So was he watching kids? - Black Mirror (2011) Discussion

[–] mnewby-81409 8 years ago

Looking at pictures, yes. What doesn't make sense though is how can other people tell what he was looking at from the video?

reply

[–] Snowgoat 8 years ago

Agreed - it was a major plot hole that made that twist (and episode) fall flat for me.

reply

[–] Meven_Stoffat 8 years ago

How was it a plot hole? Knowing this series' crypticness the mother could have discovered it on his computer or the hackers coukd have sent screengrabs or video capture.

Also people who say it was a useless bit of detail or whatever... so his friendly interaction with the child near the beginning of the episode means nothing to you in light of the twist???

reply

[–] exatera 8 years ago

Do you guys not know how a computer virus can work or something? 
They could have hacked his computer, taken control of it, etc.

It wasn't necessarily just watching him through the webcam.

reply

[–] Tyler_Durden76 8 years ago

Bron told him in the car they sucked up his entire hard drive, look at the kids reaction when he hears that. I'd assume they released not just the video but his browsing history.

reply

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Mantiso 8 years ago

Are you people serious? YES! He was watching kids. That is why he is soooo ashamed. That is why he'd rather go through a bank robbery and killing another pedo than simply allowing the secret that he jacked off made public (which would be embarrassing sure, but not life altering)
That's why his mom screams at him about watching kids and why he is so messed about the whole thing.
The entire twist and concept of the episode is that this young guy we were feeling sorry for and sympathising with was not the harmless victim afterall. The end puts everything on its head and makes the audience think about how far we are happy to go to punish pedos. I think it goes way WAY too far (which I believe is the point), because he is a young guy who made a mistake and clearly regrets it and feels deep shame. It was a one time thing (supposedly). However, if you read other comments many people seem to think pedos deserve everything they get. Even if it's just looking at one pic online. To me the most interesting part is how people react and what people think justice should entail.
It is not a 'useless bit of detail'. It is what the entire episode revolves around and without it the story itself would be useless. I think you missed the point of the episode and Black Mirror in general.

reply

[–] Lauren-m-bonner 8 years ago

You must not have children. I feel no sympathy for him or other pedophiles. I must have missed the point of the episode I guess.

reply

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] emavo 8 years ago

Why would you assume it was a one time thing? That kind of behavior doesn't start out of the blue nor does it stop. It was subtly hinted that he probably had quite the stash on his HD, too. Did he regret looking at it or did he regret getting caught? I'd wager the latter considering he'd almost definitely continue had he not been caught meaning he's in some way justifying such behavior.

reply

[–] ToHelenBackAgain 8 years ago

Why would you assume it was a one time thing?

Right? Especially since they hit us over the head with how protective he was of his computer. Not to mention, if you're turned on by children... is that ever a one-time thing? This stuff is pretty hard-wired. That's why male pedos who do have some conscience will often request medical or physical castration. It's a long way from foolproof but it does lower their chances of assaulting a child, and/or continuing to contribute to the making of child pornography.

People with ordinarily healthy sexuality, while personal proclivities may differ, react to sexualized images of children with disgust, horrified empathy, and the urge to protect them. Not with sexual arousal.

"Here, with a special report, is a midget in a bikini."

reply

[–] Orlando_Gardner 8 years ago

Best post on here. Well said.

reply

[–] WilliamGalindo 8 years ago

Remember his computer had some kind of virus so they knew what websites he was visiting. The person on the other end probably told their families that.

reply

[–] aaronjamesleight 8 years ago

It seems people are really ruining this episode by not understanding crucial points. No judgment by any means, but I've just been disappointed that some still wonder whether he was looking at children, or wondering who "they" were, or - finally - not thinking a hacker could see what it was he was looking at.

The trojan they installed allowed an Internet troll to view, capture and record all of their actions and information to use against them. Perverts, cheaters and racists alike were all exposed for what they truly were by this troll, whose identity means nothing. He just did what a troll is known to do and had some fun with them before exposing them. I personally loved the episode.

reply

[–] Snowgoat 8 years ago

The twist didn't massively hinge my enjoyment of the episode, which I thought was pretty good overall, but equally it didn't revise my feeling of everything that had gone before. It didn't feel like a huge revelation, since we didn't really know anything much about the lead guy, and I just feel it was revealed in a bit of a clumsy way (especially since so much had been made of the fact it was the "video" of him that was the primary blackmail danger - which is why it feel like a bit of clumsy/dishonest "twist" to me). It could have been worked in a little better perhaps?

Also, the overall digital-blackmail-adventure theme of this episode has been pretty well-worn by other films/shows recently, while the mob/web-punishment aspect has been covered a lot in Black Mirror already. I guess, for me, it just didn't really offer anything particularly new - which isn't to say it was a bad episode, just didn't feel particularly original to me.

reply

[–] aaronjamesleight 8 years ago

That's fair. Misunderstanding it was mostly my issue, but understanding and liking or not liking is completely personal preference. I guess I liked the twist because the entire episode I'm yelling at the screen saying, "I'd rather have a naughty video of me out there than rob a bank or kill a guy!" But then it's revealed he did more than just something embarrassing - he did something highly illegal and creepy. So any remorse for him, which has had been building since he was pretty pathetic in all aspects - was wiped out in a split second. Then to find out he was likely going to prison for bank robbery, murder & underage pictures was pretty heavy.

My weakness is that I love the show - so I'm probably going to forgive aspects of it that I might not in a series I don't have an opinion about.

reply

[–] Snowgoat 8 years ago

My wife just walked in, having just watched this episode - and she thought it was absolutely fantastic, and the twist and all aspects worked fantastically for her. Maybe I'm in the minority in this one - but it just didn't feel that fresh for me!

One other thing we just discussed, is do you think it was implied that ALL the blackmailed characters were actually paedophiles (i.e. "Mindy" was actually underage). I don't think it was explicitly said, but that's kind of the feeling we got from it. What do you think?

reply

[–] aaronjamesleight 8 years ago

Hmm.. The only reason I'd definitely say no is the racist email storyline of the CEO. I don't see how that would play into it. Know what I mean?

reply

[–] Snowgoat 8 years ago

Oh yeah! You're absolutely right, I'd forgotten about that!

One thing I will say in defence of my view that the writers slightly (and needlessly) botched the twist a bit: my wife just went back and looked again (after we discussed how the twist was played out) - and all the references by the blackmailers are to the webcam "video" being released (rather than anything else). If they'd just referred to "what he'd done" rather than the "video", the revelation/twist would have felt less jarring for me.

reply

[–] PeterMarkoff 8 years ago

didn't they mention Mindy was 20 something?

reply

[–] danavenell 8 years ago

didn't they mention Mindy was 20 something?

Yes, and I just rewatched his wife's reaction - she says, crying 'Mindy?'

Not 'OMG you were going to have sex with a child, you paedophile urgh!!!!

reply

[–] exatera 8 years ago

You are misusing the word "troll". Trolls aren't exactly known to be "social justice warriors".

reply

[–] aaronjamesleight 8 years ago

While that's normally true, they're each texted the "troll logo" once they've been outted. Search "troll" in a Google image search and it matches the exact crooked smiley face they each receive at the end.

reply

[–] UrielFaraci 8 years ago

The moral of the episode was that skinny, weedy little guys who work in McDonald's and get bullied by their co-workers probably deserve it because they're pedos.

reply

[–] !!!deleted!!! (62046923) 8 years ago

Or his bullies made him that way

reply

[–] Stonaraptor 8 years ago

made him? only a cuck would come up with such an excuse

reply

[–] rpn313 8 years ago

There were different levels of crime. That's why the fight to the death was between the pedophiles. The others just got exposed and humiliated. The hackers wanted to make sure the pedo's either died or got out away for a long time. BTW what was the offense committed by the black dude on the moped? Saw that he was being berated by his family but wasn't sure for what??

reply

[–] emavo 8 years ago

I'm surpised by how many people are missing this point.

reply

[–] emavo 8 years ago

Also, we don't know for sure what the black guy did.

reply

[–] ChristmasTiger 8 years ago

rpn313 that's exactly right. The level of involvement was dependent on the level of how awful what they'd done was, the CEO lady just had to leave some keys in a car because she said racist stuff in an e-mail, which is a bad but wouldn't destroy her personal life the way it would for the others. I don't know what the moped guy did, I kind of wish we would have found out although I'm not sure it would matter anyway.

I do agree with the other person who said that the topic of public retribution for crimes, especially against children, has already been covered by Black Mirror. That was basically what White Bear was all about. But this was still very interesting nonetheless.

reply

[–] Tyler_Durden76 8 years ago

I thought the black guy was a homosexual

reply

[–] exatera 8 years ago

And how is that a crime?

reply

[–] Tyler_Durden76 8 years ago

It's not but neither is sending a racist email

reply

[–] exatera 8 years ago

Well, that at least would make her a bad person or hypocritical. After all, she is in a position of power, and holds those views.
I am saying it's unlikely the hackers would care about someone being gay. That's a strange thing to "expose" anyone for nowadays.

reply

[–] danavenell 8 years ago

I am saying it's unlikely the hackers would care about someone being gay. That's a strange thing to "expose" anyone for nowadays.

It is obviously supposed to be a mystery, but it's possibly a bit racist if we assume the secret is that he's gay because he's black and black people are sometimes not okay with people being gay - plus it means the trolls are picking on gay people while their other victims arguably had it coming. So I'm happy to speculate what else he could be his secret. The word 'pervert' is thrown around I think. Maybe he's a flasher (not sure how the hackers would know about this though). Maybe he secretly records women (or men) changing in changing rooms somewhere. Maybe he makes or watches animal porn. Maybe masturbates to grisly photos of car accidents. Maybe he sends dick picks to women on dating sites...

reply

[–] exatera 8 years ago

Maybe he sends dick picks to women on dating sites...

Ahaha, by that definition most men today are perverts. 

reply

[–] laurendorward-990-190608 8 years ago

He was married and cheating. hence the wedding ring and wife yelling at him. It's not just "he's gay".

reply

[–] danavenell 8 years ago

A woman is shouting at him, in a room full of other people. The subtitles, if you put them on, say she is saying ''Is that what you've become? A dirty stinking pervert? Look at me! Is that what you are?''

If he was cheating, I doubt the word pervert would be used.

reply

[–] laurendorward-990-190608 8 years ago

If someone's seeing prostitutes you'd certainly say that. Or if they were shagging about you might.
I suspect he may have been on grindr. All I know is the character was married

reply

[–] danavenell 8 years ago

If someone's seeing prostitutes you'd certainly say that. Or if they were shagging about you might.

Use the word 'pervert'? No, not many people would. So the use of the word in the script means it isn't prostitutes or infidelity.

Unless he was dogging maybe.

reply

[–] Tyler_Durden76 8 years ago

I'll have to rewatch but at the end it looked his parents were looking at a picture of him standing with another guy then they started yelling at him or whatever. And obviously it wasn't anything illegal since he wasn't being arrested like the pedophiles.

reply

[–] itsmeriaz86 8 years ago

Yes,he was and that was the biggest reveal....

The blackmailers looked to be some sort of thieves who use others to kill/steal and do their dirty work....

But in the end,they just wanted to make the pedophiles and cheaters suffer....

We were all rooting for that kid to come out of it somehow but in the end,we got disgusted that he was pedophile especially considering the way he gave the doll back to the little girl....

reply