Black Mirror Season 5

[AtariLegend]

There's supposed to be a release on Friday.

It's supposedly either a stand alone "choose your own adventure interactive movie with 5 1/2 hours of footage" or the first episode of the new season. It's listed as Bandersnatch on netflix.

No trailers or synopsis.

Edited May 16, 2019 by AtariLegend

[RussTCB]

Just read about this. Really looking forward to Friday now!

[username]

22 minutes ago, AtariLegend said:

There's supposed to be a release tomorrow.

It's supposedly either a stand alone "choose your own adventure interactive movie with 5 1/2 hours of footage" or the first episode of the new season. It's listed as Bandersnatch on netflix.

No trailers or synopsis.

The "interactive" part really doesn't sit well with me. I want to be told a good story with a point, I don't want to have to sit through roughly the same material multiple times to see a bunch of variations. So yeah, I love Black Mirror and I'd love to see new material, but I'm really not sure about this format.

[Powerage5]

It's supposedly a spinoff film in the Black Mirror universe. The Netflix landing page lists it as "A Netflix Film". As far as I know there's no indication that season 5 will be debuting anytime soon.

 

[alfierose]

I didn't know about this. Hopefully it will be good, I was a bit disappointed with some of the last season.

[AtariLegend]

Hopefully as a UK show this is released at midnight UK time. Instead of 8AM UK like last year for the Americans.

Edited December 27, 2018 by AtariLegend

[Powerage5]

Trailer released. It debuts tomorrow.

 

[AtariLegend]

Good idea, but I didn't really like the way it played out.  

I'll give it a second try to see if another ending is more satisfactory. 

[RussTCB]

I liked it overall. I'm going to go through it again over the weekend but it's definitely a neat idea. 

[Powerage5]

Any idea what the range of potential runtimes is? I’ll be watching it on FaceTime with my girlfriend the first time, so it’d be good to sort of plan how much time I need to allow. 

[AtariLegend]

3 hours ago, Powerage5 said:

Any idea what the range of potential runtimes is? I’ll be watching it on FaceTime with my girlfriend the first time, so it’d be good to sort of plan how much time I need to allow. 

90 mins in theory is the upper time I think supposedly, however it'll feel the actual episode is shorter since it forces you to redo most of the choices. There's more than 2 choices for alot of the situations, but you only get them from trying again. There's a semi sort of game over screen where it'll end and force you to retake choices.

Having went through to 2 different credits twice (actual endings where you aren't presented with the option to go back); I've decided that it's an interesting idea, but not a very fun episode.I'd have preferred a straight story/film. Though I can see why they wanted to try this concept out first. There'll be more films like this in the future.

[username]

I read an interesting piece about this concerning privacy. They raised some points about how this allows netflix to actually register your preferences and analyse your personality traits. This could be used to tune future movies to general preference etc, but also to target advertising and show. 

I haven't seen this yet, but I want to. Even though I still don't like the format, I want to be told a story, not form the story. And with this format I tend to want to see every possibility. Which seems very time-consuming, so that makes me want to not bother. But I probably will.

[alfierose]

I didn't understand that this was interactive when I started watching. It took me until the part where 

Spoiler

netflix is mentioned in a meta way

to get it.

Turns out if you don't interact then it defaults to the left hand choice all the time. I went back in a couple of times once I stopped being dense but you only get a satisfactory ending to the game build if

Spoiler

you kill Dad and chop him up. Only then does the Bandersnatch game succeed with a 5/5 rating. Bad news if like me you were trying to avoid killing Dad.

 However the nicest ending (if you can call it that) is

Spoiler

Finding Mr Rabbit and choosing to join Mum on the train but this does have the side effect of Stefon dying sat in the Psychiatrist's chair.

 

[ZoSoRose]

It was a fun, quick watch. Idea was better than execution but can lead to better imemented "choose your own" episodes of things. 

Overall, it was fun

[Powerage5]

Finally watched it. I agree with the general consensus that it’s a fun idea but maybe not the most exciting episode. Loved the big action Netflix ending. Want to try it again without the acid trip, see if it is more sensical. 

[AtariLegend]

 

[RussTCB]

On 5/15/2019 at 11:13 PM, AtariLegend said:

 

Yes, yes, YES. Can't wait!

[username]

Very excited for this!  

[Powerage5]

Bummed it's only three episodes, but excited for some new material!

[alfierose]

Anyone watched this yet?

Spoiler

I was a bit disappointed. Still well produced and watchable but I feel like it's lost it's edge. Despite my expectations based on the trailer I ended up liking the Miley Cyrus one best which I didn't expect.

I couldn't help thinking of Axl and his rabid fans during that episode - how much would we like to download his brain and harvest the new music? 

 

 

[grouse]

Not what it used to be for sure, quite boring actually.

[Gordon Comstock]

Yea, this season was definitely not as good as the others. The 2nd episode probably had the most potential, but all 3 episodes just missed the mark. There's some good ideas there still, but the show's become too 'cleaned up for Netflix', I don't know if they're rushing the writing process too much or if the creative well is drying up, but it's nowhere near as good as it used to be.

Also... it's kinda hard to take Topher Grace seriously, and Miley Cyrus is annoying (especially her 'robot-self'). It kinda seems like they tried to balance out the mediocre episodes by bringing in more recognizable celebrities...

[username]

I quite liked the episode about the social media thing. But the other two failed to create the sense of worry about the future some of the older ones managed to create. They weren't dark enough for me maybe? They were trying to make some really interesting points in the Miley Cyrus episode (and points I'd agree with), but they were all over the place in making them all at once without any real focus. And again, it was a little too all's well that ends well. Being grim is what made this series so good, and this season misses that. 

[RussTCB]

I love, love, LOVE the older episodes but I'm also not mad at the turn this season took. I feel like there's only so many ways you can center an episode around "if you own a social media device, you deserve bad things to happen to you". 

[AtariLegend]

I liked the season. It wasn't the best of the show, but it's better than most shows.

I was kinda disappointed with the resolution of Ashley Too episode though, a little too predictable.

Should point out that Bandersnatch was filmed as part of the season, so it should be included too. Bandersnatch had the most potential, but the choices held back the story and the endings weren't satisfying. Striking Vipers unfortunately I think is the most likely to happen in real life *shudders*. The social media episode was maybe the better episode, until the resolution. As for Miley Cyrus, she was a better actress than expected.

I liked that the episodes were all different. I love White Bear, but it doesn't always need a dark, cynical ending.

Anyway given what other major shows put out this year like the writing Game of Thrones and the fact that American Gods season 2 is 8 episodes where nothing of note happens this show held up well compared to the other shows I watch.

Assuming there's a season 6. I'd like another dark episode and a future based episode, but that might not be a little too going through the motions.

Going to binge watch Chernobyl as my next show.