3 ms·

I found no value in the first two seasons. It's been on the front page of HN at least 4 times in the past couple weeks. I tried watching the third season hoping

I found no value in the first two seasons. It's been on the front page of HN at least 4 times in the past couple weeks. I tried watching the third season hoping it was better. It's still stupid. It's like they just take some very plain 1:1 observation about exactly how the world is right now, focus on one specific demographic, then create a skit around it that has no depth. They create imaginary worlds, but they're not very imaginative. They're basically exactly the world we're in, but they replace a few things with something slightly different. It's like science fiction for people who don't really like science fiction. It's shallow intellectually, but it doesn't even have any depth emotionally. At least with most other popular TV shows there's depth in terms of personal relationships. There's drama that's more emotionally interesting. Black Mirror seems to be optimized for people who are blunted both in terms of intellect and social emotion. It's one of the most boring TV series on Netflix, which is a shame because there's not much else that even attempts to be interesting in a more sci-fi way. I think the only reason why people find value in Black Mirror must be because of references. Like how they love jokes on Reddit when they refer to something they all know. People must be like, "Ahaha, they're referencing how people are always on their phones. So true. LOL look, it's trollface!! Dude, look, trollface is on TV. I know trollface. Haha this show is great." What else would people be getting out of it?

rezashirazian 10y ago
I'm not sure if we've been watching the same show. I finished watching the first season this week, and Black Mirror does an amazing job of building characters and forming relationships in a short amount of time. It does this well because the science fiction elements of the show are not the focus. They are merely instruments for driving very human narratives. When you say It's shallow intellectually, but it doesn't even have any depth emotionally. At least with most other popular TV shows there's depth in terms of personal relationships. There's drama that's more emotionally interesting. I wish you would use an example so I can understand where you're coming from since I find myself completely on the other side of your comment.
angersock 10y ago
You must be a riot at parties. > Black Mirror seems to be optimized for people who are blunted both in terms of intellect and social emotion. Are you sure Black Mirror is the stunted one? > They're basically exactly the world we're in, but they replace a few things with something slightly different. That's the key to good speculative fiction--unless you're one of the folks that needs aliens and spaceships and nanojiggers and other raygun bullshit to think something is scifi. The trick for good science fiction is that you focus on the people, not the tech--and you only focus on the world insofar as the people experience it. "Fifteen Million Merits" and "The National Anthem" used existing social technology but showed how the human cost of certain scenarios. "The Entire History of You", and "Be Right Back" focused on only a single real application of a novel product but again showed a solid study on how people would find ways to make themselves miserable even through the best of intentions by the creators. Simple ideas played out through character drama--that's what makes good science fiction.
- megablast 10y ago
  > You must be a riot at parties. This is such a horrible response. I don't agree with the guys opinion, but anybody who says this is just pathetic.

rezashirazian 10y ago

I'm not sure if we've been watching the same show. I finished watching the first season this week, and Black Mirror does an amazing job of building characters and forming relationships in a short amount of time. It does this well because the science fiction elements of the show are not the focus. They are merely instruments for driving very human narratives. When you say It's shallow intellectually, but it doesn't even have any depth emotionally. At least with most other popular TV shows there's depth in terms of personal relationships. There's drama that's more emotionally interesting. I wish you would use an example so I can understand where you're coming from since I find myself completely on the other side of your comment.

angersock 10y ago

You must be a riot at parties. > Black Mirror seems to be optimized for people who are blunted both in terms of intellect and social emotion. Are you sure Black Mirror is the stunted one? > They're basically exactly the world we're in, but they replace a few things with something slightly different. That's the key to good speculative fiction--unless you're one of the folks that needs aliens and spaceships and nanojiggers and other raygun bullshit to think something is scifi. The trick for good science fiction is that you focus on the people, not the tech--and you only focus on the world insofar as the people experience it. "Fifteen Million Merits" and "The National Anthem" used existing social technology but showed how the human cost of certain scenarios. "The Entire History of You", and "Be Right Back" focused on only a single real application of a novel product but again showed a solid study on how people would find ways to make themselves miserable even through the best of intentions by the creators. Simple ideas played out through character drama--that's what makes good science fiction.

megablast 10y ago
> You must be a riot at parties. This is such a horrible response. I don't agree with the guys opinion, but anybody who says this is just pathetic.