The Black Knight series uses science fiction with elements of Mad Max to discuss the effects of the pandemic on society, but gets lost in its proposition
black Knight is a beautiful example of the role and importance of science fiction within pop culture. More than bringing futuristic worlds and playing with tomorrow’s technologies, the genre serves to discuss the present. And that’s where the new series comes from Netflix does very well – and even not so subtly – by creating a whole analogy to reflect on the pandemic and its impact on social, governmental and market issues. The problem, however, is how and to what end this analysis does.
The comparison between the series and our still recent reality is more than obvious. The story centers on a South Korea that has turned into a huge desert after a climatic cataclysm that wiped out 99% of the population. With that, the remnants of humanity live in caste-divided settlements and depend on couriers to survive, providing everything from oxygen to food.
And the idea of leading this narrative through these couriers, treating them as the heroes of this one post apocalyptic world in the best style Crazy Maximus it’s a really good premise, even more when it mirrors our world and we remember when we depended on the category. But the production stumbles in both execution and message, so that the analogy and discussion lose the expected force.
What story do you want to tell?
Let’s start with the shape. black Knight does a great job of building this post-apocalyptic world, creating a tension-filled reality where everything makes sense. Although these elements are presented all at once, which makes things very confusing at first, it is easy to recognize the parts and the allegories that the series offers.
The main conflict of the plot is in such a caste system, which divides society into distinct classes – refugees, general, special and core – each of which lives in specific districts of Seoul. That’s because the government is planning a more comprehensive type of social reorganization than the one proposed by Cheonmyeong, the megacorporation responsible for society’s supply and oxygen production.
This is where the hero figure 5-8 (Kim Woo-bin) comes into play. He is part of this group of couriers and is considered a legend among the population, even if the series never bothers to explain the reason for this admiration. And although he is an employee of this large company, he tries hard to prevent him from dictating the rules on how Korea should get back on its feet.
As mentioned, it’s a very interesting premise for several reasons, but with a few stumbles that take away its power. And, in the case of storytelling itself, these slip-ups start to show from the moment the show decides it’s better to tell another story than exactly the one presented in its first episode.
Most of the six chapters of this first season are dedicated to the journey of another hero much less interesting than 5-8 and the rest of the courier militia. Especially since the saga of Sa-Wol (Kang You-Seok) is much more of a detour than something we really want to follow.
The initial motivations also make sense. For a refugee like him, becoming a messenger is an opportunity to make a career and have a modicum of dignity in this highly stratified society. The problem is that this is not explored at any point and the series decides to combine some ideas and clichés that not only make no sense to the story being told but also disturb that core that was so promising in the beginning.
Out of the blue, a whole storyline about mutants arrives that goes nowhere and there’s even room for a tournament to start to see who becomes the new delivery boy, with Sa-Wol being the big dark horse of the competition. It’s a silly anime cliché that’s stayed too long here.
And before anyone says that this is in the web comics that inspired the Netflix series, it’s always good to remember that adaptations are really about adapting and fitting these stories into the proposed format, which is not the case here. By following this path, black Knight he turns his back on what was strongest in him to follow an uninspired and very tiring path.
The result of this is that the critique and reflection that this analogy to the world that emerged during and because of the pandemic dissolves amidst this pile of nonsensical plot. And not just because they’re quite questionable in creative terms, but because they add nothing to the story itself. The whole plot about mutants, Cheonmyeong’s heir disease, and even some plot twists are so empty that it is clear that the series is making the audience give up for six episodes.
Following the allegory of the courier, it is as if black Knight take the longest and most complex route to reach your destination. He goes down paths that don’t make sense and don’t add up to be able to talk about topics like corporate influence on government and social hygiene.
These are very good and relevant discussions in this post-pandemic time and it was the perfect opportunity for the series to use science fiction to stir up the debate. Except that, focusing on the wrong things, all of this is overshadowed to give priority to the classic tournament that everyone knows how it ends. And, as much as the script still tries to fit the critiques into this silliest part, it’s done without any clout.
Sure, there are good action sequences in between, like during the whole episode dedicated to the delivery simulation. However, the price paid for these moments seems too high.
biased discussions
If, fit, black Knight stumbles by giving too much attention to unrelevant characters and plots, the content of the series also brings a mix of successes and mistakes that are impossible not to mention.
As mentioned, the idea of discussing the effects of the pandemic on society is a huge success for the series. Showing this dystopian future that has such strong connections to our reality is quite impressive. Not only because the society that depends on masks to survive is still very recent in our memory, but for all the situations that surround it.
The caste system of the series very well reflects the impact of the pandemic on different social strata not only in Korea, but around the world. And the series does a good job of showing how refugees are treated like disposable lives by the elite. While the poorest live on crumbs counting the seconds of oxygen available every day, the residents of the Central District live under a dome that simulates normal life before the end of the world — and they don’t even have to worry about masks or shortness of breath. .
Plus, there’s all the debate about the influence of the megacorporation that supplies oxygen, food, and transportation to keep the whole world alive. Cheonmyeong being the big bad of the story comes as no surprise, but it is interesting to see how the series sets out to show how society can become hostage to big corporations when it begins to depend on them for everything, even to the point of dictating policy directions. and the country’s society.
This is where things start to get a little more complicated. AS black Knight he devotes a good part of his time to following a plot that leads nowhere, all the social criticism present in the 5-8 fight against the system ends up being reduced to a few rather questionable looks and developed in a hurry.
Not that the debate about the role of these big companies, especially pharmaceuticals, isn’t worth discussing, but the option of turning villain Ryu Seok (Song Seung-heon) into a caricatured businessman who wants power at all costs deflate and twist the discussion down a dangerous path.
By placing drugs like this evil company that literally carries out a coup, pollutes the air to sell more oxygen and exterminates the poorest through vaccines, black Knight adopts a very dangerous discourse within the context that the series itself proposes.
From the moment the series decides to use science fiction to talk about the pandemic and its social impacts, it brings a rather dangerous anti-vaccine discourse that is never taken into consideration and becomes a pamphlet at an uncomfortable level.
power loss
black Knight He had incredible potential in his hands. Although many productions have talked about the pandemic in recent years, the South Korean series is one of the few that has dared to use science fiction to delve into truly relevant topics. However, she seems to have gotten carried away and said too much in just six episodes.
The result is that it wastes precious time that could be used to delve into characters – such as 5-8 himself, whose past is just a brushstroke without major developments – and give the proposed treatment the seriousness that suits it. But that’s not what happens.
Preferring to be half-anime, with “tournament saga” and all, it voids many of the good ideas it presents and fails to bring the debates to the required level. And, as much as it brings good action scenes and very cool aesthetics, black Knight it becomes just an average delivery.
black Knight can be watched by Netflix subscribers.
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Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
