As Netflix’s Black Mirror returns for Season 7, Reacher followers ought to migrate from Prime Video to look at star Alan Ritchson seem in one of many hit anthology collection’ most unnerving episodes. Ritchson seems in Season 3, Episode 1, “Nosedive,” sharing the display screen with Bryce Dallas Howard, Alice Eve, Cherry Jones, James Norton, and others in an unsettling story about humanity measuring their worthiness by means of social media expertise.
Proving that there are not any small elements, Ritchson capitalized on his transient Black Mirror efficiency and now ranks amongst Hollywood’s most sought-after motion stars. In “Nosedive,” Ritchson flexes his appearing chops greater than his action-movie muscle, showcasing a versatility that many Reacher followers could also be stunned by. With Reacher Season 4 and a handful of flicks within the works for Ritchson, reflecting on his Black Mirror efficiency will give followers a higher appreciation for his appearing vary.

Black Mirror
- Launch Date
-
December 4, 2011
- Community
-
Channel 4, Netflix
Nosedive’s Premise
Directed by Joe Wright, “Nosedive” takes place sooner or later, like a lot of Black Mirror. Technological developments in social media have created an surroundings the place persons are reviewed and rated on each interplay they’ve in public. Every particular person is implanted with a cell gadget of their eye that promotes fixed monitoring. Those that behave the most effective are rewarded with five-star critiques, whereas those that act impolitely earn 1 star or fewer.
The story issues Lacie Pound (Dallas Howard), a girl dissatisfied along with her 4.2 social score. By rising her score to 4.5 stars, Lacie will earn a reduction on an upscale house. Lacie lives along with her husband, Ryan Pound (Norton), who doesn’t need to reside within the luxurious house which means a lot to her. Throughout their combat, Lacie agrees to attend the marriage of her previous buddy, Naomi (Eve).
Nevertheless, Lacie is much less concerned with being her previous buddy’s maid of honor and extra intent on gaining a constructive evaluation from Naomi, whose 4.8-star blessing will enhance Lacie’s recognition. En path to the marriage, Lacie interacts with a number of eerie people whose encounters fluctuate her social score.
Dipping right down to a 2.6 score, Naomi calls Lacie on her marriage ceremony day and tells her to not come, as somebody rated that low is akin to a plague. Regardless of how a lot Lacie meant to Naomi of their childhood, Naomi would by no means settle for a 2.6-rated particular person attending her marriage ceremony, as it will lower her score. On this world, friendship means nothing. Reputation is the one foreign money that issues.
Who Does Alan Ritchson Play in ‘Black Mirror’s Nosedive?
Showing within the closing 13 minutes, Alan Ritchson performs Paul in “Nosedive.” Paul is Naomi’s groom-to-be, who stands up and offers a toasting speech to his greatest man, Anthony. With a clean-shaven face and barely slimmer physique than Reacher followers know him for, Ritchson flashes charming vitality and infectious charisma. Though the speech is intercut with Lacie wading by means of swampland to attend the marriage, Ritchson showcases his comedic chops as Paul. He cracks jokes about Anthony, saying “Hilarious speech by the best way…by your requirements,” which cracks the group up in methods that may absolutely enhance his social score.

Associated
Bryce Dallas Howard’s 15 Finest Performances, Ranked
Bryce Dallas Howard’s basic appearing type brings grace and class again to the silver display screen in these prime performances.
One other laugh-out-loud second happens after Paul introduces Naomi and approaches her for an embrace. As a substitute of exhibiting affection to his bride, Paul barks and chest-bumps Anthony in a ridiculous show of hypermasculinity, which makes Naomi roll her eyes. That is when Lacie arrives, coated in mud, and proceeds to present her maid of honor speech.
Now not disillusioned by the necessity for recognition, Lacie offers a speech deemed too sincere for likes as she exposes Naomi’s indiscretions. Lacie’s social scores take a nosedive in the course of the speech, and she or he sprints out of the marriage with a knife in tow when Paul makes an attempt to cease her.
Why Nosedive Stays One in every of ‘Black Mirror’s Finest Netflix Episodes
With out spoiling the worthwhile shock ending, “Nosedive” stays a excessive watermark for Black Mirror for 2 major causes: the technological and the thematic. Technologically, “Nosedive” was the primary episode produced after Black Mirror transitioned from Channel 4 to Netflix. The shift to Netflix included a large budgetary enhance, enabling Joe Wright to broaden the technological prowess of the TV collection and create dearer units, props, CGI, and the like.
The technological upgrades fostered extra vivid world-building, with the unsettling artifice of “Nosedive’s” clinically sterile, all-too-perfect surroundings marking a transparent enchancment for Black Mirror. How Wright perceives the modern-day perils of social media and initiatives them into the close to future is stark, disturbing, and aesthetically lifelike. Coupled with the alarming themes, “Nosedive” turns into a daunting cautionary story society ought to heed carefully.

Associated
‘Black Mirror’ Season 7 Is Filled with Acquainted Faces
Here is the place you’ve got seen the ‘Black Mirror’ Season 7 solid earlier than and why a few of them would possibly look significantly acquainted.
Social media was designed to carry folks collectively, however oftentimes, it has the alternative impact and drives folks aside. That is the thematic fulcrum spinning “Nosedive” from starting to finish, with its deliberate message speaking that having likes, followers, and recognition doesn’t equate to happiness. Quite the opposite, the terminal quest to be accepted by others is a recipe for sad doom and dismay.
Though it takes some time for Lacie to appreciate this, her encounter with truck driver Susan (Cherry Jones) on the best way to Naomi’s marriage ceremony helps make clear issues. Susan admits that her lifeless husband was denied his most cancers remedy as a result of his social rating was thought-about too low. Since then, Susan has sworn off pleasing others for a foolish score and doesn’t care that she holds a 1.4-star. Frankly, each social media consumer ought to be so fortunate and reevaluate what’s most necessary in life.
Nosedive’s chilling delinquent media message and good-looking manufacturing values proceed to prop it up as one in every of Black Mirror‘s greatest Netflix episodes. What transpires within the episode is not too removed from occurring in actuality, and it is as much as society to stop social media from figuring out private happiness. In any other case, we’re all certain to nosedive into oblivion.
Black Mirror is offered to stream on Netflix