With the success of episode “San Junipero” at this year’s Emmys, “Black Mirror” has gone from cult favorite to mainstream success. Presenting twisted realities with dark visions of the future of media and technology, “Black Mirror” tells stories that are unsettling. What is it that makes “Black Mirror” so intriguing to watch? Where is the catharsis we seek in these tragic stories?
In a video essay by Nerdwriter1, the darkness of “Black Mirror” and specific episodes is analyzed in tandem with other popular, similarly somber shows. The essay details how it is not simply one episode of “Black Mirror” that leaves us wondering why we watch the series, but each episode; it is a parade of tragedies. The process of catharsis we expect to feel with a show like “Black Mirror” is relatively void. Audiences feel pity, and definitely fear, but there is little offer of the cleansing feeling catharsis brings about.
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This is a more modern theme on the classic teachings of Aristotle. The video essay uses examples like Robb Stark’s story line in “Game of Thrones.” Robb is a character that is by all accounts good, but not perfect. His lapse in judgment unfolds into events that ultimately lead to his tragic end. This extra dimension of pity and fear by way of the choices he makes does not lessen the sadness we feel, but adds the feeling of catharsis; an understanding in the chain of events. The difference between tragic dramas like “Game of Thrones” and “Breaking Bad” and the stories of “Black Mirror” is a lack of solidified resolution. “Black Mirror” has masterfully created a world without catharsis, making for one of the most unique viewing experiences on the small screen.