The first two episodes of Black Mirror were enjoyable, but personally, I felt they lacked the true Black Mirror feeling (you can find reviews of the episodes ‘Joan is Awful’ and ‘Loch Henry’ here and here).
In Beyond the Sea, it quickly becomes clear that we’re dealing with advanced technology, and the comedic and colorful aspects of Joan is Awful are absent. Does the series regain its old form in episode 3?
This article is not only a review, but also a recap. Therefore, it contains big spoilers.
Introduction to the Families
We are briefly introduced to the families of David Ross (Josh Hartnett) and Cliff Stanfield (Aaron Paul). At first glance, David seems to lead a happy family life. Cliff’s situation is portrayed as more somber. He leads a more secluded life with his son and his wife Lana (Kata Mara). When Cliff asks her how much longer until dinner is ready, I think to myself once again, “Didn’t you used to do the cooking?” before promising myself to separate him from Breaking Bad.
One thing is certain: whatever happens this episode, the cast will surely not be to blame.
Meanwhile, David visits the cinema with his wife Jessica (Auden Thornton). He is greeted there by a couple who seems very impressed with him. “You are so real,” the man says after shaking David’s hand. The woman also touches him and is amazed. Within three minutes, we already know that we don’t have to look very far for a technological element in Beyond the Sea. The woman asks him if the actual David is sleeping upstairs. Apparently, this version of David is not the original.
His wife Jessica certainly doesn’t seem to mind that this version is not entirely real. After the cinema outing, she lets herself be indulged by him to the tune of Charles Trenet’s ‘La mer’. David’s hand glides from her breasts to the south, and apparently, this replica has highly capable fingers.
Replicas
In the next scene, we see David and Cliff both stepping into some sort of futuristic device after being alerted through their watches. The original versions then awaken in a spaceship. It seems reminiscent of some kind of Matrix. The real gentlemen, astronauts, lie asleep in space, while their replicas live their lives back on earth. It’s not a bad idea in itself. They are not bound by the loneliness and limited space of the spaceship, and they don’t have to miss their families. From the partner’s perspective, the knowledge that you’re dealing with a copy of your beloved may be a bit strange. But perhaps it’s better than nothing?
As I fantasize about the possibility of having my replica fulfill my office work while I go gaming, we learn that both crew members were automatically summoned due to damage to the ship. We see them working together as Cliff exits the spaceship and performs repairs on the exterior. After a few stunning shots, it’s fixed, and the men discuss their current lives on Earth. Cliff mentions being happy with his countryside home. David asks about Lana and his son Henry; it’s clear that the two share an okay bond, and are involved in each other’s lives.
They wish each other a good week and then step back into the shoes of their replicas. They do this by inserting the dog tag hanging around their necks into a sort of scanner.
Back on Earth, Lana suggests to Cliff that they organize a party to get to know their neighbors. Cliff is not enthusiastic and dismisses it with the well-known “We’ll see,” which loosely translates to “That’s never going to happen.”
The loneliness is evident on Kate Mara’s character’s face. One of her arguments was that it would be good for Henry to meet some local children, but she seems just as desperate for personal connections. They live in the middle of nowhere, and Cliff seems absent. Not only in physical form but also in a mental sense. It is also noticeable that there is no physical contact between the two: Cliff immediately turns his back to her and falls asleep. This sharply contrasts with the relationship his crewmate David shares with his wife.
A Brutal Tragedy
But anyone who thinks that David has it much better is mistaken. In a disturbing scene, we see a hippie-looking cult, led by Kappa (Rory Culkin), invade David’s house. They cut off his “fake arm” and express their hatred for the unnaturalness of the replica. The group advocates for a natural order and is against the technology that this episode revolves around.
However, the horrors do not end there. His family has to pay the ultimate price for allowing this replica into their home. They are brutally murdered, right in front of David’s eyes. The camera turns upside down as we see blood and hear screams.
Cliff receives the heartbreaking news and returns to his physical form. Naturally, he finds a completely broken David, who wants nothing to do with Cliff’s attempts at comfort.
For a moment, I thought this episode would focus on the cult and their hunt for replicas. Cliff’s life would then also be in danger. Or perhaps David would stop at nothing to seek revenge. But in the next scene, we learn that the cult has turned themselves in. Thankfully, the episode focuses on a much more interesting theme than I feared.
While Cliff discusses some kind of purity of 93% in the spaceship, my earlier resolution is being severely tested.
Cliff can no longer reach David, who has spaced out. The man has not only lost his family, but he also can’t retreat to his replica anymore, after it was destroyed by the hippies. He seems to be rapidly losing his mind.
This not only concerns Cliff on a personal level but also in terms of work. As we saw earlier, the two astronauts need each other to keep things running smoothly. If David were to harm himself, it would be the end for Cliff as well. When his wife Lana suggests the idea of David using Cliff’s replica to get some fresh air, it becomes clear which direction this is heading.
The Mother of All Bad Ideas Leads to Predictable Consequences
From that moment on, you know that things will go from bad to even worse. Yes, it’s a sympathetic proposal. But this is asking for trouble. There is no possibility that this will end well. Various potential disaster scenarios immediately come to mind. What if David never wants to return to his physical form? What if he becomes jealous of the life that Cliff still has? What if he falls in love with Lana?
Many of these scenarios turn out to be true. The decision to let David use Cliff’s replica is not a smart one. Humane and understandable, yes. But smart, no. The consequences of the remaining 50 minutes were predictable. Except for the actual climax, which I did not see coming at all.
David gratefully accepts the proposal. We see him taking his first steps in Cliff’s shoes. It’s the first time this season that I truly realize I’m watching Black Mirror. The switching between physical and replica form is an intriguing concept.
Lana takes a walk with David (who is in Cliff’s form). We witness a heart-wrenching scene as he completely breaks down. If anyone can convincingly portray a broken man, it’s Aaron Paul in my opinion. Lana comforts him with a hug, and I wonder how strange it must be to see a near stranger break down in the body of your own partner.
Back in space, a grateful and emotional David shakes Cliff’s hand. Cliff returns to Earth, and we see David picking up his drawing hobby again. We all know that this won’t be his last visit, of course.
Cliff asks Lana how it went, to which she tells him that David wept like a child. “What did you do?” Cliff asks. It’s noteworthy that she withholds the fact that she comforted him with a hug. She simply says, “Not much.”
The Beginning of the End
Back in space, David shows Cliff what he has drawn: an impressive sketch of their house. However, it could be even more beautiful. If Cliff can arrange a canvas and some oil for him, he would gladly turn it into a painting. As a thank-you gift.
Don’t do it, I think. But we still have 40 minutes to go.
Cliff and Lana agree to a weekly one-hour visit. And during David’s next visit, we see the two having a conversation that delves deeper than the usual conversations between Cliff and his wife. Earlier in this episode, we saw Cliff ask a quick question about her book. Lana mentioned that she was just staring at the letters, and the conversation ended there. Unlike Cliff, David is interested in books. He says he will think about some recommendations for her.
Meanwhile, he puts on a French love song again (Quand on n’a que l’amour by Jacques Brel). Lana’s facial expression shows that this is yet another shared taste, while David begins working on his painting.
We see David and Cliff alternating as the weeks pass by. Mr. Brel’s music has been promoted from background to foreground, and he sings his heart out. When the music stops, we can see that the painting has progressed significantly. David hands his brush to Lana and tells her to give it a try. She does her best, but the upcoming cliché is inevitable.
David Tries to Draw Lana In
Of course, he will take her hand and guide her in the right direction. That’s an unwritten rule in this context. It HAS to happen to take the first step towards physical contact. I don’t think you’re allowed to graduate from film school without writing such a scene. And so it happens. The first contact is made, and this can only go one way. This is confirmed when we see David starting another drawing project in space: a portrait of Lana.
Is the man perhaps moving on too quickly from his deceased wife? You know, the one who was brutally slaughtered in front of his eyes, along with his children. A larger leap in time might have been more appropriate. One could argue that Lana just serves as a distraction. But David does seem genuinely in the clouds. Both literally and figuratively.
In a subsequent visit, we see that David has incorporated Lana into the painting of the house. She expresses flattery, and in the background, David plays “La Mer” again. The two start dancing, something I can’t imagine she ever did with Cliff.
Tension fills the air as the dance becomes more and more intimate. David continues, recreating a copy of his earlier dance with Jessica. His hand glides towards Lana’s breast, and for a moment, she seems to lose herself in the moment.
Conflicting Feelings
Due to the colorless portrayal of Cliff and Lana’s relationship and the growing chemistry with David, I briefly thought that the feelings would be mutual. Perhaps, in some way, they were, but Lana remains loyal and pushes David away.
David follows her into the house, refusing to give up. “You want this,” he says, and “He won’t know.” Any gratitude towards Cliff and his wife, who granted him this freedom, is nowhere to be found. Hate to say I told you so.
“You work your way into my home, wearing my husband as a suit,” Lana describes the situation quite accurately. For viewers who didn’t find David unlikable enough, he takes it a step further by stating that Cliff is not a good match for her. He also hits Henry, who is guilty of defacing David’s painting. The boy seems to have quite a clear understanding of what’s going on. Either that, or he’s just a nuisance.
I was waiting for the moment when David wouldn’t want to return to his physical form anymore. After all, he knows there’s a chance Lana would tell Cliff about his advances. Every time he actually, voluntarily went back to space, I was surprised.
Just as I was surprised that Cliff didn’t stand up for his son, once Lana told him about the fact that David hit Henry. On the contrary, he fully understands that David hit him and even says he has done it himself plenty of times. Lana wants David to stop using Cliff’s replica. Talking about the hit doesn’t help, but she doesn’t present the one argument that would put an end to everything. Frustratingly enough, she doesn’t mention David’s aggressive advances. If she had, this episode would have ended on a much better note.
Cliff’s Initial Lack of Action Will Come Back to Haunt Him
To Lana’s dismay, Cliff insists that David is allowed to finish his painting. She wants nothing more to do with him and leaves the house during David’s upcoming visit.
Meanwhile, Cliff discovers the portraits of his wife, made by David. Unfortunately for David, their intimate shared space doesn’t offer a lot of hiding spots. It turns out that David has even made nude portraits of Lana.
Cliff calls out to David through an alert on his watch. The long-awaited confrontation doesn’t disappoint. Cliff attacks the ungrateful bastard. David argues that Cliff has everything but doesn’t appreciate it (he might have a point there). “Your wife is a lonely woman. Unappreciated. Unsatisfied. Untouched.”
It’s a miserable situation. The astronauts’ mission lasts for another 4 years. They only have each other up there, dependent on one another. They’re stuck with eachother, no matter what.
Hidden Truths and Unspoken Desires
A furious Cliff returns to his replica and confronts Lana. He blames her for not making it clear that she no longer wanted David in the house. Lana, in turn, accuses Cliff of not listening to her, like when she mentioned the hit to Henry. Kata Mara has been impressive the whole episode, but brings her absolute A-game during this scene.
Overall, her character Lana has behaved well, but she has omitted the most important truth. Did she secretly wanted David’s visits to continue?
She says that for a moment, it felt like her husband was back, and she did wish he had indeed touched her. The emotional scene ends in an embrace, a moment of intimacy that had long been absent between the two. For a brief moment, the idea crossed my mind that this might actually be David in reality. What if David was playing along, gradually assuming Cliff’s identity to deceive Lana? That turned out not to be the case.
On board the spaceship, David makes a desperate attempt to use Cliff’s replica one last time: to apologize to Lana. DON’T DO IT, I think again, and this time Cliff thankfully listens. “You will never see her again.” Very good. But unfortunately, not true.
A Devastating Ending Brings the Episode Full Circle
David later summons Cliff back to space due to a new technical malfunction. Cliff has to perform the repair from outside the spaceship once again. We have seen before that he needs to wear certain clothing for this, and that it requires him to remove his dog tag (which of course grants him access to his replica).
Cliff carries out his repair, and for a moment, it seems like David won’t let him back inside. I thought this would indeed be the tragic end: Cliff being sidelined while David has access to his replica and can cause all sorts of havoc. Surprisingly, after a few suspenseful seconds, David does let him in.
Turns out nothing wrong with the spaceship. Cliff is under the assumption that the system is sending out false reports, but we know that David was responsible for that. When David pulls Cliff’s dog tag out of his pocket, Cliff finally senses something is amiss. Houston, we have a problem. “What did you do?”
As Cliff quickly returns to his replica, we see that he is covered in blood, as is the entire house. In his colleague’s body, David has created a scene of devastation. He has done to Cliff’s wife and child what was done to him at the beginning of the episode, brutally murdering them. Cliff screams in agony as the camera flips upside down, filmed in the exact same manner as the earlier death of David’s family.
Back in the spaceship, David, almost tauntingly, invites Cliff to sit next to him. As if to say “Join the club.” He knows that Cliff can’t do what he undoubtedly wants to do without paying for it with his own life. Both are left empty-handed. It will be four long years ahead.
We are left with our own thoughts on how those years unfold. But I can’t imagine that the mission will come to a successful end.
Conclusion
After two episodes that didn’t feel like Black Mirror, the series seems to be back on track with “Beyond the Sea.” The use of technology and the somber theme raises the exact questions for which the series is known.
“Beyond the Sea” features the highest star power of the season, combined with the most challenging roles of the season. The acting is of the highest caliber.
However, much of the plot could be outlined in broad strokes. Many of the events were predictable, but the ending was shocking and just as grim as we have come to expect from previous seasons.
Enjoyed this review? All Black Mirror Season 6 episode reviews can be found here.
