Black Mirror: Ranking Every Episode From Worst To Best
14. ArkAngel
Like a few other episodes covered so far, the main problem with ArkAngel is that the plot plays out exactly how you expect it to. It could maybe be argued that the fatalism of these dystopian narratives - the fact that these characters always succumb to the darkest results when put in control of this futuristic tech - is kind of part of Black Mirror's grander thesis, but here it just feels like lazy storytelling.
It's still emotional, thanks in no small part to the dedicated performances from the two leads, and boasts some of the most beautiful cinematography the show has seen so far, but ArkAngel sees Booker playing around with familiar ideas, and there's the sense that there's nothing left to say about them that hasn't already been said in previous episodes.
Had this released a few years prior it could have jumped up higher, and it is still an enjoyable, solid episode which only feels inferior when compared to instalments that have tackled similar themes, only better.
[JB]