Black Mirror
Work Title: Black MirrorMedium: TV Episode
Episode Title: "Be Right Back"
Year: 2011
Writer(s): Charlie Brooker
"Original" Writer: Yes Own work?: No
Summary:
A woman, Martha, loses her husband and love of her life, Ash, in a car accident. A nosy friend signs her up for a service that allows her to talk to a virtually augmented voice of her late husband Ash, by reading Ash's computer the service gets a accurate representation of Ash. Martha gets addicted to the service and starts talking on her phone like Ash is still living. She tells her phone version of Ash the most intimate things like she is pregnant with the "real" Ash's child. Soon, she is informed that she can purchase a "life like" computer version of Ash, and she agrees. She begins to find comfort in her new husband, but as time rolls on, she realizes that is not the same as the computer ash has none of the same quirks as the real one and she realizes she has to finally move on with her life.
Era/Year of Portrayal: near_future
Distinctive characteristics of the world in portrayal:
There was a very modern feel to most of the surrounding area. However, there were some definite technological advances such as a digital easel, digital birth control test, and of coarse the computer robot Ash.
Technology
- Name of portrayed presence-evoking technology: Ash
- Description of the technology: The main technology in this episode is an android. The android is mobile and it was created to speak and look just like Ash. Martha, at first, accepts the technology and becomes completely immersed in it. The technology is top quality as it looks just like the deceased Ash. It tries to act helpful and submissive. It tries to do whatever Martha wants to make her believe it is really Ash. This sometimes confuses the android who doesn't always understand why Martha is mad at him for not doing something the "real" Ash would do.
- Nature of task or activity: When she is using the voice service on her phone. She goes on hikes and sits around talking to it for hours. When the android arrives she makes love to it, and talks to it. Again, she spends most of the time trying to make it act like the "real" Ash.
- Performance of the Technology: It does function properly, but it starts not reacting to things like Ash would and needs everything to be explained to it, that wasn't found in the personal files on the "real" Ash's electronics, (Phone, Computer, etc)
- Description of creator(s): The creators of the technology were never revealed. It just seemed to be a no name company, that specialized in this technology for grieving people
- Major goal(s) of creator(s): To help grieving people who can't move on
- Description of users of technology: Early to mid 30 year old White Female, Artist, Pregnant and seemingly vulnerable and unstable after her husband death
- Type(s) of presence experience in the portrayal: social_presence
- Description of presence experience: She talks on the phone with an automated voice of Ash, and believes that its really him. She even has a picnic with her phone. Later, she gets an android copy of her late husband and for awhile tells herself its really him.
- User awareness of technology during experience: She is aware she is using technology, but kinda in denial about it
- Valence of experience: She enjoys it at first, but as time goes on it is less and less like her husband and therefore less enjoyable
- Specific responses: She has enjoyment, sexual arousal, involvenment, confusion, grief, love, anger, and denial
Its a sad ending...She realizes she has to move on and orders the android to walk of a cliff. However, she says Ash wouldn't of done that and the android begs for his life, because she told him too, and she locks him in the attic and only see him on weekends.
Other:It shows that computers can't replace human emotion and that there will always be things that separate us
Coder name: Michael MooneyCoder email: tuf07942@temple.edu
Coder affiliation: Temple University