This post contains spoilers For the episodes "Black Mirror" "Eugia" and "The All History of You".

Black Mirror fans often worry that the show has expired on real surprises or significant things to say. There is now a well -known formula of how a typical "black mirror" episode should be lowered: a seemingly cute character is introduced in scientific technology, technology turns out to be malicious than assumed, and the main character is revealed to be more complicated in this evil than you would guess. For the character to be a pure innocent victim of technology is not enough; The horror has not landed unless it is a victim at least partially carries himself.

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On the surface at least, the "eugia" checks all those boxes. The image of Paul Amamati, Philip, is presented as a lonely, heart man who is asked to use a sensitive computer image to reconsider the key moments of the relationship in his twenties. Technology allows him to get into old photos, allowing his memories to fill them and strengthen things outside the frame. It is a cold concept, but it is not thrilled to participate. He hates his recently declared ex -girlfriend Carroll, and this process of re -examining his happy moments with her quickly brings her retaliatory side. He cannot stop talking about how Carol was selfish and she ruined his life.

But as we see him talking about Carol, it is clear that there is a lot of guilt under his bitterness. About halfway we find out that Philip cheated on her as much as she cheated on her. We also find out that he had a problem with drinking, that he did not understand her musical interests as seriously as he needed, and that he was simply not a big boy at all. How Many of the "black mirror" protagonists during the running of the showPhilip is not a saint.

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Some fans may compare the "eugia" with the episode as a "crocodile" of Season 4, which has a similar technology to scanning memory. Or maybe they will compare it with Season 3 of Season 3 "San Junipero", Love -b story where the characters need to rethink the decades of their youth. For me, it is most reminiscent of a story from all the way back in season 1: "The whole history of you." In that episode, a jeboxed boy obsessively rewinds and surpasses the moments between him and his wife, eventually confirming that she not only betrayed him, but consciously had a baby with the man she cheated on.

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I didn't always like "the whole history of you", not because writing is bad, but because I found the episode miserable Even by the standards of "black mirror". The story is more disturbing than Misogenia's shining over it: the main character is controlled and retaliating to his wife, which only makes him more beautiful and uncomfortable when his suspicions are 100% accurate. We never get the full side of the wife's story here; We only see her from the view of her angry, bitter husband.

"Eugia" is also for the breakup of the relationship, complete with the discovery that the involved woman deceived and had a child of another man. But although the episode also sticks to the perspective of man - to the point that we do not see Carroll's face to the very end - "Eugia" is more interested in asking how a woman feels. As Philip's rubbish speaks Carroll around the world, the guide he is (digital consciousness that follows in the memory simulation, played by Patty Ferran) constantly suffocates (and the viewer) to consider Carol's view.

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What is happening to his wife and baby after the "whole history of you" is a total mystery, but "Eugiology" follows Carroll and her child, ending her story in a dignified way. There is much more than Carol than what she did on Philip, and the episode never forgets to make sure we know this.

"The whole history of you" is still an effective criticism of toxic masculinity, with the main character eventually regretting his obsessive behavior. But it is a cold, cruel examination of the topic, one that often feels like sneezing of mankind itself. "Eugia", meanwhile, is optimistic in its core. Philip is slowly proving that it is worth rooting, and memory improvement technology here is undoubtedly net positive for the world.

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Similar to Paul Amamati's character's nail polish in "Holdovers", You can see that life returns to the awkward old Philip, little by little, as he gets deeper into the reminder of Carroll. By the time the episode reaches its biggest discovery - Philip reveals that Carol has left A. a lot An important letter to him - all Philip's protests diminished: this man still deeply loves Carroll, no matter how much he claims otherwise. Amiamati's performance points to this minute of course, but it is exciting to see that Philip understands this for himself. It is a cadar to see as if he does not want to take some photos to exciting himself through his old things about something that is related to Carroll.

When Philip finally sees Young Carroll's face again, re -examines his long memory of playing her original song on her cello, Giiamati plays a man who finally released again. He went through a sad journey with many ugly moments, including the particularly fatal blow of the intestines in the last act, but unlike most protagonists of the "black mirror", he came out of that better person. "The whole history of you" was for a man who succumbed to his rage and insecurity; "Eugia" is for a man who allows them to go.

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