Black Mirror (''White Christmas'') Review
Black Mirror ''White Christmas'' is the Black Mirror Christmas Special which was released inbetween season 2 and 3, this is my second time through Black Mirror and the first time I wasn't aware that this existed so I ended up watching it last, pointless information I suppose but I say that to say this, it exists, so watch it once you've finished the second season, or whenever! It doesn't matter, Black Mirror's obviously episodic and ultimately order isn't important.
Right, we've already wasted so much time so let's just jump straight into this! White Christmas introduces the idea of being able to extract some sort of digital copy of our consciousness and do with it as we please which is the single most terrifying concept in the Black Mirror universe so far! I can't think of a worse fate and the idea of being able to compress thousands of perceived years into a single minute in reality is a horrific thought, it's even worse than White Bear!
I like the idea but my problem with the episode is pretty much the whole first half, basically everything before Joe starts telling his story and we realise what's happening, I understand it's there to give Matt some backstory but why would he be telling Joe all of this? At the end we discover his story was true and that he's been arrested for it which makes it even more strange why he'd be divulging all of this to Joe, knowing the police were listening to it all.
The second half of the episode is the better half, we explore Joe's back story and we're able to get emotionally invested in it, we understand him and even after we learn of what his actions lead to in the end, it's hard not to sympathise with him. Matt on the other hand just seems like an arsehole and there's nothing else to really work with but we spend the whole episode with him, he's the protagonist but Joe's the one with a character arc, it's a little messy.
Despite my issue with the episode it's still an enjoyable enough episode and it's in no way bad, it's just a little uneven I suppose, it didn't feel complete to me in regard to Matt as a character and the whole storyline with Greta just seemed like it was there to introduce the idea of being able to copy someone's consciousness into some sort of digital form. White Christmas is on the weaker side of Black Mirror episodes but that's not a terrible thing at all.
All in all this is one of my least favourite Black Mirror episodes alongside The Waldo Moment and White Bear which I loved at first but it lost impact upon a second viewing. You can read my review/reaction/rant, whatever these are, for the first season here, and the second season here. I'm gonna give Black Mirror ''White Christmas'' 6.8/10 and I'll see you again for my ''review'' of the third season!
What did you think of Black Mirror - White Christmas?