EVER since Netflix released Black Mirror’s fifth series on June 5, fans have not been able to stop talking about it.
And despite only consisting of three episodes, here are five reasons why you don’t want to miss the latest season starring Miley Cyrus and Anthony Mackie.
Now that fans are five seasons into the Netflix show, we’ve all established that Black Mirror strongly focuses its attention on the darker side of technology.
The first episode, for example, is centred around virtual reality and how a video game has family man Danny feeling the physical sensations of his character.
After being introduced to the game by his friend Karl, the two start playing as Lance and Roxette, but it’s not long before their friendship turns sexual.
It’s a very interesting take, almost feeling as if the show is basing events on those who become so involved in the online community that they can’t connect with the real world anymore.
Episode three – titled Rachel, Jack and Ashely Too – is a little different, having shifted from video games to pop stars such as Ashley O fighting for control over their lives.
Ashley O’s character, played by Miley Cyrus, is forced to swallow pills by her manager and aunt, creating a clear narrative explaining how the singer has no power over her own decisions.
The episode draws particular real-life parallels with Kesha and Britney Spears, who have both found themselves surrounded in controversy concerning their struggle to obtain independence.
Britney, in particular, has made it no secret through her lawyers that she wants out of her ten-year conservatorship while Kesha was caught up in a legal battle with Dr. Luke, after having accused the music producer of sexual assault.
Ashley O is treated as a robot and she must do as she’s told, which we now know isn’t far off from how artists are treated in the real world. Scary, right?
Black Mirror is no stranger to inviting some of the biggest actors to join their ever-so-popular show, with Hollywood stars such as Jon Hamm and Bryce Dallas Howard both having starred in past episodes.
For the fifth season, the show has welcomed Avengers: Endgame star Anthony Mackie and singer Miley Cyrus.
They both appear in different episodes, but both are worth checking out.
Every episode almost feels like we’re being educated about something, showing viewers the good and bad, the ups and downs, and the disastrous results on situations we need to take action against.
It’s almost scary to think how often Charlie’s hit show has become a forecast for actual events that have taken place in the real world.
Season five will definitely make you think about the effect social media and technology has on people — but what would be a resolution to the way in which we handle these situations?
That’s a question you’re most likely going to ask yourself after finishing up this thrilling three-part series.
Though fans have complained about the series being shorter, the show’s creator Charlie Brooker explained that December’s interactive episode Bandersnatch was initially going to be part of the fifth series.
Charlie added that while filming Bandersnatch, the production team agreed that the 2018 film was going to be served as a standalone project.
“Originally, ‘Bandersnatch’ was part of season five,” Brooker told Digital Spy. “So ‘Striking Vipers’, we actually shot before we started shooting ‘Bandersnatch’. ‘Smithereens’, a little bit of that overlapped with ‘Bandersnatch’.”
Taking that into consideration, the fifth series would’ve been longer had Bandersnatch been added to the series.
But for those who appreciate a relatively shorter season, this one will be right up your alley.
