S06.E05: Demon 79

[TheOtherOne]

Northern England, 1979. A meek sales assistant is told she must commit terrible acts to prevent disaster.

[Penman61]

Halfway through, absolutely unclear how this is a Black Mirror episode...

ETA: Finished. Still unclear.

Edited June 16, 2023 by Penman61

[cdnalor]

These last two episodes about a werewolf and a demon were more Tales From the Crypt than what I expect from Black Mirror.  Where's the tech angle?  Still, I did enjoy the dark comedy of this one.

[Paloma]

Gaap was so entertaining, I wouldn't mind spending eternal oblivion with him--especially if the alternative was burning to death in a nuclear apocalypse.

[Nordly Beaumont]

I really enjoyed this one. Mainly due to to the talent and charm of the leads. I also really enjoyed the story of it all.

[Lady Calypso]

Solid horror type episode, not really a Black Mirror episode, though. I know they were trying to toy with the idea of mental illness and the whole "is what Nida is seeing is real or not" but....I feel like the ending needed to be way more ambiguous for it to be really enjoyable. They really just confirmed that it was all real, which took away from the whole "is it psychological or not". That, and I don't know if the episode truly made a commentary on the typical Black Mirror topics like usual. I guess it plays into the whole "do you act on what you think about" mindset. 

But honestly, it's still a fine average episode. It was enjoyable and two leads were great in their roles. Plus, the first episode in a long time where they didn't slap in an American actor. 

Genuinely, though, I enjoyed watching the episode. It had some very solid moments. I thoroughly enjoyed the commentary on who is the "right" person to sacrifice. I liked the dilemma on choosing to sacrifice someone who would turn out to be essentially a world destroyer, just not in the literal sense. So maybe that's where the Black Mirror aspect falls in. Maybe, in its own way, it was circling toward a Black Mirror message that we're just not used to seeing. Instead of relying on any form of technology (this may be the first episode where pretty much no technology was used in the plot, and they really could have thrown it in there somehow), it focused more on human psychology and psychological terror. 

Eh, but I actually hated the final shot. If they ended it about a minute earlier, I think I would have liked the ambiguity better.

[SnapHappy]

Gaap is my new hero.  The costuming was sheer perfection and I loved his black nails.  Nida was great in her stolen leather jacket and worn Chucks.  

Don't care there's no tech, it's just amusing as hell and I adored it.  

[SHD]

The ending scenes reminded me of the end of Fight Club.

I loved hearing the clips of 1979 era songs they used.

As people said, not a Black Mirror episode like we’re used to, but I’m OK with that. Utterly enjoyable.

By my count, only 2/5 this season were technology related in the way we’re used to.

[Brn2bwild]

This might be my favorite episode of the season.  Regarding the question about technology, did the first episode of the series feature advanced tech?  

[SHD]

13 minutes ago, Brn2bwild said:

This might be my favorite episode of the season.  Regarding the question about technology, did the first episode of the series feature advanced tech?  

You mean S1E1? I think the technology aspect of that one was the power of info going viral via social media and the consequences. Not very groundbreaking now, but that episode was from 12 years ago.

[krankydoodle]

Paapa Essiedu and Anjana Vasan were fantastic (I'm thrilled to see her in other stuff but really want We Are Lady Parts season 2). And, like Hated in the Nation, this episode had a cop duo that I'd enjoy seeing more of.

After Nida failed to kill the politician, I thought the reveal might be that Gaap had manipulated her into that position to facilitate Smart's rise to power so I'm glad it took the strangely satisfying route it did instead. Apart from his lie about going away if she just said yes, he was surprisingly truthful--even when Nida asked if the strangler's brother was a bad man.

The stakes for Nida accidentally smearing her blood on a tile and agreeing to something she didn't understand in a moment of panic were absurdly high. That guiding her was entrusted to a first-timer who didn't even know the rules was also a bit much, but it worked for me to the point where I'd count this as one of my top 5 Black Mirror episodes.

Edited June 18, 2023 by krankydoodle
Corrected name

[SnapHappy]

2 hours ago, krankydoodle said:

The stakes for Needa accidentally smearing her blood on a tile and agreeing to something she didn't understand in a moment of panic were absurdly high. 

Kinda like the Terms & Conditions we all immediately agree too because we're so impatient to download the damn new widget we want.....*LOL*  

It's definitely in my top 5 too.  

Edited June 18, 2023 by SnapHappy

[Brn2bwild]

3 hours ago, krankydoodle said:

After Nida failed to kill the politician, I thought the reveal might be that Gaap had manipulated her into that position to facilitate Smart's rise to power so I'm glad it took the strangely satisfying route it did instead.

Same.  I was expecting her to succeed, but then get caught and sent to prison, with lots of grim media commentary on how immigrants are out of control, suggesting that another Nazi type would rise and that she had averted total war for only a brief while.

[SourK]

I thought this one was fun. It seems like they're trying to brand it as "red mirror" or something, so maybe they're thinking of doing more supernatural horror stuff? IDK.

The politics of it were a little weird, though, where it seemed to resolve to "it's wrong kill bad people, so I guess you just have to let the world end." Like, don't get me wrong -- I don't think you should murder people in real life but, within the fictional universe of this story, I'm not sure what it's trying to say.

[Racj82]

On 6/15/2023 at 11:41 PM, Penman61 said:

Halfway through, absolutely unclear how this is a Black Mirror episode...

ETA: Finished. Still unclear.

We all must stop putting expectations on what Black mirror is. This is memo to everyone watching this season. Take it for what it is. The show is moving beyond just being tech based horror. Which was always a great hook but can also be limiting in a anthology series that could conceivably go anywhere.

[Brn2bwild]

12 hours ago, Racj82 said:

We all must stop putting expectations on what Black mirror is. This is memo to everyone watching this season. Take it for what it is. The show is moving beyond just being tech based horror. Which was always a great hook but can also be limiting in a anthology series that could conceivably go anywhere.

Agreed.  It's the modern Twilight Zone, a show that was never confined to space travel/future horror tales.

[HerkyJerky]

On 6/18/2023 at 7:45 AM, krankydoodle said:

Paapa Essiedu and Anjana Vasan were fantastic (I'm thrilled to see her in other stuff but really want We Are Lady Parts season 2).

LOVED Anjjana in We Are Lady Parts! Also, PE is also great in The Lazarus Project…

[Penman61]

15 hours ago, Racj82 said:

We all must stop putting expectations on what Black mirror is. This is memo to everyone watching this season. Take it for what it is. The show is moving beyond just being tech based horror. Which was always a great hook but can also be limiting in a anthology series that could conceivably go anywhere.

Sure, and I’m fine with a brilliant showrunner giving himself (and being given!) room to stretch out. 
 

But tennis has a net, and the show is called Black Mirror, so I’m not expecting a frothy tech-free rom-com ep anytime soon, just as I wasn’t expecting a tech-free horror/supernatural ep.
 

Between Joan is Awful, the true crime ep and this one, seems this is the season that Brooker Went Meta, and I just realized that this episode was explicitly introduced as an episode of Red Mirror—so I guess it’s not an episode of Black Mirror after all. :)

Edited June 20, 2023 by Penman61

[Chicago Redshirt]

The biggest shock in the episode for me was that the person Gaap was emulating was an actual disco star and the episode contained music from their band. I spent a fair amount of time watching their videos on YouTube.

I wasn't sure if we were going to have Gaap be actually telling the truth about some or all, but it seems like he was indeed playing things down the middle. Which doesn't really make sense. Why would someone create the "you must kill three people in three days or else apocalypse" talisman either as a test for future Gaaps or to ensnare mortals? Inevitably, some mortals would not be able to do it, either through morals, ineptitude, getting caught or what have you. Bringing about the apocalypse in that way doesn't to benefit demonkind, and what's left after that for them? A reboot?

[tennisgurl]

So this is the official start of the "Red Mirror" brand, basically a slight rebrand for episodes that focus on things beyond your classic Black Mirror science fiction technology, although I would say that Mazey Day would fit under that label as well. I can appreciate that the people behind the show want to try some new ideas and genres, its season six, they're probably ready for something new. I would be fine if the show transitioned into more of a Twilight Zone type of show where they do science fiction horror as well as supernatural stories. 

I liked the episode a lot, the dark comedy was a lot of fun. The main actors had great odd couple chemistry, Gaap is one of the most likable demons around with the snazziest of wardrobes and I liked seeing Nida change throughout the episode as she got further in. She was really rocking that awesome very 70s outfit! I also really enjoyed the late 70s music and the general feel of the period, it felt very 70s horror, especially at the start with the very stylized title card, it added a lot to the mood. Plus it felt like an appropriate time to set a story about a deal with the devil, the 70s was a real heyday for movies about people tangling with demons.  

I tend to think that Gaap was being honest with Nida throughout after that first lie, even if some of it was a "from a certain point of view" sort of honesty and he really did seem to like her. If you had to end up in eternity with anyone, he's a solid choice. 

Despite it being supernatural in nature, the episode did dig into themes that are classic Black Mirror, like the morality of killing bad people for some sort of greater good.

Edited June 20, 2023 by tennisgurl

[iMonrey]

On 6/19/2023 at 7:06 AM, Racj82 said:

We all must stop putting expectations on what Black mirror is. This is memo to everyone watching this season. Take it for what it is. The show is moving beyond just being tech based horror. Which was always a great hook but can also be limiting in a anthology series that could conceivably go anywhere.

Why? That just sounds like an excuse. It's called Black Mirror, it's supposed to be about technology run amok, or our obsession with screens. That's what the "black mirror" is. Four out of the five episodes this season took place before smartphones were even invented. If the creators want to move past the original premise they should just do another show. It's perfectly reasonable for the audience to be confused by the change in premise.

I liked this one OK and it was funny but it's wasn't Black Mirror. Most of the new episodes just felt like Twilight Zone episodes. And again, that's fine, but they should just do a different show if that's where they want to go. There had only been 22 episodes up to this point, are you telling me they've already run out of ideas for Black Mirror stories? Or are they just tired of the constriction? Then, just do a different show. It feels like a cheat to foist something different onto an established audience under the guise of the original premise.

One thing that didn't make any sense here is that Nida was shown a vision of the future under the leadership of the new MP which included a quick shot of the mechanical dog from Metalhead, which was a neat tie-in. But - since she ended up bringing about the apocalypse, doesn't that mean she wiped that future out? How could that episode have happened then?

[cmfran]

Really enjoyed this one, and I don't care if it "felt like" Black Mirror or not. Some of the future vision stuff reminded me a bit of Stephen King's The Dead Zone, but maybe it was just a coincidence. And I thought both the lead actors did a great job. 

Overall I really enjoyed this season. And I did appreciate that they took some thematic chances instead of beating the virtual reality concept to death. 

[Racj82]

22 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Why? That just sounds like an excuse. It's called Black Mirror, it's supposed to be about technology run amok, or our obsession with screens. That's what the "black mirror" is. Four out of the five episodes this season took place before smartphones were even invented. If the creators want to move past the original premise they should just do another show. It's perfectly reasonable for the audience to be confused by the change in premise.

I liked this one OK and it was funny but it's wasn't Black Mirror. Most of the new episodes just felt like Twilight Zone episodes. And again, that's fine, but they should just do a different show if that's where they want to go. There had only been 22 episodes up to this point, are you telling me they've already run out of ideas for Black Mirror stories? Or are they just tired of the constriction? Then, just do a different show. It feels like a cheat to foist something different onto an established audience under the guise of the original premise.

One thing that didn't make any sense here is that Nida was shown a vision of the future under the leadership of the new MP which included a quick shot of the mechanical dog from Metalhead, which was a neat tie-in. But - since she ended up bringing about the apocalypse, doesn't that mean she wiped that future out? How could that episode have happened then?

It's not supposed to be anything. People ran with the tech narrative as if that was ever what the show was only supposed to be. And we had four episodes involving tech and media which was always a part of the show. The fifth episode was deliberately something different.

[iMonrey]

1 hour ago, Racj82 said:

It's not supposed to be anything. People ran with the tech narrative as if that was ever what the show was only supposed to be. And we had four episodes involving tech and media which was always a part of the show. The fifth episode was deliberately something different.

What do you mean it's not supposed to be anything? Every show is about something. Black Mirror has had a clear theme from the very beginning. They didn't choose the title of the show at random.

Sure, the show can do whatever the hell they want with it. By the same token the audience has a right to complain if it veers off course and turns into something else. An audience tunes in because they expect something specific from a specific show. It's like tuning into season six of Greys Anatomy and all of a sudden it's a show about a law school. WTF. You think people are just going to shrug and go "Oh well they can do anything they want I guess"? You can't say "its not supposed to be anything" when the first five seasons were about doctors at a hospital. And it's called Greys Anatomy.

[QQQQ]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

What do you mean it's not supposed to be anything? Every show is about something. Black Mirror has had a clear theme from the very beginning. They didn't choose the title of the show at random.

Sure, the show can do whatever the hell they want with it. By the same token the audience has a right to complain if it veers off course and turns into something else. An audience tunes in because they expect something specific from a specific show. It's like tuning into season six of Greys Anatomy and all of a sudden it's a show about a law school. WTF. You think people are just going to shrug and go "Oh well they can do anything they want I guess"? You can't say "its not supposed to be anything" when the first five seasons were about doctors at a hospital. And it's called Greys Anatomy.

Last night I spent some time thinking about the comment that we must all stop putting expectations on Black Mirror. While I appreciate that every episode isn't the same, I have to agree with what iMonrey wrote. I do have expectations for Black Mirror - those expectations are why I tune in. Isn't that true of most of our favorite shows?

[libgirl2]

On 6/16/2023 at 9:25 PM, Paloma said:

Gaap was so entertaining, I wouldn't mind spending eternal oblivion with him--especially if the alternative was burning to death in a nuclear apocalypse.

I felt the same. 

[Norma Desmond]

On 6/22/2023 at 2:01 PM, cmfran said:

. Some of the future vision stuff reminded me a bit of Stephen King's The Dead Zone

It totally did. I was expecting Christopher Walken to show up ;) Anyway, think it was intentional - a homage

 

I loved Gaap. And Boney M. Omg, I love that band. Ma Baker - my fave music growing up.

 

I don't know how I feel about Black Mirror veering off the technology angle. I enjoyed this episode a lot though.

[millennium]

On 6/19/2023 at 8:06 AM, Racj82 said:

Which was always a great hook but can also be limiting in a anthology series that could conceivably go anywhere.

Including the toilet.   I'm 20 minutes in and seriously bored.  

 

16 hours ago, iMonrey said:

n audience tunes in because they expect something specific from a specific show. It's like tuning into season six of Greys Anatomy and all of a sudden it's a show about a law school. WTF. You think people are just going to shrug and go "Oh well they can do anything they want I guess"? You can't say "its not supposed to be anything" when the first five seasons were about doctors at a hospital. And it's called Greys Anatomy.

Judging by Loch Henry, Mazey Day, and Demon 79, Brooker's well has run dry.   It happens to a lot of these guys who take the scene by storm at first, then spend the rest of their careers trying to live up to the hype.   I think deep down they know they have little left to say, but the ego and the money keep them throwing shit at the wall regardless of whether it bears any resemblance to their earlier work.   Stephen King could probably tell us a thing or two about that.

I'm sorry, but I think this episode is awful.   On average, the whole season has been awful.

Edited June 24, 2023 by millennium

[Valny]

On 6/17/2023 at 8:51 PM, SHD said:

 

I loved hearing the clips of 1979 era songs they used.

 

Yeah some really great songs they used, I thought they were 80's songs but I looked it up and the two I remember,One Step Beyond by Madness and Lucky Number by Lene Lovich were in fact from 1979. I love both those songs and was young-ish when they were on the radio.
This ep and Joan is Awful were my favorites of this season and I didn't mind this one wasn't techy.   I really wanted her to kill her obnoxious co-worker.   I believe that actress had a role in the last season of Killing Eve but I didn't check.   

[Racj82]

On 6/23/2023 at 11:30 AM, iMonrey said:

What do you mean it's not supposed to be anything? Every show is about something. Black Mirror has had a clear theme from the very beginning. They didn't choose the title of the show at random.

Sure, the show can do whatever the hell they want with it. By the same token the audience has a right to complain if it veers off course and turns into something else. An audience tunes in because they expect something specific from a specific show. It's like tuning into season six of Greys Anatomy and all of a sudden it's a show about a law school. WTF. You think people are just going to shrug and go "Oh well they can do anything they want I guess"? You can't say "its not supposed to be anything" when the first five seasons were about doctors at a hospital. And it's called Greys Anatomy.

This is literally an anthology series. It's not a medical procedural or any standard narrative show. Twilight Zone would do wacky farce, drama, Sci fi and horror randomly from week to week. It was never just anything. Most anthologies like these do that.

Keep in mind, I'm not saying anyone has to like this turn. I happen to not think the show is trash just because of expectations I put in on it. We all ran with, this is tech horror, when the show is obviously talking about more than that. I'm cool with creators trying different things. I just want quality/entertaining TV. I got that here it was too long for me.

We got three episodes this season and this last one that lived in those parameters people put on it. We got a extra two that tried something different. No harm, no foul from me.

I just need these episodes to not be so damn long this often.

[Joimiaroxeu]

I wonder if this is how it works with some serial killers: they come up with a delusional excuse to justify their repeated murders. Preventing the Apocalypse probably works as well as "the devil made me do it" if you're already insane.

So was the politician an acolyte of Satan and that's why Gaap was trying to talk Nida out of killing him? Professional courtesy, lol.

Okay, I'm guessing after watching the news broadcasts which kept reporting that nuclear war was imminent, Nida gave up on life and lost one of the basic civilized human inhibitions. The talisman and Gaap were just ways Nida's mind tried to externalize the loss. IMO she died at the end along with everyone else. Perhaps if she'd been someone with a different kind of belief system she would've been praying to be raptured instead of running around killing people.

I don't mind that Brooker started steering the series toward less technology and more horror and fantasy themes. Most creatives try going in a different direction, at least for a while, to stave off boredom and test their abilities.

But I think it would've been nice if Brooker been upfront about it. A lot of his loyal followers of Black Mirror feel like they were used and duped this season. If he goes ahead with a Red Mirror series he may not be able to count on everyone jumping on board. I'm know I'm iffy about horror; there were too many times this season--especially during Mazey Day and Demon 79--that I had to look away from the bloody violence.

Edited June 25, 2023 by Joimiaroxeu

[DoctorAtomic]

At least here, the title card said 'Red Mirror presents', so they were letting us know to expect something different. In the Red Mirror verse then, it's the supernatural that's the tech. 

The werewolf episode was trying to play it off that it was a typical Black Mirror episode. That put me off. 

 

 

[DoctorAtomic]

On 6/17/2023 at 1:19 PM, Lady Calypso said:

They really just confirmed that it was all real, which took away from the whole "is it psychological or not".

They had her daydreaming/hallucinating at the beginning of killing the other shoe lady, so I thought that's where they might be going. They could have ended the show with just sirens playing, so you don't know, and then she's just comatose.

On 6/18/2023 at 9:21 AM, Brn2bwild said:

Same.  I was expecting her to succeed, but then get caught and sent to prison, with lots of grim media commentary on how immigrants are out of control, suggesting that another Nazi type would rise and that she had averted total war for only a brief while.

I could have rolled with that too. Kind of a Dead Zone vibe. 

I mean, she's right and the world immediately ended. So we should listen to people who say demons are telling them to kill people then? 

I actually don't mind this episode being "Red Mirror"; like I said, they at least told us we're in a different universe. Like when I watched Fringe and they would let us know the episode was going to be set in the other universe. That's fine. However, the episode itself was kind of lacking a narrative. I like the time period; we know we're on the cusp of Thatcher and Reagan and all the xenophobia. Was it about who to kill? Not really. Was it about a Dead Zone figure? No, not that either. It fell flat for me not as much as the ending, but I think they wasted what could have been a better story. 

However, I do agree that when you hear a new season of Black Mirror is coming out, it's fair that viewers have expectations. I was fine with the other episodes except the werewolf. I 'bought in' to this premise here. I just don't think they executed it well.

Seriously though, there's been a grand total of what? 25 episodes? You don't have more ideas about the dangers of technology? Everyone's going bonkers about AI right now. It's not like we're in episode 157 of the Mary Tyler Moore show, and they're struggling to find another dinner party fiasco plot. (Georgina gives birth). 

I do like the idea of Red Mirror/Black Mirror. It's fair to want to stretch. They could have done better here. 

[Madding crowd]

When I saw the Red Mirror title I knew this one would be different, but it was just kind of boring. The setting and music didn’t create a scary story and if there was an underlying message, I don’t know what is was. I did get the Dead Zone vibe but this wasn’t a fully realized story like that one. I liked the first three episodes but not the last two.

[Kel Varnsen]

This season seemed to start strong then had kind of a steady decline. I don't really mind them trying something different but the deal with the disco demon and the is it real or is she mentally ill ending which doesn't really matter was kind of annoying. 

I did like the setting and how it looked like something filmed in the 70's though. And the actress who played Nida. And I really liked how as she did more killing her look and the music moved from disco to harder stuff (the leather jacket and One Step Beyond).

Overall though with season I am just happy we didn't have any brain downloaded into a computer episodes.

Edited June 28, 2023 by Kel Varnsen

[krankydoodle]

I just listened to an interview with Charlie Brooker on The Watch podcast and thought it was interesting that he said he wrote Demon 79 first and originally had it in mind to do Red Mirror episodes for the whole season. He doesn't get too in depth about any of the episodes, but does talk about how some of the concepts evolved and what inspired some of them. It's worth a listen imo.

[Black Knight]

On 6/25/2023 at 4:54 PM, Joimiaroxeu said:

But I think it would've been nice if Brooker been upfront about it.

I did read an interview with him before this season was dropped in which he was upfront about it, so I knew going in and wasn't surprised.

I think the problem is that in this expansive media universe no interview is going to be read by everyone. Some people like to scour for everything they can find about a show or celebrity or whatever that they're interested in; some are more casual and will read or view what they happen to come across, but won't specifically search; and others either don't care at all about reading/viewing outside related media content or prefer to go in unspoiled.

Maybe Black Mirror can do an episode about that next season! That would certainly be tech-related.

As for this episode, I really enjoyed it. The two leads were great. So Boney M is real? I'm going to have to check out some of their music. Also, this episode makes an interesting bookend with Knock at the Cabin - a film adaptation of the Tremblay novel that was released at the start of this year, and for which I then read the book after seeing the movie.

[Chicago Redshirt]

On 6/22/2023 at 10:43 AM, iMonrey said:

Why? That just sounds like an excuse. It's called Black Mirror, it's supposed to be about technology run amok, or our obsession with screens. That's what the "black mirror" is. Four out of the five episodes this season took place before smartphones were even invented. If the creators want to move past the original premise they should just do another show. It's perfectly reasonable for the audience to be confused by the change in premise.

It's likely your assumption that the "black mirror" has to do with our obsessions with screens or technology run amok.

And even assuming the creators said that is exactly why it's "Black Mirror," they are under no obligation to us as the audience to stay within that original vision of the show.

[Which Tyler]

IIRC it's called Black Mirror because it's trying to hold a mirror up to society, and reflect possible downsides of whatever the subject matter of the episode is (usually technological - which FTR, is older than smartphones - flint knapping is probably the oldest tech).
As far as I can tell:
Joan is Awful - future tech
Loch Henry - VHS was new tech at the time those home videos were made
Beyond the Sea - future tech (even though it took place in the past, that tech is way, way into the future)
Mazey Day - Digital photography was new tech at the time the episode is set

 

This episode, of course, is called Red Mirror, not black mirror, so isn't bound by that same original intention anyway.

[iMonrey]

2 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

It's likely your assumption that the "black mirror" has to do with our obsessions with screens or technology run amok.

And even assuming the creators said that is exactly why it's "Black Mirror," they are under no obligation to us as the audience to stay within that original vision of the show.

Uh, sure. Just like the creators of Chicago Fire are under no obligation to keep making a show about firefighters. They can come back next season as a show about middle school teachers. Doesn't mean it makes sense or that the audience won't be understandably baffled by the change. It's not just about the title of the show, even though that's an obvious part of it. It's about what the show has established in its previous five seasons and the expectations it has created in doing so.

And that's my last word on the subject. I actually liked this episode and most of the season. I just felt like most of the episodes veered away from the show's established premise and clearly I'm not the only one who did. I really don't understand this need to hand-wave, defend or excuse it. It's clearly different, you either care or you don't care.

[MagnusHex]

On 7/5/2023 at 11:59 PM, iMonrey said:

I really don't understand this need to hand-wave, defend or excuse it. It's clearly different, you either care or you don't care.

Exactly. These days, people tend to suck up whatever garbage Hollywood churned down the chute for us without bothering to examine or questioning them. It's f-ing ridiculous. It's not like we are calling them racial slurs or anything; we as the audience deserve the right to enjoy our entertainment and provide constructive criticisms when said entertainment doesn't entertain us, ESPECIALLY if we pay for it, like with said streaming service. I don't see any wrong with that whatsoever, and it's this apathetic attitude to be okay with every middling, no-effort productions that we've allowed more mediocre productions to be churned out.

Anyway, I thought the episode was... fine. It has its potential, and I guess it's kinda relevant to the times, even though I think most people have gotten used to Trump and his antics by now.

6/10. Time to go watch something else that would actually engage me fully.

Edited July 15, 2023 by MagnusHex

[meep.meep]

Watched the episode and enjoyed it.

For people complaining that it doesn't involve screens and technology - it does.  The screen is her TV and the demon literally uses it as a mirror.

As we wait out this writer's strike, I think letting creatives be creative is really important.  If Booker wants to move to a Red Mirror rather than a Black Mirror, it's his sandbox.

[Amarsir]

This was said to take place at the end of April, 1979. But "I Don't Like Mondays" was playing at the bar and it wasn't released until July. Literally unwatchable.

I think this was a fine episode of a show I'm not particularly interested in watching. The supernatural and the time period take away the "This could happen!" aspect that always made Black Mirror so chilling.

[Dobian]

An okay episode of Night Gallery I guess.  I don't really understand the logic behind her needing to do three human sacrifices in three days to stop the world from coming to an end.  This was apparently a test for a  new demon.  So failing it means Armageddon for the human race?  Drastic, much?  And wouldn't the other side have a say in this? (God, angels, whatever)  It felt like a very half-baked scenario.  It also felt like the story was caught in the middle between comedy and horror, with the goofy demon and the Indian woman having to commit murder.  In the beginning and before we are introduced to the demon, we see her repressed rage as she fantasizes brutally attacking two different people (one who she would later kill), so all the way until the nukes started flying I thought we would learn that this whole thing had been going on inside her head the whole time, and her rage manifested itself in the form of the demon who gave her justification to carry out her impulses.  That would have been a more interesting "Black Mirror" story to me.

[Kel Varnsen]

6 hours ago, Dobian said:

so all the way until the nukes started flying I thought we would learn that this whole thing had been going on inside her head the whole time, and her rage manifested itself in the form of the demon who gave her justification to carry out her impulses

Couldn't it still be that way? If a nuclear war happens I am not sure it would be a super sudden thing. So there could be a lot of events in the media that led up to it. Nida could have picked up on that kind of coverage subconsciously and instead of dealing with it, maybe she lost her mind and hallucinated the demon. Because we can't really know if the attack at the end would have still happened even she had killed the last guy. The fact that the demon changed the rules on her makes me think it would have.

[Dobian]

5 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Couldn't it still be that way? If a nuclear war happens I am not sure it would be a super sudden thing. So there could be a lot of events in the media that led up to it. Nida could have picked up on that kind of coverage subconsciously and instead of dealing with it, maybe she lost her mind and hallucinated the demon. Because we can't really know if the attack at the end would have still happened even she had killed the last guy. The fact that the demon changed the rules on her makes me think it would have.

You make an interesting point, but the story did nothing to show her fixating on the nuclear threat the way they showed her having violent daydreams.  If they had done that, it might have furthered the case that she was in fact hallucinating and that the nuclear attack at the end was pure coincidence (since they show the nuking from the pov of the other characters, that eliminates the notion that she fantasized about that too.  It really happened).  If the whole thing was really in her head, they should have had her and the police hear the sirens, and have the nuclear attack be something happening in her head from her pov.  But in fact the sirens could have been for anything (air raid drill, etc.).

Edited July 31, 2023 by Dobian

[Kel Varnsen]

52 minutes ago, Dobian said:

If they had done that, it might have furthered the case that she was in fact hallucinating and that the nuclear attack at the end was pure coincidence (since they show the nuking from the pov of the other characters, that eliminates the notion that she fantasized about that too.  It really happened).

That was sort of what I was thinking. If the UK was about to go to nuclear war with another country it would be all over the news. So maybe she picked up on that sort of subconsciously. Then she did her murders (used them as an excuse) but no matter what happened the nukes were going to go off.

[CigarDoug]

I have seen several comments suggesting this episode was one of those "Is she crazy or is this really happening?" kind of shows. Those shows are great. But this show was NOT one of them. There was zero evidence, ZERO, that she was simply imagining the demon and just decided she wanted to go on a killing spree. Other people can't see the demon. Well, that's pretty standard. The cop assuming she IS crazy because of the story she is telling. Everyone else's reaction to her is perfectly normal. But she's not crazy. The story is real.

I just wish there was some explanation about what the domino, er, TALISMAN meant. I was halfway thinking the politician died of his injuries, and she met her quota anyway, so the talisman changed.

I wonder, did the detective, when he saw the nuclear bombs hit, think to himself, "Maybe she wasn't crazy?"

[Kel Varnsen]

11 minutes ago, CigarDoug said:

There was zero evidence, ZERO, that she was simply imagining the demon and just decided she wanted to go on a killing spree. Other people can't see the demon. Well, that's pretty standard. The cop assuming she IS crazy because of the story she is telling. Everyone else's reaction to her is perfectly normal. But she's not crazy. The story is real.

Could the fact that the demon changed the rules and said that killing a murderer didn't count be an indication that it was all in her head. Because that could be a hint that the bombs were going to fly no matter how many people she killed.

[CigarDoug]

12 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Could the fact that the demon changed the rules and said that killing a murderer didn't count be an indication that it was all in her head. Because that could be a hint that the bombs were going to fly no matter how many people she killed.

I would say, no. I guess the examples I am thinking of, from shows that pulled this trope off, is where we are shown a real-world explanation for something that the person in question thinks can't be explained. If that makes sense. Like someone has schizophrenia and is talking to an imaginary person, and another character proves that person doesn't exist: No one lives in that house, no one was assigned as his roommate, etc. In A Beautiful Mind, Dr. Nash is talking to people who aren't real. One by one, we the audience are shown that each person is not real. I remember being shocked when 

Spoiler

his roommate was imaginary.

If someone is speaking to a demon or a witch or some other supernatural being, it's a given that no one else can see them. I guess it's a distinction between "everyone else thinks you are talking to yourself, so THEY think you are crazy" and "You really ARE crazy, and the audience can see it now".