The main character in “Nosedive,” Lacie (Bryce Dallas Howard), is a likeable character. Even though she starts off as another fake, social media-obsessed drone, she’s quickly confronted with the miserable reality of her situation. The series of bad interactions she goes through make her increasingly sympathetic, and as oppressive as this world is, it’s thrilling to watch Lacie grow bolder and more independent. It’s cathartic to watch her ruin her shallow friend’s wedding, consequences be damned. She may end up in prison at the end, but as she’s enjoying an insult contest with her new cellmate, it’s clear that she’s the happiest she’s ever been.
The main character in “Dot and Bubble,” Lindy (Callie Cooke), is given no such arc. Her dependency on her “Bubble,” the social media app that covers her view of everything around her and instructs her on what to do every second of the day, is so strong that she can’t even walk without it. Lindy is utterly useless for the entire first half of the episode, and when she does finally figure out how to function in the real world, she goes about it in a cold, selfish way. Her survival is ensured by betraying Ricky (Tom Rhys Harries), the only Finetime inhabitant whose brain hasn’t been rotted to the core, and she doesn’t express any guilt over getting him killed. Even at the end, she’s going along with the other Finetime residents’ suicidal mission to “The Great Beyond,” obliviously rejecting the Doctor’s urgent offer to save her life.
Unlike “Nosedive,” this is not a story about rejecting the lies of her world and embracing truth. It’s a story about how social media can warp people’s brains to the point of no return.
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