If you’re a living person with an internet connection, chances are you’ve heard of the Netflix show Black Mirror. Being a huge fan of the show myself, I could not wait to spend my winter break on my couch binge-watching and letting the show’s bleakness convince me that we’re all doomed because of technology. While there are mixed opinions about this season compared to others, there were definitely some episodes that stood out from all seasons of the show. On the other hand, there were also some duds. Here is my ranking of Black Mirror season 4 episodes from worst to best.
6. Metalhead
Not gonna lie, I wasn’t paying attention pretty much the whole time during this episode. Watching Bella run away from robot dogs (???) got boring fairly quickly and I felt like I was watching a slow-paced zombie movie instead of Black Mirror. If you’re the kind of person who’s really into the aesthetics of movies and shows, maybe you’ll like this episode. Personally, I just couldn’t stay captivated and felt that the storyline was much weaker than what Black Mirror usually comes up with.
5. USS Callister
Don’t get me wrong- I liked this episode, but it just didn’t have any type of WOW factor for me. The acting was amazing (even though it’s extremely hard for me to take Liam McPoyle seriously) and I loved the creepy undertones that persisted throughout the episode, even when the ship’s “crew” had to pretend like everything was butterflies and rainbows. I’ve never been into those Star Trek-esque types of movies or shows, so that’s probably why this episode wasn’t a stand-out for me.
4. Arkangel
Personally, the ending of this episode completely ruined the fascinating plot that led up to it. I like the symbolism of using the iPad to attack Marie, but I feel like the show could’ve come up with something so much more…twisted. I really felt for Sara and became invested in the mother-daughter relationship between the two characters, but there were too many loose ends to get any sense of satisfaction from the episode’s conclusion.
3. Crocodile
As someone who wants to study forensic psychology, this episode was practically made for me. Watching Mia evolve from a scared teen to a successful woman, then spiral into essentially a serial killer kept my hopes high throughout the episode. My only issue is the use of the technology in the plot. I felt that it didn’t add much and was almost a side thought, which made this episode seem like it didn’t quite belong in the world of Black Mirror.
2. Hang the DJ
This is the most feel-good episode of Black Mirror ever. While it may be lacking in some technical aspects and the ending can come off a bit rushed, you can’t help but fall in love with the experience of watching Amy and Frank fall in love with each other. For me, the chemistry between them is what makes this episode one to remember. Also, this is one of the only episodes of Black Mirror that you can watch without having to mentally prepare yourself beforehand.
1. Black Museum
I’m typically not a fan of when TV shows make super long episodes (why not just make a movie???), but the plot of Black Museum was one of the best storylines I have ever seen in any movie or show. While it may seem gimmicky to some people, I loved how each story was presented on its own and how everything was tied together at the end. The ending of the episode still gave off the bleakness that we’re used to from Black Mirror, but there was also a feeling of justice and catharsis for Nish and her mother.