There aren’t souls in machines; there isn’t empathy inside a computer. The screens looking back at us will never give us anything more than a momentary hit of dopamine as we scroll through social media and various applications on the smartphones growing into the palms of our hands. Black Mirror has always been a series laser-focused on the effects of technology against our humanity, but the newest, seventh season of the show mostly succeeds at providing a terrifying and affecting look at generative artificial intelligence’s place in contemporary society and the genuine loss of emotional intelligence associated with it.
Charlie Brooker’s incisive look at contemporary and futuristic technologies has embraced maximalism its entire run, and the newest season proves no different. There are six new entries into the world of Black Mirror, one where screens provide more stability for one’s mental state than the connection of others. The show benefits from new entries into its effective universe, the episodic anthology format allowing multiple stories to be told centering a central theme as the season, and series, push through each one. “Common People” sees a couple in an impossible situation: illness has Amanda (Rashida Jones) relying on a monthly subscription to keep her mental state clear, though she’s stuck in one place if she and Mike (Chris O’Dowd) don’t upgrade to the next tier; “Bête Noire” is a cautionary tale of the traumas we hold onto as one woman falls into psychosis after an old classmate turns up in her life; “Hotel Reverie” recreates a classic (fictional) British love story where Issa Rae’s Brandy Friday checks in for a newfound love after the retelling proves its fresh take isn’t what it seems. The first three installments of the season find characters searching for novelty, diving headfirst into unknown technology to achieve realities that possibly shouldn’t exist. They misunderstand their own desires until it’s too late, the crux of unidentified uses of such intelligence forcing them into misery of their own creation.
The beauty of Black Mirror is its dedication to sensible run times: even longer ones feel earned and necessary, not bloated with redundancies or embellished narratives. All six stories included in the newest outing are lean, concise without losing emotional impact. “Plaything” and “Eulogy,” entries four and five that see their character in situations not so different from the first few: “Plaything” finds Cameron Walker telling the story of his life, specifically the artificial intelligence he began using for conversation to the point of dependency, while “Eulogy” explores the ability to walk into old photos as one man moves through the fresh grief of losing someone he once knew. “Eulogy” is an easy warning in using generative artificial intelligence to recreate emotionally pivotal moments in one’s life and the trauma that could be associated with reliving moments from memory – a computer’s inability to process its user’s trauma also forces an inability to create a scenario conducive to cultivating a healthy mental state for a human. A computer can’t even fill in the gaps of what happened moments before, or after, photos, so the creation of a narrative around one can feel scary and soulless. “Plaything” is matter-of-fact in its specific telling of Cameron becoming addicted to the crafted social situations that can only exist when having a back-and-forth with AI, especially if you’re seeking emotional support. The use of artificial intelligence trains it to do what you want, not what you need; it’s completely fruitless to attempt to use a machine to cure a mental ailment.
Other than Will Poulter making an appearance in “Plaything” as his character from Bandersnatch, there is no real correlation to these episodes to any previous ones. The exception to this is the final episode of the season, “USS Callister: Into Infinity,” which is a direct sequel to the fourth season’s first episode where Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons) has created a virtual world – not-so-loosely based on Star Trek – where the people he works with have digital clones that are enslaved to him. “Into Infinity” keeps the story going with Nanette Cole (Cristin Milioti) continuing to search for answers after the events of the season four premiere episode. It’s one of the stronger points of an otherwise average season. Charlie Brooker’s series has taken a clear stand in its position on AI, in a time where computers are being sought after to conjure situations that require humanity. It’s a natural progression for the anthology, which has always kept itself topical in current affairs both politically and in technological advances. It feels like an earned exploration that’s timely and terrifying with previous installments that back up its investigation into how harmful the progression of such tech can be without proper vetting on possible consequences.
There are many newcomers to the world of Black Mirror, Paul Giamatti in “Eulogy” and Rosy McEwen in “Bête Noire” being standouts amongst the freshmen in the cast. Their episodes are opposite but their cores of pain are similar, both seeking a use of technology that might dull it against all odds. Similarly, Rashida Jones and Chris O’Dowd are a perfect pair in “Common People” as a couple that truly can’t believe the situation unfolding in front of them. The palpable frustration built into each interaction provides some of the lightest moments of the season through some of the darkest material of the episode. It only makes sense to see people experiencing surreal frustration at the unknowns that are so common with new technology. It’s scary to try something new that could also change your emotional state. Issa Rae sticks out as someone almost uncomfortable with the material she’s been presented with in “Hotel Reverie,” her performance arms-length from any real emotion or lived-in feeling. Peter Capaldi also seems out of place during his time in the series, the wig on his head forcing him into clearly being an actor giving a performance on a set (call it the Nicole Kidman Effect), arguably the most awkward inclusion amongst any of the episodes.
It’s a fine season that feels like the series is on cruise control: there are still great moments, but the overall stability of Black Mirror is shaky as it keeps pushing into new seasons. Having only six episodes is a blessing to the season because any longer would feel like an extreme overstay on the show’s part. Charlie Brooker is tuned in to the ever-changing realities of the world since technology’s quick-paced changes force discomfort, his continued involvement keeping the series above water by not diverging too much against the grain of what the series wants to be. It’s a great attempt, but the light is starting to dim a little too quickly on this particular screen.
Grade: B-
Netflix will release Black Mirror season 7 on April 10.
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