal government buildings. You desire enjoyable in the sun. The bright side is that Flamenco Coastline will meet your musings and after that some. Not only does it use white sand as well as blue water that shimmies imminent, but it likewise flaunts bathrooms, lifeguards, food booths, volley ball webs and visitor terminals where you can rent tools for points like snorkeling as well as scuba diving. Puerto Rico’s economy is among the most dynamically creating in the Caribbean. The varied industry has actually plainly outpaced agriculture as the primary driving pressure of the economy and also a source of income. Because the 1950s, American companies have been investing greatly on the island, encouraged by duty-free accessibility to the United States market as well as tax obligation breaks. The island has United States minimum wage laws. Sugar manufacturing shed its top placement in agriculture to milk and also livestock manufacturing. Tourist is typically an important income source, it is approximated that Puerto Rico was gone to by nearly 5 million individuals in 2004. 2001-03 saw a decline in financial development, generally as a result of the US economic downturn; in 2004-05 there was a financial development, and in 2006-07 it fell again. Puerto Rico is just one of the most dynamically creating Caribbean countries. The diversified industry has outdone agriculture and also is now the primary income source. Given that the 1950s, American firms have actually been investing on the island, encouraged by the duty-free exchange with the USA as well as tax obligation motivations. The island is subject to United States base pay regulation. Sugar production lowered, and also the dairy products sector and livestock production ended up being the main income. Tourism has actually been an important source of income for several years. It is estimated that in 1999 Puerto Rico was checked out by 5 million travelers. The prognosis for 2000 is excellent, gave that the financial boom in the United States and the development fads in tourism and building and construction proceed. Every person desired a piece of the New Globe, as well as everybody was willing to fight to get it. No place is this more obvious than the Castillo San Felipe del Morro. Officially called La Ruta del LechĂłn, the Pork Highway is specifically what it sounds like: a three-mile stretch of road where every dining establishment focuses on pork. The most preferred type of pork is lechĂłn, a special dish in Puerto Rico that entails spit-roasting an entire pig with a blend of sauces as well as flavors. Get your blood pumping with a journey to the Toro Verde Theme park in central Puerto Rico. It provides ziplines, rope courses and rock climbing obstacles that are guaranteed to make you pee your pants a little when you recognize simply what you have actually obtained into! The park’s piece de resistance is “The Monster,” which is provided in the Guinness Publication of Globe Records as the longest zipline worldwide. With patched streets, hectic plazas as well as vivid homes that pile together like building blocks of yellow, blue, environment-friendly, orange and also turquoise, Old San Juan is one of the most dynamic places to visit in Puerto Rico. This is why areas like Isla Culebrita exist. Isla Culebrita is an uninhabited island off the coastline of eastern Puerto Rico. It’s just regarding a mile long, as well as accessibility is limited to ferryboats and water taxis. Museo de Las Americas There are many museums in Puerto Rico, yet just a handful are in fact regarding Puerto Rico. The Museo de Las Americas is just one of these precious areas. It has artefacts, symbols and fabrics from lots of indigenous groups that resided in Latin America prior to it was conquered, and it can take you on a multi-continental journey through history. If you like to consume, Mayaguez is the city for you. It’s house to everything from great dining facilities to al fresco coffee shops with huge, vibrant umbrellas, so you’ll have a lot of alternatives when your tummy starts grumbling. El Yunque National Forestis Covering more than 28,000 acres, the El Yunque National Park is a lush, damp rainforest where thick foliage covers every little thing from slinking serpents to croaking tree frogs. It’s the only exotic rainforest in Puerto Rico, and also site visitors originate from all over the Carribean to witness both its beauty and biodiversity. Found in the city of Cabo Rojo on the southernmost idea of Puerto Rico, the Los Morrillos Lighthouse is among those beautiful areas that you can only find in the Caribbean. It’s perched on top of white sedimentary rock high cliffs that are bordered by salt marshes and lagoons, and also the waves collision against the cliffs with a violence that’s surprising however gorgeous. Cayo Santiago is a little stretch of land off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico.
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