Arkangel



My thoughts on this episode:

Placing a tracking device which cannot be removed in your child is creepy and totalitarian enough. But adding a feature which allows you to SEE everything your child sees, and gives
you the ability to censor what she sees, is simply ridiculous! Nobody would do that. I thought immediately, "What happens when she grows up, and starts going on dates, and has sex?"

Also the ending seemed kind of tame. I was kind of expecting a twist, or something.


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not really buying that its unremovable,how could the technology of that level unable to reverse the procedure?

agree on the censorship and viewing part but I think the idea is feasible as a tracking device till he/she is like 12 yrs old.

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Good point. However, I'm still not comfortable with a tracking device at any age. It's too fascistic. Just be a better parent and keep your eyes on your child.


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I think the bigger point here was that the mother never allowed for the possibility that her daughter is a separate individual with her own life that cannot and should not be controlled. She thinks the fact that she cares and worries about her justifies the control. Even after the daughter smashed the tablet on her head (there couldn't possibly be a greater act of rejection except outright murder), the mother is still "worried" and just NEEDS to know where her daughter is and what she is experiencing.

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Bingo! You just nailed it, exatera!


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I bought that it's irremovable, because of its size and placement (I presume maybe it's too small to be safely removed, and probably the tissue surrounding it β€œheals” it into a permanent location). But, since it's Black Mirror, I would understand if they have nanobot technology that could remove the device and simply the company claimed it's β€œirremovable.”

Also, how does it sustain its power?

I would agree the idea is feasible (though not to this extreme) until age 12ish, but honestly, it was the mother's carelessness that got herself there in the first place. She overcompensated for her own poor parenting. The company made a business of this.

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I thought it was a solid, if unexceptional (for BM), episode.

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I agree.


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And how did the mom accidentally leave the filter on for so many years?! I was kicking her in my imagination for that. Poor kid.

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I don't think it was accidental. She both wanted to protect and control her daughter. I believe that was the point of the story.


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I will rewatch it, but from my first watch, I interpreted it as the mother carelessly leaving the filter on (after turning it on to filter out the dog barking*), not actively monitoring it, until she checks back later on. I saw it as an accident because I thought the intention was just to filter out that loud dog, then assumed she turned it back off off-camera. The only times we see the mother check back on the girl were coincidentally during terrifying/intense times, indicating she rarely checked back. Each time she did, though, I wanted to kick the mom in the face for being so careless.

>She both wanted to protect and control her daughter. I believe that was the point of the story.

I understand and agree she wanted to protect her daughter. I believe she wanted to do as little parenting as possible while still having her daughter to grow up in an ever-present "safe space"/bubble.

Maybe I completely misunderstood this. The girl therefore didn't get to develop basic fight-or-flight responses. During my first view of this episode, I just didn't see how the mother could have done this on purpose to her daughter, especially with her hesitation regarding the filter from the start.



*(... and again after Grandpa has a heart attack, and finally while the girl was stabbing herself only to see blood (and pain?) being filtered out)

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Whether she left it on accidentally or on purpose, it was still f***ed up.


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A lot of people would do this to their children if they could...

Interestingly in this episode, it wasn't a successful product as it was made illigal in Europe and was discontinued in the USA... A glimmer of hope...

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You are probably correct, Reno. Hopefully this product is never produced or marketed.


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A vague question, and probably a stupid one, but it makes one wonder, Why was this banned from other countries?

I am genuinely interested in some solid itemized reasons. Obviously, some examples are what happened in this episode.

Also, how did the company make its funds to develop this product? (Investors? Was it a subsidiary of another successful company?) Was the company profitable somehow? How could they afford to give free trials?

I'm so curious to know the company's story, the employees' stories, the CEO's story, the other kids' and other parents' stories. :3

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At some point its going to be invasion of privacy as the kid grows up, the system could be misused as well if the tablet falls in the wrong hand. The censoring is just not practical, the kid could be in danger and not realise it till its too late.

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Well, my answer would be on par with the question, but let's assume this: It was banned in other countries because it was actually a camouflage for the CIA to collect data. Same thing explains the research funding.

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Hey, you make a great point. I would like to explore it. I'm glad people are still watching this and posting on moviechat.org. :)

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The mother was just morbid to me. She deserved what she got for being so effing stupid in her upbringing of her daughter. Be careful what you wish for.

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LOL at some of the responses here, some are acting like this was an infomercial, not a fantasy story.

Yeah, at some point this will likely be a real technology, but we're pretty far off. The only thing I can relate is the chips they place in pets, but those aren't trackers, they only ID the pet's owner.

Great idea for an episode, but thought it fell a bit flat.

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It was an uneasy, disturbing episode especially if you are a mom!

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It might not be that tame if you consider, she lost her daughter, as she originally feared she would and she could no longer "track" her and had NOTHING substantial to connect them aside from it. Very good social commentary.

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Semi tame.



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I'll agree, but that's what makes this show so great. Some shows hit different people different ways. I could relate to her fear and terror and how it was when she saw those things she saw her daughter do in later years. But she definitely was controlling, and I could relate to that from my own upbringing. I love this show, it hits so many points.

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I agree completely. The whole series is great, and I hope they make more.




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i just read that season 5 is already in filming I hope that's correct.

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You are correct, sir! No release date yet, but speculation is late 2018. I can hardly wait!

http://www.nme.com/blogs/tv-blogs/black-mirror-season-5-release-date-trailers-cast-writers-everything-we-know-so-far-2205640



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I'm a girl....lol

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Sorry, I didn't know. I sit corrected.



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np...:)

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