I have always gravitated towards film more than TV, which may explain why an anthology series like Black Mirror tickles my fancy more than most shows and is a must-watch with each new season that drops. While I often yearn for emotional depth in the media I consume, the gnarly dystopia and grim what-if scenarios depicted in series like Black Mirror, The Twilight Zone, or even death game genre works like Squid Game are often the best at keeping my attention for prolonged periods of time, which is helpful when binging an multi-episodic work.
With that said, how does something like the sixth series of Black Mirror hold up in intriguing me and depicting the gruesome future we’re heading closer to every day? Or does it even continue to do so or go into completely new directions, both genre-wise and in quality? Let’s find out.
Joan is Awful
The setup for this episode is really strong. I love the jab it takes at people not reading terms and conditions closely enough that they may end up signing away the rights to their own lives. The self-deprecation of streaming services is also fun and the message that people are more drawn to the negative than the positive is so on point. Annie Murphy and Salma Hayek give really strong performances and seemed to be having a ton of fun with the absurdity of this episode’s premise and their characters’ actions.
My only real complaint is that I’m not positive that they couldn’t actually go after Streamberry legally. There’s a ton of privacy violations occurring, including in a therapist’s office, that I’m not sure they couldn’t have been sued the hell over. However, given the absurdity in this episode, it’s not enough to detract from my enjoyment of it.
4/5
Loch Henry
The episode starts slowly and I’m always skeptical of really grounded episodes, but once the characters decide to embark on their new documentary, it’s smooth sailing from there! I love the commentary of people’s obsession with true crime and exploitation of others’ tragedies. All the performances are solid, but special shout-out to Daniel Portman for his portrayal of the boisterous yet supportive friend Stuart. I think the way they unraveled the reveal was very strong, and the ending is very heart-wrenching to me, but terrifyingly realistic for how others would view it. Davis suffers greatly as a result of everything that happened, yet everyone else can only view his tragedy through the lens of his newfound success. While the episode didn’t devote too much commentary on technology, I appreciate the way it tackled something trendy and exploitative that not everyone may realize is, in fact, exploitative.
4.5/5
Beyond the Sea
The episode has a lot going for it on an emotional level. It establishes the setup efficiently, showcasing the stark contrast between David and Cliff’s family lives and gruesomely depicting David’s tragedy. The outcome of Cliff’s decisions to allow David to use his replica is somewhat predictable, but it’s still ultimately a solid, heart-wrenching story of loss for both men. Aaron Paul also delivers on an incredible dual role in this episode.
However, the episode is far too long. For such a straightforward premise, it meanders a lot and scenes drag in a way that makes me feel like the episode is trying to get me more invested in the characters, but those scenes aren’t the emotional focal points of the episode. They also waste a great, albeit way too short, performance by Rory Culkin as a sickening cult leader. For an episode the length of a movie, it would’ve been interesting to expand upon his character and his cult a little more.
3.5/5
Mazey Day
Let’s cut to the chase: this is easily one of the weakest episodes of this show, if not the weakest. I’m not the least bit opposed to introducing supernatural elements into the show and the potential setup and commentary on gossip and celebrity culture could have been very strong here. However, this episode really misses the mark, as the ultimate twist isn’t set up very well and doesn’t lean into any particular message, coming off more as a fluke than anything else.
The first half of this episode is considerably stronger and I greatly enjoyed Zazie Beetz’ performance. Her character’s attempts at unraveling the mystery behind Mazey and her internal conflict with being a paparazzo were compelling and had the potential to lead to something more tantalizing, especially if it embraced a more pulp feel. Unfortunately, the story doesn’t lead into anything much deeper than the pessimistic message that humans are terrible and greedy.
2.5/5
Demon 79
In an unexpected departure, the episode is introduced under a new “Red Mirror” banner, which feels fitting given the drastic genre shift this episode takes, leaning deeper into a supernatural horror angle compared to the series’ typical sci-fi horror. In stark contrast to this attempt made in Mazey Day, it works very well!
The episode quickly endeared me to the character of Nida and her struggles experiencing racism on a daily basis. While this doesn’t necessarily play into the supernatural aspect of the episode, the snapshot at a day in her life also helps set the stage for this episode very well and immediately fleshes out her character. Then when we are introduced to Gaap, the titular demon, I felt more invested in her story and moral dilemma throughout the episode. Speaking of Gaap, Paapa Essiedu gives an absolute standout performance as the cheeky demon and adds some needed levity to Nida’s situation and the episode as a whole. Though a little dragged out, their dynamic and the progression of this episode made for a gripping story that relied more on the humanity of its characters than any technological schtick you’d normally expect from a Black Mirror episode.
4.5/5
On the whole, this season is a mixed bag, but leaning more on the positive end. I’d be remiss to not acknowledge the series’ shortcomings and overall lows it brought to the franchise. However, it had some unexpected emotional highs and took some risks delving into a more supernatural angle that fell flat in one case and soared high in another. Despite the shortcomings, I still find every episode watchable and unique in its own way, as I do for every series, and Black Mirror hasn’t lost my attention yet. Its only real hurdle is continuing its series-long consistency of delivering unique twists and gripping mysteries, all ultimately leading to the same grim conclusion that humans are the worst.
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