I’ve always been a big fan of sci-fi / morality tale anthologies, having watched every one that I’ve ever found. “Twilight Zone”, “The Outer Limits” (my personal favorite), “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”, “Ray Bradbury Theater”, “One Step Beyond”,  and “Amazing Stories” to name drop. My favorite early “X-Files” episodes were the ‘monster of the week’ variety that often ended with Mulder and Scully taking over the role of the host and telling us the lesson we were to have learned from the episode. When I first found “Black Mirror” I entertained it’s self fulfilling prophecy by binging the first season well past bedtime.

What I love most about “Black Mirror” is that while it uses futuristic versions of current technologies and trends, it still (usually) keeps the key component of the genre – that individual people make the choices that lead to their demise at the hands of the magic or technology in question. What I hated most about this latest season of “Black Mirror” is that 2 of the 6 episodes dropped this critical story element leaving us with an okay thriller that could have easily been done without any technology at all and a dystopian chase scene with few details. Below are my thoughts on the season 4 episodes.

Campy elements, but true to the premise of the show – that an individual’s obsession and overuse of technology turns from good to bad damaging their life due to their own hubris. I would like to have seen Robert Daly’s reaction in the real world to the people he had trapped in his personal VR and how those relationships were affected as their virtual clones fought back.

Spot on execution of the premise of the show. As many other’s have noted, the pregnancy + emergency contraception plot points should have been handled better. My notes below on how it could have been done in a more accurate and educational manner while still serving as a crucial reveal and plot point.

– Instead of a pregnancy alert, Arkangel has a menstruation tracking calendar.

– mother asks daughter if she needs tampons since she is going shopping that day and knows it’s “that time of the month” the morning after daughter has sex .

– daughter “no, I haven’t started my period yet.”

– mom freaks out knowing she had sex, confirms daughter is late on Arkangel calendar.

– puts pills in smoothie next day.

– Daughter gets sick.

– Nurse at school asks when she had sex and if they used protection.

– daughter “2 days ago, no”

– nurse gives proper information on how to use EC pill and some condoms, tells her pills will probably still work.

– daughter gains info that mom knows she had sex, is still using Arkangel tech.

Ugh. This could have been set in 1800’s with zero technology and the outcome would have been the same. Very disappointing and total departure from the premise. Would rather see the insurance investigator as the main character with the murder in her past she put behind her. In investigating the pizza truck accident she interviews someone who saw her past crime and didn’t come forward due to their own criminal activity. The investigator goes crazy and starts killing along the path of the witness, gets caught by her own recordings. A bit of a change, the person who saw the investigator could still be the architect character, but this brings in the crucial element of choice. The investigator would need to continue her use of technology knowing that it may cost her own freedom.

Good follow up San Junipero as an uplifting, happy ending episode. They could have thrown in some “Uh, no” reactions to other virtual world characters at the end before the protagonists see each other. There was no surprise when the episode turned out positive for the characters as there was with San Junipero, I was pretty sure things would take a positive twist at the end, but still enjoyed routing for Frank and Amy to get together.

The most confusing and weakest episode yet. Disappointing that no choice by the protagonist is ever shown. The fix, show some back story as flashbacks through out the existing chase plot. I think that the dogs started as AI driven, networked, paired to a human via brain implant robotic security dogs. The owners (people) became attached to them and so driven by fear that the dogs turn on their owners and go on killing spree when they decide that people are the greatest threat to themselves. The dog chasing main character is her own.

Well executed multi-layered episode that nails the premise in each of the three stories. I liked the sub-text on systemic racism in the final story and climax of the framing device story. The homage to past series by having an on screen storyteller was a satisfying way to end the season. I’m going to pretend that the each story in “Black Museum” was it’s own episode so that I can say I liked 6 episodes of the season.