Updated Review - 10/6/2023
I was interested to see how this episode aged 10 years after its release. When the animated bear Waldo steals the attention of the public eye, the voice actor behind him begins to question his own beliefs. The Waldo Moment feels like a political satire at first, but turns more into a drama by the end of it. Daniel Rigby's performance of Jamie and Waldo is the highlight of this episode.
I admit the last two paragraphs of my original review was a stretch. Since the end of Trump's presidency and failed re-election, that in itself makes for a much more complicated real-world scenario than The Waldo Moment could've ever predicted. There might be tiny similarities in theory, but directly comparing the two was a bit far-fetched.
For as much ground this episode covers, The Waldo Moment comes and goes without giving us much to feel for. It might be the weakest Black Mirror episode to this point, but Daniel Rigby's performance and the over arching message keep it afloat.
6/10
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Review from 4/19/2019
Jamie Salter is a comedian whose claim to fame is voicing an animated bear named Waldo. He interviews politicians on a late night show and makes fun of them. Waldo is successful but Jamie is depressed. TV producer Jack Napier owns the rights to Waldo, suggests he compete in the election and humiliate the Conservative candidate Liam Monroe.
Jamie meets the Labor party candidate, Gwendolyn Harris, who has no chance of winning but is campaigning only to further her political career. They have a one night stand and her campaign manager tells her to stay away from him. During a debate, Monroe calls out Jamie personally and Waldo rants about the artificiality of politicians and exposes Gwendolyn. The debate goes viral and Waldo gains momentum.
Waldo doesn't stand for anything and doesn't claim to fix any issues. He's a comedic figure that people are drawn to when they see him on screen. Waldo ridicules the politicians, claiming they're artificial, obsessed with reputation and in his words, "an old attitude with a new face."
This episode eerily predicted the future of politics and elections. Donald Trump had no political experience, lost the popular vote but still managed to win the US presidency. Like Waldo, Trump was the anti-candidate, gaining popularity by telling the public what they wanted to hear and attacking his opposition.
The Waldo Moment is a political drama that raises many real issues with the election system and politics. It's an episode that will continue to be relevant since becoming a reality in 2016. It's not the most thrilling episode but it's certainly worth watching and discussing.
7/10.
I was interested to see how this episode aged 10 years after its release. When the animated bear Waldo steals the attention of the public eye, the voice actor behind him begins to question his own beliefs. The Waldo Moment feels like a political satire at first, but turns more into a drama by the end of it. Daniel Rigby's performance of Jamie and Waldo is the highlight of this episode.
I admit the last two paragraphs of my original review was a stretch. Since the end of Trump's presidency and failed re-election, that in itself makes for a much more complicated real-world scenario than The Waldo Moment could've ever predicted. There might be tiny similarities in theory, but directly comparing the two was a bit far-fetched.
For as much ground this episode covers, The Waldo Moment comes and goes without giving us much to feel for. It might be the weakest Black Mirror episode to this point, but Daniel Rigby's performance and the over arching message keep it afloat.
6/10
.
.
.
Review from 4/19/2019
Jamie Salter is a comedian whose claim to fame is voicing an animated bear named Waldo. He interviews politicians on a late night show and makes fun of them. Waldo is successful but Jamie is depressed. TV producer Jack Napier owns the rights to Waldo, suggests he compete in the election and humiliate the Conservative candidate Liam Monroe.
Jamie meets the Labor party candidate, Gwendolyn Harris, who has no chance of winning but is campaigning only to further her political career. They have a one night stand and her campaign manager tells her to stay away from him. During a debate, Monroe calls out Jamie personally and Waldo rants about the artificiality of politicians and exposes Gwendolyn. The debate goes viral and Waldo gains momentum.
Waldo doesn't stand for anything and doesn't claim to fix any issues. He's a comedic figure that people are drawn to when they see him on screen. Waldo ridicules the politicians, claiming they're artificial, obsessed with reputation and in his words, "an old attitude with a new face."
This episode eerily predicted the future of politics and elections. Donald Trump had no political experience, lost the popular vote but still managed to win the US presidency. Like Waldo, Trump was the anti-candidate, gaining popularity by telling the public what they wanted to hear and attacking his opposition.
The Waldo Moment is a political drama that raises many real issues with the election system and politics. It's an episode that will continue to be relevant since becoming a reality in 2016. It's not the most thrilling episode but it's certainly worth watching and discussing.
7/10.