I have seen all the black mirror episodes and thought it would be cool to do a review of my favorite episode so far.
If you are not familiar with the possibilities in the black mirror universe there are several technological capabilities referred to as neuro tech.
SPOILERS READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION
First story is of the Doctor Richard Dawkins, a doctor working in the ER at street level. Rollo Hains from the 10th floor, he's got something that can help.
While trying to transfer information from one brain to another, he created a device which transmits physical sensation. Allowing him to feel exactly what the person wearing the sensor cap is experiencing. This way he can diagnose the patients in the ER, goes through it all, knows every pain there is to know. Saves many lives, catches things they weren't even looking for.
You know what else a sensory perception is good for? Sex. Dawkins was able to experience everything his partner did, able to have both male and female orgasm simultaneously. A ride life could never give without human technological intervention.
One day a senator comes in, Dawkins gets wired in, experiences pain like nobody he's felt before. Before long the senator flatlines. When you die your brain floods with endorphins and dopamine, Dawkins blacks out for like 5 minutes. You see, he had experienced death and come out the other side.
But something happened when he crossed to the other side... His relationship with pain had changed, now he couldn't get enough. Like an addict waiting around in the ER for that next juicy speedball. An elsderly lady comes in, clearly a heart attack. Dawkins says he just wants to be sure, they prod him but he says nothing. Figuring he can ride that wave all the way to Nirvana.
Eventually they have to physically pull him off, she flatlines and he's watching a perfectly good bottle go down the drain. Obviously Haines knew there could be side effects, he tells him to 'binge a miniseries'. Dawkins is at home deep with withdrawal, discovers his own body, starts working on himself, whittling away. The guy is a doctor, he knows how far he can go.
It's not enough, Dawkins realizes there's a key missing element when he's working on himself. FEAR. When a patient is staring up at the light, the amygdalae lights up, sharpens the senses.
So he sets out into the night, finds himself a subject off the streets. Brings a drill with him, sets to work and as he slips into a coma the police get a hold of him. But he's already gone, deep in the ocean, still with that look on his face. All blissed out.
Nice story right?
Monkey Loves You
Next in line Monkey loves you. Where a happy couple with a child are devastated when Mom is suddenly put into a coma in a trajic accident. Thanks to Saint Junipers hospital she can communicate with a red or green light signal. Rollo Hains offers to transfer mom's Consciousness into dad's head so she can experience everything he does. Including hug and play with their son. She's done her thinking and agrees immediately.
Now of course in these days we didn't have that whole immersibe VR, they were working in a more organic, call it lofi environment. She gets a chair in a kind of low res movie theater. Able to talk inside dad the host. Enough time passes having someone glued into the backseat all the time ain't no fun for anyone in the car. No privacy for him no agency for her, he goes to Hains for a solution. He says that he can get upgraded privileges allowing him to 'pause' her.
Doesn't take long for him to use his privileges. They tried to reach General agreement as adults, so she gets visiting rights on the weekends. Watching their son grow from her theater. As Dad finds a new girlfriend she gets increasingly salty and annoyed with his disposition and her position. Finally they talk to Rolo Haynes once again and although dad refuses to have her deleted he does end up transferring her into a toy monkey which has haptic feedback and a visual stimulus so that she can see and feel when their son hugs her. She can also respond with one of to buttons now on her theater chair making the monkey play pre recorded messages. Smiley face button plays "monkey loves you" and frowny face button plays "monkey needs a hug" Parker give's a hug and Kerry gets that rush she's always looking for. Of course you know kids they lose interest so quickly these days. She ends up in the cupboard.
Of course this is hardly any way to live, but due to new laws that prevent Consciousness deletion she ends up in Hains museum.
On to the main Attraction!
Finally the main event behind the red curtains. The Weather girl Killer! Given the electric chair after his conviction, and convinced by Hains to sign away his digital self.
Hains put him in a digital cell, and set it up so people could pull the lever and electrocute him over and over and over.
Well our museum visitor reveals her position she is the daughter of the man in the electric chair. She has come to set him free and punish the man who has been taking advantage of her father. She poisoned him and transfered his Consciousness into her dad's just like the father and mother of our previous story. So digital rollo gets to sit in the seat with her father. I forgot to mention that he has the contraption set up to give a little trinket a real digital snapshot, perfect loop of pain sitting in that chair, always on. She hangs the one of Rollo on her car mirror.
Ok so I know that was long but damn the implications of the technology and how people use it are pretty relevant to the tech we use today. Despite the lack of consciousness there are many people who hide behind the mask of the digital screen. Hopefully you remain in control of yourself and don't succumb to the same date as some of these poor people. -Cheers