Black Mirrorhas been showing signs of having lost its mojo for a couple of seasons now, but one interesting aspect is that fans keep showing up to check out new episodes. Part of that is certainly because of the anthology nature of the show, and part is because the series repeatedly manages to strike a chord when commenting on our relationship with technology. Dubbed (not by Netflix) as the Thai version of theCharlie Brookersci-fi series,Tomorrow and Imanages to make similarlypertinent comments about society, even if it doesn’t always stick the landing.
Even though comparisons withBlack Mirrorare inevitable, it’s important to avoid them because thePaween Purijitpanyaseries manages to do its own thing — and that alone is worthfifteen million merits.Tomorrow and Ialso finds room to hone in on topics thatBlack Mirrorhas yet to touch on, which makes it even more interesting by comparison. By the end ofTomorrow and I’s four episodes, you may not have enjoyed everything, butyou certainly won’t regret dedicating your timeto watching.
What Is ‘Tomorrow and I’ About?
Tomorrow and Iis set in a futuristic Thailand andchronicles the problems that our relationship with technology has causedin the long run. The first installment is spread across four episodes: “Black Sheep” deals with the ethics of cloning, “Paradistopia” mixes AI with the taboo of sexual pleasures, “Buddha Data” pairs religion and technology, and “Octopus Girl” reveals what happens to the world after the whole planet is forced to endure a rain that has been falling for more than 700 days.
The first great thing aboutTomorrow and Iis thatthe series is bold with its themes, and not just for the sake of being bold. Religion is a sensitive topic everywhere, and Episode 3 manages to flip the concept by proposing questions like “Is faith measurable?” and “How can you really be a good person?” In the story of “Buddha Data,” good deeds are computed in a revolutionary app that rewards people who accumulate points. Needless to say, this introduces its own problems, like how a good deed can be measured and who is entitled to what reward.
“Paradistopia” is also able totake a sensitive subject and make it a lot more palatableby using comedy as the driving force. It doesn’t always work, but we’ll get to that in a minute. In the episode, a woman decides to create sex robots using AI to learn input from professionals from the adult entertainment world. However, this is also the installment in which the problems ofTomorrow and Ibecome more obvious.
The Thai ‘Black Mirror’ Is Coming to Netflix in December
Here’s when you can stream the new sci-fi anthology series.
‘Tomorrow and I’ Has Its Own Worldbuilding Problems
In all four installments of theanthology series, it feels like the concepts haven’t been thoroughly fleshed out andsome basic worldbuilding elements are difficult to buy. In “Black Sheep,” for example, the system that allows cloning to take place is unsophisticated, to say the very least. For one, it only allows cloning to happen if the professional responsible is able to answer simple yes or no questions. While the show wants to create a pseudoscience to justify its own technology,it doesn’t trust viewers enough to follow along, which translates to an incredibly simplistic exposition that fails to convince you that the technology at hand would be possible in the real world.
The same is true for “Paradistopia,” even though the episode has bigger issues than this. The comedy is mostly over the top — which will resonate differently with different viewers — but the problem is that the episode doesn’t really see itself as a satire. There’s a layer of hypocrisy that is thrown in here and there, but the twists end uprevealing something so dark and seriousthat you wonder if the episode understands its own themes and what it could tackle if it had fully been willing to embrace satire.
The last two episodes are more balanced, and therefore a more enjoyable ride. “Octopus Girl” takes its time in introducing Neo Khlong Toei, a Bangkok district inhabited by a lower-income population — and the ones who have been affected the most by the neverending rain with diseases and difficulty in finding ways to make money. Even though the plot evolves to become a different story than what you’d imagine, the episode manages to establish its concept, immerse viewers, and allow for an understanding of the implications of that reality.
‘Tomorrow and I’ Still Offers Plenty of Plot Twists
Tomorrow and Iis committed to delivering several plot twists, butthey never feel too forced. In one episode, the gender of a character is treated as such, but then the series manages to make up for it though the more interesting reaction that plays out. Sometimes, you can see the twists coming from a distance, but the show doesn’t veer away from it just for the sake of catching viewers off-guard.
Netflix’sTomorrow and Iis a selection of good ideas that aren’t always fleshed out in a way that makes episodes memorable. However,the series is capable of fully standing on its ownand would greatly benefit from more seasons in which more themes could be tackled. This dystopian sci-fi show definitely knows what it’s doing; it just needs more time and a firmer grasp of its own concepts in order to fully flesh out its expansive worldbuilding mechanics.
You can streamTomorrow and Ion Netflix now.
Tomorrow and I
Netflix’s Tomorrow and I escapes the shadow of Black Mirror while touching on its own interesting topics.
Set in a dystopian future Thailand, Tomorrow and I examines the tension between modern technology and traditional customs. The series reveals how advances in technology challenge cultural norms, uncovering profound societal shifts and conflicts as these two forces collide.
