Into Infinity showcases stellar performances by Cristin Milioti & Jimmi Simpson, but this sequel can't match the original's emotional depth.
Black Mirror’s most celebrated episode, USS Callister, returns for a sequel in the season finale of the 7th season, blending comedy and terror once again. Before you dive into this episode, you must watch the original. The sequel follows the next chapter in the existence of the digital copies that a crazed video game maker created.
The premise for the original is fascinating! Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons — the man has made a name for himself by playing sociopaths) created a simulated reality that replicated his favourite TV show. In this reality, he plays the hero, who’s the captain of a spaceship, a version of Captain Kirk from Star Trek. The disturbing part is that he created digital clones of his real-world colleagues who caught his eye, either by ignoring or denigrating him, as his crewmates on the ship and terrorize them. When Cristin Miloti’s Nanette joins the crew, she gets them to revolt against the Captain’s subjugation, trapping Daly in his own creation.
That episode ends with Nanette and the rest of the crew setting off on an exploration in the multiplayer game Daly’s company created called Infinity. It looked like these digital clones got their ‘they lived happily ever after’ ending. But things get worse; much worse.
As part of a multiplayer game, the crew has to fight the players and rob them, because the crew are not actual gamers with money to spare. Even worse is the fact that while the gamers are playing for entertainment, Nanette and crew are fighting for their survival. If one of them dies in the game, they will stop existing. On top of it all, the in-game purchase prices keep increasing, forcing the crew to battle it out with more players in attempts to steal their loot.
In the outside world, the CEO of the gaming company, James Walton (Jimmi Simpson), is stuck between two walls since a journalist suspects that Infinity houses digital clones (a practice illegalized by the government). With Walton going head-to-head with the crew, we get the backstory on how these two crazy guys, Walton and Daly, both suffering from God-complex, came together to create their visionary game, Infinity.
While the new episode advances the story in intriguing directions, it doesn’t have the emotional impact of the original. The ‘Daly vs crew’ dynamic from the previous episode had more intensity despite the new episode raising the stakes by turning every player in the game a villain. In fact, USS Callister in 2017 was peak TV, and stands the test of time. The theme of cloning or creating multiple consciousnesses was fresh back then. Now, it has been explored in-depth in Micket 17 and Severance as well. As such, Into Infinity doesn’t offer an original take on the concept.
In the acting department, the show is excellent as each of these talented actors gets to play two versions of their characters. Simpson’s portrayal of both the good and evil versions of James is the best, since he convincingly makes his flashy, eccentric acting style work for both versions. Cristin Millioti plays the archetypal hero- daring, caring and morally correct. To play this role and not make it boring, one needs to have the X-factor, which Milioti possesses and hence deserves to get more leading and interesting roles.
The show extends the audience’s suspension of disbelief with the ending, which feels unnatural in comparison to the witty and winning ending of USS Callister. Into Infinity starts out great but ends up being just meh. With the novelty that the original brought worn off, Into Infinity doesn’t reach the peak TV achievements its predecessor did.
