With a brand-new season ofBlack Mirrornow on Netflix for all of us to feast our eyeballs on — and dissect every detail of — there’s definitely an obvious theme that runs through the latest installment ofCharlie Brooker’s sci-fi anthology series, and that’s the fact that a good portion of the episodesis actually set in the past, rather than in a twisted dystopian version of our own future. Some, like “Beyond the Sea,” adopt a retrofuturistic tone to tell their story, making use of advanced technology in a time when technological marvels like replicas of the human body were only a creative imagining. Others, like “Mazey Day,” are set in the not-too-distant past at all — in fact, the episode starringZazie Beetz,Clara Rugaard, andDanny Ramirezmight bring with it a strong jolt of nostalgia for those of us who have lived long enough to remember the days of the iPod Shuffle.
But did the episode’s cast themselves actually know they were making a period piece? Technically, Rugaard’s character, the troubled young starlet who shares her name with the episode title,doeshappen to be making a period film at the time of the fateful hit-and-run incident that changes everything. That said, “Mazey Day” finds many subtle ways to reference the fact that it’s still a long way out from when the iPhone first hit the market, and Beetz told Collider ahead of the season’s premiere that it was something all the actors were aware of during filming:
“We went into it definitely very clear that it was a ‘period piece,’ I suppose. From the clothing to — I know Danny and I kept going back and forth on slang and things that were interesting to us at the time as we were improv-ing and coming up with cultural references. The period actually kind of plays a big role, also, in terms of the thematics and the bubble that was happening with paparazzi and young celebrities, specifically young female celebrities, at the time. It’s right before things changed when social media became more prevalent, and people were able to control their own narratives more. But yeah, we definitely were always having a laugh at things like the iPod Shuffle and the flip phone and dial-up internet. It definitely played a big role for me, the time period, as we were doing the show.”
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“Mazey Day” Is Inspired by Real-Life Stars Who Were Hounded by the Paparazzi
Given that the episode also takes place at the dawn of that paparazzi culture, it’s difficult not to watch “Mazey Day” and instantly be reminded of the very young stars who found themselves catapulted into the spotlight and under extreme public scrutiny — often without warning. It meant that, for Rugaard, there were a lot of references she could turn to in terms of her approach to playing the titular character:
“I watched some documentaries, the likes of Britney [Spears] and Amy Winehouse, to sort of understand what these people were put through and how their privacy was taken away from them. It’s horrible, and you feel Mazey’s the only one sort of vouching for herself. She feels alone in a world full of people who ‘worship’ her but also commoditize her and dehumanize her. I thought it was a very interesting concept, and I hope that it invites discussion and reflection.”
Treading any further into the episode would invite spoilers that should definitely be reserved for people who have yet to watch — and believe us when we say you don’t want to go into “Mazey Day” spoiled in advance. That said, if there’s one thing this series has become known for (aside from its willingness to tackle tech head-on), it’s having an utterly stacked cast. The new season ofBlack Mirroralso offers up episodes starringAaron Paul,Annie Murphy,Salma Hayek,Michael Cera,Samuel Blenkin,Myha’la Herrold,Daniel Portman,Josh Hartnett,Kate Mara,Anjana Vasan, andPaapa Essiedu.
Look for more of our interviews with the cast ofBlack MirrorSeason 6 coming soon. All seasons ofBlack Mirrorare currently available to stream on Netflix.
