Latest news with #Eulogy
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
It Starts On The Page (Limited): Read ‘Black Mirror' Episode 705 Script 'Eulogy' With Foreword By Charlie Brooker
Editor's note: Deadline's It Starts on the Page (Limited) features 10 standout limited or anthology series scripts in 2025 Emmy contention. In Season 7 of Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror, the dystopian sci-fi anthology series for Netflix continues to evolve the increasingly real tech depicted, especially the growing applications and implications of AI from Hollywood to everyday life. More from Deadline 'Black Mirror' Creator Charlie Brooker On 'USS Callister' Sequel, Paying Homage To Black-And-White Movies & Watching AI With 'Impressed Awe & Rising Horror' Carla Gugino Joins Brad Pitt In 'Cliff Booth' Movie From Netflix And David Fincher Teyana Taylor, Ben Marshall, Zach Cherry & Kam Patterson Join Netflix's Kevin Hart Comedy '72 Hours' Written by Brooker and Ella Road and directed by Chris Barrett and Luke Taylor, the season's fifth episode, 'Eulogy', stars Paul Giamatti as Phillip, a man contacted by a tech company called Eulogy, informing him of the death of his ex-girlfriend Carol and seeking to collect immersive photo memories. With the help of The Guide (Patsy Ferran), Phillip is able to use technology to walk through his memories. As none of the photos are usable, with Carol's image defaced in each, Phillip is left with only the painful memories of their downfall as he struggles to remember their good times. Meanwhile, the mysterious Guide helps him uncover a buried truth about his former relationship. Here is the script for 'Eulogy' with an intro by Brooker, in which he discusses how he got to collaborate with Road on the 'bittersweet and heartbroken' love story, shares the initial inspiration for the episode reflected in Carol's name, and reveals how Giamatti's casting changed the original plan for the character. Why do old photos feel more evocative than anything taken in today's smartphone-and-photostream era? I think it's a combination of scarcity and imperfection. Pre 2010 or so, you might have had a handful of snapshots to cover an entire decade of your life – and many of them would've been a little blurred, or out of focus, filled with red-eye and half-obscured by thumbs. The flaws make them more evocative somehow. That's why if I ran Apple – which just to be clear I don't – I'd implement an optional mode that automatically limits the number of photos you can take on any given day and randomly degrades them into the bargain, to make revisiting them later a more rewarding experience. Our episode 'Eulogy' came about after Black Mirror EP Jessica Rhoades read Ella Road's play The Phlebotomist and suggested her as a potential co-conspirator. Ella and I sat down for a long lunch and discussed areas we were interested in, stress-testing them as potential Black Mirror stories. We quickly zeroed in on memory, particularly how old photographs and music can evoke a time and place. The idea of using tech to throw someone inside a set of old images soon followed — with the aim being to create a 'cathartic, therapeutic tearjerker.' At first it was a little like Dickens' A Christmas Carol – hence Philip's lost love being literally named Carol. We pictured Philip being led through memories which played out around him in real time, with conversations and arguments and people storming out of rooms. But that began to feel a little TOO Christmas Carol. Keeping everyone frozen in place not only kept it focussed (and more eerie), it fundamentally shifted the story, into a tight, high-concept two-hander in which Philip chases a forgotten memory of Carol's face. We always knew there would be a transatlantic element to the story; originally Philip was a gruff Mancunian while The Guide was American. When we discussed casting Paul Giamatti's name was mentioned, and I almost leapt out of my chair — he's one of my favourite actors of all time. So we flipped it, retooling the character in his image. Unbeknownst to me, Paul was a fan of the show. He said when he read the script, knowing this was Black Mirror, he was waiting for some horrendous shoe to drop. But that's not what happens. This is a love story. It's bittersweet and heartbroken. But ultimately it's kind to its inhabitants. Paul and co-star Patsy Ferran knocked it out of the park, as did directing duo Chris Barrett and Luke Taylor. The ending hits me like a bus every single time I see it. Mission accomplished. Charlie Brooker Black Mirror's Emmy haul so far includes three wins for Outstanding TV Movie and two writing trophies out of three nominations. Read the script below. Best of Deadline 'Bachelor in Paradise' Cast Announcement: See Who Is Headed To The Beach For Season 10 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Boss Of ‘Lupin' Maker Gaumont TV France On Netflix's Response To Streaming Law: 'They Did Everything To Avoid It, But They Respect It'
Netflix should be commended for respecting France's extensive streaming regulation, the President of Lupin producer Gaumont Television France said today at Conecta Fiction. During an on-stage interview, Degeorges gave an appraisal of how the regulations had changed the market, and said that Netflix's response had been a mature one. The streamer and others had done 'everything they could to avoid it, but they respected it.' More from Deadline Conecta Fiction & Entertainment Hands Out $115,000 Prizes As Spanish Confab Kicks Off Carla Gugino Joins Brad Pitt In 'Cliff Booth' Movie From Netflix And David Fincher It Starts On The Page (Limited): Read 'Black Mirror' Episode 705 Script "Eulogy" With Foreword By Charlie Brooker The laws, which dictate that streamers must invest 20-25% of their local revenues in French TV and film productions and gives production houses more back-end rights, were brought it four years ago during the global pandemic. Global streamers openly disagree with levies and quotas, and are taking legal action in countries such as Belgium to block new local laws, but Degeorges said Netflix, in particular, had played by the rules in France. 'If France, we were very lucky because we live in a country where regulation is everywhere. We love regulation,' she said to chuckles in the room here in Cuenca. 'Netflix, in my experience, has respected the law. Even if they don't agree, they respect the law.' Degeorges was one of several leading producers who led the fight for streaming regulation via trade body USPA, of which she is Vice President. 'When Netflix arrived in 2015, we all saw it was not normal as the American streamers had no investment obligations,' she said. 'All the channels have obligations. We had to fight to create the new regulation, in which streamers would share IP with us. Now the regulation is great and everything works.' Gaumont is known for producing Netflix's thriller series Lupin, which premiered in January 2021, before the rules were in place. 'With Lupin I don't own the IP,' she said. 'If we did it now maybe I would, but I don't.' Season 4 of Lupin, which stars Omar Sy as master thief Assane Diop, is currently in production. Gaumont makes the show alongside Carrousel Studios, and Degeorges is an exec producer. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More 'Bachelor in Paradise' Cast Announcement: See Who Is Headed To The Beach For Season 10
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Black Mirror' Sets Emmy Campaigns for Paul Giamatti, Rashida Jones, Cristin Milioti and More (EXCLUSIVE)
Netflix has a strong Emmy hand to play this TV awards season, positioning the seventh season of its flagship anthology series 'Black Mirror' for a major awards run — and this time, the dystopian drama might be among its most formidable contenders yet. Confirmed exclusively to Variety, the streamer is submitting three standout performances for lead acting honors in the limited or anthology series or TV movie categories: Paul Giamatti for the melancholic and moving 'Eulogy,' and Chris O'Dowd and Rashida Jones for their resonant turns in the sociopolitical two-hander 'Common People.' It's a bold push that signals high hopes for a season already being hailed as a return to form — and possibly the series' strongest outing since its Emmy-winning heyday. More from Variety Netflix Orders Adult Animated Comedy 'Mating Season' From 'Big Mouth' Team Netflix Sets 'Mad Unicorn' Thai Drama on Express Delivery Startup Saga 'North of North' Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix Giamatti's performance as Phillip, a solitary man navigating grief through digital means in 'Eulogy,' has generated both tears and buzz. The 46-minute episode explores the ethics of AI-driven memorials, as Phillip participates in the virtual funeral of a former flame with the help of an empathetic AI guide, played by Patsy Ferran. In 'Common People,' Jones and O'Dowd deliver career-best performances as a couple who agrees to a contract with a startup to remotely restore her brain function following a tumor diagnosis for a monthly fee. Co-star and Emmy nominee Tracee Ellis Ross, will vie for supporting attention. Indeed, the streamer has stacked its acting deck, and many of the other notable cast members will also seek attention in the supporting actor and actress categories, notably: Issa Rae and Emma Corrin's enigmatic turns in 'Hotel Reverie,' Peter Capaldi's unhinged villain in 'Plaything,' rising star Siena Kelly's fiery and timely execution in 'Bête Noire,' and Cristin Milioti and Jesse Plemons' return in the meta-sequel 'USS Callister: Into Infinity,' which all add to the campaign's power. Milioti, notably, is also an early frontrunner in the lead actress race for HBO's 'The Penguin,' making her a potential double nominee. But 'Black Mirror' isn't chasing gold in a vacuum. Netflix is also juggling two other high-profile limited series contenders: the British mystery thriller 'Adolescence,' starring Stephen Graham, and Ryan Murphy's biographical crime drama 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.' If all three land nominations in the limited series category, Netflix would achieve a rare trifecta — a feat last accomplished in 2022 by Hulu with 'Dopesick,' 'The Dropout' and 'Pam & Tommy.' That lineup, however, was ultimately bested by HBO's 'The White Lotus,' which has since transitioned to the drama category. 'Black Mirror' creator and writer Charlie Brooker will submit two episodes for Emmy consideration in the writing categories: 'Common People' (teleplay by Brooker, story by Brooker and Bisha K. Ali) and 'Eulogy' (written by Brooker and Ella Road). Four directors — Ally Pankiw ('Common People'), Haolu Wang ('Hotel Reverie'), David Slade ('Plaything') and Chris Barrett and Luke Taylor ('Eulogy') — are eligible to submit individually for their respective episodes. Per Emmy rules, Toby Haynes, who directed both 'Bête Noire' and 'USS Callister: Into Infinity,' must choose one episode to submit, with a final decision expected by the May 8 submission deadline. With Emmy voters facing tough choices, Netflix is clearly betting that a reinvigorated 'Black Mirror,' rich with emotional depth, biting satire and top-tier talent, will rise above the competition. The nomination voting window runs from June 12 to June 23, with official nominations set to be announced in July. Season 7 of 'Black Mirror' is now streaming on Netflix. Variety Awards Circuit: Emmys Check out this week's Emmy predictions in key series and acting categories below. For a full breakdown of every Primetime Emmy race, visit our main awards page, and explore the official rankings on each individual category page. Drama Series'Andor''The Diplomat''The Last of Us''The Pitt''Severance''Slow Horses''Squid Game''The White Lotus' Lead Actor (Drama)Sterling K. Brown, 'Paradise'Jon Hamm, 'Your Friends and Neighbors'Gary Oldman, 'Slow Horses'Adam Scott, 'Severance'Billy Bob Thornton, 'Landman'Noah Wyle, 'The Pitt' Lead Actress (Drama)Kathy Bates, 'Matlock'Britt Lower, 'Severance'Melanie Lynskey, 'Yellowjackets'Elisabeth Moss, 'The Handmaid's Tale'Bella Ramsey, 'The Last of Us'Keri Russell, 'The Diplomat' Supporting Actor (Drama)Patrick Ball, 'The Pitt'Zach Cherry, 'Severance'Walton Goggins, 'The White Lotus'Jason Isaacs, 'The White Lotus'Young Mazino, 'The Last of Us'Sam Rockwell, 'The White Lotus'Tramell Tillman, 'Severance'John Turturro, 'Severance' Supporting Actress (Drama)Patricia Arquette, 'Severance'Leslie Bibb, 'The White Lotus'Carrie Coon, 'The White Lotus'Fiona Dourif, 'The Pitt'Allison Janney, 'The Diplomat'Katherine LaNasa, 'The Pitt'Isabela Merced, 'The Last of Us'Parker Posey, 'The White Lotus' Guest Actor (Drama)Andy Garcia, 'Landman'Scott Glenn, 'The White Lotus'Shawn Hatosy, 'The Pitt'Joe Pantoliano, 'The Last of Us'Jeffrey Wright, 'The Last of Us' Guest Actress (Drama)Gwendoline Christie, 'Severance'Kaitlyn Dever, 'The Last of Us'Catherine O'Hara, 'The Last of Us'Hilary Swank, 'Yellowjackets'Merrit Wever, 'Severance' Comedy Series'Abbott Elementary''The Bear''The Four Seasons''Hacks''Nobody Wants This''Only Murders in the Building''Shrinking''The Studio' Lead Actor (Comedy)Adam Brody, 'Nobody Wants This'Seth Rogen, 'The Studio'Jason Segel, 'Shrinking'Martin Short, 'Only Murders in the Building'Jeremy Allen White, 'The Bear' Lead Actress (Comedy)Kristen Bell, 'Nobody Wants This'Quinta Brunson, 'Abbott Elementary'Ayo Edebiri, 'The Bear'Natasha Lyonne, 'Poker Face'Jean Smart, 'Hacks' Supporting Actor (Comedy)Ike Barinholtz, 'The Studio'Colman Domingo, 'The Four Seasons'Paul W. Downs, 'Hacks'Harrison Ford, 'Shrinking'Ebon Moss-Bachrach, 'The Bear'Tyler James Williams, 'Abbott Elementary'Bowen Yang, 'Saturday Night Live' Supporting Actress (Comedy)Liza Colón-Zayas, 'The Bear'Hannah Einbinder, 'Hacks'Kathryn Hahn, 'The Studio'Janelle James, 'Abbott Elementary'Catherine O'Hara, 'The Studio'Sheryl Lee Ralph, 'Abbott Elementary'Jessica Williams, 'Shrinking' Guest Actor (Comedy)Jon Bernthal, 'The Bear'John Cena, 'The Bear'Bryan Cranston, 'The Studio'Timothée Chalamet, 'Saturday Night Live'Christopher McDonald, 'Hacks'Martin Scorsese, 'The Studio' Guest Actress (Comedy)Jamie Lee Curtis, 'The Bear'Cynthia Erivo, 'Poker Face'Ariana Grande, 'Saturday Night Live'Melissa McCarthy, 'Only Murders in the Building'Julianne Nicholson, 'Hacks'Sarah Polley, 'The Studio' Limited or Anthology Series'Adolescence''Black Mirror''Disclaimer''Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story''The Penguin' Television Movie'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy''The Gorge''Mountainhead''Out of My Mind''Rebel Ridge' Lead Actor (Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie)Colin Farrell, 'The Penguin'Paul Giamatti, 'Black Mirror'Stephen Graham, 'Adolescence'Brian Tyree Henry, 'Dope Thief'Cooper Koch, 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story' Lead Actress (Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie)Cate Blanchett, 'Disclaimer'Rashida Jones, 'Black Mirror'Cristin Milioti, 'The Penguin'Amanda Seyfried, 'Long Bright River'Michelle Williams, 'Dying for Sex' Supporting Actor (Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie)Javier Bardem, 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story'Owen Cooper, 'Adolescence'Rob Delaney, 'Dying for Sex'Rhenzy Feliz, 'The Penguin'Diego Luna, 'La Máquina'Wagner Moura, 'Dope Thief'Ashley Walters, 'Adolescence' Supporting Actress (Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie)Emma Corrin, 'Black Mirror'Erin Doherty, 'Adolescence'Lesley Manville, 'Disclaimer'Cristin Milioti, 'Black Mirror'Deirdre O'Connell, 'The Penguin'Jenny Slate, 'Dying for Sex'Christine Tremarco, 'Adolescence' Talk Series'The Daily Show''Hot Ones''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' Scripted Variety'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver''Saturday Night Live' Directing (Drama)'Andor' — Alonso Ruizpalacios'The Last of Us' — Mark Mylod'The Pitt' — John Wells'Severance' — Jessica Lee Gagné'Severance' — Ben Stiller'Squid Game' — Hwang Dong-hyuk'The White Lotus' — Mike White Directing (Comedy)'The Bear' — Ayo Edebiri'The Four Seasons' — Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini'Hacks' — Lucia Aniello'Mid-Century Modern' — James Burrows'The Ms. Pat Show' — Mary Lou Belli'Only Murders in the Building' — John Hoffman'The Studio' — Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg Directing (Limited/TV Movie)'Adolescence' — Philip Barantini'Black Mirror' — Chris Barrett and Luke Taylor'Disclaimer' — Alfonso Cuarón'Dope Thief' — Ridley Scott'The Penguin' — Craig Zobel'Presumed Innocent' — Anne Sewitsky Writing (Drama)'The Agency' — Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth'Andor' — Tony Gilroy'The Last of Us' — Craig Mazin'Matlock' — Jennie Snyder Urman'Severance' — Dan Erickson'Slow Horses' — Will Smith'The White Lotus' — Mike White Writing (Comedy)'Abbott Elementary' — Quinta Brunson'The Four Seasons' — Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, Tracey Wigfield'Hacks' — Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky'The Studio' — Alex Gregory'The Studio' — Peter Huyck'The Studio' — Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, Frida Perez'What We Do in the Shadows' — Sam Johnson, Sarah Naftalis, Paul Simms Writing (Limited/TV Movie)'Adolescence' — Stephen Graham, Jack Thorne'Black Mirror' — Charlie Brooker'Black Mirror' — Charlie Brooker, Bisha K. Ali'Disclaimer' — Alfonso Cuarón'Dying for Sex' — Kim Rosenstock, Elizabeth Meriwether'The Penguin' — Lauren LeFranc Best of Variety 2025 Tony Awards Predictions: Kieran Culkin Eyes Historic Triple Crown, Latinos Take Center Stage and Star Power Could Rule Broadway Honors New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Netflix in May 2025
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Paul Giamatti talks ‘Black Mirror,' playing a ‘Star Trek' villain, and his go-to In-N-Out order
In his Black Mirror debut, Emmy-winning actor Paul Giamatti stars as a lonely man who confronts a past love by literally stepping into old photographs to recall his late girlfriend's face. The Season 7 episode 'Eulogy' calls on Giamatti to convey a wide range of emotions — often all at once — whether that's anger, hurt, or self-loathing. How does an award-winning actor prepare for that? More from GoldDerby Natasha Rothwell says goodbye to 'How to Die Alone' (for now), reveals what would've happened next The making of 'Matlock': 'I wanted it to be a love letter to women in the workforce' 'The White Lotus' will enter these 20 Season 3 actors - along with surprise submission Ke Huy Quan - for the 2025 Emmys 'I'm filled with defensiveness, anger and hurt,' Giamatti joked to Gold Derby on the red carpet of the show's FYC event at the Television Academy's Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, Calif. 'It's weirdly enjoyable in some really sick way for actors to do that.' While he said he 'worried' most about the ending and the final scene 'landing naturally,' The Holdovers actor also credited the episode's writers, Ella Road and creator Charlie Brooker. 'It's in the script when someone tells me what to do,' he said, adding, 'it's my job to see if I can bring that stuff up.' Tracee Ellis Ross and Rashida Jones, who star in the episode "Common People," agree that the script is key to balancing the series' darkly satirical tone. 'I think so much of it is in the writing,' says Ross. "Common People," written by Brooker and Bisha K. Ali, explores what happens after a woman (Jones) experiences a medical emergency and her husband (Chris O'Dowd) signs her up for a brain-altering subscription service that causes her to awkwardly spout ads for coffee, therapy shoes, and more. 'It does lay somewhere in between a darkness, like an underbelly, undercurrent, of hyper-reality — and also it's funny,' Jones said. Black Mirror is known for delving into the dark side of tech — or at least what happens when humanity takes technological advances in a dystopian direction. 'Usually at the end of a Black Mirror [episode], the main characters are dead or despairing or disgraced — or all of the above,' Brooker said during the Q&A portion of the event, explaining why almost all episodes of the anthology series are one-off stories. Netflix However, reviving the 'USS Callister' storyline from the original 2017 episode was something Brooker wanted to do, saying he felt they could 'start a new chapter with them.' Calling the original 'something we were immediately proud of,' the Season 7 follow-up, USS Callister: Into Infinity, is even larger in scope. '[In the original], we're slightly riffing on Star Trek, but we weren't taking the piss out of Star Trek,' Brooker, a former video-game journalist, explained to Gold Derby. 'In this one, we're slightly riffing on Star Wars and video games — things like No Man's Sky, Fortnite, and Destiny — multiplayer, huge games like that.' While the USS Callister sequel was heavy on visual effects, the world of Eulogy — which brought Giamatti's character, Phil, along with his avatar guide (Patsy Ferran) into those grainy pictures—presented an effects challenge that relied less on CGI and more on the talents of mimes and other actors. 'We shot with real people on real stages so that Paul and Patsy could move amongst them, touch them,' VFX supervisor James MacLachlan told Gold Derby. Mixing metalwork with a movement choreographer, MacLachlan said the actors held 'very specific poses,' with some added help. 'We had some of these people holding these poses for upwards of 30, 40 minutes,' he explained. 'But they had certain supports — wedges under their legs, supports up through their arms—so in a weird way they could sort of slightly rest into a situation.' The series reintroduces the small, round brain-chip device Nubbin in multiple episodes, including "Eulogy," to virtually transport characters inside pictures or movies. There are different sounds that come through the Nubbins, including Phil's guide (Ferran), but supervising sound editor Tom Jenkins admitted that they 'had some fun with it.' 'My son was born during the post-process of Black Mirror, so every little opportunity, there's little snippets of my boy in all the sounds,' Jenkins told Gold Derby, 'so even the Nubbins, there's a little bit of his voice in there.' Calling Season 7 'very reflective' and saying 'there's a little more hope' during the event Q&A, Brooker told Gold Derby that he's actually pro-technology in his everyday life. 'I think most technology can be used to bring us together,' he said. 'It's how we use these powerful tools that's the issue.' As for sci-fi enthusiast Giamatti, the Oscar-nominated actor will appear as a villain in the upcoming series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. 'I love Star Trek,' says Giamatti. 'The villain part, I was like, 'I definitely want to do this.' Also, the Star Trek villains are so great. To be able to be a Star Trek bad guy, I was like, 'How can I not do that?'' He added that the character is 'funny, too, which is actually something I really liked about him. But it's a really … it's a big character so I got to have a good time with it.' With awards season upon us, we might see Giamatti heading back to In-N-Out as he did after his 2024 Golden Globe win for The Holdovers and he knows exactly what he'll order. 'I just get it very standard,' he told Gold Derby. 'I just get a double-double raw onion. I don't do anything fancy.' Best of GoldDerby The making of 'Matlock': 'I wanted it to be a love letter to women in the workforce' Is 'SNL' new tonight? Host, musical guest details How Natasha Rothwell helped Belinda get her groove back in 'The White Lotus' Season 3 Click here to read the full article.
Globe and Mail
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
Black Mirror's Eulogy episode revels in the dangers of memory and main character energy
We are all the heroes of our own stories, but that doesn't make our feelings fact. Black Mirror's newest season reminds us of that in 'Eulogy,' an intense exploration of love, grief and how technology can revisit the past. The 47-minute episode is one of the series' simplest in seven seasons, proving that sometimes less really is more. It follows the story of an isolated man who learns his ex-girlfriend has died. When her family requests that he share his memories via a new tech service called Eulogy, he's forced to reckon with decades-old heartbreak and the realization that his bitterness and anger have strangled his memories. Paul Giamatti stars as Phillip, the misanthrope in question, and delivers a gut-punching performance full of subtle nuances and emotion. When the AI service tries to dislodge his memories of his ex, Carol, he can't bring her to mind. A guide convinces him to pull out a series of photographs of his time with Carol to help, and launches him into the actual photos to have a look around. The only problem? Phillip has scratched out Carol's face in every instance, and can no longer remember what she looked like. It's a nostalgic reminder that back before smartphones and digital technology, photos didn't capture every instance of a person's life. Once the snaps that did exist were ruined, there was no getting them back. In 'Eulogy,' that story device allows viewers to revisit the past through Phillip's eyes as he recalls the strong love he once held for this woman and the anger that consumed him after they broke up. There's a slight mystery as to what happened as the story unfolds, and new insights as to memory versus circumstance as the Guide (Patsy Ferran) points out inconsistencies in the memories Phillip recalls. It becomes clear Phillip has painted a victim narrative in his head after his loss; however, a picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words. As he progresses through his memories, Phillip makes some hard realizations. It's a beautifully delivered story about how things can go so wrong when we fail to be objective. As Phillip turns to the bottle to quell his anger and pain, his actions have devastating consequences that he's failed to see for years. Rather than deal with his grief and resolve his issues, he's turned to a sad life of solitude. In the hands of Giamatti, the character gets under your skin and lingers, and Ferran is every bit his equal. Together they deliver a powerful message about how anguish comes in many shapes and forms, whether grieving a death or the death of a relationship. It's also a reminder that when we self-soothe with substances, or these days via things such as doomscrolling, we can miss the very real life that's going on around us. For Black Mirror, a series that typically dwells on the devastating effects of technology, it's a surprisingly uplifting and relatable episode that highlights some of the good that can come from these societal advancements. Not everyone wants the option to linger in the past, but addressing it for what it was rather than repressing it or holding onto bad memories can ultimately be healing. It's a standout episode in the Twilight Zone-inspired series and one of the best reasons to tune into the latest season. 'Eulogy' might not have the Hollywood noir appeal of Season 7's 'Hotel Reverie,' the relevance of privatized health care that 'Common People' does, or the flash of the 'USS Callister' sequel episode, 'USS Callister: Into Infinity.' But what it is is a deeply moving story about the lasting effects of love even after our strongest memories fade away.
