Fifteen Million Merits
2nd episode of the 1st series of Black Mirror / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"Fifteen Million Merits" is the second episode of the first series of the British science fiction anthology series Black Mirror. It was written by the series creator and showrunner Charlie Brooker and his wife Konnie Huq[note 1] and directed by Euros Lyn. It first aired on Channel 4 on 11 December 2011.
"Fifteen Million Merits" | |||
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Black Mirror episode | |||
Episode no. | Series 1 Episode 2 | ||
Directed by | Euros Lyn | ||
Written by | |||
Featured music | "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)" by Irma Thomas | ||
Original air date | 11 December 2011 (2011-12-11) | ||
Running time | 62 minutes | ||
Guest appearances | |||
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Episode chronology | |||
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List of episodes |
Set in a world where most of society must cycle on exercise bikes in order to earn currency called "merits", the episode tells the story of Bing (Daniel Kaluuya), who meets Abi (Jessica Brown Findlay) and convinces her to participate in a talent show so she can become famous. The episode was inspired by Huq's idea that her technology-obsessed husband Brooker would be happy in a room covered by screens; it additionally drew motivation from the narrative of talent shows leading to fame. "Fifteen Million Merits" incorporates elements of dystopian fiction, science fiction and drama, and offers commentary on capitalism.
The episode received a positive critical reception. The relationship of Abi and Bing drew comparison to that of Julia and Winston in Nineteen Eighty-Four, whilst Abi's objectification was compared to that of female media figures. The episode's ambiguous ending led to discussion about the commodification of dissent. The visual style and music of the episode were praised, as was the romance between Abi and Bing. The acting received a mixed reception, as did the world-building, but the depressing humour and bleak tone of the episode garnered positive reviews. "Fifteen Million Merits" was nominated for a British Academy Television Craft Award, but did not win; while on critics' lists of Black Mirror episodes by quality, it generally places middling or poorly.