Black Mirror (TV Series) Joan Is Awful (2023) User Reviews

Entertaining but I'm not sure ...

[Bilse85 · 7/10 · 15 June 2023]

This review is only for those who watched the show!

Firstly, not as deep as it used to be, like in the first couple of seasons. It's enjoyable but how much of it comes from the famous cast and how much comes from the script? I think Black Mirror was better with the less known actors, then the characters were like us, ordinary people caught in the web of confusing evil tech. The celebrities playing celebrities trick is just distracting.

But never mind that. My real problem is this, and it's very specific to this episode, ATTENTION, SPOILER: Am I missing something here? Because I can't understand why on earth the "avatar Joans" would smash the quantum computer because the real Joan, AKA the source, already did that. Yes she probably smashed it but because she wanted it to end simply. There wasn't any big revelation about how her life is an adaptation and her whole existence was deep fake cgi because it was not. It was real. And the computer generates a similar version of what's happening in real life, so the first version must be more or less the same scenario and the second one, and third one, and so on... there's no reason for the avatars to realize that they are avatars. The real life events wouldn't have a guy in the control room watching the real Joan rapping in the car because that recording did not exist and without it there wouldn't be a realization of the truth moment. That's not the truth of Joan so can't be scripted in the lifes of digital Joans. They wouldn't say that they should destroy the computer because that's already happened, determinism etc etc, because they would still be thinking that they were original. You see my problem?

Also, instead of doing that thing in the church, if I were Joan, my first solution to this problem would be getting rid of all digital devices for a month, not giving the algorithm content. Why would a character choose the crap route instead of the first, much less humiliating thing that comes to mind? Oh for cheap sensational scenes, ok.

I think whole thing was a bit lazy. If I had written that script, I would have ended the show with digital Joan destroying the machine without realizing that she was a version of Joan, therefore each Joan destroys CGI versions that come after them, (not themselves like stated in the show, that is just silly, computer is creating the next version, not the current version) leaving only real Joan left at the end, all happy at first, then starting a new season against her will, this time the story of her serving a prison sentence due to destroying that computer, because unfortunately there was a backup computer.

But I understand, it was not meant to be serious, it was a satire about AI threatening to take creative jobs in the industry and we got it and laughed about it but I still think it needed that bit of perfection in detail, a bad ass ending and a little pinch of dreadful pessimism to make it real Black Mirror material. The episode paradoxically resembles to be written by AI. I think Brooker could do better. No need to give ammunition to computers in the argument of humans vs machines, right?

And they decided not to be great!

[hasanmahbub1981 · 6/10 · 17 June 2023]

This episode had everything, and it should have been a kick-ass start! I thought Black Mirror would have a hard time generating new, unique ideas. However, in this case, it was really a good idea. But... yes, there's a "but." They decided to execute it in a cliché Hollywood-ish way that would please teenagers. Black Mirror is all about provoking thought, not offering solutions. The challenge presented here with the deepfake technology was truly alarming, providing ample food for thought. Sadly, it was all undermined by the actions and plot twists. It ended up being disappointingly mediocre and catering to the crowd. What a tremendous waste of opportunity! I did enjoy it, but as a Black Mirror fan, it didn't live up to the mark.

Joan Is Awful is serviceable

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 6/10 · 15 June 2023]

Well, the best thing I can say about Joan Is Awful is that it has a premise that sounds good and appropriately Black Mirror on paper. There's a woman whose life is apparently becoming a TV show on a Netflix-like platform, with deepfakes and AI being used to depict her day-to-day life in an unflattering way.

It's fun enough, but under-explains and handwaves many intricacies of the whole premise, which just keeps raising questions that take a little too long to answer. I was wondering if it would go full Charlie Kaufman with some extra layers, and it did... in like, the last five minutes. At that point, it felt rushed, like it would've been better off just not going down that rabbit hole at all, if it didn't want to spend sufficient time on it.

It's still watchable, and not quite a nadir for Black Mirror or anything, but I was still a tad disappointed. I hope the other season 6 episodes prove more engaging.

The Stellar Prowess of 'Joan is Awful': A Black Mirror Review

[AHooda-B-Hills · 9/10 · 4 July 2023]

Black Mirror's 'Joan is Awful' isn't just an incredible episode; it's an unnerving prophecy of a potential future where deepfakes could run rampant, and it's frighteningly plausible.

The series has always been admired for its ability to take contemporary technologies and extrapolate their implications into haunting narratives. With 'Joan is Awful,' the show introduces deepfake technology into its chilling anthology. It's a bold and profound commentary on the digital landscape and the rise of deceptive technologies that can effectively blur the line between reality and fabrication.

Joan's character, a complex web of contradictions, becomes a victim and a perpetrator in the world of online cancel culture and public shaming, with deepfakes playing a significant role. The way this episode navigates the implications of this emerging technology is nothing short of brilliant. It's not just a backdrop or a plot device; it's interwoven into the very fabric of the narrative, heightening the suspense and raising the stakes.

The frighteningly realistic portrayal of deepfakes, coupled with the intricate exploration of societal issues, sets a disturbing yet thought-provoking stage. The narrative is clever, the suspense is palpable, and the characters are expertly crafted and brought to life by an excellent cast.

The episode concludes with a powerful punch of dark satire, leaving a lasting impression and provoking introspection about the world we're heading towards. It's one of those rare episodes that resonates on a deeply personal level, echoing within your thoughts long after the screen goes black.

Comparatively, this episode set a high standard that the subsequent 'Loch Henry' episode couldn't quite live up to. But standing on its own, 'Joan is Awful' is a bold exploration of our immediate reality, a thrilling narrative, and a profound critique of our digital society.

In conclusion, 'Joan is Awful' demonstrates the heights Black Mirror can reach when it combines compelling storytelling, societal critique, and the possible implications of emergent technology. It's an unnerving yet engaging piece that deserves a solid 9/10.

Back with a bang!

[grantss · 9/10 · 15 June 2023]

Joan lives a fairly average existence and is shocked to discover that her everyday life has been made into a TV show, with Salma Hayek playing her. Every embarrassing detail is depicted within hours of it occurring. As a result of these revelations she loses her job, her boyfriend and her privacy. There's no legal way to prevent the producers doing this so she resorts to drastic measures.

I was at first pleasantly surprised that, four and a half years after Season 5, there's a Season 6 of Black Mirror. It is one of my favourite drama series of recent times and captures quite accurately the risks, phobias and pleasures of modern technology.

However, I was also worried in that after such a long gap the creativity isn't there any more and that Netflix and Charlie Brooker just wanted to cash in on how highly regarded the show is.

I needn't have worried. Episode 1 of Season 6 is as good as ever, with a clever Christopher Nolan-like layers-of-reality plot and some great performances. Very profound and thought-provoking too (as Black Mirror usually is). Plus, it's all so plausible, which has always been the scariest part of Black Mirror.

Can't wait to watch the remainder of Season 6.

Mediocre

[RedMars2017 · 28 June 2023]

Not sure about this series of Black Mirror. 3 episodes in and all I see are badly-written scripts and plotholes. This episode started off so promising, but when characters just do not do what anybody would do - i.e. Ask HOW is this happening, rather than just react to the outcome like an NPC - it becomes a frustrating watch.

Once a character reveals the mechanism for the scenario, why wouldn't the main character just destroy the mechanism or leave it at home?

The Russian Doll twist is neat, but doesn't stand up to scrutiny. If that is so, then WHO are all these levels for? AI for AI? Even in the realms of deep sci-fi, if you go too far down the rabbithole, things still need to have logic.

The Quantum Age...

[Xstal · 7/10 · 17 June 2023]

An evening's telly and a new show has a tile, it looks familiar but on playing there's no smile, as your day is played, relayed, with Salma Hayek being payed, to enact what's taken place, but in her style. It's quite surreal and you're not sure how it's been done, and then your boyfriend realises you've had fun, with a partner of the past, this is bizarre, you feel harassed, but the small print means the past can't be undone; exasperation causes food to be binged on, and washed down with laxative as libation, a line is duly crossed, and the floor needs a good wash, but the nightmare will not cease, will not be quashed.

As imaginative as ever.

I'm frankly shocked Netflix allowed this to air

[zachcreaghcoen · 10/10 · 15 June 2023]

I mean the is episode is just a scathing attack on the corporate monster that is Netflix. I mean the fact that I believe this Is something Netflix would do to produce content says it all. And I really loved the bits where They just rip into "Streamberrys" at Joan's house. It's also a good reminder that we agree to all kinds of things without realising it by agreeing to terms and services. I thought the multiverse twist was great a even Joan 1 explanation that nothing she does will change anything because source Joan had already done it was very introspective. In the infinite multiverses nothing is real because their actions are just a copy of what their original self did. I mean this episodes in my opinion is absolutely horrifying conceptually as it implies that in these multiverses there is absolutely no free will so all of these people are essentially slaves to the computer. And also that a company would show your deepest fears to you to get you to completely lose track of reason and do more stupid things. I mean this is what the news has been doing for decades but it's just less personal so I could completely believe it. Great episodes.

A Great Idea and Mediorce Script.

[zeetgyst · 6/10 · 2 July 2023]

The central idea is classic Black Mirror, but each moment that had potential for dramatic tension is undermined by a script that ranges between silly and simply dull. It seems like they came set with an interesting idea but had no idea what to do with it. Lots of celebrity references and cameos that ended up being flat name dropping. The ending feels hurried and certainly didn't leave me "thinking" as the best Black Mirror episodes did.

I gave it a six because there are moments of humour. The cast seemed to have done their best with what they were given. Many people will find it a pleasant time waster, but if you are looking for dark compelling sci-fi drama or techno horror, you will be disappointed.

How is this episode's review below 9

[walfrutta · 9/10 · 19 June 2023]

I'm starting to think that Black Mirror has spoiled you / us too much !

This episode was definitely something special. A very unique concept , brilliantly executed and amazingly acted ....

I'm pretty sure that if this exact same episode would have been included in one of the first 3 series of Black Mirror, it would have gotten STELLAR reviews. Also, try and compare it to all the tasteless, unoriginal, boring stuff that is provided on this streaming platform.... there is no comparison.

So, maybe it's me, but ever since series 5 I've been seeing this frankly unjustified skepticism towards the show.

Not sure what they need to do to deserve a full 8 at this point ...

Corniest episode yet

[josvaherbst · 6/10 · 15 June 2023]

Wow, this was corny. The abundance of weird quips and pop culture references gave the impression that it was desperately trying to stay relevant. The integration of AI elements felt contrived and forced, failing to seamlessly blend into the narrative. While the ending did provide some enjoyment, it didn't quite deliver the mind-blowing twist that one might expect. Overall, the episode lacked the finesse and subtlety needed to create a truly memorable experience. It's disappointing when a show tries too hard to be current instead of focusing on crafting a compelling story that stands the test of time. A more balanced approach could have elevated this episode to greater heights.

The gap is closing....

[tom-2979 · 9/10 · 20 June 2023]

Review

This is a review of Joan is Awful, the first episode of the new series of Black Mirror, but also, a critique of Black Mirror in general and the state of current technology. Let's see how long this essay stays relevant before it looks quaint and is superceded by whatever the latest tech breakthrough is.

------

So, if you've seen the previous 5 seasons, or know the general premise of the show - I feel obliged to point out that we may be becoming desensitised to these kinds of dystopian "near future" storylines. For two reasons - firstly, because of the five previous seasons and knowing partially what to expect! But mainly, because they don't feel futuristic any more.

I don't think there are many episodes that haven't had at least a small part of their premise become less than fictional and actually come to fruition in one way or another. You can Google several articles I'm sure on the subject.

The head Black Mirror writer, Charlie Brooker, has always been involved in some form of tech journalism and part owns an electronics exchange franchise (CEX). Of course, it helps that he is extremely intelligent and clearly aware of society at large and our general destination. We stroll arm in arm with an increasingly growing digital presence in our lives.

Anyway, all that being said should in no way detract from the fact that this is a superbly acted, well written and important statement on the current zeitgeist of modern life

Deepfakes, multiverses (some dramatic license taken in this episode, Quantum computing, digital likenesses of actors, our rights when it comes to privacy and the terms of conditions of any product that we all click 'Agree' to (quite ready... all sans personal Intellectual Property Lawyer that, of course, we all keep on speed dial for whenever we install a new app.)

At this point it's getting increasingly difficult to discern drama from satire - the money grabbing sociopaths at silicon valley are pushing exactly these sort of horror scenarios at us with little concern for the outcome.

The Social Dielemma being a fantastic documentary on Netflix about these addictions to not just put phones, but more worryingly, what other people think of us. The Facebook algorithm and their Dopamine Department that tests the addictive nature of their entire site down to the shape of the "Like" button.

Facebook's Metaverse, companies offering digital copies of dead people based on their posts and messages, chat bots generating entire articles and arguing with both themselves and real people online and perhaps most worrying for even higher paying creative jobs - the ability to generate from a text prompt; articles on any subject, art, music and even code. I honestly can't think of many jobs that can't be replaced by AI. Even something as hands-on as cooking. Precision robotics is evolving too - stick an AI powered arm in a kitchen and provide a recipe, robotic chefs are now a thing - even at the bottom, a million teenage coming-of-age burger flipping summer jobs are in jeopardy.

Partly why AI is so terrifying is not because it can't be made safe or neutral, but because there is little incentive to do so when the potential profit incentives are so alluring, even at the expense of redundancies - and eventually, people's lives. We are in the middle of an AI arms race. Same exact scenario as the Atomic bomb. Dangerous new science that we all need in order to protect us from whatever the other guy has. Except, instead of a stalemate. These intelligences WILL be used - not all in nefarious ways - but also because we are hitting the limits of our own intelligence - a singular human simply cannot know everything there is to know about even a single subject due to its complexity. The sheer amounts of data being generated within individual experiments requires a supercomputer to sift through and make sense of it. The LHC generates terrabytes of data every second it's running. Simulated physics is a new field of science that couldn't have been explored without the computing power we have now. Mega underground farms of servers all linked together ploughing through data looking for answers. Eventually, it will be automated to the point where the computers are asking the questions, designing the experiment (or simulating it) and deriving new understanding for us

The 6 month "pause to consider the implications" open letter that was put forward by top AI scientists a few months ago, has largely been ignored.

The current thinking is that; if you're the last country to the party with tech, then you could be looking at a failed nation, left far behind as a super intelligence basically invents everything you need to become the next leading global superpower.

What starts off slow, begets a number of significant breakthroughs until it is in full exponential upswing and we move from yearly breakthroughs, to monthly, to even hourly updates as we teach intelligences to self improve. At which point, the evolution of such an intelligence is largely out of our hands - with the exception of the "off switch" which even then, is no guarantee of safety.

With people living their lives increasingly online, both socially and for work - their self esteem directly correlated with the number of "likes" received over their food snaps or heavily filtered selfies. (To the point of teenage suicides - on the increase in huge numbers) these sorts of stories are losing their impact because they are actually happening now in real time. We may have reached the Black Mirror tipping point where truth is stranger than fiction.

It was likely that this episode was written before the latest AI milestone (CHAT-GPT) and way before Apples new leap into VR/AR tech with a headset.

But here we are. Aside from the multiverse macguffin, all of this episode is now entirely possible. Phone records your day and renders in real-time a photo realistic avatar, lip synced and script reviewed and rewritten by Chat-GPT.

Nvidia literally only this week demonstrated AI characters in-game that can respond to your voice, hold a conversation and discuss their backstory which can be written for them.

Unreal Engine 5, the latest 3D game making software just added photoscan and meta-humans. Within a couple of minutes, just using an iPhone camera to scan a person - that data is then imported, turned into a digital copy. Then, add your voice after taking a few language samples and you're done.

The next generation of games will have full unscripted characters that can converse on-the-fly with minimal work, except for adding a few bullet points as back story.

I predict that the next series of Black Mirror won't be released fast enough for it to become prophetic and will rather be labelled as historic.

For most people, I'm sure it seems like a fun sci-fi show. But for those in the know, it really is a black mirror of possibilities.

Excellent. As always.

5/5.

Not too creative

[Kingslaay · 6/10 · 2 July 2023]

One of the reasons Black Mirror became such a good show was its creativity, thought provoking situations and how unforgiving it could be at times. I feel we get none of these elements in 'Joan Is Awful'. For those who remember 'The Truman Show', a film in the 90s starring Jim Carrey, the concept of having your life as a TV show is not new. It has been done before. While I agree this builds on that concept and has variations to it such as deep fake and the power of AI, the concept is not new. We have already seen how deepfake and AI has been used on YouTube. So what makes this a special episode in the Black Mirror universe?

If anything this episode misses its opportunity to use a talented cast. The episode boasts some big names but they only do so much with an average episode. Also early on Joan learns that her phone is key to capturing her private moments, so why did she not get rid of it or try go off the radar? Also we have a underwhelming ending where everyone is fine and dandy. Black Mirror is dark and unforgiving at times, it shows some dark outcomes that are more acceptable and realistic to the audience. I feel they should not tweak their writing to pander to the masses who want happy outcomes. A Disney movie should give you that, not an episode of Black Mirror.

A somewhat interesting concept told with absolutely no creativity or ingenuity

[apocris-33929 · 3/10 · 15 June 2023]

Nobody in this episode feels like a real person with realistic reactions or qualities, just faces for plot. Season 1-3 of Black Mirror would have been so much more clever with this idea and actually delved into realistic consequences and character motivations. The explanation for the show getting information on Joan is that they're monitoring her phone and copying her life from there. So just... turn it off? This is what I mean, everything is just so surface level and feels like it was the first draft. I think Annie Murphy does the best she can with the writing, but almost everyone else was so bland (except Michael Cera, he did pretty well). There's some nice cinematography here and there and I lightly chuckled a couple times at some of the parody stuff, but this was just a mess.

Joan is Brilliant.

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 8/10 · 19 June 2023]

When you take a moment to think about the layers in this episode, and how timely this concept of AI generated imagery technology is, this is one heck of a welcome back episode for Black Mirror. Creativity was impeccable, casting and performances spot on, and you'll find yourself entertained and smiling throughout this entire episode. I was curious to see after all this time off how creative the stories would be, and so far so good. The humor is a great added touch, especially the church scene, and the Easter egg of the Netflix sound each time Streamberry was launched was hilarious, sort of a nod and pat on the back of ones self, and well deserved.

Great Return for Black Mirror

[stantonkennedy-75977 · 8/10 · 15 June 2023]

"Joan is Awful" is the first episode in the series after a four year hiatus. After three of the weaker episodes of the entire series aired in the previous season, I did not have sky-high hopes for this new season as many die-hard fans did.

But "Joan is Awful" was a welcome addition to the Black Mirror series. And a perfect introduction episode after a long time off as it was one of the more comical episodes of the show. It lets the audience dip their toes back into this universe without jarring us.

You can expect to hear rave reviews for Annie Murphy's performance. She had to run through virtually every emotion and mood in an actor's arsenal, and she did it seamlessly without overacting.

While Annie Murphy carries the episode on her back, there are still good performances all around. It helps that most of the roles were obviously written by Charlie Brooker for certain actors specifically. Salma Hayek does well; and comedy fans will appreciate cameos from Rich Fulcher (Mighty Boosh, Snuff Box) and Michael Cera.

A welcome return from Black Mirror.

A concept that any science fiction author would love to be able to take on, taken on by a hyperlexic four year old

[rottentowers-63027 · 6/10 · 17 July 2023]

Joan Is Awful is by a long reach the best of season six. Which is like saying that The Last Jedi is the best Disney Wars film. Or saying that Smithereens is the best episode of season five. You could not find fainter praise to damn with. And in anticipation of someone out there saying you have to not think of it as a Black Mirror episode, well, first off, that is the name it is promoted with, and secondly, the execution is poor anyway.

Oh, the basic premise and beginning is very good. Joan is some sort of middle management in a corporation. She is called upon to fire an employee. But this is the first problem. Joan gives the employee the reasons given unto her by the head of the company, but the responses from said employee all suggest plot threads that turn out to be better than what we get to see. Joan is awful because she could have saved an environmental initiative that would have eventually saved the world, for example. Instead, we get to see Joan unloading about her bland boyfriend, who is thankfully disposed of soon enough in the story, and we get to see Joan watch a dramatisation of her day, a dramatisation that makes everything out to be a step worse than it was.

Joan seeks the advice of a lawyer, who tells her that she signed a contract allowing "Streamberry" to do this simply by accepting the terms of using their app. An EULA that violates laws or is contrary to public policy will not stand up in court. Wait, this is where I have to tell you that I am not a lawyer and am not giving legal advice. But an EULA giving permission to broadcast the unpleasant moments of your life to make you look "awful" would expose you to people being motivated to do harm to you. A streaming service with an audience of tens of millions is going to have some neurochemically imbalanced individuals who would feel motivated to punish a person for being "awful" in its audience. So... illegal? Likely not. But contrary to public policy? Oh, you bet. Broadcasting where a person lives, or doxxing, is also illegal. And can we say "unconscionable contract", boys and girls? Because those get struck down pretty regularly.

Then there is the in universe justification for the show. That people respond better to negative content about a person. Joan Is Awful gets better results than Joan Is Awesome, goes the logic. Well, I feel like I am speaking to an infant when I try to tell the writers of this episode this, but people respond better to good stories. This is why the ratings for Westworld season four killed the show. I was all geared up to see what kind of society Delores would build in place of Rehobham's abomination and instead I got an eight-hour snoozefest that ends in a reset button.

So what we have driving the plot is an artificial intelligence program that takes the events of peoples' lives and remixes them into tunes that make them seem like devils. Only, suddenly, without any setup, we are expected to believe that there are different levels of simulation. The Joan we have been watching for an hour is a TV simulation of the real Joan, the Salma Hayek Joan is a simulation of the TV Joan, Cate Blanchett is a simulation...

I hate Shakespeare, blah blah, but his quote "brevity is the soul of wit" applies here. Another saying that applies here is from the engineering community. If you have two designs that accomplish exactly the same things, the simpler one is the better choice. And whilst this saying from the writing community is not completely on point, it still relates. The length of your story should be the exact length you need to tell it well. Joan Is Awful does not feel padded, but this malarkey about there being this wannabe Rehobham that turns peoples' lives into hideos parodies, and that it uses multiple layers of realities to accomplish this, is overelaboration at its worst. There is literally no need for any reality above Salma Hayek's. And the ending feels like a cop-out. Okay, Charlie, I get it, you do not want to have bleak endings all of the time. But forced happy endings are worse. Do you seriously mean to tell me that when word got out about Netflix's... sorry, *Streamberry*'s show, that an army of affected people would not storm their offices and commit arson?

Every creative artist goes through a rough patch where nothing seems to work and the output feels terrible. That is why a good writer will show a draft of their work to someone they can trust to give them good feedback during the writing process. I guess I have just figured out what Charlie Brooker is not doing, and badly needs to do. Because credulity ends up utterly destroyed here, and that makes for bad science fiction.

I also want to ask, Charlie, are you upset at the people who gave season five the well-deserved thumbs down? Because carry on like this, and you are going to end up not having an audience at all.

A fun, if flawed return.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 16 June 2023]

Joan is bored with her life, fed up of her boyfriend Krish, and genuinely stuck in a rut, at a meeting with her therapist she is offered the chance to change things up, which she accepts, unaware of what she's signed up to.

It's been a while, over four years to be precise, you always worry that some of the well earned polish may have rubbed off, fortunately no sign of that here, this was a cracking return, it is far from perfect, but a bleak scenario of the future, that's exactly what Black Mirror delivers here.

Be careful what you download and click accept to, because you never quite know what the terms and conditions are.

This was fun and chilling in equal measure, you honestly had no idea what was coming next, I imagine there were lots of in jokes here, there were certainly lots of Easter eggs to look out for.

I was worried that the show might have moved to focusing on names, rather than the winning formula that made this show so great, but Salma Hayek added a little something, I'm not quite sure what.

Annie Murphy was terrific, her timing was perfect, you couldn't help but feel sorry for Joan, Hayek clearly had a lot of fun, a different role for her to play.

8/10.

A Great Premise That Descends Into Messiness

[zkonedog · 6/10 · 27 June 2023]

For a very basic overview, "Joan is Awful" tells the story of Joan (Annie Murphy)-a frazzled corporate executive who one night discovers that the "Streamberry" TV service has made a (nearly) shot-for-shot series based on her life, and starring Salma Hayek as her. As Joan struggles with the newfound notoriety, she also discovers that the rights to her own life may not actually be her own.

Kicking off Black Mirror's sixth slate of episodes, "Joan is Awful" has some really interesting ideas. It dabbles in the nature of TV series based on historical figures (how they purport to show the "real person" but subtlety tweak that persona) as well as examines the infamous "terms and conditions" of anything tech-based and how easier it may become to fall prey to malicious intent.

Unfortunately, much (dare I say most) of those interesting ideas are left by the wayside as the back half of the episode descends into slapstick comedy. I didn't need "super serious", but going so far in the comedic direction really stunted this episode's ceiling. As such, I landed on 6/10 stars-quite watchable but ultimately unfulfilling for what it had set up.

We don't deserve Salma Hayek

[javier_8 · 9/10 · 16 June 2023]

She's too much for this world, let's be serious here. The episode was amazing, but I think she steals the show, she's so funny and graceful, and her character as herself is so entertaining and whoever wrote her lines nailed it completely.

All performances were great, Annie Murphy is superb too, of course, and she has a lot of chemistry with Salma. I also laughed a lot with Michael Cera's cameo, though he's just there for exposition he's the right kind of funny for that role.

About the episode, funny, entertaining, cynical, scary at times (I'm gonna start reading Terms and Conditions), it's an amazing start for this new season.

Would've worked more if it were shorter

[jonny78 · 7/10 · 15 June 2023]

Joan is Awful is very different to other Black Mirror episodes, as it opts for a more light-hearted tone. It starts high-concept, and ends really cleverly, but nothing else really happens in the middle to keep the viewer extremely hooked, safe for the comedy. Trimming at least 10 mins would've made this a short, slick, smart episode and an easy 8-9/10.

I wouldn't say it's an alternate reality of our own, as the other Black Mirror episodes are, but that's this episode's strength. It's simply just the right amount of imaginative to keep you engaged whilst also being quite funny. The ending is the only thing that makes this a black mirror episode, otherwise it's kind of a fun little adventure.

6.5/10.

Not quite vintage black mirror, but close!

[zacharyhamstra · 8/10 · 20 June 2023]

This was very entertaining and extremely relevant to today's technological concerns. Is it a bit on the nose at points? Sure. Is it exactly how I think a person would act/react in this scenario? Eh, maybe not. But it really makes you think and consider some potentially problematic areas of our world. Just like black mirror set out to do. After the last season's disappointment and an absence of black mirror for a few years now, this was a welcome return for me. Is it perfect or the best the show has produced? Probably not. But is it reminiscent and does it contain remnants of what makes black mirror so powerful. Yes. It certainly does.

Black Mirror is no longer a great show, but its still a good show

[eclyptix · 7/10 · 16 June 2023]

I enjoyed this episode for what its worth, despite the fact that the premise was ripped off an old South Park episode - the story is different enough to be unique in its own way. And its funny at moments, which is good. But that's the thing isn't it? Black Mirror was at its greatest when it wasn't about the laughs, it was a show that was introspective and it was always delivered in a way that would get under your skin, whether making you deeply uncomfortable to the point of needing to go for a walk or watch a comedy sitcom after, to making you feel overwhelming sadness or joy depending on the episode, the point was to force you to look into the dark direction tech is taking us, the black mirror that is your television. Now its become more frequently a show of feel good moments and comedy, its cringe rather than disturbing - this opens the market up for a sect of people who like that stuff more, but the base of viewers they accumulated the first few seasons will feel like they've been left behind. Its all good and fun to watch, but the show was great once, back when it really was about making us all consider where we are headed in the advent of amazing technological achievement. Its kinda a bummer we've lost that aspect in this show. But I'll keep watching, because Joan is Awful, but Black Mirror is still alright.

S06E1: Great concept, horrible execution

[Erlik_Han · 4/10 · 15 June 2023]

The thing that makes black mirror so impactful is that it takes a very serious, insanely well acted, no holds bar look at our society and technology to make us think about the consequences and possible outcomes, esp the more dystopian and dark side of our technology and how we deal with that technology.

This episode has a great concept to explore, but the way it does that is with the same happy glee as you'd see in a show like "the good place". I don't know who in their right mind thought that black mirror needed a light hearted, funny tone. Even the music is atrocious, with the type of "tension" and "funny moment" music you'd hear on a children's television show on Disney channel or something.

This episode made me think of that super weird tween adventure netflix mirror episode with Miley Cyrus, the one that they must have stolen from some alternate universe where black mirror is actually made by nickelodeon. They aren't even doing an adult take on the light hearted thing. They are going full kiddy show, making silly faces, over acting, being over the top and in multiple instances you can literally see them break character during more serious scenes. It's WILD.

There is also a major plothole at the end. But yeah the acting and the direction they've taken for this episode are absolutely atrocious. Other than that the idea, the concept is actually a great one to explore. Also strange that they focused on quantum computing (completely misunderstanding it) over AI / AGI, machine and deep learning. But I imagine they will do so in other episodes and maybe they didn't want the episodes to be too samey.

I'm genuinely afraid to watch the rest of the season. I hope this is a one off just like last season, although I genuinely do not get the point of this. And it's mind blowing that the episode has an 8! No wonder TV has turned to sh with such low standards for even the best shows. Reminds me of people who kept insisting GoT was great after s5, 6, and 7.

P.s. On an unrelated note, Netflix finally decided to bother me about their new "screw the family" policy, blocking me from my own account. I had to pretend to be traveling. I will 100% be canceling my expensive (almost 20 euro) netflix plan.

A strong first episode for a comeback

[Teen_titans2702 · 9/10 · 17 June 2023]

Contrary to what some others say, I personally really enjoy this first ep. I thought it was very imaginative, very intriguing, very funny too. The deepfake, AI, the signing terms and condition, the licensing face etc all very relevant and even more now in the current society.

The only down side i can think of is a slight lack of that Black Mirror-ness that we have from previous episode. I don't know what it is, maybe the weird high-tech eye implant or memory implant or something else. However, since this is the very ep coming back, I give it the benefit of the doubt and won't press on that.

Overall, a very good and thought-provoking episode.