Chris and I started watching Black Mirror a few months ago and MAN does this show fuck me up. We were kind of addicted at the beginning and tried to binge a few episodes in one sitting… but honestly this show is just too heavy for that. I don’t know how people do it when the new season comes out! I get too depressed too quickly. There are four seasons, as of right now, and we spread them out over the course of a couple of months. I’ve seen a lot of people rank them from best to worst, so I’m going to share my favorites and least favorites here in order – the best ones are at the top, of course. You can see some other interesting opinions here and here.
USS Callister (S4/E1)
I loved this Star Trek-esque episode! The concept was really cool and the cast was fantastic. I was basically on the edge of my seat the entire time, especially toward the end. I hope they turn this into its own show, like the rumors are saying. I could totally see it.
Nosedive (S3/E1)
This one really got Chris and me thinking! I can’t imagine a world where everyone rates each other based on every single interaction they have. Clearly, it could make you go crazy. The concept here was phenomenal and the lead actress did a great job. I was rooting for her.
San Junipero (S3/E4)
SO GOOOOD. This one would be up a little higher probably if I understood what was happening half of the time. It was confusing for a while but the ending explained everything and more than made up for it. I shipped these two very hard. It was so feel-good and unexpected, based on the rest of the freakin episodes.
Hang the DJ (S4/E4)
Another feel-good, romance-oriented one. This was a fascinated episode because again, the concept confused me for most of the episode until everything became clear. I really enjoyed the ending (probably because I had no idea how it was going to end and what the deal really was).
Fifteen Million Merits (S1/E2)
Am I biased about this episode because of Daniel Kaluuya? Yeah probably. I think the concept was really intriguing and I was constantly wondering how it was all going to end. I loved so many elements of this story and how crazy it was at times.
The Entire History of You (S1/E3)
This is one of those that I appreciate more in hindsight. A fascinating concept for the episode can outweigh a lot of other factors for me with this show, like the ending. The idea of being able to rewind your entire history can be crazy to think about… and absolutely make you crazy at the same time.
Hated in the Nation (S3/E6)
I can’t really figure out why I liked this one so much, but the whole bee thing was fascinating to me. There was a lot of mystery involved here, trying to figure out how people were dying. No matter how advanced technology gets, we will clearly always have problems. Great ending too.
Black Museum (S4/E6)
This one was kind of crazy! Definitely keep an eye out for the many, many easter eggs as you watch. I was fascinated by the stories-within-a-story and how everything was pulled together at the end. It was awesome to see the lead actress after watching her kill it in Black Panther too!
Playtest (S3/E2)
This one freaked me out a bit but it was really intriguing! The concept of the VR system was totally crazy. This is another one with a really great ending so it’s hard to explain why I liked it so much without giving it all away. I kept wondering what was going to happen next and it kept surprising me.
White Bear (S2/E2)
A fucked up episode for sure, but I was on the edge of my seat. The whole “crime and punishment” element to this show is fascinating. I was shocked by how it all ended and confused throughout as I tried to figure out what the hell was going on. Well-done!
White Christmas (Special)
I have to start by saying how fantastic Jon Hamm was in this one. I loved watching some of the twists unfold. There was definitely a shocking ending for this one, which is why I ended up moving it up my list after completing everything. Whooops. It just deserved to be higher up!
Be Right Back (S2/E1)
This was absolutely a weird one, but still really interesting. The whole idea was a bit crazy and I know I could NEVER do that, no matter how sad and alone I felt. The ending was surprising for me but fascinating. I’m not sure what else to say except it left an impression so it’s up here.
The National Anthem (S1/E1)
Maybe this is a controversial pick to put so high, but honestly the ending is what got me. I can’t believe they started the FIRST episode of this show with this concept. Talk about deterring your audience from the very beginning! It made me curious to see what other crazy shit they could come up with and again, the ending sealed the deal for me. Fascinating message.
Crocodile (S4/E3)
This one is another that had a reallllly cool idea (being able to collect memories, especially for insurance purposes – verifying accidents, etc.) but I feel like I watched with one hand over my face or something. Very fucked up situations as the episode progressed and I wish there was a bit more assurance at the end for what I thought happened next.
Arkangel (S4/E2)
This was a crazy one. Again, it had a great concept but the ending freaked me out lol. It was wild to see what this mom was willing to do to protect her daughter from just living her life; I can see how having that kind of power and insight can make you crazy though.
The Waldo Moment (S2/E3)
There wasn’t really anything wrong with this episode but it was just lackluster for me. I was really hoping that it would end differently and instead I was kind of confused about the ending? I’m not sure where it went wrong but it just got worse as the episode got closer to ending I think. Good parallels to US politics though.
Metalhead (S4/E5)
I didn’t really understand this one, if we’re being honest here. I mean… I go into each episode expecting to be confused about the state of the world and what’s actually happening, but things usually clear up after a while. The whole dog robot thing was intriguing but I still don’t know WHY the world looked like that – a dystopian wasteland
Men Against Fire (S3/E5)
Eh. This one was just okay for me. Some of the twists were really interesting but it didn’t leave a huge impression on me. The ending was decent enough but again, nothing to write home about I guess?
Shut Up and Dance (S3/E3)
This one made me feel so gross and weird by the end of it. I have to admit that the entire episode was FASCINATING and then the big reveals at the end just completely killed it for me. I felt horrible and yucky and GAH I can’t even talk about it without getting squirmy.
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