Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror includes several gut-wrenching stories about technology's hand in love, loss, and infidelity, but none are as upsetting as season 1, episode 3, "The Entire History Of You." Prior to the series' move to Netflix, it premiered on the British broadcasting station Channel 4. While most viewers will remember season 1 for the infamous story of the prime minister's fornication with a pig in "National Anthem," the tone of the show was truly set by how sad "The Entire History Of You" was and remains to this day. Here's why this episode in particular is the most upsetting.
Starring Toby Kebbell as Liam Foxwell, it introduced one of the most integral pieces of technology in the series, which allows people to watch their memories through an implant. Jodie Whittaker, the first woman Doctor of Doctor Who, portrays Liam's wife Ffion, who becomes the primary source of the episode's discomfort. After the couple has an awkward encounter with her ex-boyfriend, Jonas (Tom Cullen), he questions his wife's truthfulness of their relationship. The further their argument draws out, the more Liam uncovers the secrets Ffion thought she could keep hidden. Brooker's series notably commentates on the social and political repercussions of technological advances, as well as its hand in the fall of humanity. In "The Entire History Of You," he presents these themes in a very subtle way in order to showcase how it will destroy relationships that are built on lies, which may be good or bad.
It is a divisive episode, as the marriage of Liam and Ffion falls apart due to her infidelity, which would've never been discovered had the "grain" technology never existed. It questions whether or not ignorance is truly bliss, especially when a loved one withholds such an upsetting secret. In "The Entire History Of You," the importance of forgiveness, the pain of infidelity, and the dangers of lying when the proof can be easily uncovered through recorded memories are what makes it so sad.
The tone of "The Entire History Of You" starts out with the prospect of being let down. While the dinner party appears to be a joyous occasion where old friends are able to get together and catch up, it sets the events of the episode in motion. As Liam delves deeper into his theory that Ffion and Jonas were romantically involved more than she had initially let on, he watches their interactions on a loop. After fighting Jonas, Liam locates a memory in his "grain" that finds the man in his bed with Ffion. When he addresses her about it, he forces her to show him the memory of them having sex. Her infidelity also coincides with the conception of their daughter, meaning Jonas is her real father.
It's a heartbreaking episode, as the viewer is forced to watch an entire marriage fall apart. Ffion has kept Liam in the dark on who the father of their child really is, how much she still cares for Jonas, and how their relationship was over well before the events of "The Entire History Of You." While other episodes such as "San Junipero" and "Hang The DJ" have their own themes of heartbreak, "The Entire History Of You" is an entirely different beast that plays on the insecurities of individuals and their relationships. Whereas the aforementioned episodes have some semblance of a happy ending, there is no happiness to be found in "The Entire History Of You" — there's nothing but pain. Ffion isn't the only person who has done wrong in their relationship. The entire episode exposes just how emotionally abusive and manipulative Liam is as well. In fact, he coerces her into showing him what he wants to see, refuses to let her explain anything about what happened, and assaults her physically, mentally, and verbally.
In the end, Liam is alone, watching his memories with Ffion, and it becomes clear that he'd rather forget than forgive. It would be difficult to move on from everything the episode details, which makes his desire to forget far more gripping than the need to forgive, as he surely never will. Black Mirror can be an extremely upsetting and unsettling series for numerous reasons, but "The Entire History Of You" is the saddest episode to date compared to every other installment.