Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
You need to find six and a half hours of free time during this next week. Charlie Brooker’s iconic sci-fi series Black Mirror has officially returned for a third season, and it’s just as incredible as ever.
It’s rare to find a casual fan of the brilliant series. Black Mirror watchers are typically rabidly obsessed, so when it was announced that Netflix would be producing six new episodes, that news was met with both excitement and skepticism. The excitement stemmed from the potential to see more heartfelt explorations about how our dependance on technology is destroying humanity, but the skepticism had everything to do with Netflix’s American roots. Could an Americanized version of the series still contain the same amount of nuance as the show’s original six episodes and Christmas special? I’m here to say yes. This season is consistently good with a couple of shining episodes that will be discussed for years to come.
One of the best parts about the anthology series is that because episodes aren’t connected, you can watch them in any order you please. To help you get through your impending Black Mirror binge, I’ve created a viewing guide that should make the most out of your binging experience. This guide balances out Season Three’s gems with its flops so that you can rest assured you will end your Black Mirror binge on the highest note possible.
“Shut Up and Dance”
As far and Black Mirror episodes go, this is a fairly typical one for the series. After accidentally downloading a hostile computer virus, a group of hackers blackmail the least fortunate teenage boy ever. Perhaps the real horror of the episode comes from how plausible it is. There have always been a couple of Black Mirror episodes that have existed in a world that was a bit too close for comfort, like “The Waldo Moment” and “The National Anthem.” “Shut Up and Dance” follows this eerily believable trend. Also, with news pieces about Wikileaks still pouring in and the finale of Mr. Robot fresh on our minds, a hacker-focused thriller is a disturbingly accessible entry point.
Starring: Alex Lawther and Jerome Flynn
Reason for Order: If the concepts of “Shut Up and Dance” were explored in any other sci-fi series, the episode would likely watch as gripping and disturbingly revolutionary. However, this is Black Mirror, and the bar is raised a little higher. “Shut Up and Dance” is one of the weakest episodes of this new season. It’s still good sci-fi, but it’s child’s play compared to what’s to come.
“Nosedive”
This one is all about the all-encompassing nature of social media. In a reality that heavily uses a people rating app, a woman (Howard) becomes obsessed with raising her rank by reconnecting with one of her old friends (Eve). Written in part by Rashida Jones and Mike Schur, there’s a sweetly sinister sense of femininity that permeates this episode that has never been explored before in Black Mirror. The star of this episode is unquestionably Howard who nails the excruciating hell that is having to fake happiness when you feel terrible.
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Alice Eve, James Norton, and Cherry Jones
Reason for Order: “Nosedive” is the third best episode of this new season and proof that Black Mirror still has the ability to use technology to explore people. If the purpose of “Shut Up and Dance” was to re-introduce you to the universe of the show, “Nosedive” shows off how great the series can be. Much like “White Bear,” this will be a Black Mirror episode that will likely become a shorthand for the sinister technology it portrays.
“Men Against Fire”
This episode takes Brooker’s anthology series to a setting it has never touched before — war. The basic premise is that a group of soldiers are forced to come to terms with a new piece of technology on the battlefield. Plotwise, “Men Against Fire” is fairly easy to figure out. One character in particular gives a huge clue about what direction the episode is heading. However, what makes “Men Against Fire” remarkable is the way it was composed. In several scenes, this episode watches as a first person shooter game, bringing to mind Brooker’s past life as a video game journalist. This may also be the most action-packed episode of the series to ever exist.
Starring: Malachi Kirby, Michael Kelly, Madeline Brewer, and Sarah Snook
Reason for Order: Black Mirror’s take on the inhumanity of war is good, but it’s not incredible. Like I mentioned before, though the pacing and structure of the episode is great, the twist is foreseeable. The end result is still powerful, but “Men Against Fire” watches more like business as usual for the series than anything else.
“Hated in the Nation”
When an online trend starts producing real life murders, two detectives have to figure out what’s going on. Clocking in at 90 minutes, this is one of Season Three’s more experimental episodes, and it watches as an ode to great British crime drama. Macdonald and Marsay deliver performances that are reminiscent of Happy Valley, Marcella, and Broadchurch. However, despite all of the good of this episode — and there is a lot of good — it drags. That’s where “Hated in the Nation” separates itself from its British crime thriller peers. The episode is so focused on its central mystery, it’s dismissive of its characters’ relationships, which is an element those successful aforementioned shows cling to. Perhaps if the episode was tighter or if there was more in its 90 minutes, “Hated in the Nation” would be stronger.
Starring: Kelly Macdonald and Faye Marsay
Reason for Order: It really hurts me to write this, but “Hated in the Nation” is by far the weakest episode of Season Three. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch it. The performances are great and the episode’s central mystery is another that is disturbingly close for comfort. It’s a good watch, but I can say from experience, ending on “Hated in the Nation,” which is how this season is currently structured, was disappointing.
“Playtest”
Now we’re getting into the fun stuff. A thrill-seeking American who has been travelling around the world (Russell) tests out a new video game, and things get insane. It’s hard for me to decide which Season Three episode is my favorite, “Playtest” or “San Junipero.” Much like “Men Against Fire,” “Playtest” really shows off Brooker’s understanding of video games, but what makes the episode incredible is its theme. This is the only Black Mirror episode to date that delves into pure horror, and it makes that transition wonderfully. Like all great episodes of the series, you’ll leave this one feeling vaguely uncomfortable in your own skin.
Starring: Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Wunmi Mosaku, and Ken Yamamura
Reason for Order: For the same reason why you order dessert after dinner. “Playtest” is one of this season’s strongest, most disturbing, and structurally complicated episodes. The episode lures you in with expected horror movie tropes, so when the real twists materialize, they’re genuinely shocking.
“San Junipero”
It was almost guaranteed that this episode, set in 1980s California, was going to be the most discussed Season Three episode if only because it’s such a strong departure from Black Mirror’s British roots. However, what’s unexpected is how sweetly innovative this crowning jewel is. Davis and Mbatha-Raw give incredible performances as the episode’s lead characters. I don’t want to spoil any more because ruining such an iconic episode feels like television blasphemy. If you’re only going to watch one episode of Black Mirror’s Season Three, this needs to be it.
Starring: Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Mackenzie Davis
Reason for Order: You want to end your Black Mirror binge on a high note, and there is no note higher in the series than “San Junipero.” Not only is this one of the best, if not the best, Season Three episode, it’s also the only episode to end on a happy ending. 2016 is going to be OK, you guys. Black Mirror is back.
