I think this has been my favourite episode of Black Mirror's sixth season so far, but I still have very mixed feelings on it, and like the first two episodes, I think it's bottom-tier for the show's standards. I'm just not having a very good time with the show this time around, and really don't know whether it's the writing that's taken a hit, or maybe I've just grown out of Black Mirror.
The premise for this episode is sound. There are two astronauts in deep space who can spend time with their families on Earth thanks to replica bodies they can inhabit. One man's replica is destroyed during a brutal and tragic crime on Earth, so then he sometimes borrows his fellow astronaut's. Complications arise when he (shock, horror) begins to fall for the other guy's wife back on Earth.
This episode is flat out too long. This really only has three main characters, and a pretty straightforward premise once you get the hang of how the replicas work. It does not need to be 80 minutes long. This should be like, 50 minutes tops. Think about how much crazy stuff is packed into the very first episode of the show (the infamous pig + PM episode). The pacing is relentless, and the situation is well-established alongside the characters. It's a devastating and powerful 45 minutes. These newer episodes can feel so bloated it's infuriating.
There's a solid episode in here somewhere, but it's too long. For the premise, some good scenes, and Aaron Paul's committed performance, I think this can still be cautiously recommended, but it's got some serious flaws (the ending is a little odd too, but I have to sit with it some more).
The premise for this episode is sound. There are two astronauts in deep space who can spend time with their families on Earth thanks to replica bodies they can inhabit. One man's replica is destroyed during a brutal and tragic crime on Earth, so then he sometimes borrows his fellow astronaut's. Complications arise when he (shock, horror) begins to fall for the other guy's wife back on Earth.
This episode is flat out too long. This really only has three main characters, and a pretty straightforward premise once you get the hang of how the replicas work. It does not need to be 80 minutes long. This should be like, 50 minutes tops. Think about how much crazy stuff is packed into the very first episode of the show (the infamous pig + PM episode). The pacing is relentless, and the situation is well-established alongside the characters. It's a devastating and powerful 45 minutes. These newer episodes can feel so bloated it's infuriating.
There's a solid episode in here somewhere, but it's too long. For the premise, some good scenes, and Aaron Paul's committed performance, I think this can still be cautiously recommended, but it's got some serious flaws (the ending is a little odd too, but I have to sit with it some more).