The latest episode of Black Mirror has left some viewers feeling deeply unsettled due to its dark themes and thought-provoking narrative.
The sci-fi anthology series, masterminded by British creator Charlie Brooker, has been provoking introspection about our tech-driven lives since its debut in 2011.
Black Mirror is known for casting a critical eye on the darker aspects of technology’s impact on society. With artificial intelligence becoming increasingly prevalent in reality, the show’s new season seems alarmingly relevant to many fans.
Season seven premiered on Netflix on April 10, but not everyone could finish the series after watching the first episode, ‘Common People’.
Some viewers have expressed their intention to ‘cancel their subscriptions’ due to the episode, while Reddit users have described it as ‘one of the most horrible things’ they’ve seen.
So, what transpired in the episode?
Warning: Spoilers ahead for ‘Common People’
The creators clearly succeeded in their goal to make audiences feel unsettled and disturbed with this particular episode.
‘Common People’ delves into themes such as inaccessible healthcare, the increasing role of AI, relentless advertising, and the potential monetization of basic human rights by tech companies.
The episode follows Mike (Chris O’Dowd) and Amanda (Rashida Jones), a couple whose lives are thrown into turmoil by a futuristic healthcare company, Rivermind Technologies.
After Amanda falls into a coma and is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, Rivermind offers an innovative life-saving procedure, but it comes with a $300 monthly subscription fee.
The episode takes a darker turn as the couple, a construction worker and a teacher, struggle with the escalating costs of the subscription model as prices continue to rise.
Amanda must stay within a certain proximity to the company’s server to survive, endure increasing amounts of sleep, and unknowingly recites advertisements during conversations.
Rivermind offers additional subscriptions to expand Amanda’s roaming area and eliminate the ads, but they come at a steep price.
Facing financial strain, Mike resorts to performing degrading acts on live streams to cover the costs.
The episode starkly critiques how healthcare systems, especially in the U.S., are intended to save lives but can financially devastate people with high medical bills.
‘Common People’ suggests that in the future, only the wealthy might afford necessities like healthcare if corporations commodify life itself.
The episode also resonates with viewers who navigate fluctuating prices and plans for streaming services, often filled with ads.
“It was the ads bit that had me,” one viewer commented on Reddit. “I couldn’t stomach it all in one sitting.”
Another remarked: “It feels creepier given how close it is to reality. We already have ad-supported tiers in everything. How long until this model applies to medical care?”
Charlie Brooker, the show’s creator and showrunner, shared with Tudum: “I’d been thinking about, what if someone needs a subscription service to stay alive? And then what if somebody was running adverts?
“The adverts came from a funny place because I’d been listening to a lot of podcasts where the hosts would suddenly break off and start pitching products and then go back to the rest of the podcast. So I thought, ‘Oh, this is going to be a funny one.’”
He continued: “They’re extending the amount she has to sleep, and she’s tired all the time. It’s exhausting. And now they’re living this existence where she’s constantly advertising things.
“I felt like her request, being smothered to death while giving a pitch, felt sort of perfectly bleak and perfectly Black Mirror.”
All seven seasons of Black Mirror are currently available for streaming on Netflix.