“Black Mirror” Season 7 Review
S7.E1 ∙ Common People
When a medical emergency leaves schoolteacher Amanda fighting for her life, her desperate husband Mike signs her up for Rivermind, a high-tech system that will keep her alive.
A strong opener.
S7.E2 ∙ Bête Noire
Confectionary whizz kid Maria is unnerved when her former schoolmate Verity joins the company she works at – because there’s something altogether odd about Verity, something only Maria seems to notice.
Among the best episodes of Black Mirror, I had no clue what was going on until the situation was fully explained to me, and even then I was still shocked I didn’t see it coming.
S7.E3 ∙ Hotel Reverie
A high-tech, unusually immersive remake of a vintage British film sends Hollywood A-list star Brandy Friday into another dimension, where she must stick to the script if she ever wants to make it home.
Another fantastic episode, I just happened to catch this one immediately after watching a Glenda Farrell film, so I was obviously in the right mindset for it. Like many episodes of Black Mirror, this was a swing for the fences and every logical step was made.
S7.E4 ∙ Plaything
In a near-future London, an eccentric murder suspect is linked to an unusual video game from the 1990s – a game populated by cute, evolving artificial lifeforms.
Peter Capaldi stars in this show about those little Lemming type character we all remember from the 90s, but not everything is exactly as you remember about them. Another great swing and delivery.
S7.E5 ∙ Eulogy
An isolated man is introduced to a groundbreaking system that allows its users to literally step inside old photographs – stirring powerful emotions in the process.
I hated this one, but not due to any of the actors or even the story itself really, but the fact that the entire thing hinged on someone making an indescribable decision, to not make sure that someone received a letter, baffled me to no end. Hard pass.
S7.E6 ∙ USS Callister: Into Infinity
Robert Daly is dead, but now the crew of the USS Callister – led by Captain Nanette Cole – are stranded in an infinite virtual universe, fighting for survival against 30 million players.
Ah, a follow up to the fun Star Trek adjacent episode, but this time with slightly less mystery about the entire situation. Still an enjoyable episode and a great way to wrap up the season.
