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Is "Black Mirror" Truly a Modern Twilight Zone?
Shadow & Substance ^ | Paul

Posted on 03/16/2018 12:56:22 PM PDT by GoldenState_Rose

You’ve surely gotten the memo by now. As a fan of The Twilight Zone, you’re supposed to be head over heels for Black Mirror.

I wish I could join the chorus.

I don’t mean the show is without merit. It’s well-produced, acted and directed. It has some intriguing storylines. But it’s no Twilight Zone for the 21st century.

Sure, it’s an anthology with fantasy/sci-fi touches. But it’s also incredibly pessimistic...Yes, TZ had its share of downbeat endings (hello, Henry Bemis). And it’s true that Serling didn’t shrink from showing us the dark side of human nature (“The Shelter” and “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” being two notable examples).

But one of the hallmarks of Serling’s writing was his faith in humanity. He didn’t leave us to wallow in misery — he kept encouraging us to be better. We don’t have to tear each other apart, he said. We can overcome suspicion and hatred.

And it worked. As we listen to his concluding narrations, we feel as if we want to try harder.

Black Mirror shows us the dark side as well. The problem is, it leaves us there.

And it keeps hitting the same theme: we’re all slaves to our devices. A fair point, but does that have to surface in practically every episode?

And as the questions above indicate, there’s a bit of a preoccupation with sex. Even if you think a “modern TZ” needs that (and I don’t), surely it’s possible to have an episode or two without it? Apparently not.

If that sounds like your cup of tea, tune in. But if you’re looking for a “modern-day Twilight Zone,” I wouldn’t recommend it. Black Mirror casts a dark reflection indeed.

(Excerpt) Read more at thenightgallery.wordpress.com ...


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Books/Literature; Music/Entertainment; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: blackmirror; netflix; rodserling; scifi; serling; twilightzone
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1 posted on 03/16/2018 12:56:22 PM PDT by GoldenState_Rose
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To: GoldenState_Rose

I’m a big fan of Black Mirror, and while I’ll grant that the vast majority of episodes have “downer” endings, two notable ones do not: “San Junipero”, and “USS Callister”.


2 posted on 03/16/2018 1:03:14 PM PDT by Simon Green
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To: GoldenState_Rose

The 1st episode of this show, has a mayor or governor or president of something, “forced” into having sex with a pig to release his kidnapped daughter. He had sex with the pig.
I wasn’t liking where that show was leading and as soon as it was known he was doing it, I turned it off. Disgusting crap. I will never watch another episode of that depressing depraved show again.


3 posted on 03/16/2018 1:04:20 PM PDT by vpintheak (Freedom is not equality; and equality is not freedom!)
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To: GoldenState_Rose
Watched a few of them. First season Eps 1 and 2. They were less than I expected, so I stopped watching. Then someone on FR posted about the episode titled Metalhead. I watched that one, and it was pretty decent.
4 posted on 03/16/2018 1:06:03 PM PDT by IYAS9YAS (There are two kinds of people: Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.)
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To: GoldenState_Rose

Some are good some are so so.


5 posted on 03/16/2018 1:08:00 PM PDT by Harpotoo
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To: GoldenState_Rose

Probably more like “The Scary Door”


6 posted on 03/16/2018 1:11:12 PM PDT by Conan the Librarian (The Best in Life is to crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and the Dewey Decimal System)
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To: Conan the Librarian
> Probably more like “The Scary Door” Ah, I can see you enjoyed Futurama.
7 posted on 03/16/2018 1:17:20 PM PDT by Edward.Fish
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To: GoldenState_Rose

uss callister was pretty dark...

but i am a big fan myself... though the first one i saw was a bit piggish...


8 posted on 03/16/2018 1:21:01 PM PDT by teeman8r (Armageddon won't be pretty, but it's not like it's the end of the world.)
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To: GoldenState_Rose
But one of the hallmarks of Serling’s writing was his faith in humanity.

The world, in general in 1960, had faith in humanity. Now, not so much.

9 posted on 03/16/2018 1:22:01 PM PDT by Slicksadick (We accept the love we think we deserve.)
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To: GoldenState_Rose
Ive watches season 1 and am not all that impressed - the endings are let-downs. TZ had better endings / twists that provided more satisfaction. TZ also had the benefit of glorious Black and White.

Ill watch the remaining BM episodes but I dont have a lot of high expectations.

10 posted on 03/16/2018 1:22:19 PM PDT by corkoman
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To: GoldenState_Rose

I always felt Twilight Zone is fairly overrated. They almost always slip into a story that could be conveyed effectively in 45 seconds.

Serling’s writing style is fairly stilted, too. People don’t have conversations, they talk at each other.

He also was fairly rigid in his presentation. You see this in his concept for Planet of the Apes. The ape civilization was almost exactly like our civilization - no wiggle room, not much creativity or imagination. Too rigid.

In the final version of the film, the presentation of the ape civilization was far superior. They were not exactly like us, but they were still like us. Some of the technology was there, but much of the technology wasn’t. They didn’t have the same exact roles as we have, but you could recognize the types. Far better. Far more effective.

The weaknesses of Twilight Zone became very apparent when instead of stretching a 45 second story into a half hour, they stretched it to an hour. Brutal. Forgettable television.


11 posted on 03/16/2018 1:22:26 PM PDT by Ted Grant
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To: GoldenState_Rose

Watched parts of two episodes. From what I saw the show is obsessed with the F word. Yes, I know, the writers live in an environment of constant profane speech, so they believe this is everyone’s reality. But it is not.

I know I am fighting a losing battle with today’s media, but I am offended by this new “acceptability” of foul language. No, I am not holier or better than anyone else, but it feels like the “broken window” syndrome of societal deterioration to me.


12 posted on 03/16/2018 1:28:46 PM PDT by Drawsing (Fools show their annoyance at once, the prudent man overlooks an insult. Proverbs 12:16)
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To: GoldenState_Rose

I’ve watched all of the episodes, and there are a few that I would consider very good. It feels somewhat repetitive, however. Most of the episodes are somewhat corny, in a way. I do watch them though, always entertaining.


13 posted on 03/16/2018 1:31:17 PM PDT by Paradox (Don't call them mainstream, there is nothing mainstream about the MSM.)
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To: GoldenState_Rose

In my opinion, early Season 1 isn’t that good. It gets better as it goes along. USS Callister was pretty amusing.


14 posted on 03/16/2018 1:31:21 PM PDT by Opinionated Blowhard ("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")
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To: GoldenState_Rose

Season two, White Bear was pretty good. Ending took me totally by surprise


15 posted on 03/16/2018 1:42:24 PM PDT by DakotaRed (Why not just pass a law requiring criminals to obey the laws?)
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To: vpintheak

I had exactly the same experience. I got just a few minutes in and turned it off forever.


16 posted on 03/16/2018 1:49:36 PM PDT by Dutch Boy
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To: GoldenState_Rose

After watching the dude pleasure the pig, and then the kid getting videotaped pleasuring himself, I thought typical Brit Daily Mail sex fascination crap. The robotic dog episode was good though.


17 posted on 03/16/2018 1:52:11 PM PDT by 03A3 (FTNFL)
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To: vpintheak

That was pretty much my reaction/action to the show. I may have watched the 2nd one - but I only remember being creeped out....stopped watching.


18 posted on 03/16/2018 1:52:44 PM PDT by fuzzylogic (welfare state = sharing consequences of poor moral choices among everybody)
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To: GoldenState_Rose

Never heard if it.

Twilight Zone, looking at it now, I see makes no sense and isn’t very good.

It’s generally unpleasant and meaningless. When not, it’s a liberal message.


19 posted on 03/16/2018 1:53:45 PM PDT by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
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To: Ted Grant

Well said.


20 posted on 03/16/2018 1:55:04 PM PDT by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
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