Black Mirror season 4 faces its most terrifying struggle: Reality

Coming up on December 29, Black Mirror season 4 is going to arrive over on Netflix and with that it will present another ambitious collection of stories. There is one episode inspired in part by Star Trek (starring Jesse Plemons who we love!), a chilling tale directed by Jodie Foster, and even one entitled “Black Museum” that serves as a reminder of all of the episodes that have come before. The imagination of creator Charlie Brooker knows no bounds, though you would suspect upon watching many episodes that he loathes technology and finds it to be the root of all evil. That is the common theme that ties many episodes together.

Has Black Mirror been somewhat clairvoyant in establishing the tone of modern society, one dominated by alternative means of communication to the point where interpersonal skills are lost? It’s not altogether difficult to draw that comparison. This clairvoyance however, does further construct what is going to be one of the biggest challenges entering season 4: How to create a dystopian society within dystopia.

Black Mirror is an imaginative show, but at times it is also a devastatingly depressing show. We are living within what many believe to be a devastatingly depressing time. No matter your background, your religion, or your political beliefs, you have to view the division in society as harrowing. We’re all at war with each other and there is no light at the end of the tunnel at the moment for many. Times are so dark for some that Black Mirror is actually escapism when we’ve thought of it previously as a cold reminder of what we could become. The horror is real.

Can Black Mirror really go darker than it has? Can they uncover a new void in society to explore? It’s essential that Brooker does that given it’s woven into the fabric of what his show is. There are some series that can take a more optimistic tone as a means of catering to what viewers want — we live in an era now where two of the most-popular series are The Good Doctor and This Is Us, ones that alternate between earnestness, hope, and family. Black Mirror is not that show. It’s on a path full of harsh reminders — there may be a bit of hope somewhere in the distance, but Brooker isn’t serving that to you on a silver platter. You have to find it yourself.

Black Mirror season 4 premieres on Netflix come Friday, December 29.

Do you have any Black Mirror season 4 expectations?

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(Photo: Netflix)