If you haven’t seen Netflix’s British television series Black Mirror, you need to. Black Mirror is known for its dark satirical themes that test society’s morality, through showing us the unanticipated consequences of advanced technology. Episodes are standalone works that follow no specific chronology. Commonly called this generation’s “Twilight Zone”, Black Mirror creator and writer, Charlie Brooker has created a truly suspenseful and disturbing series.
Here’s my ranking of Black Mirror’s Season 4 episodes:
6. Crocodile
This one was a little too predictable for me. The technology in this episode lets you recollect past memories for evidence in police investigations. The tech ultimately drives the main character to commit a number of murders as she attempts to cover her tracks. Her kills seem like an unnecessary filler for a thriller episode. Bleak for bleak's sake.
5. Metalhead
Artificial intelligence is here, and it is happening. Charlie Brooker shows us his take on the new tech phenomena, opening our eyes to the various forms that technology can take over. The episode filmed in black and white for true post-apocalyptic effect takes viewers into the lens of an artificial intelligent animal. This episode's technology feels the closest to becoming reality. There is no explanation to why or how these events are happening, only that they are, and they are truly horrific.
4. Hang the DJ
Okay, so…..what? This episode ends in pure Black Mirror fashion, leaving viewers with absolute zero closure. The episode takes viewers through a dating technology that seems to warp the minds of singles participating in the dating device. The episode creates a certain monotonous tone for dating. You start to truly feel for the characters in this episode and hope for their happy ending together. Charlie Brooker would never let that happen, of course. The episode ends as confusing as it starts. I still don’t have an explanation. Let me know what your theories are.
3. Black Museum
This one at first seemed like a mixtape of unfinished ideas, but everything collides to make sense in the end. The technology featured in this episode separates the mind from the body. Charlie Brooker takes the idea of consciousness and transforms the impossible into something that actually seems oddly possible. The final episode of the season ends with the satisfying taste of justice and revenge.
2. Arkangel
This one hits you right where it hurts. Arkangel is a tracking device that not only lets you keep track of your child’s location and monitor their vital signs, but also lets you literally see through their eyes. This is all okay at first when little Sarah is still a child, but as expected, things start to go terribly wrong as she grows older. Combining relative tech equipment, Charlie Brooker brings to light the extreme effects of helicopter parenting on children. The ending leaves your heart open and bleeding.
1. USS Callister
What a perfect way to begin the season. This episode pays homage to the early days of Star Trek, and features a few popular actors you might recognize. The entire episode draws attention to the insane possibilities of virtual reality and cloning. Once you start feeling a little remorse for the main character played by Jesse Plemons, Charlie Brooker takes it right away with his warped interpretation behind the depths that virtual reality can go. I did appreciate a slight justice filled ending, but this episode does leave viewers to wonder what exactly happens next.
