Hated in the Nation

What if they just wear masks or cover their faces? Do they still kill them? The plot doesn't make much sense. I guess you can find ways for them to protect themselves.

Hated in the Nation is such an episode. It shows a craft, a skill, an intelligence, and proves that story telling is indeed an art. The imagination behind this is nothing short of genius, almost every element stuns.

The fantastic story is equally matched by the superb performances, Kelly MacDonald and Elizabeth Berrington stand out for me, but everyone plays their part.

S03E06 is an extraordinary episode, which, with little modification, could have been (or still could be) an award winning feature film. Everything about it is captivating, including the high-end, cutting edge computer graphics concepts which have helped make the Black Mirror series the exceptional series that it is.

It felt like new and original material, which doesn't happen very often. My only comment is that as an American English speaking person, I found the British accents a little difficult to understand, but with headphones I was fine. This is a thrilling and brilliant roller coaster ride of an episode which is not to be missed.. Here's a toast to Charilie Brooker for creating such fine work!

Till date, this has been one my favourite episodes of the series. It is lengthy enough to have been made into a full feature film. The plot development is well paced and done intelligently. The performances were stellar and the plot itself extremely brilliant (kudos to the writers!).

The episode strikes 2 major chords persistent in current day technologies and social interactions while painting a picture of the pitfalls of both. The delivery is thus very believable, gripping and worthy of the praise it has received. You should definitely see it (thank me later!).

While I've seen a few reviewers complain about the end, I'd say that Black Mirror isn't known for taking the most conventional approach to end each episode...and yes! That's one other reason the series is unique in it's own way.

"Black Mirror" (2011) remains the best science fiction show on television; I'd rate the six-episode third season a perfect 10. The show continues to succeed at every level with its story concepts and their execution. And I think it's actually getting better.

It's getting darker and harder hitting, too. I'd guess that this season's blackmailing-hackers episode ("Shut Up and Dance") would be the one that the majority of viewers find the most disturbing. For some reason, the man-vs.-monster story of "Men Against Fire" is the one that really got under my skin.

I was surprised to learn that nearly all of "Black Mirror's" episodes are penned by series creator Charlie Brooker. I'm still surprised at how many clever ideas and lean, smart scripts could spring from one writer. I was so impressed that I looked Brooker up on Wikipedia -- but was surprised to discover I'm unfamiliar with nearly all of his other work. The one exception is "Dead Set" (2008) -- the truly fantastic British zombie horror miniseries that I've been recommending to friends for ages. That makes sense.

Anyway, I am fully and happily converted to "Black Mirror's" cult following, and I enthusiastically recommend it to people who ask about it. (The show's popularity is still growing -- I believe it appeals to the same kind of fans as those who flocked to the various iterations of "The Twilight Zone" and "The Outer Limits" of generations past.) But I might actually suggest that newcomers begin with the second or third season, rather than the first. Season 1 is terrific, but it's three episodes are more subtle and thematic, while the latter seasons follow a more conventional story structure that might better appeal to more mainstream audiences. (They have more satisfying twists and emotional payoffs, too.)

And a quick caveat -- I'll reiterate that this show is indeed dark. There is a strictly human element to most of "Black Mirror's" twists that is intended to surprise the viewer by provoking anxiety or dread. For a show that relies on technological story devices, it succeeds even more with its old fashioned psychological horror.