Yahoo News Tales from the Loop is the anti-Black Mirror
Tales from the Loop spoilers follow.
Science-fiction has always held up a mirror to the best and worst of society, but the reflection that looks back at us in Black Mirror is cracked straight down the middle, providing us with a glimpse of all the ways technology can and will destroy us. The future that creator Charlie Brooker paints is a bleak one indeed, and plenty of other sci-fi shows since have distorted reality in similar ways too.
When Amazon Prime first announced their own sci-fi anthology, Tales from the Loop, comparisons to other shows like Black Mirror and even Stranger Things were immediately thrown around. However, as show runner Nathaniel Halpern was quick to point out (via The Wrap), Tales from the Loop isn't so easy to define:
"Tonally, it’s rather unique and I don’t want to give the wrong impression, necessarily. It’s not a cynical or bleak show, so it’s certainly like the anti-Black Mirror. It’s not Stranger Things, because it’s not trading on any kind of cultural nostalgia."
Each episode of Tales from the Loop follows different residents of a small town who all live together in an alternate-history version of 1970s USA. At first, everything seems rustic and familiar, but elements of more traditional sci-fi iconography are gradually folded into this serene setting.
In this world, it's not uncommon to see a mechanical arm or rusty robots sit alongside the Americana of regular farmers or cafes. What really sets Tales from the Loop apart though is the hidden laboratory underneath the town which causes a wide range of space-time anomalies which affect each resident in turn.
Like Black Mirror, each episode explores the human condition via a different sci-fi conceit, but that's where the similarities end. Tales from the Loop is directly based on the artwork of Swedish designer Simon Stålenhag, and this inspiration is gorgeously rendered in every frame, seamlessly incorporating robots and time travel into a far more recognisable world than most.
Yes, Black Mirror often reflects real life too, and sure, technology plays a vital role in both shows, but Tales from the Loop diverges from Brooker's creation by slowing things down and gently examining humanity from a more gentle perspective.
Every moving part in Tales from the Loop is made to be absorbed and savoured, much like one of Stålenhag's inspiring artworks, and that's equally true of each story beat and visual detail.
In the very first episode, a young girl encounters a benign robot just outside of the town's limits. If this were Black Mirror, the robot would represent some kind of cautionary tale about technology, but here, its presence is quite beautiful instead, encouraging us to reflect on different and often surreal perspectives within this fantastic world.
While there's nothing wrong with setting out to shock, it's refreshing to see a show like Tales veer away from the sensational themes that Black Mirror often leans hard into. There's no random pig-f**king or murderous robot rampage here. Instead of preying on our anxieties about the future, any conflict to be found in Tales from the Loop is distinctly human in nature.
Nowhere is that more clear than in the sixth episode, titled 'Parallel'. Here, the story focuses on Gaddis, a lonely security guard who slips into a parallel world where his other self is happy and in love. It's not long before our version of Gaddis starts resenting his double, and eventually hooks up with their partner.
While this does create some tension, the second Gaddis is willing to forgive his transgressions, explaining that long-term relationships are more complicated than they often seem. By circumventing the physical conflict that often characterises other sci-fi shows like Black Mirror, 'Parallel' encourages us instead to ruminate on the nature of love and commitment.
And that's true of all eight episodes in the first season of Tales from the Loop. Rather than (bander) snatching our attention with wide-held anxieties about society at large, Tales from the Loop raises more thoughtful questions which encourage us to look inwards for answers instead.
At a time when it feels like we're all living in a real-life episode of Black Mirror, it's remarkably comforting to see something calmer and more peaceful stare back at us for a change.
Tales from the Loop is available to stream in its entirety on Amazon Prime.
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