Black Mirror Examines A "Eulogy"

Most people can recall a romantic relationship from their younger years that, for whatever reason, didn't work out. But can you remember what actually happened to cause that relationship to end? What if you could actually step back into a memory from that time in your life? That's the intriguing premise of "Eulogy," the penultimate episode of the current season of the Netflix anthology Black Mirror. As with many of the stories in Charlie Brooker's series, the story raises questions about how advanced technology really interacts with us and ultimately affects our lives.

In "Eulogy," Paul Giamatti portrays Phillip Connarty, who's contacted by a company called Eulogy. They represents the family of Carol, a former flame of Phillip's. Her family wants him to provide a memory of her for a memorial service. Eulogy offers a unique technology that allows a person to enter a photograph, and in essence, view the moment that a photo was taken in three dimensions, in order to jog a person's memory. At first, Paul is reluctant to do this, as his relationship with Carol ended badly. When he finally agrees to view his memories, the AI "guide" from Eulogy helps him enter several photos, and he begins to recall memories of his time with Carol.

What becomes apparent is that Phillip's memories of his relationship with Carol are colored by his own frailties, and his own perceptions of their romance. Phillip and Carol's time together may not have ended for the reasons he remembers. The truth about how things ended might be a bit more complicated than it seemed at first glance. As he digs deeper into his memories, Phillip experiences a roller coaster of emotions, and he's forced to come to terms with his real role in the end of their relationship. Giammati is excellent as Phillip, and his heart-wrenching performance carries the episode. 

 

The script by Charlie Brooker and Ella Road is terrific, and the direction by Chris Barrett and Luke Taylor is superb. The raw emotional power of this episode really hits home. While Black Mirror often deals with the inherent dangers of technology, and how it can affectsour lives, this episode deals with the emotional toll that life can take on us. "Eulogy" is one of the best entries of the current season of the series. Like "San Junipero" from Season 3 of the show, this is a very human story, touching on deep level of emotion. Black Mirror is currently available on Netflix.