Image credit: Netflix
Since 2011, Black Mirror—Charlie Brooker’s sci-fi, horror, and sometimes funny anthology series—has been a big part of pop culture. It got even more popular when it moved to Netflix in season 3. But here’s the thing: as the real world gets weirder—like hearing about Elon Musk or “Fartcoin” all the time—the show’s wild ideas, like “What if your phone killed you?” don’t feel as fresh anymore.
I’m not saying Black Mirror has to match today’s craziness, but it needs to tell good stories. Sadly, it’s been struggling lately, and now with season 7, it feels like the show might not have much left to say. Sure, there are still some good episodes—season 6’s “Joan is Awful” was a standout. But I can’t help thinking the show peaked with season 3’s amazing “San Junipero.” That episode was special because it had a happy ending, unlike most Black Mirror stories that are dark and harsh. Season 7’s first episode, “Common People,” is so gloomy it’s hard to watch.
Since Black Mirror is an anthology—each episode is its own story—I’ll break down season 7 episode by episode. Overall, this might be the weakest season yet, though there are a few moments that show what the show could be.
“Common People” Is Way Too Dark
“Common People” dives into the nightmare of the American healthcare system, which is a mess for so many people. Written by Brooker and directed by Ally Pankiw, this episode is so harsh it almost feels like a joke. Amanda (Rashida Jones) and Mike (Chris O’Dowd) are a working-class couple trying to start a family. But a medical emergency puts Amanda’s life at risk. A tech-health worker, Gaynor (Tracee Ellis Ross), gives Amanda a device that implants a wifi signal in her head to keep her alive. The catch? She can’t travel far, needs more sleep, and starts blurting out ads she doesn’t remember saying. It’s because they’re on the basic plan with ads—upgrading to ad-free is pricey. Mike ends up taking desperate steps to afford it, but they’re still on the edge of losing everything.
The idea of ads in your head is kind of funny in a “that could happen” way, but the episode gets so grim that it’s hard to keep watching. It just says, “Isn’t this awful?” without giving us more to think about.
“Bête Noire” Is Great… Until the End
“Bête Noire,” directed by Toby Haynes, is the best episode this season—until the ending ruins it. Maria (Siena Kelly) is a talented chef at a candy bar company, and her career is taking off. Then Verity (Rosy McEwen), an old schoolmate, joins the team. Verity was bullied back in school but seems to have her life together now, and everyone at work likes her. But Maria feels something’s off. The episode plays with the Mandela Effect—where people misremember historical events—and Maria starts to lose it as her world changes. She thinks Verity is behind it. The buildup is great, and Kelly nails Maria’s growing fear. But the ending tries to explain everything and ends up feeling silly, which ruins the whole point.
“Hotel Reverie” Tries to Be the Next “San Junipero” but Falls Short
“San Junipero” is still the best Black Mirror episode ever, and it seems like the show knows it because they keep trying to recreate it. “Hotel Reverie” is this season’s attempt, but it doesn’t work. It has a cool idea about deep fake tech in entertainment—using AI to bring back dead actors. Awkwafina plays a tech exec working with a UK studio to remake a classic film, Hotel Reverie. They use tech to recreate the movie’s world and put a modern actor, Brandy (Issa Rae), into the black-and-white setting alongside Dorothy (Emma Corrin), a long-dead film star. Brandy starts falling for Dorothy while filming, which is tricky since Dorothy only exists in the virtual world. There are some fun moments, and Corrin is great as a classic star, but Rae and Corrin don’t have the chemistry that made “San Junipero” so special. The humor and emotional ending don’t land either.
“Plaything” Feels Silly and Rushed
“Plaything” is the silliest episode this season. It brings back Will Poulter’s odd game developer from the Black Mirror special “Bandersnatch,” but mostly it’s Peter Capaldi in a bad wig telling a story about a video game that’s actually a virtual world with cute creatures. To talk to them, Capaldi’s character takes a ton of LSD. Sure, why not? I don’t mind the show being silly, but this episode feels like Brooker didn’t put much thought into it. The creatures are cute, though!
“Eulogy” Has a Strong Paul Giamatti Performance
“Eulogy” is worth watching for Paul Giamatti, who’s amazing as always. He plays Phillip, a lonely man who learns an old girlfriend has died. He’s asked to help with her eulogy and uses tech to step into old photos and revisit the past. But their relationship ended badly, and Phillip faces painful memories. The idea is good, but the episode, written by Brooker and Ella Road, feels predictable—you can guess where it’s going. Still, Giamatti’s performance as Phillip deals with his emotions is great, and I liked the visual style from directors Chris Barrett and Luke Taylor as Phillip enters the photos. I just wish the story ended stronger.
“USS Callister: Into Infinity” Is a Sequel We Didn’t Need
“USS Callister: Into Infinity” is the first full Black Mirror sequel and is long enough to be a movie. Sadly, it feels unnecessary. The season 4 episode “USS Callister” was a dark Star Trek parody where a creepy game developer (Jesse Plemons) cloned his coworkers and forced them to live in his sci-fi fantasy world. The crew, led by Nanette (Cristin Milioti), rebelled, defeated him, and escaped into a virtual galaxy—a solid ending. This sequel follows Nanette and the clones as they face violent gamers trying to kill them, while the real Nanette learns more about what happened. Even with Milioti’s talent, the story doesn’t justify coming back, and the jokey ending feels flat. Honestly, “flat” describes most of season 7.
Final Thoughts
Rating: 5 out of 10
Black Mirror season 7 premieres on Netflix April 10, 2025. What did you think of this season? Let me know!
