Almost a decade after the mind-bending release of ‘Bandersnatch’, ‘Black Mirror’ finally revisits one of the most fascinating characters in its seventh installment. In episode 4 titled “Plaything,” Will Poulter reprises his role as the eccentric game designer who played a pivotal part in the groundbreaking interactive film.
This time, though, Colin’s vibrant genius is shadowed by the dark psychological aftermath of the choices players once made for him. It turns out the choices have left deep and lasting scars.
‘Black Mirror’: Plaything Exposes The Devastating Consequences Of Free Will
The return of Colin Ritman is more than just fan service. It’s a bold narrative move that brings real emotional weight and continuity to the ‘Black Mirror’ universe. While the series is known for its standalone, anthology-style storytelling, “Plaything” ties two timelines together, the late 1980s setting of ‘Bandersnatch‘ and the 1990s world of Plaything, with chilling results.
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When viewers first met Colin Ritman in ‘Bandersnatch’, he was charismatic, brilliant, and just a little unhinged. His philosophical musings about parallel realities, decision-making, and control systems became an eerie foreshadowing of the episode’s branching structure. He knew there was something wrong with the world he lived in, and he embraced the madness.
But what happens to a man like that when the story ends? According to ‘Black Mirror‘ season 7, the aftermath isn’t pretty. In “Plaything,” we learn that Colin suffered a severe mental health crisis following the events of ‘Bandersnatch’. Though the show never reveals exactly which version of the story “actually” happened, it’s heavily implied that whatever route viewers took, something broke Colin permanently. He is described as having “gone gaga” and having a complete breakdown.
And while his game Thronglets may seem at first like a light-hearted, whimsical creation, it quickly becomes clear that it’s anything but. The creatures, the Thronglets, begin to evolve, responding with eerie precision to human emotion. What’s truly tragic is that Colin, in his desperation to undo whatever he’d unleashed, destroyed the game code. However, he still couldn’t fully escape. The last copy of the game survives with Cameron Walker, the episode’s central character, setting the stage for a disturbing new chapter.
Season 7 Quietly Declares Which ‘Bandersnatch’ Endings Didn’t Happen
While ‘Bandersnatch’ famously featured multiple branching paths and endings, ‘Black Mirror’ has finally narrowed down what can be considered canon. Since Colin is alive in Plaything, any ending in which he dies, whether by jumping off a balcony or being killed by Stefan, is clearly no longer on the table. This revelation doesn’t just tidy up the timeline; it adds an eerie weight to the concept of choice.
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In a story originally designed to give viewers control, the show itself has reclaimed authority. It tells us that some things happened. Others didn’t. The consequences are real. That said, ‘Black Mirror’ doesn’t completely rob ‘Bandersnatch’ of its mystery. It still leaves a number of questions open. Did Stefan ever go to prison? Was the Netflix reality even part of this timeline? And what truly caused Colin’s breakdown?
There’s something deeply human about all of this. The film invited us to play god, to manipulate lives for our own entertainment. Now, years later, Plaything makes us sit with the consequences. Colin Ritman is no longer a quirky character, he’s a symbol of the consequences. The saddest part, however, is that he saw it coming.
