Black Mirror Season 5 Smithereens

[RageAgainstTheVendingMachine]

...My heart has just been smashed into.

I've just watched Season 5 and I have to say I'm so disappointed. It's so boring compared to the previous seasons.

It seems to have taken a different direction, and not a good one.

Excellent acting - yes but the storylines are boring and lacking the shock factor of previous episodes.

Meh!

I haven't seen episode 1 or 3 yet. I just jumped straight to episode 2 because of Andrew Scott. I might be somewhat biased
Having zero expectations of Black Mirror though probably helps (I've seen many but not all of them, the ones I've seen I have enjoyed but not always been blown away by. Which is your favourite episode?)

S2 - Be Right Back is one of my favourites as is S3 - Shut Up And Dance as I totally didn't guess the twist and it really shocked me.

Oh I've seen that one - Alex Lawther was brilliant in it. He's another very solid actor. Saw him in Freak Show and he really raised that film from being mediocre. Also very good in End of the fucking world.
I haven't seen Be Right Back, will give it a look tomorrow thx.

Critics agree with you stunn - many are panning the series for not being black mirror enough.
I have now seen all 3. Watched the Miley Cyrus one second then the sex avatar one last. Aside from her recent bad touching of fruit (!) for her EP She is coming, I like Miley a lot. Thought she was fine in this and the episode itself was entertaining schtick especially covering nine inch nails.
The first one I thought was the weakest. Still enjoyable but I couldn't help but wonder spoilers ahead

1. Why didn't he just get another console and play with his missus
2. If he was curious what sex is like for a girl why didn't he ever want to be Roxette rather than Lance
3. His wife might have been into being a male avatar given the chance
4. Why did their agreement/compromise mean that he had a virtual shag but she would hook up in a bar - wouldn't she have tried virtual sex with an avatar first
5. If it was Roxy in the game related rather than a real life attraction surely any rando could have played her - we only have Karl's word that for him the chemistry wasn't the same with other Lances

On the whole, it was Black Mirror enough for me. Guardian is a lot more positive in its review but puts Smithereens as the weakest of the three. This is clearly incorrect

I watched Ashley O first (love Miley!). How scary are the others? DH is working away tonight and I'm a bit of a wimp on my own!

All good questions there Rage, it just didn't make sense.

got there are no scares at all. You will be very safe!

Thanks Stunn!

Striking vipers - why didn't Danny get a headset for his wife to try?

I watched the Ashley O one first, as I read that it was the best of the three, but I found it really disappointing and nothing like as dark or interesting as Black Mirror at its best.

The best one for me (of all the series) is The Entire History Of You (with Toby Kebbell), and I liked Shut Up And Dance a lot too.

Ashley was a bit kids TV with the big sister hacking in to the doll's mind. Well acted though.

Watched them all now. Slightly underwhelmed although I did enjoy them.

Just watched smithereens. I want to know what happened. Pisses me right off not knowing the ending

I think the ambiguity of the ending is relevant.

Whatever the outcome, it becomes just another notification on people's screens.

Whatever the outcome, it becomes just another notification on people's screens

Which is pretty much the message isn't it?

It's only just another notification and we go back to our lives. Desensitised.

Yeah I know. But I want the notification

Excellent acting - yes but the storylines are boring and lacking the shock factor of previous episodes

Or maybe that says more about you and your view of the world. You never know

Billy could have shut it down. But it would have caused chaos worldwide.

@Stunn
Thank you Have just watched Be Right Back and it was excellent. I cannot believe Charlie Brooker was able to write something so amazing in between baby shifts - me and DH couldn't remember our own bloody names with our firstborn
Thank you for the recommendation. I enjoyed it very much, to the extent I am going to watch Domhnall Gleason in About Time later.
Hayley Atwell reminded me so much of Rachel Shenton (the silent child) I thought that's who it was. It was beautifully acted by both of them - I really did see him as a clone and the whole episode had Truly, madly, deeply vibes to it.
I am not on any social media - my cloning would have to be based on my 11 year history on here. Gawd knows what it would come up with, I dread to think!
I still have another six out the 22 BM episodes to watch. Not sure why I didn't see them all as usually I binge everything. I think I need to be in Black mirror mood as it's usually so dark so when I am depressed I tend to go for lighter stuff or comedy (Speechless final episode was yesterday and I am bereft) and avoid dystopian.
Guardian agrees with you btw - it ranks Be Right Back at #1.
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/jun/06/every-episode-of-black-mirror-ranked-charlie-brooker
It's also interesting that the director Owen Harris was used for this, junipero and the latest vipers one - I wonder whether Charlie Brooker went for less dark in series 5 because the relationship ones are so acclaimed. Anyway, thank you. I also watched 15 million merits and loved Daniel Kaluuya - I saw Get Out recently on prime. I had no idea he was auditioned for that based on his Black mirror performance. I am going to watch the beautiful Jon Hamm next - I fell for him in Good Omens, never saw the attraction before then. I have been missing out on a lot clearly

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I envy you having so many still to watch.

I re-watched most of the episodes recently and really enjoyed them. I loved the one about the Black Museum and also the one entitled White Christmas which I didn't really appreciate the first time I saw it.

Some of them are so clever. I think it's that element that I feel is missing most. I was waiting for the surprise or the 'twist' in the latest ones and it just wasn't there.

I've watched all three now.

They're not very Black Mirrorry, are they?

I've been prompted to revisit them all after season 5. To me, The National Anthem (pig) remains the most morally challenging; I had a conversation with my teens about how we'd all react should such an excruciating YouTube video become available. Despite hating the current government, my kids couldn't face watching any of them undergoing such an ordeal; Trump was another matter...

I found White Bear really hard to watch. It was really powerful.

White bear I thought was absolutely brilliant, it was the first episode I've ever watched. Finally watched San Junipero last week after my dad banging on about it for about a year 😂 and I'm gutted I hadn't ever given it a go sooner.

Be right back has to be right up there

Was disappointed with the Ashley too one but have to admit I really enjoyed striking vipers

Absolutely love Charlie Brooker, I have spent countless nights in bed wondering what I'd do in some of those situations

Meant to say that White Bear was my favourite as well as being the most disturbing (except Metal head 😱)