Black Mirror fans say new episode starring Irish actor is the ‘best of all time'
The new season of
Black Mirror dropped earlier this month,
and one episode starring Irish actor Chris O'Dowd seems to stand out among the other five.
The episode, Common People, stars O'Dowd as Mike and actress Rashida Jones as Amanda. The couple struggles as Amanda suffers a health crisis that threatens her life. To save her, Mike agrees to have a surgical procedure courtesy of the new tech company Rivermind.
However, like
most episodes of the science fiction series
, things are not as straightforward as they seem. While the procedure restores Amanda's consciousness, the couple is now indebted to the company and pays monthly subscription fees to keep her alive.
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The fees slowly begin to spiral out of control as the service becomes more capitalistic. Ultimately, Amanda's life becomes unlivable, and Mike, unable to keep up the payments, resorts to drastic measures.
According to viewers, a number of things stood out from the episode, one of which was Chris O'Dowd's incredible performance.
The actor, who hails from Boyle Co Roscommon,
has stunned in films like Bridesmaids and This Is Forty, but he showed a different side to his acting chops in the new episode.
Funnyman Chris O'Dowd wowed in the role
(Image: 2024 Penske Media)
Viewers also commented on the stark reality and limitations of life-saving technology. Black Mirror tends to highlight the dangers associated with reliance on technology, which is increasing as we move further into the digital age.
On Reddit, users pointed out that Common People evoked the same feeling as earlier Black Mirror episodes, which gave the show its status as one of Netflix's best.
Bahnmor wrote: 'This latest series has done a good job in revisiting the good old existential terror that Black Mirror is known for. This episode they came out strong.'
Manic_panda added: 'I wept at this episode. Such a beautiful and painfully realistic metaphor for the lengths people go to to fight terminal illness and the sheer greed attached to the insurance companies who leech off them.'
ScratchChrome heaped praise onto O'Dowd, writing: 'I was blown away by his acting chops, I've seen him in loads of stuff but this was such a hard hitter. They've really excelled themselves with the casting this season.'
Satchmo101 agreed, adding, 'One of the best ever eps.'
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