Summary
The season 4 episode ofBlack Mirror"Crocodile" is darker than many others but features the same smart analysis of technology that the popular Netflix show is known for. When someone sits down to watch an episode of this series, they definitely know what to expect. Yet, at the same time, each episode still offers up plenty of surprises. That makes it the critically acclaimed series that it has been since the very beginning.
TheBlack Mirrorcreator Charlie Brooker has written some of the most memorable episodes, including “White Bear,” “White Christmas,” “Hang the DJ,” and “Crocodile.” When compared to the others, this one makes as much of an impression but might be even harder to watch at times. “Crocodile” is definitely an episode of Netflix’sBlack Mirrorthat is unforgettable. It has an ending that many will be thinking about after it’s over.
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What Is Black Mirror’s “Crocodile” About?
In theBlack Mirrorepisode “Crocodile,” Mia Nolan (Andrea Riseborough) is still dealing with the fact that 15 years, ago, she was involved in a terrible murder. When her friend Rob (Andrew Gower) killed someone, the two friends hid his body. At the beginning of the episode, Mia and Rob talk about what happened. This episode is immediately more brutal and gruesome than some of the others as Mia kills Rob.
The tone of “Crocodile” is similar to the vibe of theBlack Mirrorepisode “White Christmas.“Both episodes feature main characters who have done terrible things in the past but who don’t want to stop to think about them. “Crocodile” focuses on a “Recaller,” which allows people to see memories on a screen. When compared to therealisticBlack Mirrorepisode “Arkangel,“it doesn’t feel like this could really happen. It’s still a scary thought, though, which is what makes this another thought-provokingBlack Mirrorstoryline.
The episode’s dark tone is all thanks to the characterization of Mia. She tries to get away with her crimes and gets rid of anyone who knows what she did. She is an incredibly harsh character who sees other people as obstacles to her freedom. In contrast to the other characters, who aren’t fleshed out quite as much as they could be, Mia is much more memorable. She deals with Shazia (Kiran Sonia Sawar), who works for an insurance company and is looking into Rob’s death. She also wants to control her husband Anan (Anthony Welsh).
SeveralBlack Mirrorepisodes have great celebrity performances. “Crocodile” doesn’t have any big names, and viewers can’t help but focus on how violent it is. It has received some negative reviews for that reason, which makes sense. When compared to other episodes, it feels particularly upsetting.
How Does Black Mirror’s “Crocodile” End?
TheBlack Mirror"Crocodile” ending is as difficult to watch as the entire episode. When Mia doesn’t trust Shazia, she watches the Recaller to get the information that she needs: Shazia let Anan know all about Mia’s history. After murdering Shazia, Mia kills her husband, too. She even kills Shazia’s baby boy, which is absolutely one of the darkest moments ofBlack Mirror. This is a particularly heartbreaking scene, and it’s much sadder than other episode endings, including the memorableBlack Mirror"USS Callister” episodewhich wraps up the story in a horrifying way. The episode is making a point: Mia hurts innocent people without another thought, and people have been watching her as a result.
When the cops show up at Shazia’s house, they learn that Mia has killed everyone because of a pet guinea pig. They have the pet use the Recaller, and all is revealed. This is one of the most memorable scenes of the episode, and it proves the strangeness and darkness of this particular world. Like the focus on the digital inBlack Mirror’s “Joan Is Awful”, “Crocodile” presents technology that makes it clear that no one can hide who they are.
The final scene is Mia watching her son in his school play, which isBugsy Malone, and it’s clear that they’re about to punish her for what she has done. Since viewers want Mia to have to face herself and her crimes, this is the only way that the episode could have ended.Black Mirrordoesn’t have characters change or redeem themselves because that would be a different show. The last moments prove that she will never change. This is who she is, and it’s horrible.
Like themost chilling episodes ofBlack Mirror, “Crocodile” has a twist that is like a punch in the gut. This time, the baby was blind, so he wouldn’t have seen what Mia did. There is no denying that this is one of the most talked about and upsetting episodes of the show. The ending doesn’t shy away from dark themes of morality, memory, and whether someone can escape their past and the awful things that they have done.
