Every episode of Charlie Brooker's technology will destroy humanity. As of this writing, the Black Mirror universe includes 22 episodes and one feature-length movie, but how do they compare to each other?
The series premiered in December 2011 through the British broadcasting network, Channel 4. It remained there for two seasons after which Netflix purchased the rights to the series in order to offer a larger platform for the incredibly nuanced, dystopian world Brooker created. Season 3 officially released through the streaming service in October of 2016 and has since garnered a large following. Following season 4, Brooker developed the choose your own adventure movie Brooker's development of Black Mirror season 6. As of this writing, the showrunner is debating on putting the series on hiatus, as he's said the world feels almost too depressing for another season.
On December 3, 2020, Brooker released a teaser trailer for an mockumentary, Death To 2020. It referenced the series and its creators by stating, "Even the creators of Black Mirror couldn't make this year up, but they do have something to add." Whether it will actually relate to the series is unknown, but it's plausible that Death To 2020 will be part of the larger Black Mirror universe as well as its social and political commentary. However, they don't seem to be connected other than sharing the same creator. While fans continue to wait for announcements concerning season 6, there are still 22 incredible episodes available to stream through Netflix along with Bandersnatch. Without further ado, here is every episode of Black Mirror, including the series' movie, ranked from worst to best.
23. "Arkangel"
Season 4, episode 2, "Arkangel," is one of the most controversial episodes in the entire series. It was directed by Jodie Foster, known famously from her role as Clarice Starling in The Silence Of The Lambs. "Arkangel" follows a young girl named Sara who is implanted with an arkangel device that allows her mother to block her from seeing specific things and people as well as monitor her at all times. What makes "Arkangel" so bad is the fact that it relied on misinformation about emergency contraceptives and teenage pregnancy to disturb the audience. It's also one of the more forgettable episodes, as the elements that did make it unsettling were overshadowed by its controversial contents.
22. "Striking Vipers"
Season 5, episode 1, "Striking Vipers," isn't necessarily bad, but it is underwhelming. The storyline follows Danny (Anthony Mackie) and Karl (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who've been friends for years and start a sexual relationship while playing a virtual reality game. While Karl develops genuine feelings for his friend, they are not reciprocated. This detail transforms this story about unrequited love into one about blackmail and regret. The ending of "Striking Vipers" is the most disappointing aspect of this episode, as it finds the characters in a very bizarre love triangle that isn't explored to the extent that it needed to be.
21. "Smithereens"
Topher Grace portrays a social media mogul in season 5, episode 2, "Smithereens", who is blamed for the death of Chris's wife. This episode in particular had the ability to captivate its audience early on, but culminated in drawn-out scenes that take away from what's actually important, which attributes to its poor ranking. While most shows get better with age, Black Mirror season 5 was largely disappointing on the whole. Even with major names attached to it, "Smithereens" failed to live up to expectations.
20. "Men Against Fire"
Season 3, episode 5, "Men Against Fire," follows military personnel as they are sent to take out people referred to as "roaches." They appears as deformed creatures that lack do not appear entirely human. At its core, "Men Against Fire" commentates on larger social issues of prejudice, as the military are implanted with equipment that causes them to perceive specific groups of people as disfigured threats and ridding them of their humanity. The first half of the episode is incredibly strong, but the second half does not give off the same energy, causing it to fall short.
19. "Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too"
Season 5, episode 3, "Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too," stars Miley Cyrus as Ashley O, a popstar whose aunt has been manipulating her for monetary gain. After she is forced into a coma, it is up to Rachel and Jack to rescue her before it's too late. It's something of a familiar story, as it's about a woman in distress who needs to be rescued from the horrors of her guardian. Compared to other episodes, "Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too" is not the worst, but it's also not the best — this middling effort causes it to fall toward the end of the list as a result.
18. "The Waldo Moment"
Season 2, episode 3, "The Waldo Moment", is one of the most well-known episodes from the series. It features a cartoon character named Waldo who's a vulgar political commentator that calls out the hypocrisy of the government. When he gets the opportunity to run for office, it isn't long before Waldo becomes a symbol for a fascist police state. The episode's story is somewhat relevant, especially in regard to celebrities running for political office. The only reason that it falls below other episodes on this list is due to the fact that it is overly confusing at times, and it's never fully explained how Waldo became a symbol of hate.
17. "Hated In The Nation"
Charlie Brooker based season 3, episode 6, "Hated In The Nation," on his own experiences with cancel culture online. After he published an article that called for the assassination of the U.S. president, he received violent threats from complete strangers. This episode depicts how internet mob mentality can grow to astronomical proportions, especially when a group of people start a trending hashtag that calls for the death of another person. Brooker's "Hated In The Nation" confronts the harsh realities of navigating social media, which makes it eerily familiar and relevant.
16. "Black Museum"
Season 4, episode 6, "Black Museum", brings all of the horrifying technological advances of the series under one roof. With Rolo Haynes as its curator, he explains how each piece of equipment was used and how it assisted in someone's downfall. The episode is composed of three short stories, making it an anthology with a framing device about revenge. While "Black Museum" has its own unique plot and solidifies the theory that every episode exists on the same timeline, it plays more into fan service than anything. Each of Haynes's stories are horrific in their own right, but technologies from earlier episodes may grab the attention of viewers more than the newly introduced ones.
15. "Shut Up and Dance"
In season 3, episode 3, "Shut Up And Dance," the threat of a hacker accessing someone's webcam in order to blackmail them becomes a reality when Kenny is forced to commit several crimes to avoid being outed as a sex offender. This episode is one of the most disturbing out of the entire Black Mirror catalogue not only for the depiction of internet hackers, but also for exposing the harsh realities that sexual predators can appear as innocent teenagers. If this episode did not require a second viewing in order to fully comprehend its complicated plot, it would be much higher on the list.
14. "Hang The DJ"
When Frank and Amy match using the "System", they discover that they are actually being tested rather than participating in a virtual reality matchmaking service as they initially expect. Black Mirror season 4, episode 4, "Hang The DJ", is one of the very few episodes that actually has a happy ending — this rarity gives it a unique quality that others don't have. While it is an incredible episode that questions the future of dating websites and cellphone apps, its plot is drawn out, and somewhat predictable.
