Warning! This article contains spoilers for Black Mirror season 7’s episode 1, “Common People.”
Rashida Jones' role inBlack Mirror’s “Common People” continues her dark sci-fi career trend after her acclaimed Apple TV+ sci-fi shows. Serving as the opening installment ofBlack Mirrorseason 7, “Common People"is arguably the season’s most hard-hitting and relatable episode. Serving as a dark allegory to the growing use of subscription models in the real world,Black Mirrorseason 7’s episode 1 walks through the growing struggles of a couple that gets cornered after agreeing to accept a new healthcare subscription service.
As the episode progresses, things only get darker and darker for the central couple as they start realizing how the subscription service they have availed was never meant to help them. Eventually, theBlack Mirrorseason 7 episodeends on a heartbreaking note where, despite doing nothing wrong, the couple ends up at the mercy of a ruthless, faceless system. As harrowing as Rashida Jones' role in the episode may seem, however, this is not the first time her sci-fi character has been caught in the gears of a terrorizing futuristic scheme.
After Black Mirror’s Common People, Rashida Jones' Sci-Fi Characters Cannot Catch A Break
Rashida Jones' Sci-fi Characters Keep Meeting Dark Fates
Long before Rashida Jones played Amanda inBlack Mirror’s “Common People,” she portrayed Allison in Apple TV+‘sSiloseason 1. InSilo’s opening episodes, Jones’ Amanda was one of the main characters. However, in a few episodes, her story took a grim turn after she learned the truth about the dystopian underground city she was living in.Amanda eventually died after she stepped out of the titular siloand got exposed to the toxic world outside the protected city. Her husband, too, followed her out and met with the same tragic fate.
In Apple TV+‘sSunny, her character, Suzie Sakamoto, finds herself embroiled in a massive conspiracy surrounding robots after she sets out to find the truth about her husband and son’s mysterious disappearance. The more she learns about the dark conspiracy, the more she finds herself in the crosshairs of the Yakuza. Her narrative in season 1 finally ends with her getting betrayed by her best friend.Black Mirrorseason 7 gives Jones’ character an even darker fate, where, after a brush with doom, she ends up getting a synthetic implant in her brain.
AlthoughSunnyhas an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 90%, Apple TV+ has canceled it after season 1.
Everything seems fine for Rashida Jones’Black Mirrorcharacter until the company that helped her get the implant and retain her memories starts running ads through her. Soon, she and her husband find themselves in a financial rut where they struggle to pay for the implant’s subscription charges to be able to avail of its premium services. The episode eventually ends on a harrowing note with the husband killing Jones' character. With such a grim ending,Black Mirrorcontinues the dark Rashida Jones trend, where her sci-fi characters just cannot catch a break.
Black Mirror, Silo & Sunny Prove Rashida Jones Deserves More Dark Sci-Fi Roles
She Seems To Be The Perfect Fit For Darkly Immersive Sci-Fi Dramas
While it is hard to see all the trials and tribulations Rashida Jones' characters have to go through in sci-fi shows,Black Mirror,Silo, andSunnyprove the actress is perfect for the genre. InSilo’s overarching story, Rashida Jones' Allison barely has any screen time. However, the actress still does a brilliant job of making her role memorable. Even inSunny,Jones perfectly captures her character’s loneliness and anger towards the world by channeling a quiet intensitythat reflects what she has been through.
Rashida Jones is starring in an upcoming sci-fi flick,In the Blink of an Eye, which will continue her streak in the genre.
Her performance inBlack Mirroris even more impactful, especially during scenes where she shows how her character has ads running through her brain. Jones' on-screen chemistry with Chris O’Dowd is also incredible, which makes theBlack Mirrorepisode’s ending even more poignant. With so many commendable sci-fi roles under her belt, it is hard not to see howRashida Joneswould have a great future in the genre if she starred in more similar high-concept and dark-themed movies andshows likeBlack Mirror.
Black Mirror
Black Mirror is a dystopian anthology series that explores the unsettling and profound impact of modern technology on society. Premiering in 2011, it examines various scenarios where technological advancements intersect with human nature, creating thought-provoking narratives about contemporary and future issues.
