Black Mirror season 2, episode 3, "The Waldo Moment" is regarded as one of the worst episodes in the entire series, but it could've been bettered by making one small change. Despite the overwhelmingly positive reviews the rest of the series has garnered, this episode in particular has proven to be the most disappointing. If it had been split into two episodes or was lengthened in some way, it's likely that "The Waldo Moment" could've been far better than it is now.
Charlie Brooker's dystopian television series thematically draws from the concept that technology will attribute to the fall of humanity. In "The Waldo Moment," he shifts his attention from specific technological devices or advances and hones in on political commentary, similar to the infamous episode "The National Anthem." The character Waldo is a figurehead for a new form of revolutionary politics that appeal to the masses for being blunt and honest. When Jamie (Daniel Rigby), an internet comedian, discovers that he could have a future in satirizing local government, he sets his sights on filling a vacancy as a member of parliament. After realizing just how dangerous his rhetoric can be, Jamie chooses to abandon the Waldo character altogether, but the damage has already been done.
Black Mirror is known for its social commentary on some of the most controversial and uncomfortable discourses. Brooker modeled Waldo after Boris Johnson, a British prime minister. Shortly after the election of former United States President Donald J. Trump, fans found unsettling similarities between the two. While the showrunner hoped to make "The Waldo Moment" a feature-length project or span two episodes in length, he was restricted to a single episode format. Had he been afforded the opportunity to expand on Waldo's storyline, it could've made the political satire far more gripping and the dangers of a specific politician's impact fully developed.
The primary argument, according to the episode's characters, is that Waldo will be able to influence adults and children as a cartoon. He can garner a large following of longtime fans as well as new ones that will ensure that whatever desired political agenda can be achieved through his platform. While he does not win the election, Waldo's potential to be involved in political processes is jarring in itself. Despite its integral discourse, "The Waldo Moment" largely failed due to being overwhelmingly vague and far too complex to be condensed into such a short format.
If it had been made into a two-part episode or lengthened into a feature film, it would've offered Brooker the opportunity to expand on Waldo's political agenda and the intentions of the people who were controlling him. Rather than becoming convoluted and vague, he would've had the chance to fully develop the Waldo character as a danger to society and politics. He was in no way a desirable or experienced candidate, so his ability to create a devoted following needed a bit more expansion in order to be believable. Had it been made in 2021, it is likely Brooker may have had a firmer grip on how this could be achieved, but when the episode premiered in 2013, hive mind politics to such a degree were relatively unheard of.
The biggest change that "The Waldo Moment" needed to make was in providing more detail to the audience, which would be easily done through elongating the episode, just as Brooker initially desired to do. Perhaps, in the future, Brooker could develop a movie about Waldo specifically, as he is venturing further into feature-length projects such as Death To 2020 and Bandersnatch. Ultimately, Black Mirror's "The Waldo Moment" failed to provide audiences with fully fleshed out situations, circumstances, and defining character moments by being condensed into a 44 minute episode.