Black Mirror Season 3 Episode 4 Free Online
The 5 Best Episodes of Black Mirror, Ranked
And guess what? Hang the DJ isn't on this list!
Before the successes of shows like Squid Game and Stranger Things , Netflix boasted another unsettling thriller-drama called Black Mirror. Created by Charlie Brooker, this British anthology series falls into the genre of sci-fiction and dystopia. Many have compared the show to The Twilight Zone due to the unnerving nature of its vignettes, and its use of technology to comment on social issues. Its name illustrates what we see when we turn off our phone, laptop, or TV: a black mirror.
The show first aired in 2011 on Channel 4. Following its acquisition by Netflix, Black Mirror got broadcast to a larger audience outside the UK, receiving rave reviews. In 2015, the streaming platform commissioned a third season of twelve episodes. By 2016, the show was on a roll, with a highly anticipated fourth season, as noted by the 2.3 million views on its teaser trailer. In 2018, its experimental, interactive film, Bandersnatch, ˆwhich invited viewers to make decisions on behalf of the characters, won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie. Though, after its fifth season, Black Mirror has gone quiet. With only three underwhelming and anti-climatic episodes, fans and critics alike expressed disappointment. Not even A-list stars such as Anthony Mackie ( Falcon and the Winter Soldier ) and pop sensation, Miley Cyrus, could salvage it. The question of a sixth season remains unanswered.
However, with the rise of technology and AI and whatever the heck "Meta" is, Black Mirror may be worth revisiting. The running joke of its storylines predicting things in our modern world has become more and more true -- "Hated In The Nation" definitely predicted "cancelling". Despite its radio silence (technology pun intended), its popularity and impact should be noted, and its best episodes should be appreciated. Here is a list of the five best episodes of Black Mirror, ranked.
"White Bear" (Season 2, Episode 2)
Imagine waking up bound to a chair, pills on the floor, in front of a television displaying an unfamiliar symbol. On top of that, imagine not being able to remember anything, and nobody reveals what's going on. This is the repetitive fate of Victoria Skillane, played by Lenora Crichlow ( Sugar Rush ). Trying to destroy the transmitter that controls everyone, she's tracked down by a sadistic hunter, who bears the same unfamiliar symbol on his balaclava. The first half-hour of the episode seems vacant, yet it purposely leaves out information to create a tense atmosphere. It also allows the audience to understand the protagonist's perspective, and develop empathy for her, which makes the twist all the more shocking.
The fandom collectively agrees this episode is the scariest in the entire series. The doomed ending, punctuated by Victoria's screams and convulsion as her memory is erased, highlights the lengths Black Mirror will go to unsettle the viewer. Aside from being the scariest, this episode is also one of the most introspective. "White Bear" comments on the ethics of torture, and how the public consumes crime and punishment as entertainment. Her hell loop is designed as a theme park, and while profiting off the torture of others is wrong, the actors and voyeurs decide her alleged crime merits justification. The vouyers harken back to Victoria's role as the accomplice of the murder, not being the one who did it, but the one who filmed it. "White Bear" gets the viewer to think about if this is a punishment worse than death, and where punishment and entertainment intersect. Perhaps one can say the audience is just as twisted, but Victoria will never remember her crime, as her memory is wiped each day, and her agony will satisfy another group of ticket-holders.
"USS Callister" (Season 4, Episode 1)
Aboard the USS Callister, Captain Robert Daly, played by Jesse Plemons ( Friday Night Lights ) leads his crew across the galaxy. However, this is only seemingly in a video game produced by his company, Infinity. Despite his position as a chief technical officer, he's the office laughing stock, but the new programmer, Nanette Cole, played by Cristin Milotti ( How I Met Your Mother ), treats him with kindness. She then awakens on the USS Callister, trapped alongside digital clones of other employees at the mercy of the aforementioned captain.
The Star Trek (well, "Space Fleet" in this universe) nod is obvious but doesn't fall into parody. It's campy enough to establish nostalgia and male entitlement. Robert assumes a Captain Kirk persona, going from social outcast to confident commander, and in that, from bullied to bully. Like many gamers, he uses this simulation to exert his frustrations with reality, in which he has ultimate control. He shows no mercy when the crew disobeys his orders, even though the crew are real people, of whom he assimilates through DNA theft. The contrast between the colorful sci-fi setting and sinister manipulation is disturbing. Seeing Nanette succeed in outsmarting Robert is satisfying to watch, and finally, rooting for good to prevail pays off. Daly gets what he deserves, becoming trapped inside the game, leaving him unconscious in the real world and his body left to wither away. Nanette becomes the new captain, and the cameo by Aaron Paul ( Breaking Bad ) is a fun touch. Its recognizable aesthetic evokes a classic feel while telling an imaginative story. Since Robert is so self-assured in his tyrannical design that he neglects the intelligence of his victims, "USS Callister" can also be seen as a cautionary tale of letting simulation bleed into reality, thus pondering the dangers of escapism, or simply the delusional grandeur, in virtual reality.
"Nosedive" (Season 3, Episode 1)
What if an Uber driver's ratings determined eligibility for their living conditions? Lacie, played by Bryce Dallas Howard ( Jurassic World ), lives in a world where app ratings translate to social status. When she gets invited to her frenemy Naomi's wedding, she sees it as an opportunity to boost her rating so she can buy a new house, as Naomi and her inner circle have extremely high ratings and lead seemingly perfect lives. Although several road bumps en route slowly chip away at her forced cheeriness, and where she ends up was unexpected, but necessary to finally feel free. This episode critiques behavioral monitoring as well as visibility and performance. Brooker calls it "a satire on acceptance and the image of ourselves we like to portray and project to others" as evident through the app, where people are rated on a five-star scale based on their interactions with each other.
Lacie strives to be liked by everyone and seeks validation through technology akin to social media. Howard nails the forced cheeriness, namely in the scene where she laughs at different octaves in a mirror, hoping to achieve a believable, natural level of happiness. Even when her ranking takes a "nosedive", Lacie tries to perform in any attempt to hide the frustration seeping through. Her breakdown feels personal, finally asserting her real thoughts and feelings towards her frenemy, which is something so many can relate to. There's a poignant irony in her imprisonment being her liberation at the end, as now she's no longer under any obligation to behave the way the public wants her to. The cell's air holes level with her mouth, inviting her to say what she wants. The eye technology and phones are gone, free from the binds that chained her to performance. Lacie and another inmate spew insults at each other, relishing in their ability to do so without consequences, and a crescendo of profanity concludes the episode. It's catharsis for both Lacie and the viewer.
"San Junipero" (Season 3, Episode 4)
It's not a best of Black Mirror list without the Emmy-winning "San Junipero." Yorkie, played by Mackenzie Davis ( The Martian ), and Kelly, played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw ( Loki ) visit San Junipero, a beach town where they relive a romantic relationship. In actuality, an elderly Kelly is visiting a comatose Yorkie in the hospital through simulated nostalgia therapy.
Finally, an episode of Black Mirror gets a happy ending, which attests to its popularity among critics and fans alike. It's also a win for representation of same-sex couples, particularly that of queer women, and that these relationships don't need to end in tragedy. The blossoming relationship between Yorkie and Kelly moves the audience to tears, uplifted by optimism and emotion, thus letting the audience believe in the power of love as the cure to loneliness. Their connection to each other is strengthened by Davis and Mbatha-Raw's raw acting, resulting in fantastic on-screen chemistry. The proposal is understated yet vulnerable, consisting of Kelly getting down on one knee in the sand, asking "Want to marry me instead?" The soundtrack of 80s songs helps maintain its nostalgia and uplifting tone. "Heaven is a Place on Earth" succinctly addresses the episode's theme on this simulation being heaven for Yorkie and Kelly, for in San Junipero, Yorkie can be open in her sexuality, and Kelly can finally marry her. It's a sentimental, hopeful speculation about what happens after death. Despite the show's usual cold and bleak tone, "San Junipero" offers some warmth.
"Fifteen Million Merits" (Season 1, Episode 2)
Being surrounded by screens gets taken quite literally in the world of this episode, and to change the channel, one needs merits. The characters earn the currency of merits by pedaling on a stationary bike, which is mainly spent for survival. When Bing, played by Daniel Kaluuya ( Get Out ), meets Abi, played by Jessica Brown Findlay ( Downton Abbey ), he spends fifteen million merits to get her a ticket to audition for Hot Shot. His efforts go sideways, as the judges select Abi for a more aggressive form of entertainment, and he vows to get their attention.
This is an unpopular opinion, but this is the best episode of Black Mirror. After enduring "The National Anthem," this episode feels more appropriate to the series' name. It perfectly encapsulates the show's overarching messages and themes without being too flashy or convoluted. It has all the hallmark commentary of a classic Black Mirror episode: capitalism, social media, technology, and reality television. The workers are reduced to gray sweatpants and numbered bicycles, only able to showcase their personality through digital avatars. Underneath the mundaneness of the atmosphere, it most closely resembles modern life. Multiple digital screens that provide mindless entertainment to distract us from our work. unskippable Youtube ads, oversaturation of reality competition shows, and the disingenuous performative activism of celebrities. Not everything is answered, such as who sits at the very top of this society, and what the electricity powered by the bicycles is used for, but this is because "Fifteen Million Merits" shows capitalism in its purest form.
This is one of Daniel Kaluuya's first main roles and this performance hinted at what would lie ahead for the actor, like starring roles in Get Out and Black Panther. His confrontation with judges and threat of the shard to his neck is the climax of the episode, a visceral, truth-shattering moment, but it simply becomes co-opted, which very much reflects the relationship between activism and media. This was the first episode to use "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is" which is a recurring song throughout the series to express hopelessness. It frequently gets compared to 1984, where nothing really changes, and neither Bing nor Abi make life better. Whether as pedalists or celebrities, they are still cogs in this machine. The open-ended conclusion is brilliant, in which the audience can debate whether or not Bing and Abi are truly free, and if the landscape of trees that Bing looks out at is real or yet another screen.
All the episodes, including Bandersnatch, are available to stream on Netflix. Because this article only covers five of the best, some honorable mentions include "The Entire History of You," "White Christmas," and "Shut up and Dance." Hot take? "Hang the DJ" isn't that good.
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Amanda Abere (2 Articles Published)
Amanda Abere (she/they) is a Freelance Feature Writer with Collider. She has over six years of experience in the content creation field, and three years of experience in the social media optimization field. She's been attending comic conventions and cosplaying for over a decade. Her current obsessions are pumpkin spice and Squid Game.
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