Demon 79

Black Mirror has always been a startling commentary on technology. This season has been drifting away from that and bordering on some kind of horror/fantasy. Why can't the writers pause and remember that San Junipero was their best episode and realize that we don't need to feel scared, we need to be mesmerized and surprised by new concepts surrounding technological advancements. And if those concepts happen to excite us or just freak us out, cool. But the goal doesn't need to simply be to freak us out. Loch Henry & Mazey Day had the same problem. While these kinds of episodes are entertaining on their own, they aren't Black Mirror.

I see a lot of people complaining that this episode has veered away from Black Mirror's central theme of the dangers technology can unleash upon humanity, but that's because the creator of this series, Charlie Brooker, intended to do so with this episode. He was quoted by the press saying the following:

"Demon 79 opens with a 'Red Mirror presents' title sequence, marking it out as 'different-from-yet-adjacent-to' Black Mirror. This is because, typically, Black Mirror has focused on tech dystopias or media satire, whereas this story has a stronger supernatural element, harking back to 1970s horror. The episode is almost unclassifiable."

Hopefully that helps clear up the confusion as to why "Demon 79" is so different than the other BM episodes.

Overall the main story of this particular episode could have been fleshed out a littler tighter, but the performances of the two leads, particularly Paapa Essiedu (who plays the demon Gaap), are exceptional. His charisma is incredibly intoxicating, and his on-screen chemistry with Ania Vasan (who plays the protagonist, Nida) is palpable. Kudos to both actors! They made a somewhat ordinary horror story especially interesting and even comedic, with hefty doses of dark humor sprinkled throughout. And of course the late 70s Britain setting creates a captivating nostalgic throwback.

What a compelling actress. She really sells the whole concept of the episode, silly as the synopsis sounds.

Anjana, you had a lot riding in your shoulders, and you carried it. Well done. And you rocked that jacket too.

Honorable mention to the music and the cinematography. And the more-deplorable characters were well done, too. Some characters became heavy-handed caricatures, sure, but the piece was meant to be stylized.

Black Mirror, admittedly, excels most when it stays focused on the impact of technology (in moods both surreal and cautionary), and of course this season drifts from that norm a bit. But still I appreciate the exploring, as the show has always been a mix of hits and misses. (Metaphorically, I mean, not with a hammer.)

I guess that somewhere there is a manual that says what Black Mirror is supposed to be, and if it doesn't fit the parameters set up by some council of judges, we give it a one. I guess I look at each episode like I would an independent short story and judge it on its strengths and weaknesses. While I thought this episode was lacking in many ways, I still thought it was engaging enough to be of interest. I guess Black Mirror is supposed to be based on misuse of technology. Well, a show about a deal with the devil doesn't work. Nor does one about werewolves. But the stories are interesting, if not too long. This one is highly predictable. A deal with an evil entity is always a big risk. I guess I'll wait ten years for the next season. In the meantime, print out that rule book.

Young Shop Assistant Needa unwittingly summons a powerful Demon, who demands she commits three sacrifices over three days in order to prevent a total disaster.

A nice homage to 70's horror, I loved those opening sequences and wonderful opening credits, they set the tone for what was to follow. A mix of black humour and vintage horror.

A definite reminder of the casual racism of the time, Needa is exposed to all manner of abuse and prejudice, unfortunately mostly accepted at the time.

I can't say I thought this was a vintage episode, but I enjoyed the horror vibe, and I definitely enjoyed it more than Mazey Day.

I've read several comments about technology, and I may be wrong, but to my understanding technology was never the focus, it was always about a vision of the future, and in all fairness you can't get a more bleak possible future than this one.

Did I spot a reference to Metalhead? That's the possible future that Needa was contemplating.

Anjana Vasan was good as the beleaguered Needs, I became a huge fan of Paapa Essiedu during The Capture on BBC, and once again, he's so good.

Nice to see Vicky Binns, albeit in a small role.

It's been a bit and miss sixth series, it's definitely not been vintage, but some highlights nonetheless, I'll be making a point to watch Loch Henry again very soon.

7/10.