The Mind-Bending Conclusion of Black Mirror's 'Nosedive' – Unraveled

Highlights

"Nosedive" is a memorable Black Mirror episode that explores the implications of a social media-driven society and how it affects individuals' worth.

The episode depicts Lacie Pound's journey through a society where individuals' prospects and connections are determined by their social media app ratings.

Obsessed with upholding a stellar rating, Lacie's fixation drives her to desperation, until she ultimately discovers liberation by disconnecting from the virtual realm.

Netflix's Black Mirror is often compared to the modern version of the classic series, Twilight Zone. It presents a collection of standalone episodes, each set in a different alternate reality that highlights a particular aspect of the real world. These episodes often depict dystopian societies revolving around themes such as politics, technological advancements, and frequently, social media. Even if social media is not the central focus, it usually plays a significant role in many Black Mirror episodes.

In Season 3, Episode 1 titled "Nosedive," social media takes center stage. The episode delves into a world where social media determines a person's worth, influencing their career prospects and even their ability to form friendships. Starring Bryce Dallas Howard as the main character, Lacie Pound, "Nosedive" offers a profound exploration of modern society and serves as a chilling reminder of how closely our reality aligns with the unsettling dystopia portrayed in the episode.

What Happens In Black Mirror's "Nosedive"?

Lacie Pound shares a cozy apartment with her unemployed brother, Ryan, who spends most of his time gaming with his friends. In contrast, Lacie holds a standard office job in a building that's connected to a café.

During her spare time, and sometimes even while working, Lacie is engrossed in her phone, solely using it for an unnamed social media app. This app enables users to share photos and videos from their daily lives, somewhat similar to Instagram. Other users can rate these posts and the individual on a five-star scale. The more positive ratings received, the higher the user's overall rating. Currently, Ryan holds a rating of 3.7, while Lacie comfortably sits at 4.2.

This rating app holds such global importance that each user even possesses a digital contact lens that projects another person's name and rating when they encounter them in real life. Lacie's workplace also mandates that its employees maintain a minimum rating of 2.5. Every interaction prompts individuals to promptly rate each other based on the outcome of their encounter. Lacie, aiming to be excessively amiable, consistently awards five-star ratings, which frequently elicits reciprocation.

Lacie's main objective is to improve her rating in order to secure a new apartment. Surprisingly, her childhood friend Naomi, who has a high rating of 4.8, contacts her. Although they have grown apart, a sentimental post from Lacie on the app triggers Naomi's desire to have Lacie as her maid of honor for her wedding. This responsibility includes delivering a speech to an audience with ratings of 4.5 and above. Lacie recently discovered that receiving high ratings from individuals who are already highly rated is more effective in increasing her own score. Recognizing this opportunity, Lacie plans to attend the wedding, deliver the speech, and ultimately reach the necessary rating to afford a new apartment.

On the day of the wedding, Lacie's brother Ryan reminds her of Naomi's past behavior, emphasizing that Naomi was more of a bully than a true friend. However, Lacie, fueled by the prospect of achieving a 4.5 rating, disregards her brother's accusations. She is so determined that she even goes ahead and pays a non-refundable deposit for her new apartment. Following a heated argument, Lacie and Ryan exchange low ratings with each other. As an exasperated Lacie storms out of the house, she accidentally bumps into a woman with a rating of 4.8, causing her to spill coffee on herself. The woman takes this opportunity to give Lacie a dreadful one-star rating. Unfortunate events continue to unfold, such as missing her flight, which ultimately causes Lacie's rating to plummet down to a disappointing 2.8.

What Happens At The End of Black Mirror's "Nosedive"?

Lacie quickly realizes that her low rating not only limits her ability to rent a decent car but also hinders her interactions with others. People often go out of their way to avoid her, making her feel isolated. Desperate to find a mode of transportation, she attempts to charge her electric rental car to no avail and resorts to hitchhiking. Unfortunately, her efforts prove futile as no one is willing to pick her up. However, her luck takes a turn when she crosses paths with Susan, a woman driving a truck with a rating of 1.4.

Susan opens up about her journey from a 4.6 rating to where she is now. She recounts the painful experience of losing her husband to cancer due to inadequate medical attention resulting from his low rating. This tragedy prompted Susan to adopt a newfound honesty, abandoning her previous obsession with pleasing others and disregarding her own rating. Consequently, she lost most of her friends and her rating plummeted to below 2. However, she found true happiness and a sense of liberation.

Lacie, running late for the wedding, manages to hitch a ride with a group of people heading to the same destination in an RV. Unfortunately, Naomi, the bride, discovers that Lacie's rating has fallen below a 3 and decides to revoke her invitation. Despite this setback, Lacie becomes even more determined to attend the ceremony and goes to great lengths to do so, even at the risk of further damaging her rating.

Finally reaching the wedding, Lacie appears completely disheveled, both emotionally and physically. She gathers her strength and takes the opportunity to speak, although her planned speech takes an unexpected turn. It becomes clear to Lacie that Naomi was never a true friend, prompting her to insult both Naomi and her esteemed guests. As a result, the attendees continuously downvote Lacie, causing her rating to plummet below 1. Eventually, security intervenes and escorts Lacie out of the venue, leading her to a jail cell where her contact lens is removed, leaving her isolated in confinement.

Sitting in the bare cell, she slowly undresses until only her bra remains, her gaze shifting upwards to witness dust gracefully drifting down from the ceiling. A bittersweet laughter escapes her lips, mingling with the tears streaming down her face. Her eyes wander towards another occupied cell, where a man fixes his intense stare upon her. Rapidly, they engage in a verbal onslaught, hurling vulgarities and insults at each other, yet without harboring genuine animosity. Instead, within this unrestricted environment, they find solace in the ability to converse openly, unaffected by the fear of being judged negatively. The episode reaches its crescendo as their voices blend, both defiantly shouting, "F*** you!" in perfect synchrony.

Lacie is completely disconnected from the digital world and the rest of society, which is controlled by an unnamed social media rating app. This newfound freedom allows her to embrace her true self, fearlessly expressing her body and hurling insults at others. In this ironic twist, she can now be her authentic self without hiding behind a fake persona that aims to please others, even if she finds herself confined to a prison cell.

In "Nosedive," an episode of Black Mirror, social media is portrayed as a dangerous tool that compels people to compare their lives with others instead of appreciating what they have. The episode highlights how social media has the power to shape society's perception of an individual's worth based on their online presence, even if it starkly contrasts with their true self in reality.