The best seasons of Black Mirror have enthralled audiences with their razor-sharp explorations of technology’s impact on society, blending innovative storytelling with profound social commentary. Ever since its debut in 2011, fans have fallen in love with Black Mirror since each season offers original narratives that challenge perceptions and evoke deep emotional responses. The best seasons of Black Mirror not only present thought-provoking scenarios but also resonate on a human level, leaving viewers both captivated and contemplative.
However, not all seasons of Black Mirror are created equal. When Black Mirror falters, it often does so by rehashing familiar themes without fresh insights or by prioritizing star-studded casts over substantive storytelling. For every groundbreaking and innovative installment, there are also episodes that tread well-worn paths or fail to delve deeply into their premises. The challenge lies in balancing originality with the core themes that define Black Mirror, ensuring each season continues to provoke and engage its audience. There’s a distinct difference between the best and worst seasons of Black Mirror, though all have something unique to offer.
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7
Season 5 (2019)
A Floundering Return To Screens
Season 5 of Black Mirror was highly anticipated but right from the get-go, it had a few things working against it. It had big names to match these big expectations – but, sadly, it mostly fizzled. Since Netflix bought the show, fans had become used to six-episode seasons, so reverting to fewer episodes was always going to be tricky. With just three episodes, the 5th batch of Black Mirror episodes felt more like a miniseries than a full season, and unfortunately, none of the entries hit as hard as the show’s earlier gut-punches. Still, the season wasn’t without its merits – strong performances and slick production kept it watchable.
While casting Miley Cyrus as a troubled young musician may be somewhat ironic, a story about a teenager saving their favorite celebrity seems misplaced in this show. It’s always fun to subvert audience expectations, but this was perhaps a step too far. The other two episodes of the season are more typical of Black Mirror, but feel like they’re retreading old ground. Ultimately, all three episodes of season 5 seem to lack the mind-bending twists fans have come to expect. Compared to the show’s best, Season 5 felt safe. It was the season where Black Mirror looked the most like a glossy imitation of itself, and remains the worst of the show so far.
6
Bandersnatch (2018)
The Intriguing Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Movie
Although not technically a season, a Black Mirror ranking wouldn’t be complete without including Bandersnatch, the groundbreaking interactive 2018 movieBandersnatch contains some great and memorable performances from the likes of Fionn Whitehead and Will Poulter and the meta nature of the interactivity makes it a fun watch. That being said, the movie seems over-reliant on the interactive element of the film. The actual plot of the movie is rather thin and never really seems to get going. Sure, a film that allows its audience to choose what the characters do is a great concept – but it shouldn’t come at the expense of a good story.
Bandersnatch was more of a bold experiment than a traditional season of Black Mirror – and depending on how much you enjoyed choosing your own narrative doom, it was either brilliant or exhausting. The interactive format was groundbreaking and undeniably ambitious, pushing the boundaries of what storytelling could look like on Netflix. Sadly though, while Bandersnatch is a technical marvel and a high-concept flex for Charlie Brooker, it lacked the tight, devastating storytelling that made Black Mirror famous. It’s worth a watch just for the experience, but once was probably enough. In the end, Bandersnatch is more a fascinating artifact than a satisfying narrative.
5
Season 2 (2013)
Setting Firm Foundations For The Future Of The Show
Season 2 of Black Mirror is a fairly mixed bag but in four episodes (if you include the Christmas Special too) it certainly covers a lot of ground. Season 2 was Black Mirror starting to flex its weird, dystopian muscles – and while not every episode was a home run, the emotional stakes were high. At this point, the show was still fresh and, regardless of the quality of the episodes, each one feels different and unique. “White Bear” is an exciting thrill-ride that keeps audiences guessing until its killer twist ending, “White Christmas” is both tragic and harrowing and gives fans one of the most memorable scenes from Black Mirror and “Be Right Back” is quiet and understated but utterly heartbreaking.
That being said, this season has the unfortunate honor of including “The Waldo Moment,” perhaps the biggest miss of the show as a whole. This episode seems almost too grounded in reality and is far too focused on politics and stops this season from ranking any higher. Season 2 of Black Mirror’s biggest strength was its willingness to mess with tone and genre, flipping from heartbreak to horror to satire while still feeling cohesive. It didn’t have the polish of later seasons, but it had bite. It was still Black Mirror in its formative, angry phase – raw, cynical, and not afraid to punch you in the gut. It laid the groundwork for what was coming and proved the show had serious range.
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Season 6 (2023)
Solid Yet Predictable Progress
After a four-year hiatus, Black Mirror returned in 2023 with season 6, presenting five episodes that both honor and deviate from its techno-dystopian roots. The season opener, “Joan Is Awful,” offers a satirical take on streaming culture and personal data exploitation, featuring Annie Murphy as Joan, whose life is dramatized in real-time by Salma Hayek Pinault on a Netflix-like platform. “Loch Henry” shifts focus to society’s true-crime obsession, following a couple drawn into a dark local history while filming a documentary in a Scottish town. The standout episode, “Beyond the Sea,” set in an alternate 1969, explores themes of identity and loss through astronauts portrayed by Aaron Paul and Josh Hartnett.
However, not all episodes resonate equally; “Mazey Day” critiques celebrity culture and paparazzi but feels somewhat dated. Conversely, “Demon 79” ventures into supernatural territory, blending horror and dark comedy as a sales assistant is coerced into preventing an apocalypse. In essence, Black Mirror season 6 showcases the series’ evolution, embracing new genres and narratives, reflecting the multifaceted anxieties of contemporary society. It was far from the worst Black Mirror season, but also far from the best too.
3
Season 1 (2011)
The Groundbreaking Debut
When Black Mirror first aired, no one knew what to expect. Season 1 focuses on a variety of different themes including corruption, exploitation, and jealousy; the season provides a small but effective showcase for what is to come. “The Entire History of You” introduced fans to the memory ‘grain,’ using technology to elevate the relatable emotion of jealousy. Meanwhile, the shocking premise of “The National Anthem” may seem ridiculous at first but the episode provides the perfect opening to the show, promising the horrors to come in later episodes.
Season 1 didn’t just introduce Black Mirror – it set the tone for a cultural phenomenon. In just three episodes, it established the show’s brutal intelligence and unflinching commitment to exploring our darkest impulses through tech. It wasn’t just good TV, it was the perfect balance of uncomfortable viewing and impossible-to-look-away-from spectacle. The season’s lo-fi aesthetic actually worked in its favor, giving the stories a grounded, intimate feel that made the themes hit even harder. Later seasons would go bigger, but few hit as raw and direct as this opening salvo. This is Black Mirror at its most essential.
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Season 4 (2017)
Creative Evolution At It’s Finest
Even four seasons in, Black Mirror was still daring to be different and experimental. Starting the season in ‘space’ (or so it seems) really shows how far the show has come and “USS Callister” perfectly blends the real world and Daly’s simulated one. Although “Arkangel” plays it a little safe and the black and white episode, “Metalhead” may be an experiment too far, this season still manages to pack a punch. Mia’s slow descent in “Crocodile” is truly jaw-dropping to watch and the seamless interweaving of three different stories (as well as the many Easter eggs) in “Black Museum” proves an interesting watch and sees Letitia Wright in one of her best roles.
Black Mirror season 4 brought a cinematic swagger to Black Mirror – and while some felt it leaned too far into genre pastiche, it delivered a buffet of bold, stylized stories. This season took risks with tone and style, and while not every episode landed perfectly, it provedBlack Mirror could evolve without losing its soul. It also had one of the most unsettling hours in “Black Museum,” a horror anthology that served as a dark love letter to the series itself. Season 4 didn’t just ask hard questions about technology – it pulled back the curtain and showed just how harrowing scientific progress can truly be.
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Season 3 (2016)
The Triumphant Netflix Debut
With the show’s move to Netflix came a bigger budget and the opportunity to explore grander stories. Even though some of the stories were larger in scale, season 3 didn’t forget the show’s routes. Audiences are treated to yet another shocking twist in “Shut Up And Dance” and “Nosedive” perfectly explores the relatable fear of public rejection and humiliation. While episodes like “Playtest” and “Men Against Fire” aren’t quite on the same level as the others, they’re still strong stories that explore the darker side of technology.
What truly elevates this season though is “San Junipero” which is arguably one of the best Black Mirror episodes. The aesthetics of this episode are sublime, the lead characters are endearing and the performances are masterful. “San Junipero,” like many Black Mirror episodes, deals with some tragic themes but the relationship between Kelly and Yorkie is heartwarming and the ending is uncharacteristically uplifting. Every episode of this season manages to leave a lasting impression and shows just what makes Black Mirror so effective. If any season cemented Black Mirror as a modern classic, it was this one.
6/10
- Release Date
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December 4, 2011
- Network
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Channel 4, Netflix
- Showrunner
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Charlie Brooker
- Directors
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Owen Harris, Toby Haynes, James Hawes, David Slade, Carl Tibbetts, Ally Pankiw, Bryn Higgins, Dan Trachtenberg, Euros Lyn, Jodie Foster, Joe Wright, John Hillcoat, Sam Miller, Tim Van Patten, Uta Briesewitz, Colm McCarthy, Jakob Verbruggen, James Watkins, John Crowley, Otto Bathurst, Anne Sewitsky, Brian Welsh
- Writers
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Jesse Armstrong