The world of the anthology has always been a hard one. Aside from the original Twilight Zone and a couple other shows like Tales From The Crypt, it’s always a hit or miss. When you have multiple people with unique visions coming together to tell different stories, you are bound to have weak and strong entries. Even the shows I listed as the gold standard of anthologies had their weaker episodes. The biggest problem comes from when people try to make movies with a limited runtime and shove a handful of stories into it, those are always rocky. The problem still looms in television series, which means when a really good one comes around, it sticks out. Even the recent Twilight Zone series was super hit or miss. The only show that really comes close to being on the level of the original Twilight Zone and other shows of that calibre has been Black Mirror. Definitely a show that everyone has heard of but some people may have not watched. It’s simply a thought provoking British anthology series that looks at technology and the insidious nature that could come from advancements in technology. The series now has 6 seasons (two with Channel 4 and four with Netflix) and a movie, so I thought it would be a great time to dig into this fucked up technological dystopia and look at the 28 entries into this series and discuss what worked and what didn’t work for me.
28 - Mazey Day
This is a new low for the series. I thought that Striking Vipers was bad, but this episode almost vindicated Striking Vipers. The best thing about Black Mirror and what everyone associates with the series is how it dissects our connection with technology. The best episodes look at a piece of technology that is from our present or our possible future and examines the way these technologies can be used for evil. This episode lives in a special place in hell because it does neither. At least Striking Vipers and the Ashley episode showed off futuristic technology that you could relate to and see present in our own world. This episode has nothing to do with technology as it’s set in the early 2000s and focuses on the story of a paparazzi photographer who is hunting down a star who has went missing. The problem here is that the show doesn’t contain any of the characteristics of what makes the show special and to make matters worse, the episode takes a turn that moves this story into the realm of B Movie Horror. The ending twist has got to be the worst twist in the history of Black Mirror. The message could have been interesting if they zeroed in on maybe something to do with how celebrities are treated, but this one throws it all away with an ending that frankly ruins the little tiny amount of positivity that I could have garnered from this episode. It would have been much more my cup of tea if it focused on technology, human nature and how those things dissect in the most evil of ways, but they instead decided to make an episode so devoid of Black Mirror’s true purpose and flair that it makes this episode unworthy of having the name “Black Mirror” connected to it.
27 - Striking Vipers
Season 5 was really a tough one. It was the first season that I watched live when it came out. My mom watched the show after season 4 and heavily recommended it to me, so I ended up watching all four seasons and played Bandersnatch when it dropped. Season 5 was my first experience with new Black Mirror and the hype around it as it takes Charlie Brooker a bit of time to compile the seasons. What we got in season 5 was less than desirable to put it simply. There were only three episodes and two of them ended up being bottom of the list for the series. That is where Striking Vipers comes in, as it was the first episode of the fifth season. The basic premise is that Anthony Mackie and Yahya Abdul Mateen II play a virtual reality game and end up falling in love. It’s not the most Black Mirror episode and frankly it feels super detached from the trajectory of the series. Similar to some of the more comedic episodes of the original Twilight Zone, the biting edge is not really there with this one. Yes, it’s a story about technology, but is doesn’t make me scared or cautious of the technology around me like some of the best episodes. It doesn’t have a grand story like San Junipero and it doesn’t scare me off some technology like some of the other episodes. The performances are decent but the episode is super repetitive and doesn’t really go anywhere. It seems like Brooker might have been trying to make his own Moonlight and it doesn’t really work in the world of Black Mirror.
26 - Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too
Continuing with the discussion on season 5 is the episode Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too which was best described by my mom as a “Disney Channel Original Movie”. This one missed the mark as well when it comes to what makes Black Mirror so unique and compelling. It’s the story of a fan of a singer who finds herself in a situation where she has to help her favourite singer get out of a terrible situation. It’s definitely a mix of ET and one of the many Disney Channel movies. The problem with this one specifically is how outlandish it is. The best Black Mirror episodes are very Sci Fi but they also have that level of plausibility that scares the audience or makes them think. This episode sadly does neither as it doesn’t deliver a commentary on how technology could end up hurting society in the long run in a thought provoking or terrifying way. With the cast attached this season, it seemed like it was the most commercial of the seasons, and that is especially true with the inclusion of Miley Cyrus who kind of plays herself. This episode is hugely representative of when Black Mirror goes wrong. The basic explanation being when the show breaks away from its hard hitting critique of technology and modern society and instead goes for a light and fluffy science fiction tale that banks most of its viewership on who they were able to get as actors.
25 - The Waldo Moment
This episode is a special one as we have seen it actually play out in our society. The trump presidency has made this episode more hard hitting than it was when it first dropped, but it still isn’t completely a winner for me. The premise is interesting as we see a fictional character with terrible ideals running for office. It’s a satire on the idea of politicians and the concept that we could end up having a “pop culture politician” which sadly happened and ended up being successful. The episode itself isn’t bad in any stretch of the imagination, but it has never really been one of my favourites. Even with the new understanding we have now, the episode still doesn’t hit has hard as some of the other ones. I love when the show scares me or makes me ponder the reality of technology and I feel this one doesn’t get me in that headspace. It’s a wacky tale that is super similar in execution to the episode about the kid politician in the new Twilight Zone series which was a direct commentary on the trump presidency. It delivers on the laughs in some moments, but I wish it would have gotten deeper with the idea at the centre of the episode itself.
24 - Beyond The Sea
I have similar feelings about this one as I did with Loch Henry. As I stated during that episode’s blurb, Black Mirror works on two levels as a concept, one being a look into current and modern technology and the possible negative ramifications of said tech while the other concept being human nature and how we could use technology to fulfill our deepest and darkest parts of ourselves. Black Mirror works best when both of those concepts are in use. The problem with this episode is that instead of missing one of those elements, it does both but neither feel super strong. Yes this episode has a new technology and shows how humans can abuse that power, but it didn’t leave me frightful of the future of technology or had me thinking deeply about what I just saw. The biggest issues are the runtime and the storyline. The problem with the runtime is that this episode is way too long. It could have been 50 minutes and got the same point across. The other problem is that the plot is very predictable and I kinda guessed how it would turn out when the inciting incident occurred. It was clearly gonna be a story about infidelity and obsession, and the ending was exactly like how most of these stories end. I liked the technology showcased in the episode, I just wish it got a more original and refreshing story to go with it.
23 - Men Against Fire
This one surprisingly fits in the same category as Waldo Moment as it’s an episode that’s very relevant, but i’ve never really clicked with it as much as other episodes. The main discussion point in this episode is that of xenophobia and genocide. It follows a group of soldiers who have to take out a different group of individuals who are “different”. The idea of xenophobia and genocide is one that many Science Fiction and anthology projects have discussed before, even going back to The Monsters are Due on Maple Street from the original Twilight Zone. It has a strong message that is very relevant and important, but I feel that other episodes from other anthologies have handled the concepts with more efficacy and innovation. The technology in this episode is also not the most thought provoking or terrifying, which makes me not really associate it with the series. It’s another episode that I forget exists in the series when i’m thinking about or discussing this show.
22 - Demon 79
If Charlie Brooker turned this into a 70s throwback UK horror flick like Censor was a couple years back, this would have worked really well, but as a Black Mirror episode this doesn’t really work at all. It has less to do with technology than Beyond The Sea, but it was way more interesting to watch than that episode. The simple premise is about a girl who doesn’t feel like she belongs in her area in the 70s and begins to see a spirit who leads her to do terrible things. This would have worked well as an A24 horror flick, and they probably would have let Brooker work his magic, but as an instalment in the Black Mirror franchise, this feels super mismatched. When Bandersnatch dropped, it seemed like they were trying to experiment with the brand of Black Mirror, but that instalment still had a connection to technology and how it makes its way into our lives. This one, along with two other episodes from season 6 feel like they have drifted too far away from the world that Black Mirror has been building. Similar to my criticisms of most of Season 6 and Season 5, this episode doesn’t really make me scared to use my phone or make me question where we’re going in the future when it comes to technology as a whole.
21 - Loch Henry
This episode is an interesting one on certain levels. On the basis of a story in an anthology, it’s not bad and actually pretty decent. On the basis of a Black Mirror episode, this one doesn’t work very well. The performances are decent and it has some great cinematography, but the issue lies in the story itself. Black Mirror works on two levels as a concept, one being a look into current and modern technology and the possible negative ramifications of said tech while the other concept being human nature and how we could use technology to fulfill our deepest and darkest parts of ourselves. Black Mirror works best when both of those concepts are in use. The problem with this episode is that it does the former well, but really isn’t in tune with the latter. The episode feels more like a lower budget serial killer mystery as opposed to a Black Mirror Episode. This episode showcases a dark part of humans, but it doesn’t include a technology that makes me scared for the future. The best episodes are ones that make me not want to touch my devices for a bit and this one isn’t that at all.
20 - Be Right Back
This is the part of the list where I start to have interesting things to say about the episodes as this episode is the turning point for me where the show goes from a simple Science Fiction anthology to a thought provoking piece of futuristic fiction. Be Right Back has a very interesting yet disturbing technology at the core of the episode as we see a woman discover a technology where she can reconnect with a dead lover. There’s a very human concept at the heart of this story and that is loss and we process the loss of loved ones in our lives. This episode takes a look at the idea of what could happen if we were able to reconnect with loved ones after death, and in true Black Mirror fashion, the horrific consequences of this new push in technology. The episode has some terrific performances from Hayley Atwell and Domhnall Gleeson as the woman and her dead lover. The episode also begins the trend for me of episodes that leave me thinking heavily on these core human ideals and the ties with technology that this episode binds. While it isn’t the best episode of the show in any stretch, it’s definitely one that is representative of what makes Black Mirror special.
19 - Metalhead
I heard this episode explained the best when someone told me that they saw it as the spiritual sequel to the original Terminator film. Before the franchise was action packed dystopian thrills, the first film was for sure a serial killer/slasher horror picture. Metalhead follows a woman trying to survive in a world that is overrun by killer robots. One of the best parts of this episode is the artistry behind it. They lean right into the grimy 70s aesthetic by shooting it in black and white and framing it like a slasher or serial killer picture of that period would have been. The episode is definitely more straight forward than other Black Mirror episodes but the technology at the core of this episode is super plausible which makes it frightening. It’s an episode that really focuses in on the general fear we have about artificial intelligence and how these advances in the area could lead to some terrible outcomes. It’s super relevant now seeing how the mere idea of artificial intelligence is making headlines. To put it simply, this episode is super strong as a commentary on how we as a society are moving towards a more ai focused future and how that might not be the greatest idea.
18 - Smithereens
The only episode I liked in season 5 and the only one I would consider a “Black Mirror episode”. This one is leagues above the other two and it’s kinda wild to think that we got one good episode sandwiched between to bottom grade episodes. What works about this one is that it actually plays into what works with Black Mirror, that being terrifying stories that make you question our advances in technology. This episode follows a cab driver who is held hostage by a man who has a vendetta out for a company. The best thing to compare it to would be Michael Mann’s Collateral but if that film had a dark science fiction commentary and edge to it. The crazed man wants the company to pay for the death of his wife. Without getting into spoilers, the episode discusses the idea of people being obsessed with technology and how some blame those companies and apps for their obsession instead of getting help. The episode surprisingly doesn’t have any futuristic technology, but it’s still hard hitting. It’s an episode that takes a look at the reward feedback loop that has developed with social media, specifically TikTok at this time in history. The idea of how these apps hope that you keep watching which would inevitably end in you getting caught up or stuck in the app. It’s also an interesting look at the effects of distracted driving in a world where we all have phones. Definitely the high point in a season that was way to short and way to disconnected from what make the series work in the first place.
17 - Crocodile
This was an episode of the series that on first viewing I didn’t know what to think, but on subsequent viewings, i’ve began to understand it. Anchored by a great lead performance from Andrea Riseborough, the episode follows a woman interviewing individuals with a new technology that lets her access their deepest memories. Andrea’s character was caught up in a murder that she’s been hiding for 15 years and her secrets come to a head when an investigator comes around asking questions about the event. The episode is bleak and dark, which some have criticized but I really enjoy that. It’s kind of a cat and mouse story with some interesting future technology. The end is kinda wild, but I think it fits the overall vibe of the episode. It’s not one of my favourite episodes or favourite endings of Black Mirror, but it works on a textual and subtextual level.
16 - Black Museum
This episode was quite an interesting one. It’s the second time that they’ve experimented with an episode with a few stories. This is the only time when a Black Mirror episode actually works on a longer than an hour basis, when you have multiple stories to tell. While this episode doesn’t work for me as much as White Christmas did, I still think this episode is ambitious and works as an experiment on how the barriers of Black Mirror can be pushed. The episode follows a woman visiting a museum about “Black History” run by a white guy. What starts out as light debate about the subjects present in the museum soon takes a dark turn when she realizes what’s actually going on in this museum. The performances are great and the stories present definitely feel like Black Mirror in many ways. It’s not as memorable or wild as some later on this list, but I definitely feel that this episode has a place in the world of Black Mirror and adds to the overall experience of the series as a whole.
15 - Arkangel
This episode is a mixed one when it comes to viewers. It’s directed by Jodie Foster and follows a girl who has an implant put in her that lets her mother see everything that she’s going. The message of this episode is pretty easily understood as it’s a commentary on over parenting and how technologies of recent have given parents the ability to invade in their kids’ lives even more. It looks at the parental worry that every person with a child has and how technology can “help” that worry in the short term but could also ruin the relationship that kids have with their parents in the long run. As we see these technologies and apps pop up in this current time that are meant to help “parent”, it makes you think. The idea at the centre of that being where’s the line when it comes to being apart of your kids life without their knowledge. This episode looks at that idea well. A great episode of Black Mirror that shows off the strengths that can be achieved in the world of this series.
14 - Hated In The Nation
This episode is a pretty simple one about a detective hunting down a serial killer (or killers), but they throw in a social media twist. It’s simple on that level but digging into the subtext, it’s a much more interesting and thought provoking beast. The episode itself is dissecting the idea of social media backlashes. They take a simple idea like a hashtag and give it a sinister vibe as we watch prominent figures in this world being killed one after another. Their deaths are all connected to a hashtag where people tweet about those who they dislike. It’s Black Mirror’s version of Death Note, but like most Black Mirror episodes that really work, it uses this technology to discuss a real concept in our reality that’s insidious, problematic or even detrimental. That concept being how social media has boosted the idea of bullying and harassment since these services started to become more prevalent. The mere idea that a group of people could hate a specific person on a platform to the point that it affects their personal lives. This episode is an example of when Black Mirror excels, a scary and thought provoking Science Fiction tale that’s also calling out a systemic problem found in modern society.
13 - The National Anthem
The episode that started it all and what a way to do so. While this episode doesn’t have any new scary technology, it still remains a true Black Mirror tale. One of blackmail to make a political point. The plot follows a politician (played by the always talented Rory Kinnear) as he has to take on a devious task to save a high class individual from kidnappers. The part that sells this whole thing is the climax and the twist. The gut punch of actually watching him having to commit the wild act and then the twist recontextualizing the whole situation at hand. For a first episode that sets up the show and the vibe of the series as a whole, this episode does a really good job. It shows that Black Mirror as a whole is a show about how technology can be used for selfish or evil purposes as we keep pushing forward and accelerating in technological advances. While it doesn’t have a scary new technology that’s all too relatable, it shows how the technology we already have can be used to manipulate and push a point from either side of the discussion. Not my all time favourite episode from the show, but an interesting one to start it all off.
12 - White Bear
Many people consider this episode as one of their favourites and I completely get why. This episode is batshit insane. The episode is about a woman who wakes up and can’t remember anything. She tries to get help but no one is helpful and instead are live-streaming her. This episode reminds me heavily of the first episode of Twilight Zone “Where Is Everybody?” but instead of there being no one, everyone is still around but they are no help. You could argue that this episode is subtextually about the isolation that technology causes in one’s life, specifically with such things as livestreams and youtube videos. The idea of being in people’s lives but also not. You could also say that it’s a commentary on desensitization in media and what that does to a person. It’s very much an episode about the idea of our lives being “entertainment” for others. The ending definitely hits home on the desensitization aspect but also has an interesting discussion about capital punishment that is super reminiscent of the Lou Diamond Phillips episode of the 2000s Twilight Zone revival “The Pool Guy”. Not my all time favourite episode of the show, but if someone were to tell me that it was theirs, i would get it completely.
11-Nosedive
Another episode that takes a look at social media and how it can insidiously creep into a person’s life. This episode follows Bryce Dallas Howard in a dystopian future where there’s an app that you can use to rate people. I think this episode digs into the same ideas that Hated in a Nation does but with a different angle or lens. It discusses the validation that everyone is searching for on social media, but also discusses the idea of how the opinions of others on social media could affect your personal life negatively. Both of these concepts are very real in our modern time and this episode discusses them with this story that is very much a dark comedy on the superficial nature of social media, online fandom and social standards. It’s an episode that rings true in our modern time, whether you’re a musician or model trying to grow a brand or even a person titled by the internet as a “lolcow” who has been manipulated into things for the entertainment of others like Chris Chan. To put it simply, it’s a commentary on how social media can make or break a person and how that specific person or other people on these social media platforms can bring the downfall of said individual. This is definitely a fan favourite episode and I completely understand why.
10 - Playtest
This one is a special type of scary as we see our world going down the path of VR and VR gaming. The episode follows Wyatt Russell as a man looking for quick cash who decides to playtest a new VR game system. The twist is that the technology has more control over the conscious and subconscious of the individual than some might be comfortable with. This episode has a fun vibe to it but it’s also bleak as fuck specifically how they decide to end it. We watch as a man loses control of himself in this VR game and can’t decipher what’s real and what’s not, which is very thematically similar to Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor (without the gender identity and transgender commentary that is present in that film).
9 - USS Callister
I found this episode quite surprising when I came across it. It’s not really the scary story that most associate with the show, but it’s a wicked commentary on fandoms and the connections we have with others in our everyday life. It follows a programmer who runs a company who’s a bit of an introvert. Things start going weird when the workers at his company find themselves stuck in a strange unknown reality. This episode is most notable for the fact that it’s kind of a parody of Star Trek. The episode tackles the idea of isolation, specifically the isolation that we put ourselves in because of a possible fear of outcomes. This episode is a bit of a morality tale, but it’s more of a science fiction spectacle that reminds you to check on the people around you to see how they’re doing. With great performances and a plot that kept me guessing, this is definitely one of the better episodes of the series and if people told me that this was there favourite episode, I would understand completely. It has become a staple of the series and for good reason, because it’s a damn good episode.
8 - Fifteen Million Merits
I have a feeling this is the episode that turned people onto the show in the early days of Black Mirror. It’s quite a simple tale of two people who fall in love and how much one of the people would go for the other. The twist being that they live in a universe where they have to cycle on a stationary bike for points that they can use to do things. It’s not too hard to see that this episode is a commentary on capitalism and the machine that everyone gets stuck in on the pursuit for something better. Daniel Kaluyya’s character just wants something better for him and Jessica Brown Findlay’s character who plays his love interest. We see as he tries to get the pair out of the terrible life they are subject to, but everytime he tries to break free it’s pretty clear that the system is built to work against the people, similar to how capitalism is viewed. This is a quintessential Black Mirror episode as it showcases a new and relatable technology while also painting a tale about humans in this futuristic landscape that the audience can relate to. That element in this episode’s case being the feeling of entrapment that comes from Capitalism. This is an episode that people hold highly in the Black Mirror canon and for very good reasons.
7 - Bandersnatch
This is Black Mirror at its most experimental level. This isn’t really an episode as many know, but instead an interactive game that uses possible scenarios combined into one giant Black Mirror episode. When this was announced and released, those who played it found it mindblowing. Charlie Brooker did something that no one had done before in this landscape and that was giving the control of the episode to the viewers. While it did follow a certain amount of scenarios that were pre planned, you still were able to take the episode any direction that you wanted it to go. The episode follows a young programmer who gets a job on a project where they’re trying to develop a science fiction novel into an interactive choose your own adventure game. Once you are set up with the basic plot, the shit goes wild, all depending on what direction you go. As an episode, it works super well. The performances are fantastic, specifically Will Poulter who still remains one of the best characters of the series. The story is also engaging and the multiple branches makes it more entertaining and fun to go back to. I remember when this came out and everyone would discuss what endings they found themselves with. It was truly the talk of the town. This is Black Mirror at its most experimental, but also Black Mirror at it’s finest as I would consider this one of the best episodes of the series, despite it not really being an episode. It’s truly a wacky and mind blowing example of what Black Mirror truly is.
6 - The Entire History Of You
This episode is a certified classic. It contains a technology that many of us have definitely thought of before, that being a chip that records elements of your life. The basic plot of this one is that a man gets suspicious of his wife and uses her chip to figure out if she has been unfaithful. It’s a simple story of relationships and the worry of infidelity. Because this was from the first season, it still has that UK wit and horror that makes the older episodes so special. This episode was even replicated in a way with the central plot of Beyond The Sea. The episode has fantastic performances, including those of Toby Kebbell and Jodie Whittaker. If someone were to ask me to pick out an episode that represents Black Mirror the best at it’s earliest and most British in style, this would be the one. This episode definitely set up the ground work that future episodes either followed or chose to abandon. This is truly an important episode of the series and a great one at that as well.
5 - Shut Up and Dance
This episode is probably the most popular one or the one that everyone recognizes based entirely on the shock of the twist. I won’t spoil it in any way, but this is probably the most fucked up that Black Mirror has been. It’s a very human story about a man going through a gauntlet of chaos to protect himself from an online hacker. This episode grasps onto a certain fear that everyone feels, and that is the possible safety concerns of technology and the internet. For that reason, it makes it super easy to get into the mindset of this character who is fighting against the trolls so to speak. The best part about this episode is that it tricks you into a false sense of reality and pulls the rug from under you by the end. It’s definitely the most disturbing ending present in the series and it’s the one episode of the show where I had to pause and take a break from the show for a brief moment before I got back into watching it momentarily based on how anxious and disturbing it truly was. This is definitely Black Mirror at its most human and its most fucked up.
4 - White Christmas
This is the first of two times that Black Mirror tried an anthology episode in their anthology series and this one worked better than the other. The episode follows two men as they tell stories to each other in a cabin on Christmas day. As the episode goes on, the relationship between the two men at the heart of the wrap around begins to unravel. That’s as much as I can say because this episode is very layered, primarily based on the fact that it juggles four different stories that all intersect in some way. The performances are fantastic in this one and the plot is wild and twisted in the best ways. The ending as well is disturbing in its own unique way. This episode takes more of a psychological approach to the horror and I appreciate that based primarily on how hard it can be to be scary on a psychological plain and this episode does it super well. It’s a super memorable and twisted episode that fits right in with the other great Christmas specials from my other favourite shows.
3 - Joan Is Awful
This episode was a breath of fresh air for me. After a pretty middle of the road season last time, it was nice to get an episode that was truly Black Mirror in the best way possible. It looked at a current fad in technology today and pinpointed the possible problems associated including how humans and companies with power could use it for evil. The episode was funny and it made me wonder as well how long it would take for certain companies to try and implement this technology in this way. The lead performance from Annie Murphy was stellar and I would even consider it one of the best in the series. It kept me guessing as it went on and took so many left turns. By the end, I was marvelling at how top tier this episode was in terms of Black Mirror as a whole. This episode is a perfect example of when the Black Mirror formula works to perfection. This will definitely be put into my regular rotation along with San Junipero and some of my other favourites of the series. This was a great way to start a new season and felt like a breath of fresh air from the past mistakes present in the show recently.
2 - Hang The DJ
I don’t know if it’s that i’m a young woman in the age of online dating, but this one hits a certain way for me. The premise follows a couple who go on a new experimental dating app where you meet up with a person, are ubered to a house and “spend the night” with them. We watch as a pair of individuals who are tired of being in the loop that is online dating find each other and want to be together for real, but the problem at hand is that the idea of them being together would bring a possible end to the whole experiment as a whole. This episode has a super relatable plot of characters trying to find true love in an ocean of sexual relationships which is very true at this current moment in time. We are currently in a time where many are more focused on the sex element of a relationship instead of the relationship part of it which is tough for people who want something real. This episode pinpoints that lost feeling and delivers a fantastic episode with some great performances and an ending that on some days might be my favourite of the series. It’s a fantastic episode of Black Mirror that pinpoints a very human idea, a very common type of technology and mashes them together to deliver a very compelling and relatable piece of science fiction. Hang The DJ would be my favourite episode if it weren’t for another episode that many others have as their favourite. Hang The DJ though is Black Mirror at it’s absolute peak of science fiction storytelling.
1 - San Junipero
San Junipero is the best episode that Black Mirror has ever came out with. It’s the story of two women in a beach resort town who find each other and slowly fall in love. This is Black Mirror at its rawest. While the episode isn’t scary or much of a morality tale as some of the others are, this one is probably the most human. This episode does everything right in my books. It looks at a real human concept that all of us can relate to, it includes future technology and how that could impact that said emotion and it leaves me wondering and feeling so many things. The performance for one from Mackenzie Davis and Gugu Mbatha-Raw are stand out and I would consider them the two best of the series. I would also consider this story to be the best and most relatable of any of the episodes. The ending is also the best one that Black Mirror has ever done. While this doesn’t scare me off of technology, it does me one better and lets me live a life in a world that has some futuristic technology. Black Mirror as a whole does well when it takes a deep dive into how technology affects our relationships with each other and the world around us and this is the deepest dive into those said concepts as it looks at the relationship between these two women. This is the absolute best Black Mirror episode in every way imaginable and i’m worried that it won’t be this good ever again. As we’ve seen the past two seasons and how those turned out, i truly believe that this episode may have been the peak of the series. This is Black Mirror done to perfection.