Artificial intelligence takes a disconcertingly personal turn as, by the final episode, Stephen and Celeste's oldest daughter has a microchip inserted into her brain to integrate her consciousness with the internet, all actioned and funded by the government – yes, this does put her at their mercy, so to speak, and the question of where her private identity stops and the world wide web starts is stressfully blurred. The country is plagued by blackouts which a news anchor reports "could be Russia, could be ISIS, could be teenagers in a bedroom". By 2027 the UK has seen 80 consecutive days of rain in a distressing nod to how out of control the climate has become, and Rook has imposed the bedroom law: legislation which means anyone with two spare rooms in their house must be available to take in any homeless UK citizen.