Black Mirror Revisit: Crocodile

Last year, I compiled a non-definitive ranking of Black Mirror episodes. Once a month, I revisit an episode, starting from the bottom. Herein lies #12.

The Talent:
The Road's John Hillcoat directs Charlie Brooker's script, with Possessor's incredibly layered Andrew Riseborough in the lead (the beauty of the Icelandic landscape plays an important supporting role).

The Setup:
Back in her roaring 20s, Mia was a bit of a party girl, drinking and dancing the night away with her boyfriend Rob. That stopped early one morning when still drunk, they hit and killed a passing cyclist. Rather than do the honorable, self-incriminating thing, they tossed the body in a lake and called it a day.

15 years later, Mia has changed her ways, thriving in a new, responsible life as a star architect and mom. Unfortunately for her, Rob has had a harder go of things. He stops by her hotel for some reconnecting as she attends a work conference. Now sober, Rob is ready to make amends for their crime. The cover story of Dwell Magazine is not.

Never underestimate a motivated woman with a lot to lose.

Meanwhile, insurance investigator Shazia is using some fancy The Entire History of You-ish technology called Recaller to close the case on a pedestrian struck by a self-driving delivery van. Turns out, Mia happened to glance out the window just in time to witness the accident. Of course, that was just after she murdered her ex, and since Recaller  brings up a visual of your memory, Mia's crime is now in the hands of a sweet, doomed Shazia.

The Ending:
Having never read an O'Henry tale, Mia races through a careful but incredibly swift murder spree, driving out to Shazia's home to get rid of her husband (the only other person who knew Shazia's whereabouts), and, because a baby can still be used for Recaller, her adorable infant son. Mia cooly stumbles into her son's elementary school production of Bugsy Malone as the police discover the crime scene and the most surprising star witness: Shazia's newly acquired guinea pig, whose cage was posed in front of the murders, making him a far more effective recaller than, we discover, Shazia's blind son.

Ouch.

The Theme:

No matter how careful you cover your tracks, no matter how little guilt you have over your actions, in the surprisingly moralistic universe of Charlie Brooker, murder will always be punished (the price might just be very, very high). 

The Verdict:
I admired, but didn't necessarily enjoy Crocodile the first time around, but on second watch, it's grown in my estimation. John Hillcoat nails the icy tone, which works so well with Andrea Riseborough's chilly, terrifyingly compartmentalized demeanor.

Part of what might have upped Crocodile's standing for me are some of the behind-the-the-scenes tidbits I learned regarding just how key Riseborough was in its development. She initially came in to read for the investigator part before suggesting to Hillcoat that the lead be female, a challenge Brooker apparently took on with some enthusiasm. Per Riseborough's fascinating AV Club interview below:

There were lots of conversations about that in the beginning. Would people sympathize with a woman who does what Mia does? To which my response was, “Well, if we don’t see a woman do that often, then that’s why we should do it.” Because women kill all the time. And are life-givers, and preservers, and takers. So wouldn’t that be fascinating to explore the psychology of that?

I want to say, "I can't imagine Crocodile with the lead being male" but that's because I've seen that story told thousands of times, and nothing would stand out in the slightest if we had to watch yet another man mess up and try to cover his tracks. But when you flip that script, it simply opens up new questions and layers.

Plus, who can really be mad with any piece of pop culture that references the great Paul Williams' work on Bugsy Malone?

Technology Tip:
The more I think through what could have prevented the tragic end of Crocodile, the more I come back to the inconsistencies of Shazia's job safety. How does a company with the budget to create and utilize MIND READING TECHNOLOGY not have more security structures or tracking involved in their agents' investigations? If Shazia could have just logged her work, Mia would have likely realized she had no way of getting out of the mess she put herself in. So I guess the lesson here is document, document, document?

The Black Mirror Grade
Cruelty Scale:
9/10; THAT BABY IS VERY CUTE. The only reason we don't go for a full perfect score is that if nothing else, Brooker did spare the guinea pig.

Quality Scale: 

8/10; The cruel twist ending, the beautiful cinematography, and the true commitment to making Mia so uncompromising earns a whole lot of points

Enjoyment Scale:

7/10; Once you approach Crocodile knowing that the episode's most pleasant character and her sweet baby boy are doomed, it's far easier to sit back and enjoy the black humor inherent in Mia's path.

Up Next (Month): Have yourself a Hammy little White Christmas!