TV review: Black Mirror
In the second episode of Charlie Brooker's darkly comic Black Mirror, The X Factor gets its comeuppance in a nightmare worthy of Orwell
Sam Woolaston
guardian.co.uk Sunday 11 December 2011
Photograph: Giles Keytes/C4
The TV event of the weekend – in terms of numbers anyway – was obviously the X Factor final. But print deadlines (for the handful of old folks who still read this on dead tree, hello Mum) mean I can't be dealing with that. And you'll have been following the excellent live blog on the site. Which leaves me with, well, the TV event of the weekend, in terms of interest: Black Mirror (Channel 4, Sunday). And, appropriately, in 15 Million Merits, the second part of Charlie Brooker's murky look at both the modern world and the inside of his own head, characters accumulate credits (mainly by pedalling exercise bicycles) in order to achieve the ultimate goal: an appearance on an X Factor-like talent competition.
No coincidence surely, and there's something very neat about hearing "The winner of X Factor 2011 is [whoever it is]" on ITV before switching channels and having your nose rubbed in the pointlessness of it all by Brooker satire. Perhaps that's why this one was kept back; but it's much better than the first. That was more of a headline grabber, because of the pig sex. But though well executed, it wasn't very funny, or plausible enough to really disturb. It felt more like one rather blokey joke strung out into a drama.
This is more artful. It's striking to look at and beautiful – the virtual reality, the interactiveness, all the screens. Well, beautiful in a stifling, suffocating way that has you gasping for an open window, a plant, an emotion, something real. None of it feels too far-fetched, though. It's not much of a leap from what we have already with videogames, our reliance on screens, everyone an avatar, social media, talent shows ... well, apart from the fact that these people are actually prisoners.
Brooker has taken these things – not just the technology but the shallow values, the insincerity, Simon Cowell, the futility of so much of modern life – and woven it into an Orwellian nightmare for the 21st century, a kind of 2184, or more like 2124 at the rate we're going. Again, it might not be very funny (though there are some lol moments, such as Justin the gibbering dickhead and the lol arrow in the Botherguts game). But, hell, it's powerful.
Moving too, which the first one wasn't. Bing, played so well by Daniel Kaluuya, is such a tragic hero. His wonderful impassioned rant against the judges is clearly the climax. But then the moment he holds hands with Jessica Brown-Findlay off Downton is almost soppy. Lovely though, and human. These are people you care about, and that makes it more powerful still. (Could this be because Brooker co-wrote this one with Kanak Huq, also known as Konnie, who by happy coincidence is his missus?)
All the performances are good – especially Ashley Thomas as Judge Wraith and Rupert Everett as Judge Hope, the Cowell character. The only shame is how little is made of third judge Julia Davis – possibly the funniest person on television, and with so little to say or do. Otherwise fabulous – original, thoughtful, thought-provoking television.
As for Brooker, I worry for the inside of head. Possibly the only hope for him and his sanity is to be banned from looking into a screen for a year at least. He should be taken outside, into the sunshine, to somewhere with no phone signal or Wi-Fi (wife may be allowed), a Scottish island perhaps. And he should be made to grow vegetables.
No coincidence surely, and there's something very neat about hearing "The winner of X Factor 2011 is [whoever it is]" on ITV before switching channels and having your nose rubbed in the pointlessness of it all by Brooker satire. Perhaps that's why this one was kept back; but it's much better than the first. That was more of a headline grabber, because of the pig sex. But though well executed, it wasn't very funny, or plausible enough to really disturb. It felt more like one rather blokey joke strung out into a drama.
This is more artful. It's striking to look at and beautiful – the virtual reality, the interactiveness, all the screens. Well, beautiful in a stifling, suffocating way that has you gasping for an open window, a plant, an emotion, something real. None of it feels too far-fetched, though. It's not much of a leap from what we have already with videogames, our reliance on screens, everyone an avatar, social media, talent shows ... well, apart from the fact that these people are actually prisoners.
Brooker has taken these things – not just the technology but the shallow values, the insincerity, Simon Cowell, the futility of so much of modern life – and woven it into an Orwellian nightmare for the 21st century, a kind of 2184, or more like 2124 at the rate we're going. Again, it might not be very funny (though there are some lol moments, such as Justin the gibbering dickhead and the lol arrow in the Botherguts game). But, hell, it's powerful.
Moving too, which the first one wasn't. Bing, played so well by Daniel Kaluuya, is such a tragic hero. His wonderful impassioned rant against the judges is clearly the climax. But then the moment he holds hands with Jessica Brown-Findlay off Downton is almost soppy. Lovely though, and human. These are people you care about, and that makes it more powerful still. (Could this be because Brooker co-wrote this one with Kanak Huq, also known as Konnie, who by happy coincidence is his missus?)
All the performances are good – especially Ashley Thomas as Judge Wraith and Rupert Everett as Judge Hope, the Cowell character. The only shame is how little is made of third judge Julia Davis – possibly the funniest person on television, and with so little to say or do. Otherwise fabulous – original, thoughtful, thought-provoking television.
As for Brooker, I worry for the inside of head. Possibly the only hope for him and his sanity is to be banned from looking into a screen for a year at least. He should be taken outside, into the sunshine, to somewhere with no phone signal or Wi-Fi (wife may be allowed), a Scottish island perhaps. And he should be made to grow vegetables.