Joan Is Awful (S06E01)

It is tradition that every third season starts with a woman who bumps into something, then bumps into something again, and then ends up riding with it in such a way that I feel sorry for her, no matter what she does. Nosedive was so uncompromising that it frustrated me; Joan Is Awful is more creative, crazier, and in a meta sense so exaggerated that I put it one step higher. At the same time, however, it is so dependent on current topics with streaming services in the lead that it is at risk of aging more quickly than anything else in the entire cycle. Still, for now I enjoyed it all that much more for it. (09/04/2023)

It's a great episode, but I didn't realize it until about half an hour in. By then I was wondering what had happened to Black Mirror, and in the context of the current actors' strike and the reasons for it, I asked myself whether Charlie Brooker had predicted the future, or if the present had caught up with his fears. (07/16/2023)

Black Mirror kicks things off with a new season and right off the bat gives us classic musings on A.I. and the paradox of modern times. At first, the episode seems like one woman's living nightmare, but by the end, it segues into a chilling thesis on artificial intelligence and philosophical discussions regarding the lives of non-existent characters. Cool. (06/15/2023)

The episode, which starts off well (because it's Black Mirror, and we all expect a brilliant story and a mind-blowing twist), I have to admit that the first episode was quite weak for me. I don't want to completely dismiss it, but it was rather boring and, well, crappy? The premise was okay, but compared to previous episodes, this one is only about 20% of what Black Mirror is capable of. So hopefully, the next episodes will bring something more captivating. (06/16/2023)