Starring: Andrew Scott, Topher Grace, Damson Idris, Monica Dolan
Description: A cab driver (Andrew Scott) with an agenda becomes the center of attention on a day that rapidly spirals out of control.
Review: “Smithereens” is not a hit, it starts slowly and is all in all quite predictable and not at all surprising. It does have some masterful acting by Andrew Scott. This episode mainly seems to be an awareness-raising campaign in many ways, but it actually goes much further than that. It’s about how we are all attached to smartphones and therefore losing contact with reality. But at the same time it’s also about how the enormous flow of information we process daily via that same smartphone has made us immune to serious facts.
Director: Owen Harris
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Beharie, Pom Klementieff, Ludi Linn
Description: Two estranged college friends (Anthony Mackie, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) reunite in later life, triggering a series of events that could alter their lives forever.
Review: “Striking Vipers” uses the same technology as “Playtest” and “USS Callister”. Once again we see a hyper-realistic game, but then explored in a very different way that raises a lot of questions. About gender, loyalty, orientation and so on. It gives you and insight into the future of gaming, but it’s also about confusion around sexual orientation.
Director: Anne Sewitsky
Starring: Miley Cyrus, Angourie Rice, Madison Davenport, Susan Pourfar
Description: A lonely teenager (Angourie Rice) yearns to connect with her favorite pop star Ashley O (Miley Cyrus), whose charming existence isn’t quite as rosy as it appears.
Review: “Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too” tells a story about stardom. Where it goes deeper into both the existence as a pop star and that of fans. We demand more and more from our idols and as fans we want to get closer and closer to our favorite stars. But that has serious consequences. Stars are expected to be cheerful all the time and never have a bad day. Of course, reality is often very different from the pictures we see as fans. We only know a small world of our idols, so we often forget that they too are people of flesh and blood. This episode makes a pop star more human by dehumanizing them like a robot.
Director: John Hillcoat
Starring: Andrea Riseborough, Kiran Sonia Sawar, Andrew Gower, Anthony Welsh
Description: Shazia (Kiran Sonia Sawar) interviews various people using a device that allows her to access their memories.
Review: “Crocodile” is one of the darkest episodes of “Black Mirror”. Mia’s desperation to keep her secret takes on enormous proportions, but somewhere you can recognize yourself in it, without of course the extreme form it takes on. A very dark tale about how a mistake in your past can dominate your whole life, no matter how hard you’re trying to forget about it.
Director: Colm McCarthy
Starring: Letitia Wright, Douglas Hodge, Daniel Lapaine, Aldis Hodge, Alexandra Roach
Description: Nish (Letitia Wright) enters the Black Museum, where the proprietor (Douglas Hodge) tells his stories relating to the artifacts.
Review: “Black Museum” is actually three episodes in one, but with the runtime of one episode. As a result, the stories may be a little less elaborate, but the end creates a mindfuck of size. The episode shows how new technology can be used to torture people at a level that for the time being, fortunately, is not possible. But it shows how technology, when it ends up in bad hands, can lead to horrific acts.
Director: Bryn Higgins
Starring: Daniel Rigby, Chloe Pirrie, Jason Flemyng, Tobias Menzies, Christina Chong, James Lance
Description: A failed comedian (Daniel Rigby) who voices a popular cartoon bear named Waldo finds himself mixing in politics when TV executives want Waldo to run for office.
Review: “The Waldo Moment” is a story that, at first sight, seems totally crazy. But when you think about it a little longer, you realize that it is closer to reality than you might think. It is phenomenal critique of current politics. And yes, I’m mainly looking at the US. When everyone laughed off Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy, he eventually managed to end up in the White House. And so he had his own Waldo moment. The story was written before Trump became president, so it’s not a literal attack on Trump, but a prediction of how politis would evolve.
Director: Jakob Verbruggen
Starring: Malachi Kirby, Madeline Brewer, Ariane Labed, Sarah Snook, Michael Kelly
Description: Future soldiers Stripe (Malachi Kirby) and Raiman (Madaline Brewer) must protect frightened villagers from an infestation of vicious feral mutants.
Review: Where “Black Mirror” usually gives a glimpse of the future, here they actually take a look at the past. Because there are many parallels between “Men Against Fire” and the events of World War II. It’s a very intense episode and the actual outcome is a bit disturbing. The story shows the future of warfare, but at the same time is inspired by events from the past.
Director: Jodie Foster
Starring: Rosemarie DeWitt, Brenna Harding, Owen Teague, Nicholas Campbell
Description: After nearly losing her daughter Sara, Marie (Rosemarie DeWitt) incests in a new technology that allows her to keep track of her.
Review: “Arkangel” is another episode in which new technology in itself is positive. The chip is a good tool for mother Marie, but it gives her the opportunity to continuously monitor her daughter. And a curious and over-protective mother can quickly abuse this power. At first, you really sympathize with Marie, but your view on her will change from time to time.
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Starring: Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Wunmi Mosaku, Ken Yamamura, Elizabeth Moynihan
Description: Cooper (Wyatt Russell) is traveling around the world. When he is trying to buy a ticket home, he is unable to get money from his account. Short on cash, Cooper signs up to test a revolutionary new gaming system. But soon cant tell where the hot game ends and reality begins.
Review: “Playtest” is an episode that clearly responds to the new technologies used in games. In the episode virtual reality is pushed to the limit. What Cooper sees is a reality created from his own deepest fears. It’s an episode that gives you a scare here and there, through the horror images. But it’s the storyline around Cooper and his mother that won’t let you go.
Director: Euros Lyn
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Jessica Brown Findlay, Rupert Everett, Julia Davis, Ashley Thomas
Description: In a world where people’s lives consist of riding exercise bikes to gain credits, Bing (Daniel Kaluuya) tries to help a woman get on to a singing competition show.
Review: “15 Million Merits” is a metaphor for life, but a very negative one. Working your whole life to make money and make your dreams come true. But those dreams sometimes turn out very differently. Furthermore, this episode also shows how people actually do everything for money, even if this is diametrically opposed to your own principles. At the same time, it also criticized the popularity of talent shows and reality TV and how these genres can be exploited by candidates.
Director: Owen Harris
Starring: Mackenzie Davis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Denise Burse, Annabel Davis, Raymond McAnally
Description: When Yorkie (Mackenzie Davis) and Kelly (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) visit San Junipero, a fun-loving beach town full of surf, sun and sex, their lives are changed.
Review: “San Junipero” is a story that shows how technology can ultimately be positive and contribute to eternal love. It turns death into something beautiful and tells a story that will not leave you untouched.
Director: David Slade
Starring: Maxine Peake, Jake Davies, Clint Dyer
Description: In the post-apocalyptic landscape of the Scottish Moors, a woman (Maxine Peaks) attempts to survive tha land full of ‘dogs’.
Review: This episode shows the dangers of artificial intelligence. When robots, in this case in the form of dogs, have evolved so far, they can really be able to conquer the world and be a real danger to humans. “Metalhead” is a real thriller and the most straight-forward episode of “Black Mirror”. It’s completely filmed in black and white and it’s threatening and bloodcurdlingly exciting.
Director: James Hawes
Starring: Kelly Macdonald, Faye Marsay, Benedict Wong, Jonas Karlsson, Joe Armstrong
Description: In near-future London, police detective Karin Parke (Kelly Macdonald) and her tech-savvy sidekick Blue (Faye Marsay) investigate a string of mysterious deaths with a sinister link to social media.
Review: “Hated in the Nation” is perhaps the clearest social criticism of the whole series. It shows the impact of social media, but in a very direct way (it reminded me a bit of the crime thriller “Untraceable”, with Diane Lane). Comments with the #DeathTo, which are actually sent out, have the effect that those people actually die. The episode thus maps out the hardness of reactions on social media. The way in which we can insult people and wish them to die on social media, without realizing the consequences.
Director: David Slade
Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Craig Parkinson, Alice Lowe, Will Poulter
Description: Young programmer Stefan (Fion Whitehead) starts to question reality when he adapts a mad writer’s fantasy novel into a video game.
Review: “Bandersnatch” is not an episode, it’s a standalone film. And the first interactive film. It’s an innovative episode because of its format. The story is, depending on the path you choose, better or worse, but in general it’s a surprising and interesting way to experience television. It has several different endings.
Director: Otto Bathurst
Starring: Rory Kinnear, Lindsay Duncan, Anna Wilson-Jones, Donald Sumpter, Tom Goodman-Hill, Patrick Kennedy
Description: Prime Minister Michael Callow (Rory Kinnear) faces a shocking dilemma when Princess Susannah, a much-loved member of the Royal Family, is kidnapped.
Review: “The National Anthem” is the very first episode of “Black Mirror” and perhaps the most memorable to date. The episode is outright social criticism that makes you think about your own behavior. This episode does not use modern technology, it does not take place in a post-apocalyptic or dystopian future. No, this story could actually happen tomorrow. And that’s why the impact of this episode is so overwhelming. The awareness that this can happen and that the reaction of the audience would probably be exactly the same as in the episode, makes it an uncomfortable experience.
Director: James Watkins
Starring: Alex Lawther, Jerome Flynn, Susannah Doyle, Frankie Wilson, Jimmy Roye-Dunne, Hannah Steele
Description: When introvert Kenny (Alex Lawther) stumbles into an online trap, he is quickly forced into an uneasy alliance with Hector (Jerome Flynn), both at the mercy of persons unknown.
Review: “Shut Up and Dance” is another episode that isn’t about technological gadgets or a strange looking future. It is a story that can take place now and that makes it very realistic. Alex Lawther, who plays Kenny, gives away a strong performance. His role is pretty difficult and you sympathize with him, but at the same time realize that he has a huge secret. And it’s even worse than you might think.
Director: Carl Tibbetts
Starring: Jon Hamm, Rafe Spall, Oona Chaplin, Natalia Tena, Janet Montgomery, Rasmus Hardiker
Description: Three interconnected tales of technology run amok during the Christmas season are told by two men at a remote outpost in a frozen wilderness.
Review: “White Christmas” is “Black Mirror” at its best. Technological advances that can ultimately be used against humans or that endanger people’s lives. In “White Christmas” there are also aspects that are already possible, which brings the whole thing awfully close to reality. Thus we see a smart home system, which seems very convenient, but is actually degrading.
Director: Carl Tibbets
Starring: Lenora Crichlow, Michael Smiley, Tuppence Middleton, Ian Bonar, Elisabeth Hopper
Description: Victoria (Lenora Crichlow) wakes up and cannot remember anything about her life. Everyone she encounters refuses to communicate with her, and they all seem to know something she doesn’t.
Review: “White Bear’ is one of those episodes that drags you along and gets you invested in the story. And you can’t help but feel for the main character. But when you finally find out exactly why this is happening to her, your whole image of the situation changes. And that is very well done. The episode denounces the sensational society we live in now. How we enjoy someone else’s suffering. How the news is presented more and more spectacularly. But at the same time it shows that ‘an eye for an eye’ is not necessarily the best solution. Because is this where we want to go? Is this the society we want to be in?
Director: Brian Welsh
Starring: Toby Kebbell, Jodie Whittaker, Tom Cullen, Amy Beth Hayes, Rebekah Staton
Description: In the near future, everyone has access to a memory implant that records everything they do, see and hear. You need never forget a face again, but is that always a good thing?
Review: “The Entire History of You” shows how technology can bring out the worst in man. Jealousy is a dirty beast anyway, but if you have the tools in your hands, that jealousy can become much more dangerous. It shows how taking a look at your partner’s phone can quickly turn into an obsession that can cause serious damage not only to your partner, but also to yourself.
Director: Tim von Patten
Starring: Georgina Campbell, Joe Cole, George Bladge, Gwyneth Keyworth
Description: Paired up by a dating program that puts an expiration date on all relationships, Frank (Joe Cole) and Amy (Georgine Campbell) soon begin to question the system’s logic.
Review: You could see “Hang the DJ” as a critique of dating apps and superficial relationships, but in the end you find out that that’s not so. It’s one of the lighter episodes of “Black Mirror”, but it still has a painful side. It’s a story about true love and how it can overcome everything. Even before it really started. It’s on of the few episodes that will leave you with a happy feeling.
Director: Owen Harris
Starring: Hayley Atwell, Domhnall Gleeson
Description: After learning about a new service that lets people stay in touch with the deceased, a lonely, grieving Martha (Hayley Atwell) reconnects with her late lover (Domhnall Gleeson).
Review: “Be Right Back” is actually a beautiful love story of a woman who has a hard time coping with the death of her boyfriend. It is a heartbreaking story, which is both beautiful and strange. Above all, the episode shows that no matter how far technology evolves, there is nothing to be done against death.
Director: Toby Haynes
Starring: Jesse Plemons, Cristin Milioti, Jimmi Simpson, Michael Coel, Billu Magnussen, Aaron Paul
Description: Captain Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons) presides over his crew with wisdom and courage. But a ne recruit will soon discover nothing on this spaceship is what it seems.
Review: “Uss Callister” is somewhat of a “Star Trek” ode, but at the same time it shows that the new technologies, such as the possibilities of cloning and the use of artificial intelligence, can be capable of when used by the wrong people. It is an exciting episode somewhere between humor and drama, where really nothing is what it seems. It’s definitely one of the most inventive episode of the entire series.
Director: Joe Wright
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Alice Eve, James Norton
Description: Lacie (Bryce Dallas Howard) is desperate to boos her social media score. She hits the jackpot when she’s invited to a fancy wedding, but the trip doesn’t go as planned.
Review: The special thing about “Nosedive” is that this episode ultimately predicted the future like no other. No matter how unrealistic and completely unthinkable the points system in the episode may be, it will become reality. The episode criticizes our obsession with likes and the impact on social media on the way we live our lives. How we adapt our posts on social media to what others would like and especially what would generate the most likes.
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