Black Mirror: USS Callister

[Nobody700]

I admit, I don't like Black Mirror. I find the show shows the worst of message shows and comes up with really dumb and odd plots for really dumb messages.

This episode is not a bad episode. It's a really good look into the worst of power fantasies and I quite like the episode.

[ChiggyvonRichthofen]

I thought this episode was OK, but it's far from my favorite Black Mirror episode (that would easily be "Shut Up and Dance" from season 3). I thought the premise here was stretched a little too thin. The Twilight Zone used to be able to effectively hammer home social commentary in 25 minutes, I don't know that the story demands the length of a short movie here.

[FaxModem1]

I think a missed opportunity was for the main character to also be a 'Space Force' fan, and keep on harping about how, "This isn't how the show is, you're just sick."

Without that, it seems like a meanspirited jab at Trek fans because Cole's liking of the Star Trek pastiche is quickly dismissed as something she saw once upon a time, whereas Daly is a fan, and he's quickly proven to be what's wrong with society.

[Thebestoftherest]

I do wonder how Cole and the space cloud from where no fan has gone before would deal with each other.

[lugalzagessi712]

I think a missed opportunity was for the main character to also be a 'Space Force' fan, and keep on harping about how, "This isn't how the show is, you're just sick."

Without that, it seems like a meanspirited jab at Trek fans because Cole's liking of the Star Trek pastiche is quickly dismissed as something she saw once upon a time, whereas Daly is a fan, and he's quickly proven to be what's wrong with society.

I disagree, it doesn't come off that way because Daly is so antithetical to it that it's more a case of 'i didn't think I had to point it out" he even outlays what star trek represents when talking about spacefleet before screaming at them for ruining it and turning one of them into a beast. Having her be as big a fan would have been an interesting dynamic but explicitly pointing out that he's a monster and not what the moral of the show was would have been ham fisted.

[Thebestoftherest]

I do wonder if this could work as well if the program was base on a Lord of the rings fantasy, or a ww2 drama instead of Syfy.

[CrypticMirror]

I thought this episode was OK, but it's far from my favorite Black Mirror episode (that would easily be "Shut Up and Dance" from season 3).

I enjoyed Striking Vixens and San Junipero the most. They let us take a long hard look at ourselves, but find something upbeat at the end of it. I'm in two minds about this particular though, mainly though my enjoyment of it has been spoiled more by a particular subset of fans than the episode itself, which was decent enough.

[fanforawhile]

I think the reason why they have their real life bodies personalities was because in other black mirror episodes it was possible to recreate a person if you have access to their social media. So the dna might have just been for the virtual body while the personality was a social media composite.

[Nealithi]

I had a friend show me this episode and then want to dissect it. And I can honestly say it disturbed me.
We had most of the same questions Chuck did, like how did a DNA scan provide them with up to date minds. And from a totally electronic stand point the digital people were not real. If he had no clue and they played along it was Toy Story. But he tortured them.
What got me was the initial scene of him at the office I thought he was a peon. A temp or someone coming in for game time to get his fix and it was to be a tale about his unhealthy obsession with a game. Every single person treated him not as some loon. Someone you are concerned about. No they acted the way people fear those around them think and talk about them. Often to his face. He is a co-founder of his company. But coming in the receptionist seems put upon to let him in. The intern pouring coffee for everyone on the floor, but him. And yeah talked down to by everyone. Including his partner who snapped at him to tell people to get it done the way I am telling you.
I was sick of those people after that. And wondered why he made his bridge crew look like people that treated him like they would laugh and point if he was on fire.
Then Daily came in and he was no saint either. For all the living breathing folk in the real world did to him. His revenge was a thousand times worse. Because he went out of his way to just abuse them.

This episode pulled on my strings in several directions and left me loathing everyone but Daily.

And I solemnly hope this is not how people see fans as.

[unknownsample]

I think a missed opportunity was for the main character to also be a 'Space Force' fan, and keep on harping about how, "This isn't how the show is, you're just sick."

Without that, it seems like a meanspirited jab at Trek fans because Cole's liking of the Star Trek pastiche is quickly dismissed as something she saw once upon a time, whereas Daly is a fan, and he's quickly proven to be what's wrong with society.

The episode isn't saying that Star Trek fans are bad. It's saying that fans who behave like Daly are bad. Star Trek isn't alone in having toxic fans.