This Black Mirror is an anthology series, so every episode is different. Each episode is about the abuse of technology.

I don't know why but when I watched it streaming on Netflix instead of the first episode I accidentally got the first episode of the third season, something I didn't notice until i was 10 minutes in. I finished this episode then went back to season 1 episode 1. Just as well I did I probably would have quit watching after the original starting episode otherwise. I'd skip season one, episode one. Its a disgusting story thats not a good first impression.

Apparently there was some talk in the planning stages of having host who appears on camera, like Rod Serling in The Twilight Zone or an unseen narrator, like the Control Voice of The Outer Limits but that idea was dropped.

The series is not for children. Features simulated sex (no nudity so far) and profanity.

First series runs for only 3 episodes. Second also 3 episodes. Between 2nd and 3rd was a Christmas special which is actually 3 mini episodes. The first two series/seasons and the special originally aired in UK on Channel 4. After the special Netflix picked up the series for a third run of 6 episodes. Apparently this third season was originally done in two parts of 3 episodes each. Netflix includes the Christmas special with season/series 2. And has all 6 episodes of the third together.

I'm half way into series 2 (plus the one episode from 3) I found the very first episode and second of series 2 the most disturbing.

Series 1, episode 1: a British duchess is kidnapped and a youtube video has the kidnapper demanding that the prime minister has sex with a pig on live video or she dies.

Series 3, episode 1 which is where I accidentally started is about social media gone amok. Your social status isn't based on what family you're born into or how much money you have but what your social score is. Everybody rates everyone on everything. And they're not necessarily honest about it. A woman with a 4.2 rating living with her brother who's a 3 wants to move into an appartment she needs a 4.7 rating for. When an old school mate who is 4.7 invites her to her wedding full of high score people she sees this as her chance to advance. But everything goes wrong and her score takes a "Nosedive".

Series 1:
episode 1: social media's effect on politicians and public attitudes
episode 2: reality TV particularly the talent shows
episode 3: an implant lets you record everything you see and hear so you can never truly forget anything

Series 2:
episode 1: computer simulation of dead loved ones using data from social media
episode 2: smart phones being used to record everything to be posted online
episode 3: a voice actor for an animated cartoon character (a job he hates) is forced to run a gag election campaign, the problem is voters take it seriously

Christmas special: 3 mini episodes: its Christmas and two men living and working in a snow covered wasteland are telling stories about how they got there. story 1: the first guy is a "romantic consultant", he's monitoring his client remotely, trying to help him crash a private party in order to find his dream romance. story 2: people's homes are all computerized, to the point where it plans your day for you. The romantic consultant is not computer company consultant. story 3: they second man finally tells his story. After an argument his girlfriend "blocks" him. This does not just look him out of her cell phone and internet, it makes them a blur to each other and they cannot hear each other and its illegal to approach the person who blocked you. The ending has a double twist.

Series 3:
episode 1: social media controls everything
episode 2: video game reality simulation experiment
episode 3: computer virus black mails people by threatening to expose their secrets (interesting to see Ripper Street actor in a modern
episode 4: seems to be about time travel
episode 5: implants in soldiers heads alters their perception of what the enemy really looks like
episode 6: (sigh) another science fiction show behind the times, the premise is bees are nearly extinct so artificial bees are created but they start killing people [yes there WAS a problem with bees disappearing but now there are actually more bees than ever, thanks to expanded number of beekeepers]


Looks like there is a fourth season/series planned for next year. The series creator would like to have some characters from season two first two episodes and from season three last episode return. Whether that will happen or not I don't know. My understanding is that hasn't happened before.

I realize this series was originally produced by the British for a British audience and that as an American I'm not the intended audience but that's the one of the positive things about modern technology television is largely international now. For me the weakest episodes in this program are the ones focusing on UK politics, s1e1,s2e3

I hope English justice in real life is not as merciless as in this show.

Oops guess I posted in wrong place. Sorry about that.

Sounds different

Black Mirror is a wry, intense and often terrifying view of us through the lens of our devices -- smart phones, computers -- and our addictions to them. I highly recommend it.

Yeah and the people are as merciless as the tech. You commit a crime in this series and there are no mitigating circumstances. The real victims in the Christmas special are the boyfriend and the little girl, both victims of the mother and the grandfather's calicious disregard for another person's feelings.

I thought it was excellent. Haven't watched all of series 3 yet, and some episodes better than others, but very thoughtful. The social media episode was particularly good, as was the one where you record everything and never forget.

I've just finished watching the 3rd series. I thought the last 2 episodes were the best.