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Black Mirror 401-402 (Patreon)

Published:
2024-09-03 12:00:06
Edited:
2026-01-08 03:26:45
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

Go to this site: Cinebingers.ca for the unedited versions of all our content.

👉 https://cinebingers.ca/SoZhSru6M2 👈 for the full reaction where you do not need your own copy.

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Comments

Richard Copping

Uh-oh, more evil Jesse Plemons. He has played a good guy in things, honest!

Mike FromOz

Glad you uploaded this. I am in the midst of a huge chronic pain flare up and I need something to watch ❤

Ricardo Alanis

Glad you started watching Star Trek TOS ahead of this!

MoonageDaydream

Can’t wait to watch when I finish work! Callister is in my top 3 BM episodes ever.

Nathan Jasper

Aw Cristin Milioti! She's such a sweetheart. She's "the mother" on How I Met Your Mother - sorry if that's a spoiler!

BigGuy209 (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-09 01:00 If you want a good guy Jesse Plemons role you need to watch Friday Night Lights (TV Show 2006-2011)
2024-09-03 13:21

mojo shivers

“Not creepy” call was a little premature. Lol “USS Callister” is probably one of my favorite episodes from this season. It’s so twisted and in parts a great parody of Star Trek. I think only “Metalhead” beats it.

Stugotz

You guys have watched a lot of Meth Damon recently

Stugotz

She was also Leo’s first wife in Wolf of Wall Street.

Mike FromOz

"This is a whole side of Jesse Plemon's we've never seen... He's not creepy!" Oh my sweet summer George. * Just seen the end of the reaction. George, Simone, we'll all be nice to you ❤

Mike FromOz

If you want to see "Good Jesse thrown into a bad situation", watch Fargo Season 2. In fact, the first two seasons of Fargo are stellar, and absolutely do warrant a watch.

KIERON

I think the shot where the chip is blurring her Mum's face while she's crying at the grave is the saddest moment of black mirror. It's so dark.

Stugotz

I'm okay with the tracking and vital statistics aspect of that technology for children, we basically have that now with our phones, however once they reach 18 that should be turned off. Obviously the censoring and seeing what they see stuff is over the line.

Carlos H

i really enjoy this season! I hope you know we appreciate you continuing with the show, simone.

Vellu

For more Cristin Milioti (Nanette) you should react to Palm Springs (2020), a fun take on the groundhog day trope.

Astraeos

Yeah I'm pretty shocked that Fargo has not been recommended much for this channel. Fargo Season 2 is some of the best TV that has ever been made, bar none.

Chris B

Todd is going to be in the game until he starves, dehydrates or goes braindead. At least that's how I link to understand it.

Dragonhunter

Would recommend Fargo Season 2 for a not creepy Plemons. Also the Netflix movie I'm thinking of ending things.

Mike FromOz

Marie losing Sara and then finding her by the railroad tracks near the bridge has a lot of :infamous UK murder not being listed here: connotations to it. Parents around the time definitely became even more worried for their kids and them being unsafe after that happened, a lot of which led to kids being kept away from doing anything in order to 'protect' them.

Jay

I've seen it recommended plenty of times on Cinebinge threads, I was sure it would be on the last poll they did.

Jay

I personally think these last 3 seasons are markedly worse than the previous 3, but still some great episodes along the way. Each double bill for this season has 1 episode I like/love and 1 episode I think is meh or just downright bad. I really like Callister, Hang the DJ and Metalhead in a couple of weeks is an absolute banger!

megamoo chilli

Callister is one of the best episodes of BM. If you want to see more great acting from Jesse Plemons try the Fargo series.

Deserana12

Im kinda surprised how much they seemed to struggle to enjoy the tone of USS Callsiter. I guess Black Mirror does kinda make you expect pure seriousness but I thought that episode did a great job of just establishing a fun tone. It’s quite clearly all supposed to be tongue in cheek. The “stealing my pussy” line is not supposed to be serious or badass, it’s very much said with cheese and hanging a lantern on how ridiculous the whole situation is. I never felt like it was trying to be serious outside of the Tommy stuff and the wholes in how the communication stuff works isa bit wonky sure but I felt like they strayed the line correctly.

Tony E Crumpton

Feels like you guys went into USS CALLISTER with some baggage. I understand expecting nothing but dour and bleak stories from BLACK MIRROR, but the USS CALLISTER was intended to be a bit more fun than usual. When you guys weren't laughing at the jokes, I realized it was going to be a rough ride. It's a shame you guys didn't enjoy it more because this episode is considered to be one of the top episodes of the series. There's even going to be a direct sequel to it in the brand-new upcoming season.

Inkpendude

You guys make it sound like USS CALLISTER was supposed to be a comedy lol. and even if it was not supposed to be as dark as other episodes, some of the lines definitely do not work, like the "stealing my pussy" bit, or some plot convenience that are a bit meh.

Odd Thomas

Callister is one of the best episodes - I heard they're doing a sequel, which I'm not sure how I feel about.

Odd Thomas

Your next series needs to be Twin Peaks.

Rev

As soon as I heard "and Jesse Plemmons isn't creepy." I couldn't help but think, "YET. Jesse Plemmons isn't creepy YET."

mojo shivers

I think that is the standard m.o. with Jesse Plemons. I think the only project he played it straight was his season of Fargo where he met his wife Kirsten Dunst. Kirsten was the slightly off one in that show and Jesse was kind of along for the ride and trying to support her. Lol

DevoLamar

You guys ever seen severance?

Jeff I.

Someone should have at least warned them that Callister is one of the most comedic, light-hearted-yet-dark episodes so it wouldn't be such a jarring tonal shift for them. To be fair, I think George is right that a lot of the comedic lines or moments don't really fit/flow well in the scenes they're used in. And I found that last shot of her smiling and raising her eyebrows pretty cheesy as well. And upon re-watch yesterday in preparation for this reaction, I noticed a lot of the same plot holes that George did, which kind of took me out of the episode in the last third of it. I agree that Arkangel is better overall, though not perfect either. I think the actress playing Sara could have done a better job. Also, why on earth did they cast an obvious 22 year old to play a supposed 15 year old? And why weren't they more clear from the start about the age difference between her and Trick (I think he's supposed to be 18 and just graduated HS). I remember on Reddit, a lot of people were thrown off by the "She's only 15!" line since, like George, we just assume they're in the same grade/age. Plus again, the actress looks closer to 25 than 15.

Tay Schumaker

Agree with some of the other replies here, I think maybe you just weren't vibing with the tone of the episode. Also if nothing in the game mattered and Plemons's character could control anything, there would be no episode. There would literally be no way out. This is probably the first time George's penchant for doing his thing has just bummed me out.

Itbewhatitbe

i think thats the point George was making. No way out is the point of most black mirror episodes, heroes escaping and winning is very Americanized.

Tay Schumaker

I mean Charlie Brooker did lean into the criticisms of it going to Netflix to try and fuck with people. I think people expecting Black Mirror to be one type of thing are coming into it from the wrong perspective.

OddThomas (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-09 01:00 I think if the body isn't receiving any sensory input it tends to shut down and you die; I remember reading that somewhere.
2024-09-03 18:26

Foamy

Sometimes you guys have the sense of humor of a 19th century schoolmarm. Callister is fantastic.

Itbewhatitbe

or you know, ppl have different opinions. seems unnecessarily rude.

Sergio Meira

There is no problem in preferring happy stuff. It's a taste, like enjoying chocolate more than vanilla, or vice-versa. I get the impression that George enjoys the more depressing episodes because his personal philosophy (a little existentialist) is dark. Whereas Simone likes the light better because her philosophy (call it a form of humanism) is brighter. It's a question of personal preference. In truth, as Jorge Luís Borges once said, nobody knows what the universe actually is, we're all just speculating. I wonder if George's preferences reflect a little of his experience as an immigrant, as someone who learned to navigate two cultures and the deep contradictions that this implies. Whereas Simone is more like a Unified Theory of Everything with a scale from 'good' to 'bad' and things being placed on various points along the scale. Just some speculative thoughts, just my $0.02 FWIW.

Tay Schumaker

Not sure I've ever seen Simone look more annoyed and disappointed in something than the mom in Arkangel

JediLounger

Most of y’all’s issues with Callister can be explained by two things. Laziness and arrogance, which Daly had both in spades. Hence his inadequate time management of developing the impending update, and him believing that he had the right to do what he was doing.

Tay Schumaker

Crocodile and Hang the DJ are probably my two favorite episodes of the 4th season, so excited for next week

gfixler

Why can't Jesse Plemons stop killing little kids!? Anyway, I agree with a lot of what George said, but it also feels a lot more like tone of the episode, and then some sci-fi details that didn't jive with him. I mean, my big problem is that your DNA doesn't include your memories and recent office interactions 😆, but I could turn off my brain and just imagine the real story is deeper/AI-based, or whatever, to let the idea keep rolling. I'm fine with the controls working for them in the ship, because I've been coding since the 90s, and I've seen so many instances of emergent behavior. It's really easy for me to imagine him just using some in-game ship control stuff to make the ship, and it has all manner of extra powers, and ways they can interact, that he hasn't thought entirely through. He's too busy being a real jerk to worry about the specifics of how the ship is currently working.

JiggyTurtle

As others have said, if you want a kind Jesse Plemons, go for Fargo (Season 2). The whole show is great

BangDroid

What about people in vegetative states, or even using sensory deprivation tanks?

Jeff Angeloff

Jesse Plemons got his start as the goofball best friend in Friday Night Lights

Tee Pee

Someone's probably already posted this, but you guys have to watch Severance! MindF*ck central...

Ricardo Alanis

I’ve recommended it since joining. Fargo overall is a fantastic watch so I hope they get to it!

Mitchell Bowker

USS CALLISTER is a good satire and homage to Old Trek and New Trek, and some of the things George did not like are tropes present in both. For instance, the out of place comedy and dialogue is present in the newer JJ Abrams films (and persisted into the TV shows afterwards), mixing the serious and comedic tones. Also, Nanette being about hack and find a backdoor to Robert's computer menu, covering the how and with technobabble that sounds plausible but doesn't really make sense is a trope all Star Trek shows and movies do, especially in TNG to some extent TOS (like in Balance of Terror they accessed the Romulan ships internal camera system somehow). Lastly, Star Trek does tend to lend more hopeful and optimistic, which is welcome every so often in BLACK MIRROR considering what was to come in the rest of Season 4. Maybe George will see this episode in a different light once he has experience more of the tones and stories that Star Trek has to offer in the decades since it began. In the meantime, be cool everyone :D

PrimitiveCruisingArtist

Re-watch and George must be totally happy. I've been waiting all summer to see your reaction to Todd in Black Mirror. **whimpering**

JBK405

I disagree with the reaction to "USS Callister", but let's not quibble over personal interpretation. I think it works due to the protagonist-switch: You think Daly is going to be the protagonist at the beginning, and begin to sympathize with him as "one of us" (The self-conscious nerd who lives vicariously through video games and sci-fi. We're ALL that guy). But then you learn that he's the villain, and that SWING gives everything that follows an energy boost.

Jesse Coombs

Friday Night Lights is so good.

REDR58
>>148402711

They have not watched it on the channel, but they definitely should!

REDR58

Modern day pirates and a ship? Watch “Captain Phillips” (2013) with Tom Hanks!

DinChild

I think the Black Mirror watch should stop after this season, to be fair. If you want a strong show to fill the void between seasons of Better Call Saul, I strongly recommend Severance. And if you want to see some good Jesse Plemons, Fargo. This needs to happen, regardless!

Mega Reacts

All the Scrum Masters agree...

REDR58

I really appreciate how Plemmons changes his voice in and out of the ship but holy hell his vocal fry in the real world just sets my teeth on edge.

Marshall Mitcham

Always happy to see a fellow ‘Crocodile’ fan! So many watchers and critics seem to place it low, but I think it hit all the right notes, not just for the show but the for the Netherlands procedural-type production.

REDR58

So just finished. Loved the episode, my favorite so far. Wonderful execution. Humor is subjective. There is no accounting for taste. In my case, I loathe, say, “Akira” and I hate it more every time I’ve seen it again, yet most people seem to love it. And so on.

Tyrian

Yeah I get the feeling that if George didn't fully vibe with USS Callister, he is probably not going to like most of seasons 5 and 6. I guess we'll wait and see what they decide though

megamoo chilli

They pitched the Callister episode at regular people who are NOT educated in game development. If they assumed the audience knew more they would have gone to the trouble of making up excuses for the plot holes George came up with. I don't see them as a big problem. I easily suspended my disbelief for that, The MAJOR plot hole that is glossed over is that one trace of DNA a person can virtually recreate someone - with a full up to date set of memories. Somehow every memory you create is present in the DNA of your spit. If this tech was actually possible it'd pose soooo many more questions.

Jeff I.

I mentioned it on their last BCS reaction that they can ideally stop Black Mirror after this season, as their limited reaction time would be better spent watching one or two shorter but really good one-season shows like Severance, Beef, Queen's Gambit, Station Eleven, and so on. I mean season 6 is just a dumpster fire compared to the first three seasons, IMO. Yes, Aaron Paul kills it in his episode, but the actual plot of that episode is very cliche and predictable.

Itbewhatitbe

well he did say in multiple episodes in the past that he LIKES how gloomy and pessimistic the show is, and i agree. its a unique show for that reason, and while callister is great, it feels less black mirror. I mean think about it, crowd pleasing satire. does that sound like anything black mirror would ever do prior to netflix take over?

Itbewhatitbe

i think the good satire part is the problem i have with the episode. why is black mirror doing satire on star trek. it feels so anti black mirror, a show that was built on not worrying about pleasing the crowd. not worried about references or the viewers feelings. suddenly after netflix takes over we get happy endings, heroic stares into the camera, tv show references..etc. etc. it doesnt feel black mirror-esque anymore.

Itbewhatitbe

good theory. but also, think about the contect of uss calister episode within black mirror universe. what is black mirror famous for? unapologetically dark and grim, it doenst give a fuck about the viewers feelings, and never stoops to doing references and "hey remember this?" garbage. but after 2 years of netflix ownership, it does a whole episode on nostalgia with star trek, and heroic happy endings and even a smile towards camera. shit that season 1 and 2 black mirror would NEVER do.

Sergio Meira

Both my innie and my outie agee with you!

Sergio Meira

That is true -- I don't disagree. But then again, I'm not against the USS Callister episode because it did maintain one thing I love about Black Mirror (unlike San Junipero): the misuse of technology. The episode is basically about enslaving sentient beings in a horrible way, and for all I know it wouldn't even be illegal to do that -- these are not 'real' humans, after all. (I've always wondered if the employees of Callister Inc. would care that their AI clones were being tortured in a game. I get the feeling the blonde receptionist wouldn't. "Fuck 'em!") So, despite the Trek parodies and the final 'happy ending', still I enjoyed it as a Black Mirror comedy ('Stealing my pussy, that is a red line!' Really? Also, talking to the monster: 'Oh, that's Jill. She's from marketing,") Now, don't get me wrong -- if your taste is that a true BM story has to be depressing and soul-crushing to the core, I can respect that. I'd stay it's a bit limiting -- there are so many possibilities, including comedy, with bad consequences of technology! -- and also a bit numbing. After a number of such episodes, you begin getting used to the tropes -- the character you sympathize with at first is going to turn out to be an asshole -- or to the general feel and progression of the story -- if the characters look happy now, it's not the end, and pretty soon they'll be in HELL! etc. Even this kind of non-traditional recipe ends up getting a little stale, and I enjoy not being 100% sure that that's what I'm going to get in the next episode. But that's just my taste. Feel free to disregard it if you feel differently.

Mitchell Bowker

But why not do a Star Trek episode of Black Mirror? It’s still Black Mirror-esque with plenty of horrifying uses of technology and human misery, and also it’s Star Trek. Let Charlie Brooker have fun a little! Also, Great thing about an anthology series is you can do something different each episode, so you if don’t like one, it’s okay there be another you do like not far behind it. But if every single episode was the same, dour, depressing, morality tale about the misuse of technology with a sad ending then we’d never have SAN JUNIPERO, which is just beautiful. Most people don’t have a problem with USS CALLISTER which is probably why they’re doing a follow up to it in the new series.

REDR58
>>148469902

Yeah in a world where one can create virtual, (or any, for that matter) sentient entities from a DNA sample off of a cup, any issues with technical matters are rather irrelevant to me.

Dragonhunter

But severance is only one season because they took forever to make the second one. Wouldn't a finished show make more sense?

Da Big Appa

I just wanted to point out the grown up boyfriend in Arkangle is the same actor who was one of the kid bullies in IT.

Shane Darcy

I really expected George to enjoy USS Callister more w/ them currently watching Star Trek Taste is a fickle thing though and I can understand his criticisms even if I don’t share them

Deepan Nathan

Did you guys notice whose voice the gamer at the end was? …………It was Aaron Paul (Jesse) 😂Yeah Magnets!

dys

they did, they were like "is that Aaron Paul"?

dys

You know on first watch USS Callister was my favorite episode of this season, and I thought Arkangel was just a retread of Entire History of You. But I think I'm now coming around to George's position on both... Callister has a great, horrifying premise but some problems in its execution while Arkangel really is a worthwhile examination of a totally different aspect of the technology shown in earlier seasons.

Hakuna

Agree with George, it feels too American or Netflix'd at this point especially in the comedic attempts, which is a shame. I can imagine Charlie Brooker had to pander and compromise a lot after the Netflix switch which is sad from where it started.

MasterElodin

@Simone I saw that smile at the B R O in the Intro of the second episode 😂

Jesse Coombs

Station Eleven is amazing. Perfect show.

REDR58

Just watched Arkangel and it reaffirms my correct decision to never have children as I would simply worry about them too much. Well, that and I have no interest in ever having children. Little demons… Really though, I quite enjoyed Arkangel and Callister both. Edit: I didn’t care that you guys were stoned for the “Pineapple Express” reaction, I just felt it was a far less interesting reaction because you were stoned. No offense.

Silver Linings Starman

Season 2 of the television series of "Fargo". Jesse Plemens stars in and is more of a protagonist. Cristin Milioti who plays Nanette in this is also in it.

Christian Poss

This episode really hits me hard. My 18 year old son was murdered by a "friend" 8 years ago. So I would have done anything to be able to protect him, but I also know he would not have been the person he was had I over protected him. I am constantly worried about my other son, who was 21 at the time, but I know I cannot control his life, and he is good about letting his mom and i know about what he is up to. My oldest boy had experimented with drugs when he was a teen, his mom and I knew it, and just made sure he knew he could call us and we would get him without him being in trouble. Being a parent is hard, but we do not have a right to invade their privacy like this technology does.

GBmain

Im so late to reply to this but i've been trying to get Fargo into the TV series polls for nearly 2 years lol... Help me, I beg you lol

Katzchen1984

The only thing I disliked out USS Callister... is after she sent the message to the outside world and he found out why did he not close that ability?

Katzchen1984

Why stop mid series... I know season 5 is a little meh... but it is only 3 episodes and I feel like the last season that just came out is pretty good.

DinChild

I never see notifications for these posts! haha. Apparently I got a few replies 8 months ago. Whoops! My logic was to fill the void during the last two Better Call Saul intermissions (which they're doing, apparently). I love Black Mirror, and I actually think Season 7 was worth a watch. I just felt like -- if you're gonna watch an anthology tech-based Twilight Zone, might as well watch a cohesive narrative that has a proven high bar for quality storytelling, and that would fill the gaps between BCS 5 and 6. At that point, both shows would be over at the same time and we could go anywhere.

Katzchen1984

George in Arkangel ... " it's not like she is doing anything illegal "..... except doing illegal drugs and having an 18 guy sleeping with a 15 year old girl. I'm totally on the mom's side having him stay away from her... but not much of anything else. But you two thinking a 15 year old girl is " better off running away " then being with her mom is pretty dark...

Curtis Murphy

Or, and stay with me on this, Charlie wanted to write like this

Jay Johnson

it still blows my mind that Jesse Plemons is married to Kirsten Dunst. (of course, I only know them through the characters they've played; I know nothing of their real life persona)

Ravenlay

10 months late to the conversation, but in USS Callister, one of Nannette's coworkers mentions that everyone is going on vacation for 10 days for Christmas break. So no one will expect Robert back for at least that amount of time. And after Robert closed the door on the pizza guy, he set his screen to "Do not disturb." So yeah... it's implied he's stuck in that chair paralyzed for 10 days minimum. He's dying of dehydration for sure.

teem

I love the USS Callister episode! First off, it’s a terrifying premise and I think they executed it pretty well for the most part. As with all Black Mirror episodes (or all sci-fi things in general), you have to suspend your disbelief and logic because after all, these technologies are currently impossible right? So I think it’s a little silly to expect the writers to make an episode’s fictional tech adhere to anything real like game design or coding. They didn’t do that for the earlier video game-based episode in the series (Play Test) and it seemed like we all didn’t have an issue with it back then so I’m curious as to why they nitpicked that aspect. I’m also confused why they said this episode having a happy ending was unlike the show when there have been multiple eps with happy endings. Also, I did not mind that this episode had more humor than usual! I think it’s super refreshing for the series to have episodes with very different tones and styles. But I understand that stuff is all personal taste with how it’s executed and received so to each their own! Ngl, I had hoped going into this reaction and knowing they were Trek fans that they would like it just cause of the homage nature of the episode but this seems like the first one that they did not vibe with as much in the series. Still enjoy the reaction though and appreciate their feedback!

teem

I am a lil embarrassed with how long my comment was but it’s late and my mind was buzzing 😅 also I hope nothing I expressed comes off as rude or like I’m telling them their opinions are wrong. It’s art and can be interpreted in any way

Sckmnky

Yikes, the whole Arkangel reaction made me almost feel sick. The mom behaved like anyone would with that technology. The mom hasn't had the ability to learn to cope without it and seeing her 15 year old daughter freaking doing cocaine isn't helping...They needed to talk and be honest and get therapy, period. Like encouraging ANY of it especially her beating the crap out of her mom then leaving without calling emergency services to at least make sure she's okay is insane. To leave your caring mom who happened to be overprotective to die like that and just disappear is....wow.

Chillin'withSpiders

Don't really get George's take on Shut Up and Dance. To me blackmailing a guy into taking part in an armed robbery just because he was married and wanted to bang a prostitute is significantly worse than the married guy's behaviour. How are the blackmailers the less bad people in that scenario?