Hi, I'm Michael.
This is Lessons from the Screenplay.
I find the "USS Callister" episode of Black Mirror
to be a bit of an anomaly amongst the nineteen episodes of the series.
Not just because it's more epic in scope than any other episode…
…or because it's one of the few episode with a relatively happy ending…
…but because it's exceedingly clever.
It delivers on everything we've come to expect from an episode of Black Mirror,
providing a provocative and arguably bleak portrayal of the near future.
But at the same time, it manages to surprise the audience
with both the content of the story
and how that story is executed.
So today I want to look at how this episode
introduces the antagonist in an unconventional way…
To investigate how a particular episode of a classic TV show
helped inspire both the premise of the story and the character of Robert Daly…
And examine how the script manages to do multiple things at once,
efficiently telling its story while creating a fun ride for the audience.
Let's take a look at the Black Mirror episode "USS Callister."
Part of what makes an antagonist powerful is their conviction.
The audience needs to know what they want, why they want it,
and what they're willing to do to get it.
There are many conventional ways to establish these elements in a story,
but "USS Callister" does so in a unique way.
It introduces the antagonist as if he were the protagonist.
In the cold open, we meet Robert Daly,
the captain of the USS Callister.
He's defeating villains, is highly-respected, and universally loved.
Then we meet him in the real world…
…where he is ignored, disrespected, and disliked by his co-workers.
We see that his character's weakness
is that he doesn't respect or stand up for himself,
so he lives a miserable life where he's mocked and mistreated.
Then comes an inciting incident.
There's a new girl in the office, Nanette Cole,
who knows and respects Daly's work.
"That's actually the reason that I wanted to work here."
This establishes his desire—
to connect with this new person that doesn't walk all over him.
But as Daly's antagonist bursts in,
conflict is introduced, and we see the struggle that lies ahead.
- "Have you had the tour?" - "No, I—"
"Please. Allow me."
These first ten minutes would be the perfect set-up
for a protagonist who must learn to respect himself,
stand up to his antagonist,
and pursue his desire to make a meaningful human connection.
All Daly has to do is choose to move away from his fantasy world
and embrace his positive traits.
But this is Black Mirror.
And instead of choosing to be the best version of himself,
he does the exact opposite.
As creator and co-writer Charlie Brooker says…
"It sort of really becomes a story about a tyrant…"
"We explore what happens when a normal, flawed human being
is given some sort of immense power by technology."
Introducing Daly as if he were the protagonist
provides a fun surprise that subverts our expectations,
while also establishing the things we need to know about the antagonist.
We see that he wants power and respect because they're missing in his real life,
and that he's willing to steal the DNA of his co-workers
in order to exert dominance over them in his VR world.
So by the time we meet our protagonist twenty minutes into the episode,
(gasp)
we've been given a deep understanding of how dire the situation is.
This is a great foundation for a story
that explores the ethical ramifications
of creating a world where can act out our darkest desires.
But despite commenting on technology that is right around the corner,
the episode borrows from a story that is fifty-seven years old,
and is a great example of reimagining an old premise.
There are obvious similarities between Black Mirror and The Twilight Zone,
but with "USS Callister,"
the writers were particularly inspired by a specific episode.
On November third, nineteen sixty-one,
"It's a Good Life" premiered.
"Tonight's story on The Twilight Zone is somewhat unique and calls for a different
kind of introduction. "
The episode tells the story of a small town in Ohio
that has become isolated from the rest of the universe.
A monster has arrived
who uses his strange, godlike powers to read people's thoughts
and transform things as he pleases.
At the end of the episode's introduction,
after establishing how dangerous he is,
we finally meet the monster.
"This is the monster.
His name is Anthony Fremont.
He's six years old, with a cute little-boy face and blue, guileless eyes.
But when those eyes look at you, you'd better start thinking happy thoughts,
because the mind behind them is absolutely in charge.
This is the Twilight Zone."
"USS Callister" takes this premise
and re-contextualizes it for a modern audience and contemporary environment.
As creator Charlie Brooker says…
"The show is clearly inspired by shows like The Twilight Zone or Tales of the Unexpected,
but where they would use the supernatural to make something unusual happen,
we use technology."
Watching the episode,
it's very clear how both the premise and the details of "It's a Good Life" influenced
"USS Callister."
Anthony is a powerful tyrant,
who has created a self-contained universe where he can subject people to his every whim.
Anthony silences those who displease him…
"Now, the monster doesn't like singing, so his mind snapped at her,
and turned her into the smiling, vacant thing you're looking at now.
She sings no more."
…as does Daly.
"Can't see. Can't breathe."
"Unpleasant, isn't it?"
So out of fear, the people of the town are extremely nice to Anthony…
"That's all the television there is."
"Oh it was wonderful, Anthony."
"Wasn't it, everyone?"
"Oh that was real good!"
…as are those trapped in Daly's world.
"Three cheers for Captain Daly."
"Hip hip, hooray!"
"Hip hip, hooray!"
There is even a tense scene in the Twilight Zone episode
where the people of the town desperately try to keep a fed-up, drunk man
from incurring the boy's wrath…
"Go ahead, Anthony.
I'm a very bad man."
"Keep thinking that."
"Please, stop!"
…just like when Shania tries to convince Daly to show mercy to Nanette.
"No, don't!"
"Captain, please."
"Let her off this once."
But Anthony is not shy about administering punishment to those who upset him…
(screams)
…nor is Daly.
(screams and monster noises)
"USS Callister" demonstrates how classic stories can inspire new ideas,
as it takes this disturbing, supernatural premise from half a century ago
and gives it a technological twist.
In doing so, it pays homage to its predecessor,
warns of potential dangers of new technology,
and explores the darkest parts of human nature.
Doing all this simultaneously is a difficult task,
but this episode makes it look easy.
In fact, perhaps the thing I was most impressed by in this episode
is how consistently the script is doing multiple things at once.
As a general rule,
you never want to waste the audience's time when writing a story.
If there is a sequence, scene, or even line in a script
that doesn't move the plot forward, it should probably be cut.
But taking it a step further,
if there are multiple things happening at once it is often more engaging.
In "USS Callister," the writers do a good job of making sure
that most scenes, especially those featuring exposition,
are very efficient.
For example, when Daly meets Nanette, she asks about his Space Fleet collection.
"Oh, vintage!"
This moves the character storyline forward,
showing that unlike his other coworkers, she wants to learn more about him.
But it also teaches us about the history of the Space Fleet TV show,
so we have some context for his VR world.
Another example is when Daly checks on the progress of the new update to the game.
"Do you have a latest ETA on the update patch?"
Instead of listening to Kabir's response,
Daly is distracted by Nanette meeting the staff.
This shows his total preoccupation with her.
And because he's not paying attention,
Daly mindlessly approves features that will dramatically delay the update.
"Of course, that would add another week, maybe ten days or so."
"Yeah, do all that."
Which later gets him into trouble and feeds his animosity toward Walton.
"God dammit, Robert."
"Christmas Eve, really?"
"Not okay."
But this decision about the game update also comes back toward the end of the episode…
"The update patch!"
…as it creates the wormhole that the crew uses to escape.
In a less-efficient script,
these things could have been given whole scenes unto themselves,
but here they're all executed in a thirty-second interaction.
But my favorite example of this episode doing multiple things at once
comes toward the very end.
All the events of the story build to a finale
where our characters have to navigate the spaceship through an asteroid field
while being chased by the villain.
The same moments that were poked fun at in the beginning of the show,
like the melodramatic dialogue…
"It'll tear the ship apart, captain!"
…now feel appropriate.
"Dammit, Packer, we are going to have to go through the belt!"
The cheesy sparks and unconvincing collisions…
…now represent dangerous obstacles standing in the way of our heroes.
And the over-the-top sense of adventure and victory…
- "Incredible, Captain." - "You saved our lives!"
…has been earned and is truly felt by the characters.
"Hey!"
"Yeah!"
This is a clever example of how to fully utilize a premise,
as by the end of the story it has become an actual episode of Space Fleet,
with our protagonist as the new captain.
I think this is Black Mirror it its best.
It examines a dark, twisted "what if?" question
that prompts us to examine both our reality and ourselves more closely.
It breaks from the norm by introducing the antagonist in an unconventional way,
letting us empathize with and understand the enemy we're about to face.
And most importantly,
it does all this in a way that is enjoyable to watch—
never wasting our time, and providing a fun first adventure
of the new crew of the USS Callister.
Many elements of the USS Callister episode were inspired by video games.
As a lifelong gamer, I've always found game design fascinating
and back in high school even I taught myself how to do some very basic 3D animation.
And if game design is something that you're interested in learning more about,
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Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the video!
I'm going to be doing some filmmaking in the coming months,
so if you want to follow along with on projects
I'll be sharing my progress on my Instagram
@michaeltuckerla.
I want to say thank you, as always to my supporters on Patreon and my sponsors here on YouTube.
You guys make the channel possible,
thank you very, very much.
If you want to support the channel you can by clicking on the "Sponsor" button here
on the YouTube page,
or by visiting my Patreon.
Thanks for watching, and I'll see you next time!
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