Black Mirror Crocodile – What Does That Title Mean?

How far would you go to keep a secret that would ruin your life? That is the desperate situation Mia is faced with in season 4, episode 3 of Black Mirror: Crocodile. Shannon and Fadra give their opinions on this episode and discuss the technology featured.

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Spoilers ahead!

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Black Mirror Crocodile Discussion

One of us liked this episode a lot and the other thought it was weak on character development and motivation.

But let’s get down to what a lot of people want to know: Why is this episode called “Crocodile?” Here are a few theories we read online:

• “Because she SNAPPED!”
• She cries “crocodile tears” every time she kills. But she keeps doing it.
• Mia is initially reluctant to hide the death, but we then see that she is actually pretty ruthless and cunning. So was her initial reaction insincere – i.e. “crocodile tears” – or did she become like a crocodile AFTER the event?
• She is cold-blooded and thick-skinned, like a crocodile.

Fadra found an article at Den of Geek that offers an explanation from creator Charlie Brooker. He states that “the genesis of the title actually relates to [a] previous incarnation of the script, about the person who’d witnessed their mother’s murder at the age of two. She’d grown into this very anxious person, who saw the world as incredibly threatening. So Crocodile is an analogy for somebody who’d been traumatized at an early age, and might be troubled by life forever and never able to relax. The title stuck even though the story completely changed, and then the title didn’t actually make sense. But it’s also weirdly fitting.”

A Look in the Mirror

In this segment we look at the technology and how far we might be from seeing it in reality.

Being able to read a person’s thoughts with technology is not that far off. In 2014, scientists successfully reconstructed faces based on subjects’ brain activity. It’s hard to say though if the tech could ever get to the sophisticated levels we see in this episode with the “recaller.”

Our Reflection

We’re rating every episode to help you decide which are must-sees, good to watch, or could be skipped.

Shannon: Could be skipped
Fadra: Must-see

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