This article contains spoilers for the first episode of Black Mirror season 7, titled “Common People.”
Exploring “Common People”in Black Mirror Season 7
Starring Tracee Ellis Ross and Rashida Jones, the opening episode of Black Mirror season 7 delves into the intertwined lives of Amanda (Rashida Jones) and Gaynor (Tracee Ellis Ross), showcasing their shared utilization of a controversial service called Rivermind. Faced with a terminal brain tumor, Amanda’s husband, Mike (Chris O’Dowd), is introduced to Rivermind—a subscription service promising to substitute her malignant tissue with synthetic alternatives, ultimately enabling her survival. However, as Gaynor promotes Rivermind as the panacea for Amanda’s plight, the couple soon realizes that this lifeline is fraught with pitfalls.
The Costs of Rivermind
Gaynor continually entices Amanda and Mike with “updates”to their plan, all while the baseline service deteriorates. In an interview with Decider, Ellis Ross examined Gaynor’s complex evolution from a consumer to a vendor of Rivermind, emphasizing that Gaynor embodies both victimhood and culpability, illustrating her character’s moral duality.
I don’t think she thought she was evil. I think that’s the way it comes across, but she is a person who was perpetrated on in her own vulnerability and now she’s the one doing the perpetrating.
Jones reflected on how both Amanda and Gaynor are ensnared in a relentless cycle fueled by capitalism, reinforcing the show’s critical stance on the current economic climate.
That’s the thing, the cycle is really hard to break on both sides. If there’s a way to make money and save yourself, you’re gonna do it. It’s capitalism.
The Moral Quandary of Gaynor
Ellis Ross provided further insight into her character’s ethical dilemmas, portraying Gaynor as a personification of greed influenced by Rivermind’s manipulative dynamics.
And she’s a representation of greed, but I don’t think anyone sets out to be a bad person. I think most people have a lot of, whether they’re warped ideas or not, think they’re doing the right thing, even if it turns out being on the wrong side.
The Shared Fate of Amanda and Gaynor
“Common People”effectively critiques how corporations exploit individual vulnerabilities. Gaynor promotes Rivermind to Mike as the ultimate remedy for Amanda’s ailment, conveniently omitting any mention of its inherent drawbacks. As Amanda becomes a minimum-viable spokesperson for various products, the couple realizes they are subscribed to the most basic tier of Rivermind, further exacerbating their situation.
Aligned with the series’ trademark themes, characters in this episode find themselves victimized by technology and avarice. The introduction of progressively pricier tiers, ultimately culminating in “RivermindLux,”underscores the ever-growing expenses tied to maintaining the subscription. Gaynor, despite her insider status, is caught in the same oppressive cycle as Amanda and Mike, indicating that she is also ensnared by the capitalism Rivermind embodies.
A Critical Look at Rivermind’s Impact
In this narrative, Rivermind transforms Amanda into a commercial entity, while Gaynor appears to have slightly more autonomy, forced to barter her own integrity for the privilege of daily freedoms. The stark reality remains that both women are ensnared by the necessity to promote Rivermind in order to sustain their lives, leading to the dire conclusion that both ultimately serve Rivermind’s profit margins.
Mike’s devastating choice to suffocate Amanda at the end of the episode poignantly illustrates Rivermind’s failure to achieve its mission of genuinely benefitting humanity. Instead, it prioritizes profit over people, leaving audiences to ponder the darker facets of technological dependence.
Source: Decider