There are elements of this episode that works -- Aaron Paul does a fantastic job doing a challenging part, and I thought Kate Mara did a great job too. But I feel like all of them are struggling to elevate a plot that just isn't quite there.
When Black Mirror works well, it leaves you talking or thinking about the episode for weeks or even years afterward. Sometimes it veers heavier into allegory, sometimes it results in interesting character studies. This episode frankly just doesn't work for either. The 'message' or meaning isn't there, and the plot's handling of David Ross's (Josh Hartnett's) plight completely jumps the shark. I'm willing to suspend disbelief for the science fiction elements of the episode (even if that too really pushes suspension of disbelief on multiple fronts -- honestly WHERE IS GROUND CONTROL?) but the human elements seem far less believable than the science fiction elements.
To be clear, Josh Hartnett's acting seemed fine -- but the script he was given was to play a frankly unbelievable character.
To Charlie's credit, there was a moment where I was like, "I don't get why Kate Mara's character isn't doing X thing" and then Kate Mara did exactly that thing about a minute afterward, but that still didn't resolve the bigger issues with the episode.
When Black Mirror works well, it leaves you talking or thinking about the episode for weeks or even years afterward. Sometimes it veers heavier into allegory, sometimes it results in interesting character studies. This episode frankly just doesn't work for either. The 'message' or meaning isn't there, and the plot's handling of David Ross's (Josh Hartnett's) plight completely jumps the shark. I'm willing to suspend disbelief for the science fiction elements of the episode (even if that too really pushes suspension of disbelief on multiple fronts -- honestly WHERE IS GROUND CONTROL?) but the human elements seem far less believable than the science fiction elements.
To be clear, Josh Hartnett's acting seemed fine -- but the script he was given was to play a frankly unbelievable character.
To Charlie's credit, there was a moment where I was like, "I don't get why Kate Mara's character isn't doing X thing" and then Kate Mara did exactly that thing about a minute afterward, but that still didn't resolve the bigger issues with the episode.