By Favour Barry — Group B, Global Affairs
Charlie Brooker’s dystopian series Black Mirror has returned to our screens with its seventh season. Within the Season 7 premiere, “Common People”, Brooker critiques the detrimental effects of capitalism.
Set in a distant future where healthcare is reduced to a commodity, we follow the characters of Mike, portrayed by Chris O’Dowd, and Amanda, portrayed by Rashida Jones. They are a working-class couple whose world gets thrown off its axis after Amanda is diagnosed with a terminal illness, leaving her on the brink of death. In order to save her life, we see the couple agree for Amanda to have her brain tissue replaced with synthetic alternatives powered by servers. Although the procedure was free, the couple soon discover that her life comes at the cost of subscribing to a monthly service to maintain functionality. This makes audience members question the morality and ethics behind subscription models and the healthcare system.
“Common People” is an episode that at times may feel a bit too real for audience members and may hit too close to home. This reinforces the macabre and sardonic tone that Brooker aims to present through this series. The episode emphasises the commercialisation of basic necessities such as health care. It also portrays how capitalism takes precedence over the cost of human life, as survival becomes reduced to nothing more than a privilege for those who have money. The performances from O’Dowd and Jones really help drive the narrative of the episode. As their portrayal of a couple caught in a do-or-die situation comes across as very harrowing and poignant, it conveys the dark elements that the series is known most notably for.
“Common People” is a deeply resonating episode that forces the audience to reflect on the ways in which capitalism deprives human life of any value or intrinsic worth.
