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The dystopian anthology series Black Mirror is back for its sixth season on Netflix. Four years after its last season, the recently released five-part season features an ensemble cast comprising Aaron Paul, Salma Hayek, Annie Murphy, Avi Nash, Rob Delaney, and Kate Mara, among others. The first-ever season of Black Mirror was released on Channel 4, following which Netflix acquired its streaming rights in 2016.
Created by Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror is a thought-provoking and critically acclaimed series that does not shy away from bringing to light the dark and catastrophic side of the intersection of technology and society.
While the previous seasons dealt with futuristic forces, the audience will get to witness a supernatural twist in the sixth season. This sets the stage for Red Mirror, a Black Mirror horror spin-off that focuses on 1970s horror instead of banking on the technical element.
The Black Mirror episodes have been ranked based on factors such as how true they were to their original theme, the cast, the storyline, and the overall uniqueness of the story.
Disclaimer: All episodes have been ranked based on personal opinion.
Black Mirror season 6 episodes ranked from best to worst
1) Loch Henry
Although the sixth season focuses on the impacts of advancing technology instead of dealing with the paranoia alone, Loch Henry stands out among all other episodes.
Starring Myha’la Jael Herrold as Pia and Samuel Blenkin as Davis, this episode is set in a quaint Scottish town where a farmer named Iain Adair was responsible for abducting, torturing, and killing tourists. The protagonists plan to make their documentary film based on the town's history and Adair's case. In the process, they discover truths that are bound to make your jaw drop.
Loch Henry is full of surprises and takes the audience back to a time when technology was at its nascent stage and thus served as evidence during trying times. Additionally, the character development is steady and the delivery is fresh.
This true-crime-fashioned murder mystery ends with a fantastic twist that is sure to leave audiences squeamish.
2) Beyond the Sea
Beyond the Sea brings together some of the best names in the industry - Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, and Kate Mara. This is unarguably the most cinematic episode of the series due to its being partially set in space. It deals with the dark consequences of superior technological beings walking the earth.
Both Paul and Hartnett have replicas on Earth to which they transfer their consciousness once their task in the space station is dealt with.
In a dramatic turn of events, a cult kills Hartnett's family, and his replica drives him to insanity as he spends more time alone at the station. Aaron Paul showcases his skill by playing a double role in the episode. Even though the 80-minute runtime makes the episode feel slow, Beyond the Sea stays true to the essence of Black Mirror.
The twist at the end brings about an evil equilibrium and leaves the rest up to the viewer's imagination.
3) Demon 79
Demon 79 is neither about technology nor about its impacts on society. Regardless, the final episode in the series turns out to be the most entertaining. Similar to Beyond the Sea, Demon 79 has a run time of 74 minutes in total. The episode stars Anjana Vasan as Nida and Paapa Essiedu as Gaap.
Starting off to the peppy beat of Rasputin, Demon 79 toes the fine line between insanity and imagination. This episode shows Vasan trying to avoid the apocalypse by sacrificing a human every day for three days. She fails to make the killing on the final day, and, in a shocking turn of events for the audience and the police department, May Day arrives.
This episode is a weird rom-com set against an apocalyptic backdrop. Even though the writing is simple, the screenplay is enjoyable, with a focus on the racial and political climate of 1970s Britain. Demon 79 is set to be the origin story of Red Mirror.
4) Mazey Day
Mazey Day features the talented Zazie Beetz as Bo. The episode revolves around an actor, Mazey Day (Clara Rugaard), who disappears from the public eye after a hit-and-run. With a bounty hanging over her head, Bo heads to find sightings of Day and instead finds something awful.
The episode deals with the imaginative figment directly, leaving little to no suspense. Relying heavily on folklore and supernatural elements, the storyline seems chaotic regardless of the conscious effort to build the plot.
Despite the bizarre ending, this Black Mirror episode acts as a commentary on the invasion of privacy.
5) Joan is Awful
The first episode of Black Mirror, Joan is Awful, introduces the audience to Streamberry. Featuring Annie Murphy, Salma Hayek, and Rob Delaney, this is one episode that truly deals with how technology has overpowered our lives. Joan played by Murphy finds herself on the Streamberry service, where every episode of the show is based on her life.
The pace of this episode feels rushed, but it is also the only episode that explores the technological aspect of the previous seasons. The storyline aims for a comic Truman Show-like dread but delivers halfway.
Considering the progress of AI, deep fakes, and meta avatars, this segment instills fear in the way we accept the exchange of data from our devices unquestioningly.
Black Mirror Season 6 was released on June 15, 2023, and is currently available to stream on Netflix.
