Warning: Spoilers for the Black Mirror Season 7 episode “Widespread Individuals” are in play.
Each time a brand new season of Black Mirror arrives, followers are left with an assortment of endings that both get actually emotional or extraordinarily cryptic. Upon the latest episodes debuting amid the 2025 TV schedule, I topped “Widespread Individuals” because the bleakest Black Mirror story in Charlie Brooker’s canon so far. Nonetheless, after watching stars Rashida Jones and Tracee Ellis Ross piece collectively a fair darker interpretation of that story’s last act, I feel I could have beforehand understated that time.
Amanda’s State Of Thoughts In “Widespread Individuals’s” Unhappy Ending Raises Some Large Questions
As a part of the promotion of Black Mirror Season 7, Netflix invited a gaggle of journalists to participate in a roundtable expertise with a few of the stars. For “Widespread Individuals,” each Jones and Ross had been available, with the dialogue finally prompting a eager query. The question centered round whether or not Amanda (Rashida Jones) asking her husband Mike (Chris O’Dowd) to finish her life was a request made in a sound psychological state.
CinemaBlend was available to listen to Rashida Jones share these ideas about that aforementioned second:
It is form of fascinating, as a result of she does make this resolution, however she makes this resolution beneath the affect of Rivermind Lux. I wager it’s going to be debated, whether or not or not she truly had the company to make that call, and the way a lot of it was her. However I form of selected that it was the perfect model of herself as a result of I push up my serenity button on the finish.
Additional explaining her views on how this Netflix subscription booster left the matter, the Parks and Recreation vet provided some extra particulars from that scene that constructed her case of context. The backyard setting, with a transparent view of the woods, is a setting that Ms. Jones cites as a transparent sign of Amanda’s want to “see [herself] as part of nature.”
It’s a literal second the place our character sees the forest for the timber, as her Serenity setting is maxed out by the affect of Rivermind Lux. “Widespread Individuals” co-star Tracee Ellis Ross later went on to say that she was up for watching the episode once more, so as to reply this query a bit clearer.
That’s a call that I positively tip my hat towards, as this Black Mirror episode hit fairly near dwelling for me. After digging deeper into what we expect occurred to Chris O’Dowd’s Mike in these last moments, that feeling has solely grown stronger.
Rashida Jones And Tracee Ellis Ross’ Dialogue Of “Widespread Individuals’s” Ending Seals Mike’s Destiny
Admittedly, this section of Black Mirror’s “Widespread Individuals” makes it sound like we’ve seen one thing as fantastically heart-wrending as “Lodge Reverie’s” ending. Which is why the ultimate second with Chris O’Dowd closing a door, with a boxcutter in his hand, is so necessary to the ultimate consequence.
The one silver lining I can pull from this dour parting shot is the truth that I acquired to observe Rashida Jones and Tracee Ellis Ross put all of it collectively, in actual time. Nonetheless, earlier than I share that second, listed below are some additional feedback Jones supplied to spotlight Mike’s psychological state after ending his spouse’s life:
It is in all probability the toughest factor he is ever executed to need to do, at my request. However then to not dwell with out me, to undergo what he is been by, the humiliation and the frustration, the overwhelm of being left with no alternative; I feel he in all probability does the identical.
Whereas this does not truly solidify the conclusion that Chris O’Dowd’s character takes his personal life, this sentiment felt like a key that unlocked the door that allowed each Ms. Jones and Ms. Ross to get to that thought themselves. In consequence, that gave us this second of readability and levity from the Black Mirror roundtables:
- Rashida Jones: “No! That’s it! That is what he does!”
- Tracee Ellis Ross: “He livestreams his dying.”
- Rashida Jones: “He says ‘I am doing a specialty factor later, ‘which is fairly darkish.”
- Tracee Ellis Ross: “Pre-tty darkish.”
Depart it to Black Mirror to place the satan within the particulars, simply as we’ve seen on this “Widespread Individuals” dialogue. As Mike stands on the door for us to see one final time, his profession as a humiliated Web character seems to be reaching its grand finale.
That makes me much more grateful that this was the primary story in Season 7’s lineup, as I don’t assume any of those that observe are any bleaker than what we’ve mentioned right here. Although, when it comes to tears shed per second, essential reactions to the Paul Giamatti episode “Eulogy” would recommend that title because the royal tearjerker.
After all, that’s up for interpretation – and with all six episodes now streaming on Netflix, you may determine for your self which is probably the most upsetting instance of Charlie Brooker and his crew making us all really feel like we have to step away from expertise without delay.