Black Mirror is one of the few shows we're quite happy to never fully understand. It twists, it turns and it's shrouded in mystery. But, every now and again, it's secrets are ever so subtly revealed.
A new book about the show promises to take fans even further into the world of Black Mirror, though. Promoting Inside Black Mirror's release, show creator Charlie Brooker got candid about the series to Entertainment Weekly, “Some people probably think the show is created by some furrow-browed Unabomber types who despise all technology and want to live in a wooden box. It’s not that all, we’re quite self-deprecating, I think we’ve got a good sense of humour and we’re goofy.”
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He talked for a while about “San Junipero,” a stand-out episode of Season 3. “San Junipero” is known for portraying technology far more positively than many of the other episodes, and for telling a beautiful gay love story.
Brooker said the iconic episode took inspiration from an unlikely source: a BBC series called The Young Ones, which took a group of old celebrities and transported them back in time. The episode's time jumps were essential to the love story, he said. “By setting it in that period, we could do a same-sex story in which they get married, which wouldn’t have been legally possible then.”
In addition to finding inspiration in odd places, the show draws from an impressive pool of talent. Brooker talked about collaborations with stars including Jodie Foster, Letitia Wright, and Rashida Jones. He said the show was “lucky” that it’s anthology format allowed them to give “very meaty roles” to big stars and newcomers alike.
In the case of Daniel Kaluuya, his role in “15 Million Merits” was able to essentially make his career. According to Brooker, Jordan Peele saw Kaluuya in the episode and was inspired to cast him in Get Out. Kaluuya has since starred in Black Panther, and Widows.
It’s safe to say that Black Mirror has cemented itself in our culture. Brooker hopes it will make people more aware of technology; “we’re seeing the pitfalls, which hopefully means we’ll get better at using it, because this technology isn’t going away. Hopefully we’re becoming more conscious and mindful of what we’re doing.”