USS Callister: Into Infinity

The ending to S7 of Black Mirror was nothing short of spectacular. It was like the creators of Netflix's dystopian hit show, baked all of its best elements into one blockbuster. The season was great overall and it's clear that Black Mirror has returned to form after a bit more mediocre seasons recently.

As I mentioned, USS Callister: Into Infinity is reminiscent of a film you see in theaters. One charachteristic of such an experience is the audiovisual, which is on par with Marvel films. It's almost like you could change the name of the episode to USS Callister: Into Infinity War. Another trait the show shares with many feature films is having an absolutely fantastic cast, where especially Cristin Milioti shines. Black Mirror is so back, and it's better than ever.

The crew of USS Callister is stuck inside the universe of an MMPORG. To stay alive they need credits so turn to robbing players in the game. This causes complaints by the gamers which leads the developers to investigate. Nanette Cole is on the case but the truth is bizarre, illegal and involves her.

A continuation of the previous Black Mirror episode involving USS Callister; 'USS Callister' (S4E1). That episode aired in 2017 and I have largely forgotten what happened in it (though I do know I rated it very highly) so I watched this episode in isolation, without knowing much about the background.

Turns out you don't really need to know anything about the backstory as you can pick it up from this episode pretty quickly.

The episode itself is quite clever and complex, reminding me of Christopher Nolans 'Inception" in terms of layers of consciousness and existence. The fact that it is set inside a game universe is very original and makes for an entertaining experience.

This is all helped by an excellent performance by Cristin Milioti as Nanette Cole (well, a few Nanette Coles to be exact).

Not perfect though. It is maybe too clever for its own good and I never understood the motivations and aims of the characters stuck in the game, making engagement less than 100%.

Still, it's a fun, interesting ride, one worthy of the Black Mirror universe.

I don't think I've EVER left a review for ANYTHING but HAD to figure it out for this one. Honestly, I was so captivated by season 7 of Black Mirror that by the time I got to this episode, the season 7 finale, my thought was "this season has been SO good, every single episode captivating from start to finish, there's absolutely NO WAY this finale could even compare let alone be best episode yet, climactic finale material"......... Then I watched it. I've never been a big Sci-fi fan at all but the USS Callister episodes of Black Mirror just might be my absolute favorite episodes of television PERIOD of EVERYTHING I've ever watched. The story telling is phenomenal, the acting is unlike anything you've come to expect from a television series. The production is fantastic. This was a GREAT finale, a GREAT season altogether and overall just a GREAT and original series. I cannot wait for the next season and can only HOPE to see the story of USS CALLISTER continue!!!

Just watched Black Mirror "USS Callister: Into Infinity" and honestly, it's one of the best episodes in the series. Everything about it stood out-the story, the acting, the vibe. It had me hooked from the very first moment. It's the kind of episode that stays with you long after it ends. Honestly, it could've been a standalone movie, and if it had, it would've been one of the best. This is a true masterpiece. And Cristin Milioti-wow, her performance was incredible. She truly brought her character to life with such depth and emotion. The writing and dialogues were so on point, capturing every little detail and emotion perfectly. Can't stop thinking about it.

I didn't mean that in an inappropriate way. Just saying there will be plenty of plot holes in this episode, but if you're capable; ignore them. This episode along with the context of the previous somehow manage to bring so many themes into a single piece of cinema. Mirroring the concepts showcased in Ready Player One, Severance, Star Wars/Trek, Inception, Interstellar, Everything Everwhere All at Once and our very own VR/AR, to create a well thought out and impressively creative world of its own.

It may be a bit confusing or simply a lot for those that aren't crazy about the multiverse. But to summarize, that stuff was entertaining. What a cast too!