History Recap / BlackMirrorHatedInTheNation

* ArtisticLicenseBiology: A minor example. The [=ADIs=] burrow into the pain center of the victims' brains to force them to endure the maximum level of agony a person could possibly experience. In reality, having a small robot physically chew its way through a person's brain tissue, even the pain center, wouldn't guarantee it would cause them the level of suffering the episode claims, but there's also no guarantee it wouldn't trigger some sort of reaction, especially if the ADI's electronics interfered with the brain's nerve charges. Regardless, having anything crawl it's way into your brain through your ear canal can in no way feel pleasant.

* ArtisticLicenseBiology: A minor example. The [=ADIs=] burrow into the pain center of the victims' brains to force them to experience the maximum level of agony a person could possibly experience. In reality, having a small robot physically chew its way through a person's brain tissue, even the pain center, wouldn't guarantee it would cause them the level of suffering the episode claims, but there's also no guarantee it wouldn't trigger some sort of reaction, especially if the ADI's electronics interfered with the brain's nerve charges. Regardless, having anything crawl it's way into your brain through your ear canal can in no way feel pleasant.

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: The plight of Clara Meades is modelled after several real life incidents of an individual being mass-shamed following the release of photographs that portray them performing acts perceived as disrespectful, in particular the [[https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/21/internet-shaming-lindsey-stone-jon-ronson case of Lindsey Stone]].

** The vast majority of bees have died out, forcing countries (focused only on the UK in this case) to utilize Autonomous Drone Insects ([=ADIs=]) to carry out pollination. They are also able to self-replicate, build hives on their own, with each of their hives containing a 3D printing device. (They fall just short since they can't make honey.) In addition, Granular has a vanity art piece in their foyer composed of [=ADIs=] flying in formation to create a slowly-rotating 3D rendering of the company logo.

** While some episodes of Black Mirror use more [[SpeculativeFiction speculative themes]], this episode in particular is a hard science fiction. While similar {{Cop Show}}s rely on {{Technobabble}} and HollywoodHacking, this one is a faithful PoliceProcedural with most of the concepts and terms Blue uses are drawn from RealLife and used in proper context; there is growing concern about technology being the vector of attack of choice for tech-savvy criminals, and the technology is spot on. The only Science Fiction that this episode really draws on is the aesthetics, and the [=ADIs=], which is a combination emerging technologies from ''today'', but more sophisticated and micronized. See if one of the design features of the [=ADIs=] isn't familiar: pervasive computing (of a sort), autonomous drones, 3D printing, and mass surveillance.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Scholes intends to combat online abuse... by killing off a good chunk of people who are guilty of only using the hashtag.

** Chancellor Tom Pickering appears to be based on real life former Health Secretary [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Hunt#Controversies Jeremy Hunt]], who also made the controversial decision to cut health benefits in addition to introducing unpopular junior doctor contracts with the NHS.

* ThisIsGonnaSuck: After Karin finishes testifying before the court, Shaun Li is set to take her place with a look of dread on his face. Considering that he was the one who directly caused the ADI swarm to murder millions of British citizens, it's clear that he's ''not'' looking forward to explaining his actions.

* AscendedMeme: When Jo Powers checks her feed, the "trending" article visible under her push notification is titled "What if phones but too much?", referring to a (now-deleted) Daniel M. Lavery tweet[[note]]"Next on Black Mirror: What if phones but too much?", meant as a slam against the show's thoughts on technology after describing the first episode as "the stupidest fucking thing I have ever seen". [[/note]], as well as an article he wrote for The Toast [[http://the-toast.net/2015/01/20/next-black-mirror/ spoofing Black Mirror episode concepts]] (which also quoted the tweet.) Doubles as an InspirationNod, given that the original tweet inspired the final twist in ''Playtest'', where Cooper is killed by his phone going off at the wrong moment.

* {{Cameo}}: Broadcaster [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_Anand_(journalist) Anita Anand]] features both in voiceover and onscreen as a news reporter.

* HeadacheOfDoom: Tusk begins suffering agonizing pain in his head and has to be sedated. An attempt to examine the problem with an MRI reveals the cause - though probably not the way the technicians intended: an Autonomous Drone Insect had flown into his ear and started torturing his brain from the inside; during the MRI scan, the [=ADI=] is magnetically yanked out of Tusk's head, puncturing his eyeball and killing him instantly.

* {{Cameo}}: Broadcaster [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_Anand Anita Anand]] features both in voiceover and onscreen as a news reporter.

** Realistically, no government agency is going to deploy a nationwide system of covert spy drones without top-tier cybersecurity measures to prevent it from being compromised.

* SocialMediaIsBad: The episode deconstructs online mob mentality, as the villain orchestrates murders based on trending calls for death on Twitter. Then he kills everyone who ever used the death to hashtag.

** By the time of the episode, most of the bees have been wiped out by a colony collapse disorder, forcing humanity to rely on robotic replacements called Automated Drone Insects to do the bees' ecosystem services. The plot is about someone hacking these [=ADIs=] to great consequence.

* MechanicalInsects: After the bees went nearly extinct, many countries utilized Automatic Drone Insects ([=ADI=] for short) to carry out pollination. These drones are capable of self-replicating and building hives on their own, with these hives featuring 3D printing devices (which falls short, as they are unable to make honey). They are also used by government to [[SinisterSurveillance spy on the populace]], and were hacked to kill anyone who was voted to be killed on Twitter through the use of the [=#DeathTo=] hashtag. However, [[PlotTwist the real targets are not the hashtag targets, but those who used the hashtag]].

** The vast majority of bees have died out, forcing countries (focused only on the UK in this case) to utilize Automated Drone Insects ([=ADIs=]) to carry out pollination. They are also able to self-replicate, build hives on their own, with each of their hives containing a 3D printing device. (They fall just short since they can't make honey.) In addition, Granular has a vanity art piece in their foyer composed of [=ADIs=] flying in formation to create a slowly-rotating 3D rendering of the company logo.

* HeadacheOfDoom: Tusk begins suffering agonizing pain in his head and has to be sedated. An attempt to examine the problem with an MRI reveals the cause - though probably not the way the technicians intended: an Autonomous Drone Incksect had flown into his ear and started torturing his brain from the inside; during the MRI scan, the [=ADI=] is magnetically yanked out of Tusk's head, puncturing his eyeball and killing him instantly.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tmg_article_default_mobile.jpg]]

Starring Creator/KellyMacdonald as Karin, Creator/FayeMarsay as Blue, and Creator/BenedictWong as Li.

In the near-future, a police detective in London works with a tech-savvy sidekick to investigate a spate o He responds that it's in the public interest to do so, since the scheme has prevented several mass murders and terrorist attacks. Regardless, any benefit gets negated after Scholes' plan succeeds with nearly 400,000 people dead and the surveillance aspect of the ADI program is now presumably out in the open.[/note]], as well as an article he wrote for The Toast spoofing Black Mirror episode concepts (which also quoted the tweet.) Doubles as an Inspiration Nod, given that the original tweet inspired the final twist in Playtest, where Cooper is killed by his phone going off at the wrong moment.f mysterious and sudden high-profile deaths linked to a social media hashtag.

* AscendedMeme: When Jo Powers checks her feed, the "trending" article visible under her push notification is titled "What if phones but too much?", referring to a (now-deleted) Daniel M. Lavery tweet[[note]]"Next on Black Mirror: What if phones but too much?", meant as a slam against the show's thoughts on technology after describing the first episode as "the stupidest fucking thing I have ever seen". [/note]], as well as an article he wrote for The Toast [[http://the-toast.net/2015/01/20/next-black-mirror/ spoofing Black Mirror episode concepts]] (which also quoted the tweet.) Doubles as an InspirationNod, given that the original tweet inspired the final twist in ''Playtest'', where Cooper is killed by his phone going off at the wrong moment.

In the near-future, a police detective in London works with a tech-savvy sidekick to investigate a spate of mysterious and sudden high-profile deaths linked to a social media hashtag.

* AscendedMeme: When Jo Powers checks her feed, the "trending" article visible under her push notification is titled "What if phones but too much?", referring to a (now-deleted) Daniel M. Lavery tweet[[note]]"Next on Black Mirror: What if phones but too much?", meant as a slam against the show's thoughts on technology after describing the first episode as "the stupidest fucking thing I have ever seen"[pulation. He responds that it's in the public interest to do so, since the scheme has prevented several mass murders and terrorist attacks. Regardless, any benefit gets negated after Scholes' plan succeeds with nearly 400,000 people dead and the surveillance aspect of the ADI program is now presumably out in the open.[/note]], as well as an article he wrote for The Toast [[http://the-toast.net/2015/01/20/next-black-mirror/ spoofing Black Mirror episode concepts]] (which also quoted the tweet.) Doubles as an InspirationNod, given that the original tweet inspired the final twist in ''Playtest'', where Cooper is killed by his phone going off at the wrong moment.