S02.E03: The Waldo Moment

[David T. Cole]

This one, about a successful 3D avatar-mascot, felt half-baked to me.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Since you have no idea who could be behind a cartoon character like Waldo or their true political intentions (vote for Waldo and you'll get new ringtones for your phone and fun app to play, beat that guy up and I'll give you 500 quid) and since he has broad appeal he could easily get elected if someone put all their resources behind him.  When that guy from "the agency" in Washington asks if the producer speaks Spanish as they could use some help in South America, you knew it wasn't for entertainment purposes.

Combine that with how the CIA has a long history of fixing elections/helping overthrow govt's in other parts of the world (Guatemala, Chile, Australia, Ecuador, Iran, etc.), they could easily co-opt a cuddly cartoon character to get people to literally give them control of their own governments without firing a shot, then they could do whatever they want.

By the end of the episode, that's exactly what happens -- the CIA controls the world, and Waldo is essentially the cuddly face of Big Brother.

[whiporee]

I thought Waldo was one of the weaker ones and the ending was way over the top. 

 

But there's a British sensibility to it that I might not be getting. 

[romantic idiot]

i do know quite a few folks who would be nihilistic enough to vote for Waldo, actually, but I'd put this episode at the bottom of my list as well. It wasn't as depressing as 'Fifteen Million Credits' and that's about all I have to say for it. 

[benteen]

For a moment, I thought this episode might have a happy ending.  But I've come to realize it's Black Mirror.

I actually enjoyed this one.  It's not perfect to be sure but I liked it a lot.  I just wish I could see the Christmas special now.

[Zima]

This was my least favorite episode. I would have liked it more if "Waldo" was actually funny, but the things he was saying were lackluster, and the crowds always acted as if he was always saying the most hilarious things ever. Not impressed. 

[Constantinople]

I know many people think this is the worst Black Mirror episode, but I think it's one of the best and most prescient.

Of course, I had the advantage of first watching this episode after the Brexit referendum and the US presidential election. 

[Captanne]

I stopped "Waldo" half way through and it's the last episode I could stomach even that far.  I just find this show cavernously boring. 

[knaankos]

This is the worst episode. Waldo was far too vile and crude for him to ever get that popular. Basically all he did was swear. He wasn't clever, he wasn't funny and he had not a single platform to run on except "fuck you". He had the insults of a grad school kid at best.

[NutMeg]

Well, we've recently saw someone elected who isn't clever, isn't funny, whose only platform was insulting his opponent and any minorities he could think of, and who tweets like a middle schooler at best.

I didn't like that episode much, but for all it ridiculousness, it turns out it was extraordinary prescient. 

[knaankos]

6 hours ago, NutMeg said:

Well, we've recently saw someone elected who isn't clever, isn't funny, whose only platform was insulting his opponent and any minorities he could think of, and who tweets like a middle schooler at best.

I didn't like that episode much, but for all it ridiculousness, it turns out it was extraordinary prescient. 

Not true. Said candidate may have insulted people but he ra on the positive "Make America Great Again" which some people believed in. Waldo seemingly wanted to destroy everything and thought nothing was good.

[Dobian]

This episode didn't work for me at all.  The biggest problem is that Waldo is gross and unfunny.  Ted from those movies would have been way better in this story, at least he makes you laugh.  I couldn't imagine people glomming onto this blue cartoon disaster with zero charisma.  I get what they were trying to do, having a fake candidate expose the shallow fakery of the real candidates.  The final election results showed that Waldo indeed changed the outcome of the election.  Without him in there, you have to figure most of his votes would have gone to the Labor Party candidate and whoever the third party candidate was, and not the conservative guy.  So Gwendolyn probably wins that election.  So sure, superficial candidates, jaded voters, public distrust in and ambivalence toward government, media manipulation of elections, outside intelligence influencing local politics and government.  All current real world themes.  But the execution in this episode fell flat.  On a side note, that final scene with a homeless Jamie on the street at night reminded me of the opening scene from A Clockwork Orange the way they filmed it.  I wonder if that was intentional.

Edited April 7, 2017 by Dobian

[Which Tyler]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39442216

[Amarsir]

I'm also reminded of this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_Two-tailed_Dog_Party

Certainly playing the line between satire and reality.

[Lady Calypso]

I think I understand what they were going for but I think they missed the mark. Waldo was a big miss for me. The guy playing Waldo seemed like he hated his job and wanted out, but then he kept actively participating in the crude humor. The thing I could possibly buy is if Jamie thought that this role was all he was good for; he did talk about being unhappy a lot. 

I also don't get why so many people loved Waldo and why his character was considered "kid friendly". Waldo just hit no funny moments, so I get why Jamie was a failed comedian, but also the blame goes to his people who created Waldo and what he would say. 

They had a good idea; it was just executed poorly. Some of it was good and I realize they intentionally made Waldo crude and unfunny to depict Jamie lost and unhappy, but the entire crowds reacting to unfunny statements didn't fit. There were barely any polarizing reactions to the animated character. Though, I will say one of my favourite scenes in this episode was the political debate where Monroe read Jamie fairly well, and Jamie retaliated through anger. It showed where Jamie's motivation for Waldo came from; through anger, bitterness, and complete unhappiness. 

[Hanahope]

I agree that Waldo was a bit too crude to really work, but a lot of people like hearing someone cuts through the bullshit of politics.  But it’s a fine line sometimes between cutting through the bullshit and just saying your own.  It did make me wonder whether some people in power have seen this and took it to heart.

 having government run completely by a public poll won’t always work because the public doesn’t know all the facts.  It’s important for leaders to have more information and intelligence than regular people or you get a Waldo running things. Bread and circuses indeed.

[nara]

I loved this episode. I guess watching it in 2017 made it much more believable than when it originally aired.