The seventh season of Netflix’s Black Mirror is generally good, despite my previous skepticism of creator Charlie Brooker’s high-tech Twilight Zone. The series, which focuses on the dystopian future of technology, returns with six new episodes, focusing more closely on its sci-fi roots and offering its first-ever direct sequel. While not as exciting as previous iterations, some episodes dig deep into the riches buried in Black Mirror.
An agonizing walk down memory lane, a look at the future of healthcare, a dive into the perils of artificial intelligence in Hollywood. Things are not as they appear in this workplace, and horror video game stories are all included. Let’s run down season seven from the worst to the best episode.
6. Black Mirror “Plaything” (Season 7, Episode 04)
Directed By David Slade
Written By Charlie Brooker
“Plaything” is a 2034 cyberpunk tale set in a crime procedural where a man named Cameron (Peter Capaldi) is wanted for murder. When he was younger (Lewis Gribben), he was a video-game journalist and introduced to a program called Thronglets, which allows users to care for digital creatures that multiply as they are nurtured. However, the episode’s story is superficial due to the thronglets’ emptiness. The episode takes cues from the series’ Bandersnatch experiment and focuses on a mysterious video game called The Throng. As Cameron reveals his past, it becomes clear that the digital creatures are part of an unsolved puzzle.
However, the ending is predictable. Beyond vague soliloquies about human nature and danger, the story has little to say. It is a creepy techno-horror story with little point of view, making it a disappointing addition to the Black Mirror series.
5. Black Mirror “Eulogy” (Season 7, Episode 5)
Directed By Chris Barrett & Luke Taylor
Written By Charlie Brooker & Ella Road
“Eulogy” is an episode starring Paul Giamatti as Phillip, an aging man who is asked to contribute memories of his ex-girlfriend Carol to an “immersive memorial” for her funeral. He receives a wearable device with a humanoid AI guide (Patsy Ferran), who helps him through photos and mementos from their time together.
Despite his reluctance to participate, Phillip embraces the idea of a trip down memory lane to see Carol as he did years ago. The film is a sentimental work of theater, with Giamatti capturing the sadness and isolation that underlie Phillip’s prickly demeanor. The film riffs on A Christmas Carol, but the emotional impact of the story is lacking. The film is praised for its elegant execution and the use of humor and energy to explore the source material.
4. Black Mirror “Bête Noire” (Season 7, Episode 2)
Directed By Toby Haynes
Written By Charlie Brooker
“Bête Noire” is a psychological thriller about Maria (Siena Kelly), a rising star at a food development company, and her relationship with her high school classmate Verity (Rosy McEwen). The nerdy and bullied outcast joins Maria’s team and causes her to misremember things, leading to serious consequences. The plot is a sci-fi Gaslight, but it’s more of an anti-bullying PSA.
The two lead performances are appealing, with McEwen resembling Nicole Kidman in her early-’90s To Die For era. The episode forces Maria to confront her past, as her worldview becomes topsy-turvy and questionable. The Mandela effect mystery is interesting, but the show’s depth and drama are weak. “Bête Noire” delivers an explanation and resolution that leaves the genuine tension out.
3. Black Mirror “USS Callister: Into Infinity” (Season 7, Episode 6)
Directed by Toby Haynes
Written by Charlie Brooker, Bisha K. Ali, William Bridges & Bekka Bowling
“USS Callister” is one of the best episodes from Black Mirror’s fourth season. Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons) is the programmer behind the multiplayer online game Infinity. To escape, he becomes the all-powerful commander of a team of sentient, captive clones of his co-workers. Nanette Cole, played by Cristin Milioti, manages to liberate the USS Callister from Daly’s computer and set it free in Infinity’s online universe. Her successful escape also kills Robert in real life.
The sequel, “Into Infinity,” follows the crew struggling to survive in their post-Plemons world, where they are easy targets for Infinity’s 30 million players. The crew, led by fearless Captain Nanette, robs players of credits to bolster their resources, drawing attention from people in the real world. The episode uses flashbacks for the most important details, but the rocky exposition is mostly reserved for the beginning. The episode is a good science fiction episode with a thoughtful theme, and while less compact and cohesive than the original, it remains an exciting follow-up.
2. Black Mirror “Common People” (Season 7, Episode 1)
Directed By Ally Pankiw
Teleplay by Charlie Brooker, *Story by* : Charlie Brooker & Bisha K. Ali
“Common People” is the first episode of Season 7 of Black Mirror, starring Rashida Jones and Chris O’Dowd as a middle-class couple trying to conceive again after multiple miscarriages. Amanda, a comatose wife, is saved by an experimental biotech product called Rivermind, which is a subscription service that strains their budget. The episode follows Amanda’s life-altering health scare and the choice between upgrading their subscription or staying on the standard tier.
The show creates parallels to issues like medical debt and quality of life for those bound by subscriptions, but the episode’s subplot about the gig economy frays the story.
1. Black Mirror “Hotel Reverie” (Season 7, Episode 3)
Directed by Haolu Wang
Written by Charlie Brooker
In this episode, Judith and Kimmy attempt to revive the Old Hollywood success Hotel Reverie for modern audiences using ReDream technology. This artificial reality creates a world where actors can project themselves into, adhering to certain standards of movie continuity. Brandy Friday (Issa Rae) is the only person capable of movement or speech until the opening credit roll, but she soon becomes swept up in the magic of the movie. As the story begins to come into its own, it turns into one of Black Mirror’s better romantic endeavors. Clara (Emma Corrin) grows beyond her scripted nature after a few of Brandy’s narrative missteps, and the pair develop true feelings for one another.
The episode is enchanting, with humor and dark undertones, and it feels hopeful and profound in its insistence on the impossibility of abstracting an artwork from its quintessentially human origins. The episode is filled with the grace, romance, and melancholy of a classic silver-screen melodrama. It’s the best episode of season seven.
Which is your favorite episode of Black Mirror? Let us know in the comments below!
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