Black Mirror‘s sixth season features five stellar episodes of dystopian television. The anthology series covers a lot of ground and branches into different genres in season six. And perhaps one of the more notable episodes is “Beyond the Sea”. It stars Josh Hartnett and Aaron Paul as deep-space astronauts David and Cliff. However, much of the episode takes place on Earth which may not look quite how viewers expect it to. With this in mind, it’s worth explaining when “Beyond the Sea” is set and how this relates to the episode’s plot.
To make David and Cliff’s long deep-space mission more bearable, they are provided with “replicas”. These replicas are mechanical copies of the astronauts that are capable of housing their consciousnesses. While that may sound complicated, the way it works in this ambitious Black Mirror episode is actually quite straightforward.
David and Cliff are supplied with “tags”. These enable them to lay on bed-like machines that transfer their consciousnesses to the replicas on Earth. The only time they are required to be active in space is for routine checks, physicals, or emergencies.
The events of the episode take a shocking turn when David’s family and replica are murdered by a cult opposed to robots walking the Earth as men.
For some viewers, however, the episode may be confusing because of the futuristic space travel. These technological advancements aren’t reflected by the old fashioned life on Earth. So, when exactly does “Beyond the Sea” take place?
When is Beyond the Sea set? (Black Mirror)
This is when “Beyond the Sea” is set in Black Mirror:
“Beyond the Sea” is set in an alternative 1969. In the episode, space travel and related technologies have advanced rapidly while domestic technology has developed at the same rate as real life.
This is apparent when comparing the high-tech space mission with the dated cars, televisions, and record players featured in the episode.
The exact reason for this choice of setting is unclear. However, it may be related to the need to prohibit Lana and Cliff from communicating directly with each other while David inhabited Cliff’s replica.
If Lana and Cliff could have been in direct contact at all times (via mobile phones, for example), this would present significant plot holes for the episode and prevent its plot from progressing in the intended direction.
Therefore, it makes more sense from a writing perspective to allow the astronauts to have access to advanced technology while leaving Earth stuck in 1969.
Did you enjoy “Beyond the Sea”? Which is your favourite episode of the new season of Black Mirror? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other Film & TV articles…
