Board 8 > Rate the Black Mirror Episode: S2E3 - The Waldo Moment

(+) Yeah! (+)

Screen buzzes, cracks.

I remember this episode getting really mixed reception when it came out. Let's see how it does in 2023!
The episode tells the story of Jamie Salter (Daniel Rigby), an unhappy comedian who plays a blue, crass animated bear called Waldo in a satirical television programme. After a politician he interviewedLiam Monroe (Tobias Menzies)enters a by-election to become member of parliament, Waldo stands as a candidate. Meanwhile, Jamie and another candidate Gwendolyn Harris (Chloe Pirrie) develop feelings for each other. Waldo's popularity continues to rise, but Jamie becomes increasingly discontented with the role he is playing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Waldo_Moment

Guidelines:

• Rate the episode from 1 to 10
• Feel free to share your reasoning
• You can rate previous days

Previous ratings:
9.04 - S1E2 - Fifteen Million Merits
8.52 - S2E1 - Be Right Back
8.13 - S1E3 - The Entire History of You
6.61 - S2E2 - White Bear
6.22 - S1E1 - The National Anthem

7 out of 10

2/10

It's no National Anthem, but man did I ever hate this episode. It felt so confused about what it was even trying to say and every single person in it was terrible.

6

7/10

Interesting episode for most of the runtime but the ending takes some mental leaps I feel.

3/10. Everybody involved was deeply obnoxious and the political satire isnt that cutting. In the post-2016 years people would sometimes go but ah didnt this predict Trump so spooky and its like, no, populists of this type literally date back to at the latest the Roman Empire. Also the ending was just ridiculous. The first bad episode.

8/10

5.5

Definitely one of the weaker and more forgettable episodes

4.5/10

5/10

4.5/10

It has hints of brilliant satire but ultimately let's itself down by the end, with characters taking nonsensical actions that lead to a very unsatisfying conclusion whereupon nothing changed and therefore nothing really mattered. Downer endings can be good if you learn something from them or the protagonist is really engaging, but this just felt like kicking a teary-eyed puppy. Not fun, not good at all.

8

3, at the time a huge letdown after the brilliance of the previous episodes and still the only EP I actively dislike.

Also I missed last topic; I'll give a late vote of

White Bear - 8

6/10

1) Fifteen Million Merits
2) The Entire History of You
3) Be Right Back
4) The National Anthem
5) White Bear
6) The Waldo Moment

4/10

2/10

Probably my least favorite episode. I hear it's better on a rewatch, but no thanks.

White Bear - 9/10 (if I can vote late)