- Synopsis:
In present day, Mia Nolan lives a happy life. She is a hard working architect, loving wife, and caring mother. One night when Mia is away on a business trip, her ex-boyfriend Rob, shows up at her door and brings fourth memories that she had been trying to bury for the last 15 years. Rob's guilt about what had happened that fatal day on the road all those years ago causes him to make a decision that will affect both his life and Mia's. Terrified of losing everything she had worked so hard for, Mia makes a split second decision that will change her life forever.
- Discussion
First off let's talk about the technology in this episode, the "Recaller". The Recaller seems like an older model of the "the grain", first shown in "The Entire History of You". The grain is a device implanted in people's head that acts as a sort of hard drive, which holds their memories and is able to "play back" these memories at will. The difference between the grain and the recaller is the fact that the grain plays back the memory exactly as it was, while the recaller is a less accurate instrument because it plays back a memory the way the "recaller" remembers it.
Peoples' memories as Shazia mentions, are hazy and often time inaccurate. It is difficult for the human mind to recall certain moments of their lives without putting their own filter over the moment itself. Therefore, they are "tampering" with their recollection whether they intend to or not. That is why two people could be witnessing one event and end up with two completely different recollection. For example when Shazia interviews the dentist, he said he saw a woman in a lime green coat when in actuality, the woman was wearing a yellow coat. The dentist later on admits that he just remembers the coat being "bright" and not so much the color. You see, he wasn't lying when he said the woman's coat was lime green because that is what he remembers. In this instinct, whether the coat is bright green or yellow is not important but you can see why this little mishap could be crucial if it were on a bigger issue or a more important detail.
If we are to believe that all the episodes in Black Mirror takes place in the same universe, then it is safe to assume that "Crocodile" takes place in an earlier time period than "The Entire History of You" since the recaller is an older version of the grain.
Since we are on the topic of recalling past episodes, I love that "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)" shows up in this episode. This song, sung by Irma Thomas, was first introduced in "Fifteen Million Merits" and continues to show up in several episodes after ("White Christmas" and "Men Against Fire"). I love these little Easter Eggs that continue to show up in this season. It's fun to connect episodes to one another, and it makes watching the show even more enjoyable. After all, with Black Mirror, the details are what makes the show so great.
*Ahem* now back to the episode discussion...
I also found it interesting that the government nows requires its citizens to take part in the recalling system as a sort of protocol. Basically, if you witnessed a crime, you are forced to come forward and open your mind to the recalling. This is where the technology aspect gets pushed a little too far. It is one thing to invent a device that will help people recall past events, but it is another thing completely to force people to comply whether they want to or not. It is this legal requirement actually, that leads to Mia to murder Shazia and her family. Whether she meant to or not, Shazia pushed Mia too far and she cracked. If the government didn't force this protocol on its citizens, then Shazia would have left the moment Mia said no and she would have still been alive but then again, that wouldn't make for a good plot line would it?
Speaking of Mia losing her cool, this is something we see repeatedly throughout the episode. She kills Rob after he tells her he is going to write a letter to the victim's wife, she kills Shazia after she realizes what she saw as she dug around in her head, she kills Anan after she finds out that he knows about his wife's whereabouts, and she kills an innocent child just to hide her tracks. Yet despite losing her cool and going on a killing spree, Mia is able to compose herself well enough to keep on going. She is able to order room service with a dead body on the floor, she is able to drive all the way to Shazia's house to kill her husband right after she murders Shazia, and she is able to sit down and watch her son's school play right after she killed an infant.
Despite breaking down and showing signs of guilt several times, Mia is able to pick herself back up and continue on.
The woman she has become is a stark contrast to that young girl she was 15 years before. She wanted to call the police after Rob hit an innocent man with his car because it was the right thing to do. Many people argue that it is this exact moment that changed Mia, that she saw just how easy it was to get away with murder that she decides she can do it again and again. However for me, I see it as the defining moment in her life where she was at her lowest and since then, she did everything she could to never feel that way again. She is married to a lovely husband and has an adorable son, and she doesn't want to lose all of that and feel the way she did when she dumped the body in the river.
The entire episode was a train wreck that kept getting worse and worse as Mia believes the only way to cover her tracks is to kill more people. She is leaving behind a string of bodies just so she can save herself, as if her life is more important than the lives of those she took.
I found the ending to be powerful and shocking all at the same time. First off with the blind baby. There really was no way Mia could have known the baby was blind unless she really cared to check, and I don't think she was in the right state of mind to find out. When Mia hears the baby cry, you can see it on her face that she doesn't want to do it. To kill is already the heavy sin, but killing an infant? That is a crime only a true monster could commit, and when she did it, there was no turning back for her. The fact that the child couldn't see her; therefore, if the recaller was used on him, he wouldn't be able to "rat her out" made the situation even more sad. It means that Mia didn't have to do it, and I'm sure once the police tell her, it will eat away at her until her last day.
The guinea pig being the one that took Mia down was the ultimate slap in the face. It makes me wonder if Mia saw it but thought nothing of it, or if she didn't know that the recaller could be used on animals as well. It was just a bit sad that Mia thought she had gotten away with the perfect crime, only to be caught by one small mishap. That is how a lot of murderers get caught because they overlooked one small detail-if they would have not overlooked it, then they would have committed (and gotten away with) the perfect crime.
Speaking of perfect, do you guys think the title "Crocodile" is the perfect name for this episode? I've thought about some reasons why this episode was titled "Crocodile" and I've also came up with some explanations.
Peoples' memories as Shazia mentions, are hazy and often time inaccurate. It is difficult for the human mind to recall certain moments of their lives without putting their own filter over the moment itself. Therefore, they are "tampering" with their recollection whether they intend to or not. That is why two people could be witnessing one event and end up with two completely different recollection. For example when Shazia interviews the dentist, he said he saw a woman in a lime green coat when in actuality, the woman was wearing a yellow coat. The dentist later on admits that he just remembers the coat being "bright" and not so much the color. You see, he wasn't lying when he said the woman's coat was lime green because that is what he remembers. In this instinct, whether the coat is bright green or yellow is not important but you can see why this little mishap could be crucial if it were on a bigger issue or a more important detail.If we are to believe that all the episodes in Black Mirror takes place in the same universe, then it is safe to assume that "Crocodile" takes place in an earlier time period than "The Entire History of You" since the recaller is an older version of the grain.
Since we are on the topic of recalling past episodes, I love that "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)" shows up in this episode. This song, sung by Irma Thomas, was first introduced in "Fifteen Million Merits" and continues to show up in several episodes after ("White Christmas" and "Men Against Fire"). I love these little Easter Eggs that continue to show up in this season. It's fun to connect episodes to one another, and it makes watching the show even more enjoyable. After all, with Black Mirror, the details are what makes the show so great.
*Ahem* now back to the episode discussion...
I also found it interesting that the government nows requires its citizens to take part in the recalling system as a sort of protocol. Basically, if you witnessed a crime, you are forced to come forward and open your mind to the recalling. This is where the technology aspect gets pushed a little too far. It is one thing to invent a device that will help people recall past events, but it is another thing completely to force people to comply whether they want to or not. It is this legal requirement actually, that leads to Mia to murder Shazia and her family. Whether she meant to or not, Shazia pushed Mia too far and she cracked. If the government didn't force this protocol on its citizens, then Shazia would have left the moment Mia said no and she would have still been alive but then again, that wouldn't make for a good plot line would it?
Speaking of Mia losing her cool, this is something we see repeatedly throughout the episode. She kills Rob after he tells her he is going to write a letter to the victim's wife, she kills Shazia after she realizes what she saw as she dug around in her head, she kills Anan after she finds out that he knows about his wife's whereabouts, and she kills an innocent child just to hide her tracks. Yet despite losing her cool and going on a killing spree, Mia is able to compose herself well enough to keep on going. She is able to order room service with a dead body on the floor, she is able to drive all the way to Shazia's house to kill her husband right after she murders Shazia, and she is able to sit down and watch her son's school play right after she killed an infant.
Despite breaking down and showing signs of guilt several times, Mia is able to pick herself back up and continue on.
The woman she has become is a stark contrast to that young girl she was 15 years before. She wanted to call the police after Rob hit an innocent man with his car because it was the right thing to do. Many people argue that it is this exact moment that changed Mia, that she saw just how easy it was to get away with murder that she decides she can do it again and again. However for me, I see it as the defining moment in her life where she was at her lowest and since then, she did everything she could to never feel that way again. She is married to a lovely husband and has an adorable son, and she doesn't want to lose all of that and feel the way she did when she dumped the body in the river.
The entire episode was a train wreck that kept getting worse and worse as Mia believes the only way to cover her tracks is to kill more people. She is leaving behind a string of bodies just so she can save herself, as if her life is more important than the lives of those she took.
I found the ending to be powerful and shocking all at the same time. First off with the blind baby. There really was no way Mia could have known the baby was blind unless she really cared to check, and I don't think she was in the right state of mind to find out. When Mia hears the baby cry, you can see it on her face that she doesn't want to do it. To kill is already the heavy sin, but killing an infant? That is a crime only a true monster could commit, and when she did it, there was no turning back for her. The fact that the child couldn't see her; therefore, if the recaller was used on him, he wouldn't be able to "rat her out" made the situation even more sad. It means that Mia didn't have to do it, and I'm sure once the police tell her, it will eat away at her until her last day.The guinea pig being the one that took Mia down was the ultimate slap in the face. It makes me wonder if Mia saw it but thought nothing of it, or if she didn't know that the recaller could be used on animals as well. It was just a bit sad that Mia thought she had gotten away with the perfect crime, only to be caught by one small mishap. That is how a lot of murderers get caught because they overlooked one small detail-if they would have not overlooked it, then they would have committed (and gotten away with) the perfect crime.
Speaking of perfect, do you guys think the title "Crocodile" is the perfect name for this episode? I've thought about some reasons why this episode was titled "Crocodile" and I've also came up with some explanations.
- "Crocodile Tears": We've seen Mia tear up a lot in this episode, but is it out of guilt or remorse? The term "crocodile tears" is based on actual crocodile tearing up when they eat, but it isn't because they feel remorse for killing another animal, but it is because they swallow too much air and all of that air irritates their lachrymal glands. The tears are then "forced" to flow. The same concept applies to Mia. Maybe she isn't crying out of guilt but the actual act of murdering someone causes her tear up because she is seen gagging after she does it. It could be the sight of the dead body or the act of murder, but since Mia continues to kill, it is safe to say that she doesn't feel too bad for her victims.
- Crocodiles are infamous for not chewing their food, they tear apart their prey and swallow large chunks of meat at a time. Why waste time chewing right? The same can be said for Mia. She doesn't waste time talking or negotiating with her victims, and instead she (literally) goes for the kill.
- "Cold Blooded": Crocodiles are reptiles which means they are cold blooded, and well you can't go on a murder spree if you aren't cold blooded yourself right?
All in all, this episode was pretty fantastic. I love anticipation of what Mia will do next, the technology used to recall memories, and of course Andrea Riseborough's acting. I wouldn't say it is the best episode of Season 4- "USS Callister" still holds the #1 spot for me-but it definitely is a standout. I think all the hype really got to me, and although this episode was good, it wasn't as good as I had hoped.
★ ★ ★/5
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