Get the latest gossip
Black Mirror Recap: The Human Operating System
What if Neopets took over humanity?
I’ve seen a number of TikToks lately where gamers show their friends or family the infamous “ No Russian ” mission in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 — a controversial level where players get the option to gun down civilians at an airport in Moscow. But it’s Black Mirror we’re watching, which means the ambiguity usually comes down on the side of “Oh yeah, it’s real.” When Cameron gets access to a paper and pen, he draws a code and shows it to the camera in the corner, successfully creating a backdoor for the Throng in the state computer and converting it into a blaring signal that can be broadcast to connected devices everywhere. In theory, a human race sapped of violent impulses could be interesting to witness, but this isn’t exactly framed as a “dark happy ending” in the same way as, say, “ Demon 79.” I might’ve liked an epilogue where we get to see the aftermath of the colonization; it sure feels creepy and nefarious, but Cameron’s narration suggests the Thronglets might think of this as a way of ensuring peace.
Or read this on VULTURE