Black Mirror season 5, episode 3 recap: Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too
By Monita Mohan
Photo: Black Mirror Season 5 production still / Netflix
Miley Cyrus stars in the season finale of Black Mirror as Ashley O, a young singer whose potential becomes endless because of technology.
High school student Rachel Goggins (Angourie Rice) is a loner who loves Ashley O (Miley Cyrus) in the final Black Mirror season five episode. Rachel and her family are new to town and have yet to make friends. While Rachel’s father works on a ground-breaking ‘mousetrap’, and her sister Jack (Madison Davenport) works on making her own music, Rachel watches Ashley’s performances non-stop. Rachel’s mother passed away a few years ago and Jack honors her by listening and playing to the rock bands her mother loved, but Rachel seems to be escaping into her obsession.
Rachel and Ashley Too
Ashley O is at the top of her career. Her peppy and empowering tunes are hits and while attending a talk show Ashley introduces a little AI robot – Ashley Too.
More. Black Mirror season 5, episode 2 recap: Smithereens. light
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As soon as Rachel sees the Ashley Too, she wants it. She asks her father to buy her one for her birthday and he agrees. Jack has to remind him that Rachel’s birthday is in two days. Ashley Too is an adorable little robot with powerful intuition. Rachel takes to her immediately, spending her entire birthday chatting with the robot. Jack, who shares a room with Rachel, hates it and Ashley’s music.
Ashley Too encourages Rachel to believe in herself, and when she has a moment, compliments Jack’s creativity. Jack is unnerved by the robot, but Rachel whole-heartedly follows Ashley Too’s lead. Robots and Black Mirror are not a good mix, Rachel.
Ashley Too helps Rachel practice her dance moves for the school’s talent contest. Rachel honestly doesn’t look like she’s getting any better, but the robot helps her do her make-up and hair like Ashley, so I guess it’s succeeding at something.
At the contest, Rachel is a stiff dancer, dancing by rote. But that’s not too bad. Unfortunately, she falls off her chair during her routine, a move that Rachel struggled with during practice as well. Distraught, she runs off stage. During the ride home, Rachel is upset because she ‘let Ashley Too down’. Jack is understandably horrified at this statement.