Black Mirror is back! On June 15, Netflix dropped the five-episode sixth season of Charlie Brooker’s dystopian anthology series, bringing a new batch of stories that examine humanity’s deepest fears about... well, mostly about ourselves this time around, though Black Mirror’s fondness for tech themes is still in effect.
Here’s what we liked about season six—and a few nit-picks we had too. There’ll be no spoilers here, but if you want to binge completely blind, know that a few broader plot points do enter the discussion.
After debuting on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, Black Mirror became a Netflix production in its third season—and season six proves it has zero issues playfully nipping the hand that feeds it. Several episodes are explicitly set in the same world. That’s made clear in leadoff entry “Joan Is Awful” as soon as you see the menu that pops up on “Streamberry,” a Netflix clone right down to the that familiar “tudum” sound effect. And this isn’t just a background gag; particularly in “Joan Is Awful” and “Loch Henry,” Streamberry becomes a key story element, allowing Black Mirror to explore how people consume streaming content—as well as the way companies like Netflix will use any available method, no matter how sketchy, to attract eyeballs and shape viewing habits.
Without revealing too much, the multi-layered plot of “Joan Is Awful” perfectly captures the “oh gawd, AI really is taking over” doomsday vibes permeating the media and entertainment worlds in 2023. But even in that ultra-contemporary framework, “Joan Is Awful” works in themes that feel entirely universal, especially the existentially haunting notion that a person might not actually be the main character in their own life story. This timely-yet-timeless storytelling approach extends across all of Black Mirror’s sixth season.
Black Mirror has the kind of prestige that attracts outstanding casts, and this season is full of notable performances. While Salma Hayek’s self-skewering turn in “Joan Is Awful” is probably the comedic highlight, dramatic props go to Aaron Paul and Josh Hartnett in “Beyond the Sea,” playing astronauts who are able to temporarily escape their deep-space mission by neural-linking with android replicas of their bodies back on Earth. When certain circumstances arise, both men end up using the same artificial form—allowing Paul in particular to embody two characters who look identical but have distinctly different personalities and body language.
While Black Mirror has told stories set in the past before—like the sparkly 1980s of “San Junipero”—season six enthusiastically embraces this idea, with “Beyond the Sea,” “Demon 79,” and “Mazey Day” taking place in the ‘60s, ‘70s, and early 2000s, respectively. This allows the show to focus on cultural themes specific to those time periods—and also paves the way for some killer, era-appropriate soundtrack tunes.
Season six leans particularly into horror—like, horror horror, not just Black Mirror’s well-known fondness for Twilight Zone-type eeriness—but each episode has its own flavor, particularly when it comes to the levels of humor that may or may not be present. And while Black Mirror scripts traditionally serve up third-act twists, Brooker, who wrote every episode, manages to keep you guessing what direction the story will take, with end-notes that range from surprisingly heartwarming to utterly gut-wrenching.
At just over 40 minutes, “Mazey Day” is one of the shortest Black Mirror entries ever, while the 80-minute “Beyond the Sea” could be its own standalone film. The series may yank Netflix’s chain a bit this season, but one of the benefits of being on the streamer is the freedom to tailor each episode length to best suit its story. That said, most of the episodes do average around an hour—but it makes a big difference when they’re allowed to find their own rhythm rather than cramming or stretching to fit a certain frame.
As mentioned, over half of season six takes place in the past. This pushes the show to expand beyond those Black Mirror “fear the future” themes that’ve become the show’s trademark—and dig into more vintage technology than the show usually deploys. “Loch Henry” makes great use of VHS tapes, but “Mazey Day” also has an effective montage that captures just how tedious internet searches could be back in the old dial-up days.
Black Mirror does this every season, and this one’s no exception. Study the Streamberry selections seen in “Joan Is Awful” for something referenced later in the season; perpetual shout-out favorite “San Junipero” gets a nod elsewhere. Are there more? Watch closely and see!
Black Mirror does sometimes run into an issue where the set-up is better than the twist. Sometimes, decisions are made regarding characters that don’t seem like they were entirely well-considered. Also, while most of those period-specific details we mentioned earlier are cleverly used, there’s one in “Beyond the Sea” that feels surprisingly clichéd. No spoilers here, but let’s just say there are other ways to telegraph the tumult of late-1960s California without invoking the same old counterculture villains.
It’s more generous than last season, which only ran three episodes, but we still want more. Season seven when, Netflix? Don’t make us subscribe to Streamberry instead!
Season six of Black Mirror—along with its other five seasons, plus the Black Mirror: Bandersnatch movie—are all streaming on Netflix.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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