Black Mirror (2011-) continues to have the most unique television show run of its time. Spanning almost 15 years, the 33-episode anthology (as well as a movie) explores the moral and ethical ambiguity of the rapid rise in technological innovation. Show creator Charlie Brooker stated that the show’s intention is “not finger-wagging, saying ‘all technology is bad’. It’s exploring a lot of what ifs with technology at their heart,” and, for the most part, he has done exactly that.
With the show starting with a low budget on UK television network Channel 4, the first two seasons garnered a warm reception from audiences, but it was when Netflix claimed exclusive streaming rights in September 2015 that it made a worldwide name for itself. Since then, it has won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie for three consecutive years (2017-2019) for San Junipero, USS Callister, and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. It was impossible to imagine anything stopping the show from reaching further heights of success.
However, the release of recent seasons has seen a shift in tone and quality. What makes this show work is that it balances the creative and ambitious storylines, attempting to pre-empt what the future might hold whilst also doing this in the most authentic and believable way. That, tied with its focus on giving opportunities to emerging British talent and shooting in the UK, only reinforces the groundedness and intrigue.
Following the distributor move to Netflix, we saw more well-known Hollywood actors like Salma Hayek and Anthony Mackie leading and moving more towards American-set episodes. Recent episodes like Joan is Awful and Loch Henry (which discuss using data from a person’s social media accounts to monetize as a television series and the glorification of the true crime genre) are represented in a disingenuous way, given they are being streamed on Netflix. Either they are dangerously self-aware or blissfully unaware–my money’s on the former.
Almost two years on, the release of Season 7 gives Black Mirror the chance at redemption and hopefully will regain the trust of loyal watchers of the show. Though the season brings a sequel to USS Callister, an almost sequel to Bandersnatch, and far too many references to San Junipero, here are the six episodes ranked by how well the showrunners redeemed themselves.
6. Hotel Reverie
Since the show’s creation, artificial intelligence (AI) has seen arguably the biggest technological advancement of anything like it, with generative AI being more accessible and contentious than ever. It is only natural that the season touches upon it in Hotel Reverie, where we meet film actress Brandy (Issa Rae), who has been given the unique opportunity of working with actors from the past in a remake of black and white films within a computer-generated world. Complications arise when Brandy starts to become deeply immersed in this reality, falling in love with AI co-star Dorothy (Emma Corrin).
The chemistry between Corrin and Rae simply was not there. Rae’s characterisation as Brandy comes across as single-toned and rigid towards Dorothy, making it not a convincing enough love story from her side. The narrative hinges on the believability of their connection, so it is disappointing that it did not click. On the other hand, Corrin makes the episode enjoyable with her portrayal of Dorothy, gripping the audience as we watch her reality unravel after discovering the truth about who she is. Watching Dorothy quietly shift between complete certainty and utter peril makes Corrin stand out even further against Rae.
Aside from the performances, it is unfortunate that the episode leaves a bitter taste in the mouth with its neutral stance on the utilisation of AI in the film industry. Given the Academy’s recent statement on AI usage, we live in a trepidatious time where work can be taken away from creatives in favor of cloud servers packed with data from real artists. Black Mirror and Netflix had the chance to make a statement against this, yet they did not, and, to me, that is cowardice.
5. Bête Noire
Bête Noire suffers from the age-old dilemma of “would this work better as a television episode premise or a feature-length film?” It is upsetting that it’s the latter. The story follows Maria (Siena Kelly), an R&D employee for renowned food manufacturer Ditta, and her casual run-in with former classmate Verity (Rosy McEwen) that slowly turns Maria’s life into a waking nightmare.
Maria’s insecurities come to the surface after Verity begins interning at Ditta, excelling from the get-go at building relationships with coworkers and her job responsibilities. From remembering the name of her boyfriend’s old company to voicing suspicions of Verity, the narrative becomes a slow burn of those around Maria, unanimously gaslighting her thoughts. Then, the last 10 minutes rush by, providing us a bloated exposition to why this has all been happening, shoehorning in a required Black Mirror technology to keep the link that makes this show an anthology.
As the episode writer, Brooker fundamentally fails at pacing Bête Noire. The premise does not work for a 50-minute episode as it required a larger amount of time than it had to build suspense and intrigue, whilst also needing a bigger and more believable payoff in the final reveal than what we actually got.
Nevertheless, McEwen flipping personas as Verity so effortlessly was chilling to witness, particularly when it is first confirmed that her intentions are unpleasant with Kelly during a confrontation in the office kitchen. The pointed, vindictive tone struck with Maria contrasting with the innocent, timid characterization around everyone else makes the mystery behind Verity’s motives compelling for viewers to decipher, subsequently making the reveal feel even more lackluster.
4. USS Callister: Into Infinity
In all of Black Mirror’s history, there has never been a direct sequel to any of their previous work, staying true to being an anthology. Yet, here we are with the first-ever sequel seen on the show to the revered USS Callister. Following directly on from the events of its precursor, Nanette Cole (Cristin Milioti) and her crew are faced with the consequences of killing Infinity creator Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons), having to fight for survival in the game’s seemingly infinite universe.
What makes a successful sequel is when it adds meaningful value and depth to the story, whilst not pandering and replicating the original. Recent films like Top Gun: Maverick (2022) and Dune: Part Two (2024) approach this balance very well. Regrettably, USS Callister: Into Infinity screams average. The first episode works so well because it is enshrouded with mystery and malice, set predominantly in the game’s world. The second one suffers from having more callbacks to the original episode than there were narrative-enriching plot points, struggling to find the right equilibrium of attention on the cloned versus real-life employees. However, it was enjoyable to watch Milioti reprise her role as Nanette as she carves out the differences between the cloned and real versions of her character seamlessly.
Brooker is gravitating back to the stories that brought the show critical acclaim, which is evidently weighing them down, as what makes each episode enthralling is their individuality. The director of the episode, Toby Haynes, has gone on the record to say that this is “the middle of what he’d like to see become their ‘Callister’ film trilogy,” as well as Brooker stating that “we’ve done a sequel for the first time this season. We’re now looking at old episodes and thinking, ‘How could you revisit that idea?'”
Sad to say that the sequel hype train will not be dying down anytime soon.
3. Plaything
When your episode’s predecessor is Bandersnatch, excitement skyrockets due to the sheer level of ingenuity and forward-thinking the original brought to the streaming medium. Plaything, set in the same universe as Bandersnatch but not explicitly labelled as a sequel, explores the life of Cameron Walker (older version played by Peter Capaldi and younger version played by Lewis Gribben) and how his actions led him to where he is today.
Being an average but passionate video game reviewer, Cameron reacts with shock when he is specifically requested by infamous video game developer Colin Ritman (Will Poulter) to review his latest autonomous creation, Thronglets–artificially intelligent life forms that ultimately consume every waking minute of Cameron’s life. I have a soft spot for the characters in Bandersnatch, so seeing them return in this way was a pleasant surprise. With this, alongside the episode set in the UK with an all-British cast, loyal viewers of the show would be happy to see a return to this format.
The majority of the episode is set in a police interrogation room where DCI Kano (James Nelson-Joyce) and Jen Minter (Michele Austin) have taken older Cameron to investigate him as the primary suspect of a murder that took place many years ago. While it was engaging for the most part, there were times where it felt monologue-heavy, and given Netflix produced a masterclass in a captivating character dissection within an interrogation-style scene in episode 3 of Adolescence (2025), you cannot help but expect more from it.
2. Common People
Welcome back Black Mirror, I have loved and missed you so dearly! Common People was one of two episodes that reinvigorated the joy and passion I once held for the show. We enter the lives of teacher Amanda (Rashida Jones) and construction worker Mike (Chris O’Dowd), who are happily married but struggling to conceive. Suddenly, their lives are turned upside down when Amanda falls into a life-threatening coma induced by a brain tumour that has no tested medical solution.
In an act of desperation, Mike turns to Gaynor (Tracee Ellis Ross), a representative of start-up Rivermind, who offers him a chance at saving his wife’s life at a monthly cost. They both entered a rabbit hole of monetary exploitation to keep Amanda alive with a good quality of life. You cannot help but see the blatant irony in the fact that Netflix had produced this when they are at the forefront of tiered subscription service providers that harvest data on customers’ watching habits.
From the warm tones seen when they celebrate their anniversary together to the cold tones seen when they meet with Gaydor in her office, cinematographer Bobby Shore subtly utilises varying lighting hues to visually encompass the love and turmoil emotions felt in Amanda and Mike’s relationship. Jones and O’Dowd beautifully reinforce these emotions in the partnership between their characters, aiding the audience in believing the complex moral dilemma of putting a price on a loved one’s life. Without the strength in their connection, the story would not hold the same weight.
1. Eulogy
The penultimate episode of the season, Eulogy, explores what it means to revisit your past, unearthing old wounds and fond memories long forgotten. Phillip (Paul Giamatti) receives a phone call that someone he knew long ago has passed away, and he has been asked to provide a memory using the contents of the package they provide. After reluctantly agreeing, he puts on the kit and meets The Guide (Patsy Ferran), a digital avatar whose aim is to help Phillip curate these memories.
Having the opportunity to ‘jump’ into a three-dimensional reconstruction of memory is both a jaw-dropping feat to imagine, but undeniably plausible in the world we live in. One look at a photograph allows you to almost time-travel. It is not easy to come up with a premise so intriguing, especially within the 32nd unique story told in the Black Mirror universe, but it is one that writers Christopher Barrett and Luke Taylor make seem so easy to accomplish.
The beating heart of the episode is Giamatti’s quietly devastating portrayal of Phillip. Within the 46-minute runtime, he successfully conveys Phillip’s character arc from a lonely man filled with resentment towards a former lover to a man who has obtained closure with his choices and regrets. Whilst not every episode this season worked, it becomes worth it when we get gems like Eulogy.
Review Courtesy of Nandita Joshi
Feature Image Credit to Netflix