Bandersnatch, Netflix’s chose your own adventure Black Mirror episode, was released last week. With company over, it took me a while to get to the episode.
Once I did, Bandersnatch felt like I was stuck in a choose your own adventure hell just to get to watch.
Where should I watch Bandersnatch? Smart TV or Apple TV
When we sat down to watch Bandersnatch, I already knew that I wasn’t going to be able to watch it. 99% of the television we watch in this house goes through our Apple TV. When Netflix released Bandersnatch, they also released a disclaimer about where you could actually watch it. The Apple TV wasn’t one of those places.
Netflix said that smart tvs, gaming systems, and Amazon Fire TV will work. If the system you want to watch it on can watch it, Bandersnatch will have a little red badge at the top, like the imagine below.
Luckily for us, we have a smart tv, so I for the first time since I bought it, I fired up Netflix on it and headed to Bandersnatch. It didn’t have a badge.
Hmmm – now what do I do?
I turned to my iPad to see what to do next. The internet said that you could AirPlay from your iOS device to the AppleTV. I attempted to do that, by mirroring my screen to the AppleTV and going to Bandersnatch. The screen went blank. I could watch it on my iPad but not the TV.
The only other option I could think of was trying to use my Nintendo Switch but I also knew that Netflix doesn’t have an app on the Switch yet.
The only other option I could think of was to dig out the WiiU and try that. After getting everything plugged in and updated which took a while, I was finally able to pull up Bandersnatch with the badge and everything. Too bad we had already pulled up another movie to watch while I went through that.
Watching Bandersnatch
Choices
With the frustration finally subsided, my wife and I finally sat down to watch this new take on media.
While watching, I felt a little bored and wondered how my early choices affected the narrative. As it went on I started to feel how solitary this experience felt.
For those that haven’t watched, there will come a moment in the show when the main character is given a choice. You get to make the choice to see what happens. Your choice could change the narrative, and apparently, there are five different endings that you could get to.
When we got to one of these moments though we had to shout out which option we wanted. You only have ten seconds to make a choice or the show will pick one for you.
A couple of moments came when we couldn’t agree on which one to take. I would usually relent and pick what my wife wanted, thinking I would go back and try my own path later.
Going Back
One of the early options you are presented with seemed so obvious to pick, but the writers have set you up. This is to teach you what happens when you pick the wrong answer. The show sends you back through the story and shows you the choices you made up to that point and then lets you pick again. Of course, this being Black Mirror, there are some hints thrown in that this isn’t your first time through.
The Endings
The endings are very intriguing. Not only does it finish, but it lets you go back to a moment and pick the opposite of what you did before. My only issue with this reversal is that you don’t get to pick where you go to. The app seems to pick for you. I would love to be able to go back to a different moment and see what happened from then on.
Solitary Watching
From the sound of it, Bandersnatch seemed like must-see TV. I wanted to watch with my wife since it was so popular. Watching it though felt like it should be a solitary event. If nothing else than which device to watch it on, this should be watched alone.
It is difficult to make choices in a group since you won’t always agree on which choice to make.
So do I think this type of media has a future? Sure. Do I think it’s the next big thing? No. I think this will be a fun option for some things.
The Story
The story itself is very much Black Mirror. It is a bleak story with a bleak outcome.
The early part of the story is slightly boring, but that’s to be assumed since it is setting everything up. The rest of the story unfolds however you want it. I think the choices some time broke the flow.
It was interesting to go back and see what the other options brought you. Finishing the first ending was fine, but going back and trying to find other endings was more interesting.
Wrap Up
I think Bandersnatch was a fun experience that should be taken alone. The story was fine, but nothing too special. I’d like to see more choose your own adventures, but I’m not in a rush for the next one. The next one though, I’m watching on my own and them coming back together to talk about it.
What did think of Bandersnatch? Did you get all the endings? What did you use to watch it?
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It’s odd to me that Netflix would release Bandersnatch without Apple TV integration – doesn’t that leave out a huge chunk of potential viewership? I really like the idea of a choose your own adventure story and Black Mirror is a perfect show for Netflix to try it out on. Great review!
Your conclusion that the experience should be taken alone makes me wonder if the furture of such media will be on VR headsets. Maybe that will provide the ability to have a group experience of watching the same show together while preserving the individual storyline choice. If so, I think that opens up an interesting narrative technique for TV writers because the viewer is more likely to feel like they are a part of the show, almost as if they are a character in the story.
I bet you’re right. The future will probably be VR. I’m worried about a lonely future though. Making choices, wearing VR sets, it’s all so isolated and singular.