With an impressive performance from Wyatt Russell and a twist ending that is still talked about, the season 3Black Mirrorepisode “Playtest” is one of the most compelling. While it shares a lot in common with other episodes of the popular Netflix series, including questions about how humans and technology interact, the ending is so haunting that it can’t be compared to any other episode.
Although theBlack Mirrorepisode “Playtest” was first available to stream on Netflix in October 2016, it has been one of the most impactful episodes of the TV series. Every tense moment builds until the satisfying and shocking conclusion.
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What Is Black Mirror’s “Playtest” About?
TheBlack Mirrorepisode “Playtest” is about Cooper (Wyatt Russell), who has been traveling and grieving the passing of his father, who had Alzheimer’s. He doesn’t want to feel his feelings and whenever his mother phones him, he doesn’t want to talk to her. He is given the chance to test an augmented reality game of Whac-A-Mole for a company called SaitoGemu in a creepy house. Since he needs money, he agrees to be part of this experiment. He wears the device, referred to as a “mushroom,” in his neck. He likes the experience and then is told that he will play a scary game that preys on what he is afraid of.
From the start, it seems clear that “Playtest” will become one of themost chillingBlack Mirrorepisodes. Fans who are familiar with this incredibly dark TV show can tell that nothing is easy in this world and that Cooper won’t be able to walk away happily. Something is going to go wrong, and viewers are on the edge of their seats throughout the episode’s runtime.
Several episodes ofBlack Mirrorhave some of thebest plot twists on TV. “Playtest” maintains an eerie and tense tone that makes it clear that a shocking twist is coming. As the game goes on, Cooper sees many things that scare him, from the person who made fun of him as a kid named Josh Peters (Jamie Paul) to spiders. In one scene, he and Katie (Wunmi Mosaku) get into a violent altercation, but within a second, he is completely fine. While some aspects of this storyline might remind fans of theBlack Mirrorepisode “USS Callister,“the ending of “Playtest” sets it apart.
How Does “Playtest End”?
While someBlack Mirrorepisodes have happy endings, the “Playtest” ending has a surprising conclusion that is incredibly sad. In fact, there are two plot twists. At first, it seems like Cooper will be able to get away from the game. He leaves the house and visits his mom (Elizabeth Moynihan). But then the story reveals that Cooper has died in the room where the experiment has taken place. His mom phones him and the technology of that phone call causes problems with the device that he is wearing.
The ending ofBlack Mirror’s “Playtest” episode is humorous yet bleak. At the beginning of the episode, Cooper keeps putting off phoning his mother, and he figures that he can ignore her for a little while longer. In the end, Cooper and his mom are never able to interact with each other properly. It turns out that Cooper has been playing the game for 0.4 seconds.
In an interview withEntertainment Weekly,Black Mirrorcreator and showrunner Charlie Brooker talked about the ending. He said, “Yes, when we did it we were thinking that ending was too jokey. But when we saw the first cut, you really feel for him and it’s so harrowing and horrifying.”
Many episodes of the popular Netflix show focus on the horrors of technology, and “Playtest” really brings that theme home. TheBlack Mirrorepisode “White Bear” has a surprising endingthat proves that in this series, characters can never truly escape the screens that surround them. In the case of “Playtest,” Cooper’s decision to play this game was a terrible one that ruins his entire life.
Brooker also discussed the fact that the ending has two plot twists. He said in his interview withEntertainment Weekly, “When I read the first treatment, there was the first twist but not the second. The second came from conversations with Dan. We were like, ‘Hold on, what if we add in another thing? What if we add a phone call at the end?’ I was partly amusing myself, because there’s a funny criticism ofBlack Mirrorfrom Mallory Ortberg who wrote, ‘Next on Black Mirror: What if phones, but too much?’ And I thought: ‘Right, that’s what I’m going to do. Let’s dothatepisode!’
Just like theending ofBlack Mirror’s “Arkangel,“the ending of theBlack Mirrorepisode “Playtest” features a character at a crossroads in their life who end up in a terrible place thanks to technology.
