Plaything

I watched Common People after seeing lots of rankings claiming it was the best example of "Oldschool Black Mirror". The same rankings put "Playthings" episode last.

Common People was pretty thought provoking, but as an episode it was super dull. It's about as Black Mirror as Nosedive, which was where the problems really began. This show lost so much quality from that season.

Playthings, on the other hand, felt dark and edgy, the British way. Back when this show was good. When it made you feel existentially uncomfortable.

Please Charlie Brooker, stop catering to Americans and go back to making dark episodes like this please. The nation will forever thank you for it.

Plaything is genuinely the greatest Black Mirror episode to come out in years. It's such an incredible concept executed extremely well in just a very short time. The actors have done an incredible job on this one, and so have the directors. They do an extremely good job building the world, and all the references are so fun to catch. The soundtrack is doing an exceptional job too.

The episode is even more fun if you've watched Bandersnatch, the interactive episode. Glad to see Colin Ritman again, in a completely brand new plot.

While the recent reviews seem to be harsh on this episode, it will age as one of the best Black Mirror episode to exist.

This masterfully built episode channels the essence of good old Black Mirror - an unsettling return , forming cerebral and existential discomfort in all the right ways. The cinematography is true raw old school and the soundtrack elevates every frame, pulling from the pioneers of lush deconstructed electronica and meta-noise. There's a precision in the way it all breathes. Gribben is unapologetically chilling and Capaldi's performance is transfixing - the man unravels on screen in the most subliminal magnetic way.

Plaything isn't just a sci-fi trope, it's a well calculated descent into an existential mirror.

And some mirrors don't reflect you, they absorb you...

I think Plaything will ultimately be remembered positively, akin to the way Metalhead became years later. It's definitely the closest this season comes to OG Black Mirror, gritty, pitch black, and British.

Lewis Gibbon really stole the show as the younger Cameron Walker, a man being interrogated for the murder with a mysterious connection to a 90s era video game. His performance was deeply uncomfortable and unsettling, in a very good way. The scenes have the energy of the Crank movies, and have a grit and grime to them that stands out.

I think this is the best looking episode of the series so far. I like how it generally felt like the 90s, when it was set. There was something about the film grain, and of course, the amazing set design and costumes, that was so evocative of the era. You can watch this episode with no audio and put on some industrial British sludge on, and it'd fit well.

Peter Capaldi as Cameron Walker in the present was...surprisingly unimpressive to me. I just didn't think he was doing anything I hadn't seen him do better. Those scenes definitely lacked energy in comparison and dragged the episode down.

I liked the ending, although it was very predictable. I was fine with how it ended as well, I know some found it to be too abrupt. To me, it really represented the bleak world the episode presents.

This, to me, is the best episode of Season 7, by a long shot.

Peter Capaldi is consistently world class. This is another stellar performance to add to his already pretty heaving canon of work. Plus, a very memorable & scene-stealing cameo from the always captivating Will Poulter. For this alone, I'd say this one's worth a watch.

BUT...

It doesn't have an ending. Like, it just doesn't. I dunno if that's Brooker deliberately setting up another sequel episode a-la Callister, or just running out of steam/ideas (6 episodes is a pretty incredible return given the low standard and briefness of the last couple of seasons), but it was frustrating. Like a lot of entertainment right now.

Still delighted overall by the massive increase in quality in this season compared the the last - but overall, it's been very hit and miss.