"Better a fallen rocket than never a burst of light."
~ Tom Stoppard, The Invention of Love

Saturday, September 2, 2017

Countdown to Thirteen: Black Mirror: Series 1, Episode 3 – “The Entire History of You” (2011)

I’ve been aware of Black Mirror’s existence for a while and have received assorted recommendations to watch it, but it’s fallen down the “so many shows, so little time” couch cushions.  So, it worked out nicely for me that Jodie Whittaker’s appearance in a series 1 episode gave me a good excuse to dip my toes in and see what it’s all about.  And bonus, since Black Mirror is an anthology show, there’s none of the usual confusion of checking in partway through an ongoing series for the sake of a certain guest star.  Score!

Everyone these days is dependent on the Grain, a bit of implanted tech that serves as a permanent harddrive for memories.  Anyone can rewind through their day, their week, their year – however far back they’d like to go – and replay their memories in every detail.  People can view these memories privately through special lenses or cast them on a screen so others can, for a moment, see what they saw.  When Liam meets an old friend of his wife’s who turns out to be a former flame, he becomes obsessed, scrutinizing every moment for looks, signs, or inconsistencies that confirm his jealous suspicions.

This is very much in line with the kind of story I understand Black Mirror enjoys telling, disconcerting tales that explore humanity’s relationship with technology and the effect it has on us.  It’s easy to see why this is a bad road for Liam to go down – even before he starts suspecting his wife, we see how he dwells on moments, replaying them over and over, reaffirming with every watch how convinced he is of his fears, suspicions, or insecurities.  I’m sure it’s comforting to think of digital copies of memories as “the real thing,” totally objective, but it’s obvious that two people can have the same experience (and even view each other’s memories of it) and not necessarily make the same inferences – very dangerous indeed.

Whittaker plays the wife in question, Ffion.  Early on in the episode, she plays enough ambiguity that, when Liam starts to obsess, we recognize which moments are snagging in his memory.  And later on, she sells the overall grossness of the situation:  being forced to watch her husband’s suspicious memories of her and give an “account” of herself, being interrogated by a man who’s like a dog with a bone and, of course, isn’t prepared to let anything go.  Because we see so much of her through his eyes (literally,) it’s harder to get a read on what’s actually going through her mind, and that makes Ffion a little uncomfortable to watch, but I think Whittaker is able to show enough to make you feel for her in the situation, even if she’s not altogether sympathetic.

The last Whittaker project I wrote about featured Rebekah Staton (Mother of Mine!) in a supporting role, and as it happens, this one does too.  Also, Liam is played by Toby Kebbell, who I recently watched in a reimaging of Macbeth, playing Malcolm.

Accent Watch

Northern (Whittaker’s real accent, I believe, or maybe a little lighter.)

Recommend?

In General – I’d heard good things about Black Mirror anyway, and after seeing this episode, I can see why.  Stylish, engrossing, and well-acted – be advised that it’s pretty dark, but I’d recommend it.

Jodie Whittaker – I can’t quite decide.  Ffion is a bit of a slippery character to get a handle on because of how the story is framed, but there are moments when Whittaker has a chance to bring her perspective through very well.  Maybe, I’d say.

Warnings

Sexual content, language, brief violence, drinking, and strong thematic elements.

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