Rashida Jones and Tracee Ellis Ross Despair Over ‘Corporate Greed’ at Heart of Comically Bleak ‘Black Mirror’ Episode ‘Common People’

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⚠️ CAUTION: The following content delves into significant storylines from the “Black Mirror” episode “Common People,” which is now available for streaming on Netflix. Proceed with caution if you wish to avoid spoilers.

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SPOILER ALERT: Here’s a discussion about major plot points from the “Black Mirror” episode “Common People,” which you can watch on Netflix right now. Please proceed with caution if you don’t want any spoilers.

As a dedicated movie enthusiast, I’ve always admired Rashida Jones for her exceptional acting skills. However, there’s one line from her “Black Mirror” episode titled “Common People” that gave me quite a chuckle when filming – the line was “Ride smooth with Thirst Trap Lube”. Saying that with a straight face in front of the camera was already challenging, but add to that the presence of a semi-naked Chris O’Dowd and it became even more difficult.

One of many humorous instances in “Common People” is represented by that particular line. Other humor can be found in Tracee Ellis Ross‘s performance, where her character, an always cheerful yet progressively menacing sales agent, embodies corporate greed – a role she herself describes as such.

Setting humor aside, “Common People” stands out as one of the saddest episodes within the already somber collection of “Black Mirror”. The episode concludes with an almost unbearably grim tone.

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Disregarding jokes, “Common People” is among the most melancholic episodes in the generally gloomy “Black Mirror” series, and it finishes on a note that’s nearly as bleak as can be.

The story unfolds around Jones, a teacher who’s grappling with an unusually aggressive brain tumor, typically fatal. Enter Ellis Ross, a charismatic representative from the innovative tech company, Rivermind. They have devised an extraordinary experimental method – transferring the affected portion of Jones’ brain onto their server. For a recurring fee, they can retransmit it back, restoring her normal functioning. It’s almost like magic!

Absolutely, given that this is “Black Mirror,” there’s a sinister twist. Jones and her husband (O’Dowd) discover, to their dismay, that their expensive subscription was merely the basic plan in Rivermind’s innovative pricing structure with multiple tiers. Expensive upgrades are now necessary to maintain access to what Ellis Ross’ representative boasts as the “advancement” of their service.

Among the recent Rivermind updates, for those not willing to pay for additional features: There are advertisements that Jones’ character unexpectedly begins to recite at various points during the day. These ads range from promoting a specific cereal over breakfast, discussing discounts on Nike sneakers with students at school, and even praising Thirst Trap Lube during an intimate moment with O’Dowd (“Available in six unique flavors, none of them vanilla”). The situation only deteriorates from there.

In the scene, Ellis Ross’ character encounters an increasingly agitated Jones and O’Dowd, who has gone to great lengths online to earn necessary funds for improvements, only to be met with more corporate-speak from her. Despite being labeled as both comically and disturbingly inept, Ellis Ross insists that she played the role seriously.

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In the story, Ellis Ross’ character deals with increasingly annoyed characters Jones and O’Dowd, who have stooped to humiliating themselves online for money to cover expenses. Instead of responding with empathy or understanding, her character continues using corporate buzzwords. Although critics have described her portrayal as both amusingly inept and deeply troubling, Ellis Ross maintains that she played the part sincerely.

She explains, ‘I wasn’t portraying a malicious character, but my actions may have given that impression. Instead, I was emphasizing sincerity, depicting someone trapped within the very same system I’m advocating for.’

Jones characterizes “Common People” as an expansive critique of excessive corporate greed and manipulation, but he additionally points out that it underscores the compromises inherent in contemporary life, as virtually all aspects of our lives are susceptible to commercial exploitation.

Jones remarks, ‘We gradually surrender parts of ourselves in various ways, such as agreeing to terms without fully understanding them in a software update, or spending countless hours staring at screens.’ Essentially, this is the underlying concept behind ‘Black Mirror.’

In the “Joan is Awful” episode from Season 6, the narrative revolved around a woman finding out her life was being portrayed in a TV show, reminiscent of a popular streaming platform like Netflix. With the pricing structure of “Common People,” it’s possible that creator Charlie Brooker could be subtly commenting on or satirizing his interactions with Netflix and their recent changes to the subscription model.

According to Jones, “It wasn’t that he definitely didn’t mean that,” instead. He explains there has been a constant exchange between Charlie and his superiors. However, he adds, they tolerate this behavior, and he feels compelled to show admiration for it.

Ellis Ross, on the other hand, claims that she didn’t manage to grasp the link between the plot and the streaming platform.

She mentions that it didn’t occur to her at all because she was so deeply saddened and shocked by the events unfolding.

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2025-04-12 19:16