Nosedive App

Lore & Background

In this near-future society, the rating system permeates daily life. Every encounter triggers an immediate star rating that affects one's public profile score. Lacie Pound begins with a 4.2 rating, aiming for 4.5 to secure a discount on a luxury apartment at Pelican Cove. The world is visually distinct, characterized by pastel aesthetics and bright lighting, masking the underlying pressure to perform happiness. High-rated individuals, like Naomi with her 4.8 score, hold significant social power, while those with low scores face exclusion. The system creates a culture of extreme conformity where authentic emotion is suppressed; even minor agitations can lead to negative ratings that spiral rapidly, as seen when Lacie's rating drops to 4.183 after mishaps at the airport.

In Their Own Story

Lacie Pound's journey begins with an opportunity to raise her score by serving as maid of honor for Naomi, a highly rated childhood friend. She impulsively commits to renting an apartment in Pelican Cove, believing the wedding guests' high ratings will secure her necessary 4.5 score. However, travel mishaps cause her rating to plummet. After her flight is cancelled and she causes a scene, security penalizes her with "double damage," subtracting a full point for 24 hours. Forced to hitchhike with Susan, a truck driver rated 1.4, Lacie learns that life without ratings offers freedom. Enraged when Naomi tells her not to attend the wedding due to her low score, Lacie sneaks into the reception and hijacks the microphone. She insults Naomi, referencing childhood conflicts, while threatening to behead "Mr. Rags," a ragdoll she made with Naomi. Guests downvote her in droves, dropping her rating below one star.

Reader's Guide

The episode illustrates how the rating system functions as both social currency and prison. To navigate this world, characters must constantly manage their image, suppressing genuine reactions to avoid negative ratings. A high score grants access to premium services, such as the ability to book alternate flights or rent modern vehicles, while a low score restricts movement to older cars and excludes individuals from events attended by 4.7-rated guests. The system enforces a binary where almost all ratings are either one or five stars. Ultimately, the narrative suggests that liberation comes only after total failure within the system; Lacie ends up in prison with her eye implants removed, finally able to speak freely and hurl insults without fear of scoring consequences.

Did You Know?

• Netflix commissioned the series for 12 episodes in September 2015 and outbid Channel 4 with a bid of $40 million.
• Rashida Jones wrote the second half of the episode while Michael Schur wrote the first half, combining their scripts later.
• To tie in with the episode's release, Netflix launched a tongue-in-cheek app called Rate Me in November 2016.
• The episode won a Royal Television Society Craft & Design Award and received nominations for a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.
• A board game titled Nosedive, based on the episode, was released in 2018.