Black Mirror: Ranking season seven

The seventh season of the science-fiction anthology show, Black Mirror, is here. With a six-episode run, and the first-ever sequel to a previous episode, ratings and public reception have increased even further – Rotten Tomatoes’ ‘Popcornometer’, which collates audience reviews, has significantly risen to 72% for season seven.

For me, the episodes have covered a diverse range of themes and concepts. Featuring the quintessential satirical episode, and the occasional romance, season seven largely played it safe. What really did work this season, then, was the pacing of certain episodes. Ultimately, I found most episodes this season to be attention-grabbing and immersive, even if I didn’t always fully connect with them. Here is my ranking, although I’ll admit, it was much harder to do than I thought.

6: Hotel Reverie

A cross between The Truman Show and Her, and reminiscent of the fan-favourite ‘San Junipero’, ‘Hotel Reverie’ offered a highly interesting concept: remaking an old film by having an actor tap into an exact simulation of it. Brandy Friday, played by an electric Issa Rae, is fed up with being typecasted, and when an opportunity to remake an in-universe classic, ‘Hotel Reverie’, presents itself, she’s instantly captivated. In this simulation, Brandy acts alongside Dorothy Chambers (Emma Corrin), a highly renowned and legendary actress. Dorothy, however, is a part of the simulation.  As the shoot goes on, Brandy starts being drawn towards Dorothy, whilst a technological malfunction disconnects her from the outside world.

I found this episode to be charmingly whimsical

While I found the episode to be extremely high-concept and the characters to be especially well fleshed out, the pacing dragged on a bit in the middle for me. It seemed, at times, that the episode was too busy, and too empty at the same time. Many elements of the world were revealed, but plot-wise, a lot of the episode’s run time felt static. The implications of Dorothy being an AI clone were not fully explored either, as by the end of the episode, it feels she is almost human, but it’s not clear how. In the end, this episode was still highly interesting and stood out from other Black Mirror episodes.

5: Bête Noire

I found this episode to be charmingly whimsical, despite its lower ratings. The episode follows Maria (Siena Kelly), who develops recipes for a desserts-based company. Steadfast and confident in her world of work, Maria’s confidence is cracked when she encounters an old classmate, Verity (Rosy McEwen) who was admittedly lonely during school.

The episode then becomes eccentric, but bit by bit, Maria becomes paranoid about Verity’s intentions, especially with her suddenly developed people skills. It was revealed that Netflix released alternate versions of the episode to highlight the weirdness and the Mandela effect here. The heart of the episode, for me, is this weirdness and Maria’s paranoia. As Maria comes off as insecure and domineering, it’s instinctive to not root for her, but ultimately her paranoia supersedes the likeability of her character, and we can still feel her fear.

The sci-fi explanations here, however, were quite flimsy

For the most part, I thought this would be a ‘Red Mirror’ episode; a horror/supernatural concept explored in season six through ‘Demon 79’ which received mixed reception for not being sci-fi. When this turned out to indeed be sci-fi, I wasn’t fully convinced about the canonical explanations as they felt rather vague. Aesthetically and story-wise however, the episode was highly engaging, entertaining, and quite hilarious at times.

4: Plaything

When Cameron Walker, played by an excellent Peter Capaldi, deliberately shoplifts a bottle of alcohol, he gets the police called on him. After arriving, however, the police discovers that he’s attached to an old murder case. Walker, although cooperative, is eager to have a pen and paper, and apprehensive about anyone messing with his house. A video-game centred episode, most of the plot revolves around Walker’s statement, and whether he committed the crime. Will Poulter returns as eccentric video-game designer Colin Ritman (having earlier appeared in the Black Mirror video game/film Bandersnatch), as does Asim Chaudhry.

I highly enjoyed the episode, largely because of its pacing. It delivered information little by little, and although the climax might not have worked for everyone, it did for me. It felt easy to understand Walker’s character, despite his eccentric nature, and the episode avoided exposition, maintaining suspense throughout. The sci-fi explanations here, however, were quite flimsy, which was surprising for a video game concept. The end was a tad rushed, but otherwise, it was memorable and well-directed.

This episode undeniably had large shoes to fill—and for the most part it did fill them

3: Common People

This series premiere features a married couple; a teacher, Amanda, played by Rashida Jones and a welder, Mike, played by Chris Dowd. After collapsing in a classroom, Amanda is close to death, and when offered a recovery plan through a shady start-up representative (Tracee Ellie Ross), Mike readily accepts.

Soon, however, the costs of this treatment (through an exorbitant monthly subscription fee) catch up to the couple. The dystopia hits hard here, with both paying for Amanda to survive. Jones and Dowd also deliver a great comedic performance owing to their long-term sitcom expertise. Ross excels in delivering corporate speak and exuding shady business practices. The satire here is great, and sadly, hilarious, but the dystopian elements are unforgettable and always loom in the foreground. This is one of the show’s highlights, and a great episode to start off a season with.

2: USS Callister: Beyond Infinity

Sequel to the fan-favourite ‘USS Callister’, this episode undeniably had large shoes to fill—and for the most part it did fill them. Reprising the original cast with Cristin Milioti and Jimmi Simpson at the lead, the episode starts immediately after the previous one. While it’s hard to discuss this episode without spoilers, I’d recommend checking ‘USS Callister’ and this episode out. Like its predecessor, ‘Beyond Infinity’ is classic nostalgic sci-fi, with a thoroughly immersive plot structure. The 90-minute run time barely feels as long, and the ending is satisfying, yet open-ended. This was the episode I was most sceptical about, given that it was a sequel, but it did not disappoint.

The indelible rawness and beauty of the episode supersedes my genre-based expectations

1: Eulogy

Played by an outstanding Paul Giamatti, Philip finds out about the death of his old girlfriend, Carol, as he’s sent a technological kit to remember her. After activating it, he visits photographs that remind him of when he and Carol were together. There are, however, a few caveats. Philip cannot remember what Carol looks like and still holds her in contempt for abruptly leaving him. Regardless, he agrees to work backwards and remember Carol. The episode centres on Philip finally being able to picture Carol as she was, which is simultaneously heartwarming and poignant. The episode is an excellent depiction of grief, with Giamatti bringing unparalleled authenticity to the role. While sci-fi elements do take a backseat here, this is a rare example where the indelible rawness and beauty of the episode supersedes my genre-based expectations.

Overall, the seventh season of Black Mirror is worth tuning in to, and if you were soured by the last two seasons, this one has the potential to win you over.