Summary: Kenny is a kind teenager working at a fast food restaurant. He is hacked and a video I recorded of him masturbating to porn. The hackers give him orders which lead to him meeting Hector, another man in a similar situation and they don't want the videos leaked. The 2 are forced to rob a bank against their will. Kenny is forced to fight another man to the death. However, the hackers release the videos anyways. Kenny is revealed to be a pedophile.
The Good: Unlike most other episodes on the show, this episode is actually taking place in the present without any kind of fancy new technology. While other episodes have been devastating because of their human implications, this episode becomes devastating in a different way because it is conceivably something which could actually happen in our current world. It's a scary thought and it really aids the depressing nature of this episode and makes it one of the most painful episodes yet to get through, and that is saying something, especially since this episode followed the horrific "Playtest". The episode works very well because we immediately sympathize with Kenny in the beginning of the episode and it makes his journey gripping to watch since we really hope that he can find a way to avoid having his reputation ruined, no matter what the cost. It's also easier to sympathize because what he did doesn't seem at all like a big deal and it would be awful if he met a terrible fate because of something as simple as masturbating on camera. Alex Lawther also adds a really great performance, one of my favourites in the show so far, and it's his heart which really makes Kenny's character work. Of course there was the twist at the end which threw a wrench into things, but more on that in a bit. The tension in the episode was really good. While it was obvious that Kenny would make it on time, what was far more tense was later in the episode, when Kenny and Hector were working together. Their relationship made sense as both were good people who made mistakes and were thrown into an awful situation and had to work together. Of course Karen's arrival had to complicate things though and the entire time when Karen was in the car had me on the edge of the seat. This could have been the ideal time for a plot twist, so it had real stakes to it and I was very interested to see what came next. The Karen scene wasn't the only fantastic bit of tension though. The bank robbery scene was dripping with tension too. I thought that the horror that both characters felt was conveyed well and I sympathized with both as they forced themselves through the ordeal. It was tough to watch, but at least it was better than the videos being leaked for them. Then came the big ending which was stunning and so devastating. Of course we learn that the hackers just released the videos anyways. So not only do everyone have all these awful deeds torturing them for the rest of their lives, but they know that it was all pointless and accomplished absolutely nothing. It's a rough ending to the episode which essentially makes all the characters pay the ultimate price for their mistakes. The Kenny twist was by far the most stunning reveal though. I had felt so bad for this poor kid, and yet with the reveal that he was a pedophile, most of that suddenly changed. I didn't know how to feel anymore and the conclusion of the episode left me in total confusion, almost wanting it to not be true. I felt uncomfortable having sympathized with a pedophile character and I just couldn't believe it. But that's the genius of this episode. As humans, we often associate pedophiles as monsters in the public, but are they really? Here we see that Kenny is just a normal kid but he can't help himself and it's not like he actually did anything bad to children. Are we right to just judge people for being pedophiles or should we maybe try to get them some help instead and treat pedophilia like more of a mental illness? It's a fascinating concept and I'm glad that the episode explored it. The Bad: This episode treaded some familiar points though. The questions raised were very similar to the ones raised in "White Bear" and the whole justice system and final twist was also reminiscent of that episode. I'm fine with the ideas that the episode explored but they were hardly original and I want the show to keep reinventing its message and not settle for the same messages over and over again. This show is currently at risk for becoming exactly what I don't want it to become: a basic storyline with a surprise twist which exists purely for shock value. While this episode thankfully avoided that by raising some interesting questions, I'm definitely worried that the show may go down the road of empty shocks if they run out of creative ways to provide a powerful message. I hope that doesn't happen, but the episode quality isn't quite at the same level it was at for the first 2 seasons and that's not a great sign. The show is still awesome right now, but I'm getting a little nervous as this is the third episode in a row which was only great. The Unknown: Who were the hackers? What did they want? Just justice? How do they organize themselves to get control over so many people? Was that kid in the hotel one of the hackers by chance? What were the pictures for? Why did Kenny have to take a picture of Hector? Was the drone recording just for the entertainment of the hacker, or has Kenny's murder of the other man been released to the public too? I feel like I should be adding the thought-provoking questions the show raises in this section as well, so going forward I will be sure to do that. Were we right to sympathize with Kenny? Should we judge him for what he has done, or should we still sympathize with him? Surely he didn't deserve what he got. His life is basically over now. Is this justice system moral? Is this something we should enforce or shut down? Were the hackers the actual good guys of this story? All the other characters seemed to make pretty awful mistakes. Best Moment: The twist that Kenny was a pedophile made me feel so uncomfortable so it really has to be the best moment. Character of the Episode: Kenny. Conclusion: This was a really nicely written episode and was one of the most disturbing episodes thus far. Another powerful episode of Black Mirror, though season 3 is yet to come anywhere near the highs of the first 2 seasons. Score: 72
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Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
March 2024
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