Charlie Brooker, the creator of the groundbreaking series Black Mirror, delves into the origins of the first episode in the latest season. Netflix presents an intriguing collection of five technology-driven narratives that promise to captivate audiences. Brooker provides insights into the creative process behind these thrilling tales, offering a glimpse into the thought-provoking world of Black Mirror’s newest installment. Prepare to immerse yourself in a riveting exploration of the potential dark side of technology.
Annie Murphy, known for her role in Schitt’s Creek, takes on the lead role as Joan, a tech CEO, in the captivating series “Joan is Awful.” The show provides a glimpse into Joan’s eventful day, filled with uncomfortable employee terminations, therapy sessions discussing her fiancé Krish’s lackluster cooking, and a vulnerable moment with her ex Mac, portrayed by Rob Delaney. As Joan settles in to watch Streamberry, a streaming platform akin to Netflix, she is taken aback when she discovers a show called “Joan is Awful,” a dramatized version of her own life with Salma Hayek playing her character. The twists continue as Hayek’s Joan discovers Cate Blanchett taking on the role, and the enigmatic storyline of the Russian Doll unfolds endlessly.
Joan’s reputation takes a devastating hit as the series portrays her in a negative light, resulting in the loss of both her job and her relationship. Seeking legal counsel, Joan discovers that her consent to Streamberry’s terms and conditions relinquished her rights, allowing the show to exploit her through the use of A.I. imagery and Deepfake technology, derived from her phone’s microphone data. Despite Salma Hayek’s non-involvement in the production, merely granting Streamberry permission to utilize her likeness, Joan resorts to extreme measures by defecating in a church in an effort to compel Hayek to intervene and halt the show. Shockingly, the subsequent episode showcases Hayek herself engaging in the same act, stirring Hayek’s own dismay and prompting a collaboration between her and Joan to dismantle the company’s content-generating quantum computer.
The Idea for “Joan Is Awful” Came to Charlie Brooker While Watching ‘The Dropout’
When discussing his creative process, writer Charlie Brooker revealed to Metro that his inspiration often begins with fragments of ideas. One such example is the concept behind “Joan is Awful,” where the title had captivated his attention from the start. He envisioned an ordinary woman thrust into the spotlight, becoming the headline news not due to scandal or heroism, but simply by being the “main character of the day.” Brooker recognized the potency of exploiting Joan’s vulnerabilities rather than relying on significant life events, but he still needed a compelling narrative to bring the idea to life. As he pondered these separate concepts, another notion emerged: the use of Deepfake A.I.-generated imagery broadcast by a news network. The challenge remained in connecting these ideas, and the breakthrough occurred while Brooker was engrossed in watching the Hulu series The Dropout.
In The Dropout, Academy Award nominee Amanda Seyfried takes on the role of real-life entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes, the CEO of Theranos. Inspired by Holmes’ true story, the series delves into her remarkable journey. At the youthful age of 19, Holmes founded Theranos in 2003, propelling the company’s value to an astonishing $9 billion. She claimed that Theranos had revolutionized blood testing with its ability to analyze a small fingerprick sample. However, investigations conducted by journalists in 2015 exposed the company’s fraudulent practices, which had deceived investors into contributing $700 million based on exaggerated claims about their technology. Forbes, initially regarding Holmes as the youngest and wealthiest self-made woman in the USA, quickly revised their estimation of her net worth to zero. As a consequence, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed charges against Holmes and COO Ramesh Balwani (portrayed by Naveen Andrews in The Dropout) in 2018. Subsequently, a federal grand jury indicted the pair on fraud charges.
This Real-Life Story Was News, Then a Podcast, and Then a Star-Studded Drama
After settling charges with the SEC, Elizabeth Holmes returned nearly 19 million shares to Theranos, paid a $500,000 fine, and received a 10-year ban from holding officer or director positions in public companies. The Dropout, a true-crime podcast produced by Taylor Dunn, Victoria Thompson, and Rebecca Jarvis, captivated audiences with its intriguing narrative of ambition turned awry. The podcast’s final episode, “What Now?,” left much of Holmes’ fate hanging in the balance. Following the podcast’s success, a two-hour follow-up aired on 20/20 in March 2019, earning a nomination for a News Emmy Award.
In 2021, Hulu announced a limited series adaptation of The Dropout, with SNL’s Kate McKinnon initially cast as Elizabeth Holmes. However, McKinnon later withdrew from the project, and Amanda Seyfried stepped in to portray Holmes. The series, executive produced by the podcast’s creators, Elizabeth Meriwether as showrunner, and directed by Michael Showalter, consists of eight episodes, with Seyfried earning an Emmy for her performance. The cast also includes William H. Macy, Elizabeth Marvel, Laurie Metcalf, Stephen Fry, and Alan Ruck. Meanwhile, the real-life trial of “U.S. v. Holmes, et al.” concluded in January 2022, resulting in Holmes’ conviction for defrauding investors. In May 2023, Holmes was sentenced to over 11 years in prison and ordered to pay a $452 million fine alongside Balwani, with the amount to be disbursed to their fraud victims.
This Fictional Dramatization of Elizabeth Holmes’ Life Inspired Brooker to Write “Joan Is Awful”
According to Charlie Brooker’s interview with Metro, his inspiration for combining ideas came while watching the TV dramatization of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos in The Dropout. Brooker realized that dramatization offered a better storytelling approach and could be merged with his other ideas, particularly involving Deepfake A.I. technology. The two half-ideas he had been pondering suddenly converged into one, finding the perfect place for them. The concept of dramatization allowed Brooker to explore the notion that Joan, the unsuspecting protagonist, was not only under scrutiny but also subjected to exaggerated portrayals, creating a surreal experience akin to being played by a renowned actor like Salma Hayek.
While Holmes’ life has been extensively covered in news, podcasts, and TV adaptations, Brooker saw an intriguing story in exploring Joan’s emotional response to the media frenzy surrounding her life. “Joan is Awful” resonates with audiences globally, but only a few can truly comprehend the bizarre situation that Joan, like Elizabeth Holmes, finds herself in.
Source: Collider
