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“Black Mirror” opens its newest batch of episodes with perhaps the most satisfyingly daring tonal shift from the typical darkness permeating the rest of the series. But “Nosedive” commits one too many sins: It’s too predictable, and not disturbing enough. Bryce Dallas Howard is wonderful as the pathetic protagonist constantly striving to win over her followers. But that’s not really a compliment: “Nosedive” is way too on the nose in its attempt to take the conceit of how social media is just an endless popularity contest to the nth degree.

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If “Black Mirror” were to ever license one of its episodes to broadcast television in a bid to broaden its appeal, “Nosedive” would be the one: It’s the most relatable, accessible episode Brooker has ever made. It’s OK to just deliver a good scare, but “Black Mirror” typically aims higher. There’s some incredibly tense scenes in this hour of desperate individuals under enormous pressure, but that doesn’t quite paper over the fact that this is a rare episode that doesn’t seem to have anything particularly insightful to share about the world we live in.

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“Dance” packs a doozy of a punch late in this tale of a mysterious software capable of blackmailing people by spying on their private moments. This episode is a classic example of “Black Mirror’s” ability to pull the rug out from under viewers with a plot twist that completely upends your sense of the story. Episode is inexplicably near 90 minutes, about 20 minutes too long.ġ1. Give Brooker credit for taking on the very topical subject of how uncontrollable hatred spreads too easily on social media, but whatever interesting things he has to say gets confused by being interwoven with a seemingly disconnected critique of modern society’s surveillance state (courtesy of camera-equipped robo-bumble bees, no less). Kelly Macdonald is wasted as a police detective leading an investigation into murders committed by an armada of insect drones.

Injecting the “Black Mirror” sensibility into the traditional format of a crime-drama procedural may seem intriguing, but it doesn’t work this time around. Hated in the Nation (Season 3, Episode 6) Luckily, no other “Black Mirror” episode is quite as bad as this one.ġ2.

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Where this series typically succeeds is in making improbable stories believable, but the tone of the humor is so off here that “Waldo” collapses. But the premise - an irreverent cartoon character manages to make a viable run for higher office - proves too preposterous. Strangely, the series’ weakest effort turns out to be arguably the most prophetic “Black Mirror” episode, which tells an uninspired story vaguely reminiscent of the unlikely candidacy of Donald Trump.

Best black mirror episodes