Black Mirror is one of my favorite shows and this episode in particular is my favorite one for the scenario it describes. The episode is dramatic, suspenseful and ultimately quite depressing given how the story unfolds. The most pressing question this episode asks is whether or not you would want a device that lets you rewatch any past experience. Although privacy and cost are certainly important, my decision is independent of those two factors. Firstly, I feel it is better to stay focused on the present and not look back in the past or look too far ahead into the future. Thus, at first I was inclined to reject such a future with said devices. Moreover, as the story progresses, we find out that Liam’s wife had an affair and he is also most likely not the father. Though the grain helps him find the truth, he drives away his wife and child and is left by himself. At the end, he sees the grain as a tool that has caused more harm than good. Thus, I would most likely reject the grain as well. While the truth is important, having such a device could lead to one overthinking and creating suspicions that may or may not be true. One of Liam’s main gripes is that Fi looks at Jonas in a very affectionate way and she doesn’t look at him the same way. However, we see at the end that she did look at him in a loving way but in his state of anger and determination to find out the truth, he glossed over the fact that their relationship was more concrete than he thought it was.

The episode is extremely well made with many nuances and complexities and is one that will have anyone watching questioning what they would have done in that situation.