Originally written in Spanish.
Black Mirror is a series that began in 2011, created by Charlie Brooker. Its name refers to the black screen in which we see ourselves reflected when we look at a technological device. In Black Mirror, the screen is cracked, and the image looks distorted. It’s a series about technological innovations and how they could affect our lives, presenting us with dilemmas that may arise in the future, often bordering on terror situations.
Black Mirror is an anthology, which means that each episode is independent of the others; no plot continues along the season. But if you pay attention to details, you can often find references to other episodes. The series already has six seasons, with episodes directed and acted by relevant names in the industry. Many topics have already gone through it, such as Twitter, geolocations, Got Talent programs, parental controls, and social media addiction.
The first chapter of the sixth season is called Joan is Awful. It tells the story of an executive that, after a not-very-lucky day, sits down to watch Streamberry, a Netflix-like streaming catalog in the world of Black Mirror. That’s when she finds a series named after her, in which Salma Hayek plays her part. Joan realizes that anything she does becomes part of the series since it's written by artificial intelligence. That's all I can tell you; you will have to see the rest for yourself, accompanied by a simple knitting project that will allow you to follow the plot.
For this episode, Netflix has created a website where you can design your own Joan is Awful-style poster. This makes me think about what kind of technological paranoia could affect us knitters. Maybe one day, we will end up stabbing the screen with our needles in true Black Mirror style.
