Black Mirror is back, and it’s a strong season overall. All six episodes capture dystopia, despair, and tech terrors, along with—don’t blink!—the occasional flicker of joy. If you’re a fan of Charlie Brooker’s series, you should definitely watch the whole drop without skipping any. But if you’re curious, here’s how we think the entries line up, from least successful to most entertaining.
6. “Plaything”
A stringy-haired Peter Capaldi’s performance as a guy who hasn’t left his apartment in far too long is note-perfect, and the flashbacks to his younger, acid-gobbling self (Lewis Gribben, soon to be seen in Blade Runner 2099) are perfectly calibrated. We also loved the appearance of Will Poulter’s Colin Ritman, last seen offering up sketchy choices in Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and no less of a danger-maker here—as well as the episode’s cynical depiction of ’90s video game journalism.
But there’s a beat a little too early in “Plaything” where Capaldi’s character takes note of the “central state computer” that’s watching him during a police interview, and that sort of kills the suspense. It’s already obvious his sloppy arrest at the top of the episode is part of some grander plan, and it’s not hard to connect the dots to figure out what his intentions are. Using a humble pen and paper to topple all of society in a single blow is a nice touch, though.
5. “Common People”
Season seven’s lead-off episode has tons of built-in goodwill thanks to the casting of Rashida Jones and Chris O’Dowd, much-loved comedic actors who here play married couple Amanda and Mike. They’re barely scraping by as it is when Amanda develops a brain tumor that’ll mean the end of her life—if not for Rivermind, glorious experimental technology described as “a revolution in neuroscience.”
It results in her miracle revival, which is amazing! But there’s a catch, and it’s a mighty one: for Amanda to stay alive, she must become a lifelong Rivermind subscriber. Over time, the company adds “tiers” of service that become prohibitively more and more expensive, with Amanda at one point being forced to spit out advertisements like she has “commercial fucking Tourette’s.”
“Common People” distills a lot of anguish into its plot. There’s the horrors of chronic illness and becoming dependent on an uncaring healthcare industry. There’s the distressing delight people take in witnessing human suffering, as demonstrated by the humiliating online challenges Mike submits to in exchange for much-needed cash. There’s the dread-filled realization that the expensive thing you already had that was working just fine now requires exponentially more dollars to pay for. There’s also the reveal that Rivermind is preying on its customers’ own brain power to fuel its servers, which adds a whole other dimension of proprietary ickiness.
It’s a lot, and “Common People” balances it well, with a dose of catharsis at the end that’s equal parts freeing and awful. Also, the sight of a rock-bottom Mike selling the couple’s never-used crib to kids who cheerfully announce they plan to set it on fire for a music video walks the line so perfectly between hilarious and sob-inducing. It’s a small moment, but it captures the tone at work here with expert precision.
4. “Bête Noire”
Unlike most Black Mirror episodes, “Bête Noire” takes place in a moment where technology mirrors what’s actually available to us in 2025. That makes it even freakier when Maria (Siena Kelly) starts to suspect that her former classmate and current work rival, Verity (Rosy McEwan), has deployed computer trickery to somehow sabotage the fabric of reality. She doesn’t have much to go on other than her own certainty… and the knowledge that Verity is a tech genius with a legitimate gripe against her.
The actual reveal of Verity’s scheme, however, strays deep into fantasy territory; for all of the wild tech Black Mirror has imagined over the years, Verity’s harnessing of multiple dimensions—and being able to switch between them with the blink of an eye—feels among the most far-fetched.
In the build-up to that outrageous reveal, “Bête Noire” is often hard to watch; the tension builds to near-unbearable levels as everyone in Maria’s orbit starts to believe she’s losing her mind. We should be on her side, but both Maria and Verity are pretty horrible people; one’s a raging narcissist, the other’s basically a comic book supervillain. The episode requires patience from the viewer, but it does have its rewards, including a breathtaking nasty streak you just have to salute and well-placed Amyl and the Sniffers track leading up to the final confrontation.
3. “Hotel Reverie”
The tech in “Hotel Reverie” is so complicated, it’s lucky viewers have Awkwafina and her ReDream co-workers to explain its finer points throughout the episode (no thanks to that guy who spills his drink on the hardware, though). But it’s used in service of a delicate love story, in which Issa Rae’s contemporary movie star falls for a vintage leading lady (Emma Corrin) when the two meet in an immersive world re-creating a black-and-white Hollywood classic.
There’s a lot going on here theme-wise—including the uncomfortable idea that an AI character could evolve, gain dimensionality, and perhaps even become self-aware. There’s also the whole alarming but not entirely far-fetched scheme of jazzing up “heritage media” by adding modern A-listers, aiming to attract younger audiences who wouldn’t bother watching it otherwise.
But the romance is the main focus of “Hotel Reverie,” and eagle-eyed viewers will note that Rae’s character lives on “Junipero Drive,” a nod to Black Mirror‘s much-loved episode about another meaningful connection that forms within a simulation. The tender closing scene isn’t quite “San Junipero” levels of happy, but it’s refreshing when Black Mirror throws out an optimistic ending to cut through its usual farewell notes of fear and melancholy.
2. “Eulogy”
Sometimes, the most effective Black Mirror episodes are the most simple. “Eulogy” has just two characters and pivots around straightforward (if far-future and wondrous) tech. It follows a story thread that weaves through an ordinary man’s life—revealing one tragic mistake that sent ripples throughout his entire existence.
Paul Giamatti is perfectly cast as Phil. He still has a landline phone, which is how he receives the news that he’s being asked to contribute to a virtual memorial for a former girlfriend. And this is not just an ordinary memorial; this is a cutting-edge immersive memorial that helps recreate moments from the deceased woman’s life.
He agrees to help, with an AI guide at his side, he’s able to actually step inside of the Polaroids he digs up and re-experience the moments the photos were taken. At first, it’s kind of fun. But as the memories come flooding back, so does the pain the relationship caused.
By focusing so tightly on a single character’s life and pain—drawn out by tech that actually isn’t harmful for once—”Eulogy” ends up being a deeply human story. It’s beautifully brought to life by Giamatti, who has us breathlessly watching as Phil learns an agonizing truth that’s long been lodged in his past, then finds a way to make peace with it.
1. “USS Callister: Into Infinity”
A perfectly executed extension of much-loved season four episode “USS Callister,” this sequel is nearly feature-length and brings both its “innies” and “outies” (or the Black Mirror equivalent) to a satisfying conclusion that’s equal parts thrilling and clever.
We especially loved Cristin Milioti doing double duty as digital and human Nanette Cole as they meet face-to-face, but special props go to Jimmi Simpson for infusing his versions of James Walton with different levels of sleaze, heroism, and caveman charisma.
You can watch season seven of Black Mirror on Netflix now. Which episode did you like the best?
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