bob the moo The second episode in the fourth run of Black Mirror was already known to me on the strength of Jodie Foster directing it; quite something for a British guy I knew from his scathing takedowns of Big Brother episodes in The Guardian all those years ago. Putting the gender milestone (first episode directed by a woman) to one side, Arkangel is surprisingly run-of-the-mill, even though it has a lot of potential. The concept is easily within reach in many ways, and as a parent my first feeling is to protect my child from anything that might upset them, and to want to know where they are at all times. At the same time though, I see that stopping them being exposed to anything in the real world will probably do more harm than good in most situations.As a result, most of us should be easily hooked into the dilemma posed by this technology and the extended version we see here. The episode though, doesn't really make the viewer feel that conflict; it is very clear wat is felt and it plays out in a way that is far too on the nose for the most part, and doesn't really cause conflict, or the shivers - in fact it does just what you know it will. This in itself is a weakness since, we know overprotection will go bad, but yet I didn't connect to that challenge from it - it let me off the hook with the way it is straightforward in its narrative. The production standards, ideas, cast, etc are all of high quality, but in the end it is too simplistic in what it does and the message it is delivering.A surprisingly disappointing episode considering the potential in the material, and the talent behind it.

classicsoncall Perhaps the reason this episode of 'Black Mirror' fails for a lot of viewers is because it's possibly the one that comes closest to examining a technology that could actually exist today. Let's face it, the ubiquitous cell phone with it's ability to take pictures and record what's happening in real time has changed the lives of everyone using it, some for better and some for worse. In the case of 'Arkangel', an implant of some sort provides a masking ability as well, so that unpleasant or troubling images can be blurred to the recipient of the implant. It wasn't really made clear in the story why the Arkangel project was banned, but one suspects it would be for it's invasive impact on the subjects being supervised. A very creepy affair when a someone can dial into a sexual encounter or view illegal drug use about to occur. And as always, unintended consequences can often intrude to derail one's life without any apparent warning. For once, this is a Black Mirror episode that could actually take place.

numis1978 I am a huge fan of Black Mirror, and I had a huge disappointment after watching Arkangel. Promising story as I have watched the trailer, but it doesn't deliver at the end. Soooooooooo BAD ending. This shouldn't be among Black Mirror's list of episodes.

Hitchcoc Once the overprotective mother has an implant installed, she has set things in motion that can only get worse. Sara, in an opening scene, chases after a cat and her mother becomes obsessed with protecting her. She has kind of iPad that can be used to check her heart rhythms, her nutrition, and most of all, what she sees. The kicker is a device that blocks anything that may be traumatic, so the girl grows to adolescence having a totally sheltered life. When the plug is pulled, she begins to experiment like crazy with her peers. Soon the mother resurrects the device with horrible consequences. The episode is really hard to watch. The mother is really the central character in that she can never accept her daughter being on her own.