6/15/2017 'Black Mirror' Recap: 'Nosedive' Is a Sharp Satire About Social Media - The Atlantic

Black Mirrors Nosedive Skewers Social Media

Starring Bryce Dallas Howard, the episode is set in a world where everyone
is ranked out of five.

Netflix
SOPHI E GI LBERT

OCT 21, 20 16 | TELEVI SI ON

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Atlantic staffers discuss the latest episode

Black Mirror: Season 3, Black Mirror: Season 3, Black Mirror: Season 3,

Episode 6 Episode 5 Episode 4

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6/15/2017 'Black Mirror' Recap: 'Nosedive' Is a Sharp Satire About Social Media - The Atlantic

SophieGilbertandDavidSimswillbediscussingthenewseasonofNetixsBlack
Mirror,consideringalternateepisodes.Thereviewscontainspoilers;dontreadfurther
thanyouvewatched.Seealloftheircoveragehere.

Lastyear,beforewewereallsoexhaustedbythedegradationsoftheU.S.
presidentialracethatwenolongerhadthecapacitytofeeloutrage,asmallvortex
ofscandalswirledaroundtheannouncementofanewappcalledPeeple.Billedas
Yelpforpeople,Peeplegaveusersthecapacitytorankanypersonaroundthem
onastarsystem.Whereonceyoumayhaveviewedadateorateacherconference
asaprivateencounter,Peepletransformsitintoaradicallypublicperformance,
TheWashingtonPostwrote.Everythingyoudocanbejudged,publicized,
recorded.

ThejudgmentfrompeopleonPeeplewasswiftandexcoriating,withmany
commentatorsbeingquicktoseethedystopianpossibilitiesofanappthatgrades
youasapersonwithoutyourconsent.Peeplesambitionswereparedback,andit
eventuallylaunchedwithoutmuchfanfareearlierthisyear.Butitsfoundingspirit
liveson,inmostdisturbingfashion,inNosedive,therstepisodeofthenew
seriesofBlackMirror.Thisisapt,ofcourse.Inthetwoyearssincenewepisodesof
theBritishanthologyshowwerereleased,manyofthescenariositimaginedhave
sincecometopass,includinganobnoxious,priapicTVcharacterwhorunsfor
politicaloceontheplatformofshakingupacorruptsystem;achatbotthatmimics
deceasedrelatives;and(mostabsurdly)asexscandalinvolvingtheBritishprime
ministerandapig.

BlackMirror,aBritishspeculativeanthologyseriescreatedbyCharlieBrookerin
2011,considersthemurkyrelationshipbetweenhumansandtechnology,thelatter
ofwhichoftenthreatenstoprogresssoquicklythatourethicalframeworksdont
havethechancetocatchup.Brookerhassaidthattheshowsnamereferstothe
cold,shinyscreensofthedevicesweresoattachedto,butitalsoseemstooera

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6/15/2017 'Black Mirror' Recap: 'Nosedive' Is a Sharp Satire About Social Media - The Atlantic

messagethattechnologyreectsthedarkestelementsofhumanityrightbackatus.
Someepisodesaresetinvividlyimaginativefutureworlds;themostdisturbing
ones,though,aresetinthepresent,andshineanuncomfortablespotlightonthe
waysinwhichwerealreadyliving.

Inthatsense,Nosediveisbothdystopianctionandacutesocialsatire.Lacie
(BryceDallasHoward)livesinaversionofAmericawhereeverytinyinteractionis
rankedbythepeopleinvolvedonanappthatsyncswithaugmented-realitycontact
lenses(orretinalimplants,itsunclear).Theminuteyouseesomeoneyoucanalso
seetheirranking,meaningthatrealityhasmorphedintoapastel-colorednightmare
ofaggressivecheeriness,ascitizensattempttoout-niceeachotherandbumpup
theirratings.

Theepisode,writtenbyBrookerwithMichaelSchur(thewriter/producerbehind
ParksandRecandBrooklynNine-Nine)andtheactressRashidaJones,aimssquarely
attheanxietystokedbyamodernobsessionwithquantication.Foranyonewhos
evermadeconversationwithanUberdriverspecicallytoupgradeapassenger
rating,orwonderedwhyatweetisntgettingmorelikes,orevencheckedacredit
score,Nosedivesurelyradiatesshiversofanxiety.DirectedbyJoeWright
(Atonement,PrideandPrejudice),itssetinaTrumanShow-styleuniversethatseems
designedexplicitlyforInstagram.Menandwomenwearperfectlymismatched
shadesofsalmonandteal,oweringplantscreepovereverysurface,andeventhe
cookieshavesmileyfacesonthem.

Lacie,whoseaverageratingisasolidbutnotspectacular4.2/4.3,spendsalmostall
ofhertimepracticinghappyfacesinthemirror,composingadorablephotosforher
timeline,andbrandishinggoodwillatpeopleintheserviceindustry,ratingthem
vestarsandthenvisiblycrumplinginreliefwhentheyrateherback.Whenshe
goestocheckoutherendishlyexpensivedreamhome,arealtorinformsherthat
theresaprogramthattakes20percentotherentifshecangetherratingabovea
4.5.Then,outofnowhere,anoldfriendfrommiddleschoolwhosbecomeasocial-
mediastar(AliceEve)asksLacietobethemaidofhonoratherupcomingwedding,

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teasingthefactthattherewillbedozensofprimeinuencerstherewhocanrate
herspeechandboostherranking.

Thetitleoftheepisodeisaconclusivegiveawaythatalldoesntgoaccordingto
plan.Laciesbrother(JamesNorton),asnarkykidwhohateshowfakeshes
become,givesher1starafteranargument,asdoesacabdriverwhomshekeeps
waiting.Whenherratingdropsbelow4.2,andherighttotheweddingis
canceled,anairlinerepresentativecannolongerbookheronanotherightbecause
hernumberistoolow.ItsatthispointthatNosedivetrulydescendsinto
nightmarishterritory,butitdoessowithoutscares,orpsychologicalhorror.Rather,
itstherecognizablepartsofLaciesstorythatsting:feelingexcluded,feeling
disliked,feelingdowngradedandcategorizedasasecond-classcitizen.

As with so many Black Mirror episodes, the horror lies in

imagining all too clearly how such a situation might feel.

Thelush,calmingvisualsofNosediveclashnicelywiththemountinganxiety,
andHowardsperformanceisterricsheconveysLaciesinnerfrustrationwhile
grinningcheerfullythroughit.ButtheepisodelosessomeofitspoweronceLacies
slidebegins.Foronething,itsabout15minutestoolong,whichsetsanominous
precedentfortherestoftheseason.WhenitrstairedonU.K.televisionBlack
Mirrorsepisodeswerearound42minutes,butinseasonthreetheytendtorun
aroundanhour.David,youvewrittenaboutNetixspacingproblems,and
Nosediveseemedlikeadistinctcaseofsomethingthatcouldhaveusedaneditor
tosharpenitup.Oncetheworldbuildingisestablishedinthersthalfofthe
episode,thepacebecomesponderous;inthesecondhalf,inwhichLaciesuers
humiliationafterhumiliation,itsalmosttorturoustowatch.

Theideathatasocietywhereeveryoneisforcedtobepleasantandagreeableallthe
timebecomesanightmareunderpinsLoisLowrysTheGiver,wheresameness
getsridofemotionalandphysicalpainbutalsoeradicatesindividualismandfree

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will.SothepartsofNosedivewhereLacielearnstoembracebeinghonest(thanks
totheassistanceofagrizzledtruckdriverexmachinaplayedbyCherryJones)felt
farmorepredictablethanthescenesthatimaginehowfuturesocietiescouldpunish
peoplesimplyforbeingunpleasant.Laciescoworker,blacklistedbycolleagues
afterabreakup,cantphysicallyenterhisoceafterhisratingdropsbelow3.5.
Afterscreamingatanairlineemployeeandusingprofanity,Laciegetsawholepoint
dockedfromherscoreandisputondoubledamage,whereanynegativeratings
shegetsaremagnied.AswithsomanyBlackMirrorepisodes,thehorrorliesin
imaginingalltooclearlyhowsuchasituationmightfeel.

Theending,whichseesLacierobbedofherphoneandarrested,tradinginsults
happilywithafellowprisoneracrossthehall,felttoocutetome,althoughitwas
moreofanoptimisticconclusionthanBlackMirrorusuallydelivers.ButIlovedthe
visualsofNosedive,andthejarringsenseofhyperreality,andHowards
performance.David,howdiditratecomparedtoPlaytest?Moreimportantly,
howmanystarswouldyougiveit?

ReadDavidSimssreviewofthenextepisode,Playtest.

A BOUT THE A UTHOR

SOPHI E GI LBERT is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where she covers culture.

Twitter

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