One of the weaker defenses of art is that it cultivates empathy. So what are we to make of the latest television show in which the viewer can direct the protagonist to kill his own father?

Netflix’s “Black Mirror” rolled out its latest “Bandersnatch,” a choose-your-own-adventure episode, in late December. It’s dark stuff and has sparked dozens of articles explaining all of the possible outcomes. Most of them end with at least one person dead.