The highly anticipated premiere of Black Mirror season 6 has left some Netflix subscribers contemplating the cancellation of their subscriptions, particularly after watching the “Joan is Awful” episode, which has been described as “terrifying.”
Spoilers ahead:
“Joan is Awful” revolves around a story centered on a subscription service which appears very similar to Netflix.
At the beginning of the episode, we are introduced to Joan Tait, an ordinary woman portrayed by Annie Murphy from Schitt’s Creek, who leads a seemingly mundane life with a job and secrets.
Following a day filled with publicly firing someone at work, confessing to her therapist about her boredom with her fiancé, and contemplating reigniting an old flame, Joan returns home to her fiancé, and they settle down on the couch to watch Streamberry, the Black Mirror equivalent of Netflix. There, they stumble upon a new show titled “Joan is Awful,” starring Salma Hayek.
After questioning the authenticity of the show, they decide to watch it, only to discover that Salma Hayek is portraying a dramatized version of Joan’s actual day, capturing every gritty detail.
The following day, the same events occur, leading Joan to consult her lawyer for answers.
According to her attorney, Streamberry (again, Netflix within the Black Mirror universe) is “permitted” to do this due to the Terms and Conditions Joan agreed to when she first signed up for the service.
In an attempt to push the boundaries, Joan makes questionable choices, consuming copious amounts of greasy burgers, drawing inappropriate images on her face, and crashing a wedding where she defecates on the church floor. When Salma Hayek’s character on the show replicates these actions, Joan becomes increasingly perplexed.
Following the unsettling experience of watching “Joan is Awful,” Black Mirror fans are contemplating the cancellation of their Netflix subscriptions, hoping to avoid a similar fate.
The episode concludes with the revelation that Streamberry intentionally subjected users to these experiences in order to retain their viewership, as negative emotions generate higher levels of engagement.
However, the major twist at the end reveals that the episode viewers are watching, featuring Annie Murphy as Joan, is the version of the show that the REAL Joan, portrayed by Kayla Lorette, has been watching. It is an exceptionally well-crafted episode, but one that has left some Netflix users hesitant. Here are some reactions from viewers:
It feels like Black Mirror season 6 wants us all to cancel Netflix just checking the terms of service brb pic.twitter.com/zjhkNEbwOI
— Jane Daly (@dalybeauty) June 15, 2023
I loved #JoanIsAwful , the first ep of #BlackMirror. The episode goes full meta, inception-like, it hits close to home and is terrifying all at the same time. Annie Murphy & Salma Hayek are dynamic duo that I didn’t think I needed to see. pic.twitter.com/xQxBaXN2Ol
— Zofia Wijaszka 🐝 (@thefilmnerdette) June 16, 2023
Soooo I should cancel my #Netflix aka #Streamberry account…. Is this a subtle way that Netflix is telling us that they are watching our lives for content. 😵💫 #BlackMirror #JoanIsAwful
— V (@JustMe_Vania) June 15, 2023
Wild.
