Black Mirror Season 7 Is Still As Entertaining As Ever
It’s been a long time coming for the sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror to return to Netflix and we finally got some new episodes. Season 7 includes a star-studded cast along with the trippy technology and social commentary stories we love. From a sequel to one of the most popular episodes to emotional plot lines, the season is packed with something for everyone to enjoy.
The opening episode titled “Common People” follows a working-class couple Amanda (Rashida Jones) and Mike (Chris O’Dowd). When Amanda needs life-saving surgery, Mike meets Rivermind medical tech representative Gaynor (Tracee Ellis Ross) who offers them a healthcare subscription to restore Amanda’s health. However, as Amanda experiences a decline in health, Mike decides to mutilate his body for money as they continuously fall into a loop of upgrading healthcare models. The messaging in this episode is as clear as it can be — the healthcare system is messed up. That’s not a new topic the series has tapped into, but it does come at a very interesting time in our current climate. Jones and O’Dowd are both phenomenal and the episode is one of the most emotional ones of the season with a tragic ending. It’s the kind of story that sticks with you and you can feel the pain this couple endured, especially having to give up on having a baby.
After you’ve shed some tears, the next episode “Běte Noire” throws you for a loop. It follows Maria (Siena Kelly), a woman who works on the research and development team at candy company Ditta. One day, Verity Greene (Rosy McEwen), the girl she bullied relentlessly in high school, shows up for a focus group and worms her way into a job at the company. Maria’s paranoia leads her into Mandela Effect-esque situations until she realizes Verity is behind it all with a quantum computer she’s built. I have to say, this is one of the weakest episodes of the season. It’s still entertaining and mind-bends you, but it lacked substance and feels like a filler episode.
As much as I love when technology is the focus of an episode, I also really enjoy when an episode is more plot driven with technology playing a smaller aspect. That is what “Hotel Reverie” is about as A-list actress Brandy (Issa Rae) gets stuck inside in an AI movie world and falls in love with her on-screen love interest Clara (Emma Corrin). This episode was one of my favorites of the season. The black-and-white queer romance is so touching to watch as Clara begins to gain a sense of agency when Brandy accidentally calls her by her actress name. Watching their relationship develop into a pure form of love while trapped inside a movie set was so endearing and the bittersweet ending sucker punches you in the gut. Rae and Corrin are a dynamic duo and I loved every moment of them together.
I was particularly excited to watch the fourth episode “Plaything” as Will Poulter would reprise his role as programmer Colin Ritman from Bandersnatch. He’s amazing as usual, but I was drawn to Lewis Gribben and Peter Capaldi who play gaming journalist Cameron Walker. When Walker gets his hands on the new game Thronglets developed by Ritman, he begins to grow an attachment to the little creatures. Under the influence of LSD, he’s able to decode what the creatures are telling him and builds on the technology to create enough power to “send a message to humanity.” Gribben and Capaldi do such a phenomenal job at portraying a delusional and unhinged character that they had me freaked out. I was completely sat from start to finish because the nature of Walker being this messenger for the Thronglets is incredibly intriguing and a must-watch if you love the thought-provoking episodes of the series.
The next episode “Eulogy” really hits you with all the feels. Paul Giamatti plays Phillip who gets a call to participate in an immersive funeral for his ex-girlfriend Carol. He receives a device to access his memories and, as he finds old photos with memories of Carol, he’s able to enter the photo with the help of The Guide (Patsy Ferran).. This episode broke me in ways I can’t even describe and left me sobbing. The larger themes at play here are how we remember the past and the stories we've created in our heads versus the reality of the situation. That’s something that really touched me as Giamatti delivers a brilliantly devastating performance, especially when his character recounts the demise of his relationship with Carol. The ending scene where he enters a photo where his younger self was listening to Carol play cello is one of the most bittersweet moments because we finally get to see Carol’s face and an older Phillip tear up as he listens to her. I loved everything about this episode and it will definitely have audiences thinking about how they perceive their memories.
The final episode “USS Callister: Into Infinity” is one of the most anticipated as it's a sequel to the season four fan-favorite “USS Callister.” After the death of Callister CEO Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons), the story continues with Nanette (Cristin Milioti), Nate (Osy Ikhile), Kabir (Paul G. Raymond), Elena (Milanka Brooks), and Karl (Billy Magnussen) trying to survive on their ship as they rob players of credits. Real-life Nanette figures out that Daly had cloned them into the game including new CEO James Walton (Jimmi Simpson) and his son. Now they’re on a mission to figure out how the crew can enter their own private server and access the “Heart Of Infinity.” Without getting into too many details of the plot, I was entertained and hyper-focused every second as it’s one of my favorite episodes. It’s a well-done sequel that added a lot of lore to the story with many of our questions answered and a very satisfying ending. Every actor is incredible in their own roles and I was just so happy to see these characters again. The whole episode felt like a mini movie that I could watch over and over again and never get tired of it.
All in all, Black Mirror season 7 delivers a strong mix of emotional depth and tech-driven stories that will have audiences watching intensely. From a touching queer romance to the trippy, compelling “Plaything,” it is a refreshing return season with important messages, a brilliant cast, and a plethora of memorable moments.
Black Mirror season 7 is out now on Netflix.
