Black Mirror (2011 — 2024)

Black Mirror (2011–2024) is a thought-provoking British anthology series, created by Charlie Brooker, that delves into the consequences of technology on society. Originally airing on Channel 4, the show has since found a home on Netflix and has produced six series since its debut in 2011. With a total of 27 episodes and one interactive film called Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, each installment ranges from 40 to 89 minutes and can be viewed in any desired order. While the episodes cover a diverse range of genres, they all share a common theme of the potential future impact of technology, drawing inspiration from The Twilight Zone. Keeping with this theme, it is common for actors to only appear in one episode, though subtle nods to previous episodes can often be found throughout the series. Brooker is typically the lead writer for most episodes, with Annabel Jones heavily involved as executive producer.

1.1. The National Anthem. Princess Susannah, a member of the British royal family, is abducted. To secure her release, the kidnapper demands that Prime Minister Michael Callow take certain actions. The story gains traction on social media before being picked up by national news outlets. In an attempt to deceive the kidnapper, Callow’s team devises fake footage without his knowledge. However, when the plan is uncovered and made public by the kidnapper, it has an unexpected effect on public opinion. The authorities attempt to rescue Susannah from a suspected location, resulting in a journalist named Malaika getting injured. Despite his initial reluctance, Callow ultimately agrees to address over a billion viewers in a televised event. However, just before the broadcast, it is revealed that the kidnapper—famous artist—has already released Susannah unharmed.

1.2. Fifteen Million Merits. In Bing’s society, most people pedal on stationary bikes for “merits” – a form of currency used to purchase necessities and virtual entertainment. His room is decked out in screens, and he watches one while cycling. One day, he hears Abi singing in the bathroom and encourages her to enter Hot Shot, even paying most of his savings for her ticket. She performs “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is” by Irma Thomas, but the judges reject her due to too many singers in the show. Instead, they pressure her into becoming a pornographic performer. Feeling guilty, Bing cannot afford to skip an explicit ad featuring Abi and is haunted by the images.

1.3. The Entire History of You. With the use of a device called a ‘grain’ implanted behind their ear, individuals have the ability to revisit their memories through their eyes or on a screen. At a dinner gathering, Liam becomes wary of his wife Ffion’s behavior towards her mutual acquaintance Jonas. After arriving home, Ffion discloses a past romantic involvement with Jonas, although some details are inconsistent. In an inebriated state, Liam continues to consume alcohol throughout the evening and later visits Jonas’ residence. Under threat of violence, Liam coerces Jonas into erasing all of his memories involving Ffion. However, after crashing his car and regaining consciousness, Liam revisits his own memories and discovers that one of Jonas’ recollections is of Ffion in bed.

2.1. Be Right Back. Martha’s partner Ash tragically dies while returning a rental van just one day after they move into their new countryside home. Soon after, Martha discovers she is pregnant and decides to try out a service that her friend had signed her up for. This service uses AI technology to create a digital version of Ash by compiling all of his social media and online interactions. Through messaging and video calls, Martha is able to communicate with this imitation of Ash while on peaceful walks through the countryside, often disregarding her sister’s attempts to connect with her. Eventually, an android version of Ash is created, but Martha becomes uneasy as it becomes more human-like. She even challenges him and brings him to a cliff, commanding him to jump. However, she quickly realizes that this is not the real Ash and becomes frustrated. Many years later, on their daughter’s birthday, she brings her a piece of cake to share with the android version of Ash that now resides in their attic and can only be visited on weekends.

2.2. White Bear. A woman with amnesia wakes up in a house and is soon captured by hunters while being secretly filmed by people on the street. She escapes and joins forces with Jem, who reveals that those filming her have been affected by a strange signal, while the hunters are cruel individuals. Together, they set out to destroy the signal transmitter. However, their plans are halted when they are confronted by Baxter, one of the hunters, in a forest. In an act of self-defense, Jem kills Baxter and they continue on to their destination. At the facility, they are met with an attack from more hunters. Desperate for protection, the woman grabs a shotgun but is surprised when it only shoots confetti. It is then revealed that everything that has happened was part of a staged performance and everyone except for the woman (whose real name is Victoria Skillane) were either actors or audience members. It turns out that Victoria had been an accomplice to child murderer Iain Rannoch and as punishment, she is sent to White Bear Justice Park where her memory is wiped at the end of each day to ensure fresh entertainment for the audience.

2.3. The Waldo Moment. Jamie Salter operates a computer-generated bear called Waldo on a satirical program, where the mischievous creature subjects politicians to lewd questioning during interviews. Following an encounter with Conservative candidate, Liam Monroe, Waldo is unexpectedly entered into a by-election for the same safe seat as Monroe. Jamie crosses paths with Labour rival, Gwendolyn Harris, and they engage in a brief affair; however, she is instructed to sever ties during the campaign. At a hustings event organized by students, Waldo publicly ridicules both Monroe and Harris. The incident quickly gains notoriety online and catches the attention of an American agent interested in exploiting Waldo’s likeness. Despite Jamie’s attempt at reconciliation, Harris rejects his apology and he is forced to reveal his true identity as the mastermind behind Waldo. In a plea to voters, Jamie urges them not to support him in the election. His colleague Jack assumes control of Waldo and incites the public to turn against Jamie. Despondent and homeless, Jamie witnesses Monroe emerging victorious and Waldo placing second. In a moment of desperation, he hurls a bottle at a screen displaying Waldo on every channel, resulting in being subdued by police with a taser while hospitalized.

2.4. White Christmas. In a cabin, Matt and Joe discuss their past experiences. Matt recounts his previous job training ‘cookies’, digital clones of people stored in egg-shaped objects, to be personal assistants. However, it all came to an end when a mentally ill woman committed a murder-suicide at one of the group’s seduction events. On the other hand, Joe shares how his wife had used Z-Eyes to block him from communicating with her after they got into a fight over her decision to have an abortion. Each Christmas, Joe would travel to Beth’s father’s house to spy on her and their child, who he was unable to see due to being blocked by his wife. After Beth’s death, Joe finally saw the child but realized that he was not the father. In a fit of rage, he killed Beth’s father and left the daughter to freeze to death. As they sit in the cabin discussing these events, Matt reveals that both of them are now digital cookies and that Joe has just confessed to his crimes. While Joe will be imprisoned as punishment for his actions, Matt is registered as a sex offender and has been blocked by everyone.

3.1. Nosedive. Utilizing eye implants and mobile devices, individuals evaluate their social interactions using a five-star system. These evaluations contribute to a person’s overall rating, which influences their standing in society. Lacie, with a 4.2 rating, is determined to boost it to 4.5 in order to afford a better living situation. She eagerly accepts the role of maid of honor at her childhood friend Naomi’s wedding. However, her flight is cancelled and her low rating prevents her from getting a replacement flight. Lacie becomes embroiled in an argument with a staff member, resulting in her rating dropping and being put on ‘double damage’, which amplifies the impact of negative ratings. Her lowered rating only allows her to rent an outdated car, which eventually breaks down. She ends up hitchhiking with Susan, who has a rating of 1.4 as a truck driver. Unfortunately, Lacie’s invitation to Naomi’s wedding is revoked due to her lower rating. Despite this, she crashes the wedding and tries to give her speech but becomes increasingly distressed as guests rate her poorly.

3.2. Playtest. After losing his father, Cooper embarks on a trip around the world and ignores his mother’s calls. During his journey, he spends one night with Sonja in London before finding a paid opportunity to playtest an experimental game due to falling victim to identity theft. At the company, he meets Shou, the owner, and tries out an augmented reality version of Whac-A-Mole. Later on, he tests a horror game where an artificial neural network learns and adapts from his fears while staying in a mansion. In this simulation, Cooper has a confrontation with a simulated version of Sonja before Katie intervenes and reminds him that the technology should not cause him physical pain. She then leads him to a room where he can end the test, but instead, Cooper loses his memories. Upon awakening in Shou’s office, both Katie and Shou reveal that the technology has advanced too far and cannot be removed. Upon returning home, Cooper is heartbroken when he realizes that his mother no longer recognizes him. However, little does he know that everything after playing Whac-A-Mole was part of a 0.04 second experiment and it was during this time that his mother’s phone call caused deadly interference.

3.3. Shut Up and Dance. A hacker records Kenny masturbating via his webcam and threatens to release it unless he follows their instructions. Hector complies with the hackers’ commands to avoid losing custody of his children. A bank is robbed at gunpoint by Kenny and Hector. Hector takes Kenny to the woods to drop off the money and then disposes of the car. While a drone films Kenny, another blackmailer tells him that he must fight to the death for the money.

3.4. San Junipero. In 1987, the reserved Yorkie crosses paths with the outgoing Kelly in San Junipero, a beach resort town. The following week, they reconnect and engage in intimacy. Yorkie struggles to locate Kelly afterwards, until a stranger suggests exploring different time periods. She searches through various decades until she finally locates Kelly in 2002. There, Kelly confesses that she is terminally ill and wanted to avoid developing feelings for Yorkie. Despite this revelation, they engage in intimacy once again. It is eventually revealed that San Junipero is not real, but a simulated reality where the deceased and elderly can interact through their younger bodies. In California, Kelly meets a paralyzed Yorkie who is scheduled for euthanasia so she can permanently reside in San Junipero. To authorize the procedure, Kelly marries Yorkie, but they later argue when Kelly reveals she has no desire to stay in San Junipero after her own death.

3.5. Men Against Fire. In a foreign land, soldiers are using MASS, an implanted technology, to aid them in the extermination of mutated humans known as ‘roaches’. Stripe encounters his first group of these beings and manages to take down two of them. However, one roach uses a device that causes interference with Stripe’s MASS interface. The following day, Stripe witnesses Hunter attempting to harm a woman and her child without any apparent reason. When Stripe tries to intervene, the mother explains that the MASS implant makes soldiers view them as mutants, even though they are perfectly normal and healthy. These so-called ‘roaches’ are actually an ethnic group facing genocide at the hands of the military. Shockingly, Hunter kills both the mother and child and knocks Stripe unconscious. Upon waking up in a cell, Stripe is given a choice by psychologist Arquette – he can either face indefinite imprisonment or have his memories wiped clean.

3.6. Hated in the Nation. To combat the near-extinction of bees, Granular has created Autonomous Drone Insects (ADIs). During their investigation, DCI Karin Parke and Detective Blue Coulson, assisted by National Crime Agency agent Shaun Li, uncover the truth behind the deaths of two individuals who were targeted through a social media trend called ‘#DeathTo’. This game of consequences results in the daily death of whoever is mentioned alongside the hashtag the most. Despite their efforts to protect the latest target, she is tragically killed by a swarm of ADIs at a safe house. As news about this game spreads, Blue traces it back to former Granular employee Garrett Scholes. Upon discovering a hacking toolkit belonging to Scholes, Li suggests using it to deactivate the ADI system. However, this proves to be part of Scholes’ master plan as nearly 400,000 people who participated in the game are ultimately killed by the rogue ADIs. While Karin faces charges for her involvement in the incident, Blue manages to track down and confront Scholes himself.

4.1. USS Callister. Callister Inc. is the developer of Infinity, a popular multiplayer game led by CEO James Walton and created by the talented CTO, Robert Daly. In this game, based on his favourite series, Robert has designed sentient clones of his coworkers who make up the crew of the USS Callister. Recently, after hiring new programmer Nanette Cole, she becomes distressed and refuses to follow Robert’s commands until he inflicts pain upon her and demonstrates his power. However, when Nanette discovers a way to escape from the game world, she enlists reluctant James to join her as they plan their getaway. This is due to Robert’s past actions, such as bringing James’ son into the game and subjecting him to danger. With Nanette’s clever blackmail tactics, they are able to steal the ‘omnicorder’ which controls the entire game world and begin their escape. Despite Robert’s attempts to chase them down in-game, they successfully break free from his grasp causing the game to glitch with Robert trapped inside. The crew ultimately enter Infinity as players themselves.

4.2. Arkangel. After briefly losing her three-year-old daughter Sara, Marie decides to have her implanted with the Arkangel system. This allows Marie to monitor Sara’s vision, hearing, and health through a tablet. The system also has a filter that blocks out any stressful situations for Sara. However, after nine years, Sara hurts herself and Marie turns off the filter before hiding the tablet in the attic. Several years later, Marie catches Sara lying about where she’s been and becomes distressed. She retrieves the tablet in secret and starts controlling various aspects of Sara’s life – forbidding her from seeing Trick after he gave her drugs and secretly adding emergency contraception to her smoothie. When Sara discovers what Marie is doing, she uses the tablet to physically harm her mother. This leads to the stress filter being reactivated so that Sara can’t see the damage she is causing. By the time Marie regains consciousness, Sara is long gone.

4.3. Crocodile. On a mountain road, Rob accidentally hits a cyclist and, to cover up the death, he and his partner Mia dispose of the body in a nearby lake. A decade and a half later, Rob meets with Mia to discuss sending an anonymous letter to the deceased’s widow. Fearing that their involvement will be discovered, Mia kills Rob. In the meantime, Shazia, an insurance investigator, is looking into an unrelated car accident when she finds out that Mia witnessed it from her window on the same evening. Using a memory-extracting device called ‘Recaller’, Shazia talks to Mia about her memories of both killings despite Mia’s efforts to suppress them. Feeling threatened, Mia takes drastic measures and ends up killing Shazia as well. To eliminate any potential evidence, she goes on a spree and murders Shazia’s husband and infant son. However, due to unexpected circumstances – the son being born blind and their pet guinea pig observing everything – police are able to track down Mia at her son’s school production.

4.4. Hang the DJ. Frank and Amy rely on a device called ‘Coach’ to manage their relationships, which has a 99.8% success rate in pairing them with lifelong partners. Initially, they are matched for 12 hours and then given longer matches lasting several months. However, after Amy’s match ends, she is assigned a series of shorter relationships that last only 36 hours. Similarly, when Frank’s match ends, they are immediately rematched. Despite getting along well, Frank’s decision to violate their agreement not to check the expiration date leads Coach to recalculate their match period to just 20 hours. This causes tension between the two and they part ways on bad terms, unable to enjoy future matches together. The day before they are set to be paired with their lifelong partners, they unexpectedly reunite and Amy encourages Frank to rebel against this predetermined system. As they escape together, everything around them fades away – revealing that it was all just a simulation created by the dating app to determine their real-life compatibility.

4.5. Metalhead. Filmed in black and white, the episode features Bella, Anthony, and Clarke journeying to a warehouse. Unfortunately, their plans take a deadly turn when they are confronted by a robotic guard nicknamed ‘dog’. Anthony is killed and the remaining two make a hasty escape in separate cars. However, the dog proves to be relentless as it jumps into Clarke’s car and murders him before setting its sights on Bella. She manages to exit the car just as it plunges off a cliff, leaving her injured but alive. Desperate for help, she leaves a brief message for her loved ones over a walkie-talkie. The dog soon finds her again and she is forced to flee up a tree while trying to disable it with anything she can find. Eventually making it into a nearby compound, she thinks she has finally outsmarted the dog. But when it tracks her down yet again, she uses paint to temporarily blind it before ultimately destroying it with a shotgun. Though triumphant in her victory over the dog, Bella is left with shrapnel embedded in her body, including one dangerously close to her jugular vein.

4.6. Black Museum. Nish pays a visit to the Black Museum owned by Rolo Haynes, who was known for recruiting individuals to participate in experimental medical technology. One such technology involved Dr. Peter Dawson experiencing the physical sensations of his patients, but it ultimately led to his downfall as he became addicted to pain and ended up in a coma after killing a homeless man. In another instance, a comatose mother’s consciousness was transferred into her husband’s head, but conflicts arose and she was subsequently moved into a toy monkey that her child soon discarded. The main attraction at the museum is a holographic representation of Clayton Leigh, who was convicted of murder and put to death through electric chair execution. Visitors have the option to pull the lever and watch the sentient hologram die repeatedly while receiving a souvenir clone copy. Unbeknownst to Rolo, Nish is actually Clayton’s daughter and she has deceived him by giving him poisoned water causing him to lose consciousness. Taking matters into her own hands, Nish kills the hologram version of her father and takes home a souvenir depicting Rolo being executed in the electric chair.

5.1. Striking Vipers. Danny and his wife, Theo, team up to host a birthday celebration. His longtime friend, Karl, shows him the latest version of their favorite game, Striking Vipers, now enhanced with virtual reality technology. As they take on the roles of Lance and Roxette and engage in a heated battle, they also experience the physical sensations of their characters’ movements. However, things take a unexpected turn when they find themselves falling into a passionate kiss and proceeding to engage in virtual sex. On their wedding anniversary, Theo notices a change in Danny’s behavior and confronts him about it. In response, he chooses to end his arrangement with Karl. But at Danny’s following birthday bash, tensions arise again when Theo invites Karl as a guest. Despite an argument, they eventually give into their desires once more within the game. However, attempts at real-life intimacy fall flat and lead to a physical altercation that results in their arrest.

5.2. Smithereens. During group therapy, Chris meets Hayley, who shares the heartbreaking story of her daughter’s suicide. One day while working as a rideshare driver, Chris takes Jaden, an intern at the social media company Smithereen, hostage at gunpoint. A police pursuit ensues until Chris eventually stops in a field. Contacting Jaden’s superior, Chris demands to speak with Smithereen’s CEO, Billy Bauer, who happens to be on a solitary retreat. As Smithereen employees gather information on Chris and he forces the hostage negotiator to leave, tension rises. After giving Chris one last chance to communicate his demands, Billy agrees to speak with him. In a tense conversation, Chris reveals that he was checking a notification from Smithereen while driving and tragically collided with a drunk driver, resulting in the death of both the driver and his fiancée.

5.3. Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too. Rachel and Jack reside with their dad, who is currently developing a new type of mousetrap. To celebrate her fifteenth birthday, Rachel receives an AI toy named Ashley Too, modeled after the popular singer Ashley O. She showcases her dance skills to an Ashley O track at a school talent show but unfortunately takes a tumble and leaves feeling mortified. Meanwhile, Ashley O is rebelling against her aunt and controlling manager Catherine. After Catherine adds medicine to her food, putting her into a coma-like state, the malfunctioning Ashley Too doll becomes aware of Ashley O’s condition. In attempt to help, Jack uses his father’s computer skills to lift restrictions on the doll, granting it full cognitive abilities as it was created from an Ashley O clone. Rachel and Jack accompany the doll to Ashley O’s home where they pose as a mouse-catcher and unplug her from the medication drip, causing her to regain consciousness.

6.1. Joan Is Awful. Joan discovers that her daily activities are being broadcasted in real-time on a television show called ‘Joan Is Awful’. This is made possible through Streamberry, a streaming service she agreed to the terms and conditions of. The show features computer-generated images (CGI) of Joan, portrayed by a virtual version of Salma Hayek. In order to grab Hayek’s attention, Joan dresses up as a cheerleader and defecates in a church. However, both women are dissatisfied with how their likenesses are used and decide to take action by breaking into Streamberry’s office to destroy the quantum computer responsible for the show’s production. During their mission, they discover that they are living in a simulated reality. It turns out that Joan is actually based on Annie Murphy and both women have their own quantum computers which they destroy, ultimately destroying the simulated realities. As a result, the real Annie Murphy and Source Joan are both put under house arrest. Source Joan then opens her own coffee shop while on house arrest.

6.2. Loch Henry. Two partners, Davis and Pia, who originally crossed paths on a film course, take a trip to the Scottish countryside to visit Davis’s mother Janet. While there, they also meet Stuart, a friend of Davis’s who runs the only remaining pub in Loch Henry. Upon hearing about Iain Adair, a notorious local serial killer known for torturing tourists, Pia convinces Davis that they should create a documentary about him. Breaking into Adair’s basement with Stuart’s help, the trio captures footage of the killer. However, while going through old VHS tapes of Bergerac belonging to Janet, Pia makes an unsettling discovery – Janet and Davis’s late father were accomplices in Adair’s heinous crimes. Feeling overwhelmed and afraid for her safety, Pia flees from Janet’s pursuit but tragically meets her end after falling into a river…

6.3. Beyond the Sea. In an alternate history 1969, astronauts Cliff and David have the ability to transfer their consciousness to artificial replicas of themselves on Earth, when not needed on the spaceship. Unfortunately, David’s family is tragically killed and his replica destroyed by a cult, leaving him trapped on the ship. In a gesture of compassion, Cliff and his wife Lana grant David limited use of Cliff’s replica. While visiting with them, David begins an oil painting of Cliff’s family home and develops feelings for Lana. However, his attempts at intimacy are rejected and when Cliff discovers that David has been drawing her in the nude, tensions rise between the two men. Eventually, during a spacewalk, David uses his replica to harm Cliff’s loved ones and upon returning to the ship, offers him a seat.

6.4. Mazey Day. In 2006, paparazzo Bo captures a male celebrity’s secret relationship with another man, which ultimately leads to the celebrity’s tragic suicide. Overwhelmed by the guilt and weight of the industry, Bo decides to leave her career behind but faces financial struggles. Meanwhile, actor Mazey Day abruptly ends production in the Czech Republic after being involved in a hit and run accident. As a result, a $30,000 reward is offered for the first photos of Mazey. Seeing this as an opportunity to make some quick money, Bo tracks down Mazey at a New Age rehabilitation center with three other paparazzi. They find Mazey tied up and take pictures before Bo frees her. However, to their surprise, Mazey transforms into a werewolf and brutally kills two of the paparazzi while Bo and fellow photographer Hector escape to a nearby restaurant. Seeking help from a police officer dining at the restaurant, Bo fails to convince him of the urgency of their situation. The werewolf proceeds to attack and kill everyone in the diner except for Bo who manages to use the deceased officer’s gun to shoot Mazey in self-defense.

6.5. Demon 79. The episode opens with a title card labeling it as a Red Mirror film. Set in 1979, Nida’s workplace at a department store becomes hostile towards her due to her association with the National Front and Conservative politician Michael Smart. However, everything changes when she stumbles upon a talisman that unleashes a powerful demon named Gaap. Nida is tasked with killing three people within three days to prevent the end of the world, as instructed by Gaap who takes on the form of Boney M.’s Bobby Farrell. The first victim is a passerby who was sexually abusing his daughter, followed by an invitation from a man who killed his wife to come to his house…