S1.E2

Fifteen Million Merits

Épisode diffusé le 11 déc. 2011
TV-MA
1h 2min

NOTE IMDb

MA NOTE

Comédie noire Drame de l’industrie du divertissement Drame psychologique Science-fiction dystopique Thriller psychologique Tragédie Criminalité Drame Mystère Science-fiction

Dans un monde où la vie des gens consiste à faire du vélo d'appartement pour gagner des crédits, Bing essaie d'aider une femme à participer à un concours de chant.Dans un monde où la vie des gens consiste à faire du vélo d'appartement pour gagner des crédits, Bing essaie d'aider une femme à participer à un concours de chant.Dans un monde où la vie des gens consiste à faire du vélo d'appartement pour gagner des crédits, Bing essaie d'aider une femme à participer à un concours de chant.

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8,0/10

70 k

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10Sleepin_Dragon

One of the best episodes of Black Mirror, and that's saying something.

In a future world you have to cycle for your supper, Bing does his best to help talented singer Abi get onto a singing contest.

It's a magical episode, a study of exploitation, containerisation and a demand for fame abd fortune, there's also something of a love story running through it.

It's definitely a mirror image of life itself, the endless cycling represents the rat race that many people live their lives by, blindly running along the treadmill, eating, sleeping, repeating, but every now and then something good comes along, do you strive for it, or let it pass? That's the situation for Bing.

That scene where Abi faces The Judges, it's just brutal.

I just love the imagery, the emojis, the idea of those constant, forced adverts, and being penalised for not watching them, amazing ideas.

Definitely a pop at the likes of X Factor, Britain's got talent, and all of those other shows headed up by egotistical judges.

Daniel Kaluuya and Jessica Brown Findlay deliver truly astounding performances.

Made back at the time when this show was producing genuinely sensational, thought provoking episodes.

10/10.

10021325_a

Gut wrenching, but honest

Let me be honest: This is my first episode of Black Mirror, which is a show I've always heard is good, but never got to confirm for myself until now. What made me want to watch this specific episode is not the main character's actor, who has since gone on to star in this year's mega-hit 'Get Out', but it's premise alone. A world where people help power their isolated world by exercising, while those not fit enough become janitors who are often mistreated and mocked or the butt of a joke. It's shocking in it's themes, but not in a way that makes me want to puke.

To put it lightly, this episode displays why I now like this series: it's gut wrenching, horrifying, and shocking, but not in the conventional way of displaying horrific visuals meant to make you cringe. Instead, Black Mirror manages to get all 3 of these across the board with it's honest, tight, and brilliantly told messages about the many ways society could connect with technology... and let me tell you, none of them are really 'good'. This specific episode I've chosen to review is something that starts out subtle, and only goes downhill as the episode progresses. I'm not going to say anything about this episode other than how much it got to me, because it really is one you're better left seeing without too much knowledge about it. Many of the characters I found interesting, even some minor ones. They're relatable in ways that everyone can agree with, and the dialog plus the overall story is sharply written to a point that made the 1 hour I spent watching it feel like nothing.

If you're looking into Black Mirror as a potential series to binge, know that it's not for everyone. It's shocking and emotional in many unconventional ways, and almost always has a statement to make, so if that sounds good, then shoot for it. Just thinking of this episode makes me want to watch the other episodes.

7TheInbetweener

What was that?

Whatever it was, it nearly made me suffocate with holding my breath.

You know that feeling you get, that almost nausea, that exhilarating terror when you take the plunge over a roller-coaster loop, that feeling of stretching out a finger to barely touch something transcendental, that white blank feeling you get when you've hit ground zero and the truth is there, almost there...

No?

I've had that feeling before. I almost can't quite remember when, just that the enormity of feeling something like that couldn't possibly be contained in a memory.

This makes no sense, does it?

I don't know - but tell me you didn't feel something rare when you watched Bing nearly commit cultural, political and physical suicide on that stage. I've never seen anything that's managed to depress and stimulate me at once. I've never seen anything that raw and human. Not for a long time.

Watch it?

And transcribe the end speech. I would have that tattOOED.

10malicenbandarlnd

The real genius of this story

SPOILER: The real genius of this story wasn't so much the setting, or even most of the plot. The dystopian future this is taking place in with two modes of life - underground, in a sort of indentured servitude, or in the penthouses with a view - isn't all that original either. What i loved about this episode was the ending. It wasn't a dramatic ending. It wasn't a happy ending. It was a depressing ending. The protagonist starts out with morals and a stand to take and ends up consumed by the consumerism he makes money off of. Its disconcerting most of all because i think it rings true. And it's creepy how true the entire setting seems.

8spitt1

An innocent soul in a questionable digital utopia

This story is called "Fifteen Million Merits", it's an alternative world in which people ride cycles to gather credits, to buy items for their avatars, to buy sustenance, and basic needs. It's a world where each individual is forced to watch commercials or pay fees to mute or get rid of them. What might seem like a digital utopia to some, turns into a hell for others.

Bing is an innocent soul who falls in love, and wishes for his love to succeed. He spends 15 million credits to help his love to get a chance of a lifetime. Unbeknownst to him (and the rest of the world), contestants are drugged to do whatever the leaders tell them to do on a grimy sleazy talent show.

What happens next might shock, it might surprise, but it definitely will amaze you to see that this alternative universe isn't that far off from our world today... or what it could be tomorrow.

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Anecdotes
Charlie Brooker stated the idea for this episode originated from his wife Konnie Huq (who co-wrote the episode and is credited under her birth name Kanak Huq) when she remarked that he'd be happy in a world where every wall was a screen.

Gaffes
When Bing meets Abi in the cafeteria, Abi buys an apple. While standing and talking, Abi takes two bites out the apple. But when the sit at a table, Abi picks up the apple and it is untouched.

Citations
Bing: I haven't got a speech. I didn't plan words. I didn't even try to I just knew I had to get here, to stand here, and I wanted you to listen. To really listen, not just pull a face like you're listening, like you do the rest of the time. A face that you're feeling instead of processing. You pull a face, and poke it towards the stage, and we lah-di-dah, we sing and dance and tumble around. And all you see up here, it's not people, you don't see people up here, it's all fodder. And the faker the fodder, the more you love it, because fake fodder's the only thing that works any more. It's all that we can stomach. Actually, not quite all. Real pain, real viciousness, that, we can take. Yeah, stick a fat man up a pole. We laugh ourselves feral, because we've earned the right, we've done cell time and he's slacking, the scum, so ha-ha-ha at him! Because we're so out of our minds with desperation, we don't know any better. All we know is fake fodder and buying shit. That's how we speak to each other, how we express ourselves, is buying shit. What, I have a dream? The peak of our dreams is a new app for our Dopple, it doesn't exist! It's not even there! We buy shit that's not even there. Show us something real and free and beautiful. You couldn't. Yeah? It'd break us. We're too numb for it. I might as well choke. It's only so much wonder we can bear. When you find any wonder whatsoever, you dole it out in meagre portions. Only then until it's augmented, packaged, and pumped through 10,000 preassigned filters till it's nothing more than a meaningless series of lights, while we ride day in day out, going where? Powering what? All tiny cells and tiny screens and bigger cells and bigger screens and fuck you! Fuck you, that's what it boils down to. Fuck you for sitting there and slowly making things worse. Fuck you and your spotlight and your sanctimonious faces. Fuck you all for thinking the one thing I came close to never meant anything. For oozing around it and crushing it into a bone, into a joke. One more ugly joke in a kingdom of millions. Fuck you for happening. Fuck you for me, for us, for everyone. Fuck you!

Crédits fous
Merce Ribot was wrongly credited as "'Big Shot' Registration Lady" (it should say 'Hot Shot').

Connexions
Featured in WatchMojoUK: Top 10 Actors Who Have Appeared in Black Mirror (2018)

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