I'd say "Shut Up And Dance" is not so much about escalation, but more a sibling to "White Bear". Instead of being treated to a mystery that you have to figure out, you're being presented with the punishment aspect from the go. You do feel bad for him as the events play out - and then the twist comes as a rug pull, demanding you to ask yourself questions like "Is this justified? If you think so or if you don't think so: Where would you draw the line? Why do you think this way? Etc". I'm not quite sure whether "White Bear" or this one executed this idea better, but if anything they're two sides of a somewhat interesting coin.

San Junipero for me isn't just the best episode of Black Mirror, it's the best episode of anything, period. Everything from its plot, themes, mood, characters, representation, acting, sets, locations, art direction, music (oh gods, the music) is just perfection, and I will die on that hill, I do not care. It's the only thing I've ever watched that I actively avoid watching any more because I just love it too much and I don't want to lessen its impact. It's also the sole reason that if Charlie Brooker ever turns out to be a scumbag it will break my heart. The rest of Black Mirror I can let go of if I have to. San Junipero, no, please don't make me ever do that, I beg you.

The Waldo Moment is so weird as an episode because it really only makes sense if you watched it at the time it came out, and lived in the UK. Real world events have superceded it, and it's just kinda weird in other ways too. Boris already broke it a little, but Liz Truss really made it redundant. Edit: I kinda got where they were going with Shut Up And Dance. It's basically trying to say 'No, trolling a bad person isn't justified and mob rule is never ok'. But it didn't really set that up, and White Bear did it better.

@Elwaves2925

11 ай бұрын

I agree with youe first point and I think that applies to National Anthem as well. It also has the real world comparisons (quite direct in this case with a previously serving PM) and that may not have come across to some folks who aren't from the UK or don't know the story.

@TheGerkuman

11 ай бұрын

@@Elwaves2925 Except I think the pig thing was found out AFTER the episode came out!

@Elwaves2925

11 ай бұрын

@@TheGerkuman Yes, the real life version was after the episode aired. I didn't see the episode until after and it's part of what made me give the show a watch. Makes you wonder if Brooker knew that kind of thing went on or had heard something about it. 🙂

@Torthrodhel

11 ай бұрын

I didn't get that impression from Shut Up and Dance at all. One less abuser in the world. The whole dramatic setup was really needless and obviously therefore the motivation behind it wasn't justice, but justice was done nonetheless as a side-effect (so far as it goes, anyway). He's off the street and on a list, at least. The other guy's dead and can never do it again, at least. Two good outcomes imo. The wife will do better without the cheating husband, the racist is known to be a racist... no bad outcomes I can see. If anything this episode endorses the most unrealistically precisely targeted of trolling. I take it as a warning of what's inevitable when the law doesn't do enough of its own accord to protect folk. Those children in whatever he was watching wouldn't have gone through that if people like him weren't around to look at it. Nobody needed their bank robbed, the hotel guests didn't need a shouting match in their adjacent room... plenty of stuff that could've been done different. Some driving hazards that could've easily caused accidents. Still a positive result anyway. Still less victims out there. My mind goes: "okay, just next time do it by luring them away and killing them, no need for all the other stuff". But that's the essentially messy nature of vigilantism in the first place, isn't it? Which is why it's the responsibility of the law to do enough to protect people to begin with, so as to not cause vigilantism. And that's where the justice is missing here (and the same in real life).

@ChristaMillarWasHere

11 ай бұрын

Not only did "White Bear" do it better, but I also think that "Hated In The Nation" did that mob rule concept better... they both did.

I'll echo other comments that show how differently those early Channel 4 episodes are ranked depending on the country the reviewer is from. Others have mentioned The Waldo Show, but I find the rankings of White Bear to be more fascinating. Like in Vera's review, it always places mid to low on lists from non UK reviewers, whereas it ranks high if not the top of UK reviewers lists. The moral dilemma goes much deeper here when the viewer watches the twist and realises this isn't Victoria they are being asked about, this is Myra Hindley. I don't think I can fully explain to anyone who isn't British the scar the Moors Murders left on the British psyche. How anything even tangentially related to them, sixty years later when both Hindley and Brady are dead, causes outrage still. The best comparison I can make is how anything to do murderous cults still hits deep in the USA.

@Seal0626

11 ай бұрын

Absolutely. The question "Would it be alright to torture Myra Hindley in retaliation for what she did to those children if she had no idea that she was Myra Hindley?" is one that has such a strong, visceral component to anyone familiar with who she was that it's a real battle of emotions vs. logic and tests your own idea of morality. Take away that visceral "Oh dear god that's _Myra fucking Hindley_ I've been sympathising with this whole time" aspect and it becomes a lot more straightforward.

The point I took from White Bear is that it really shouldn’t matter what kind of person she is/what she did. It’s inhumane/equally evil to treat someone like that FULL STOP (regardless of what they’ve done). I think it shows the evil of eye-for-an-eye ‘justice’.

So glad you gave some love to Nosedive. Just rewatched it and I think it really holds up. And honestly, Bryce Dallas Howard never got enough credit for performance in that, she was fantastic.

28) Mazey Day 27) Hated in the Nation 26) Men against Fire 25) Playtest 24) Entire History of You 23) Metalhead 22) Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too 21) The Waldo Moment 20) Bandersnatch 19) Crocodile 18) 15 million credits 17) Beyond the sea 16) Arkangel 15) Striking Vipers 14) Smithereens 13) The National Anthem 12) Be Right Back 11) USS Callister 10) Loch Henry 9) Demon 79 8) Black Museum 7) Joan is Awful 6) Nosedive 5) White Bear 4) White Christmas 3) Hang the DJ 2) Shut up and Dance 1) San Junipero

For myself, shut up and dance was a case study of us as people and what we think is fair and just and how that's ever evolving as we as a species evolves. It's asking us to feel bad for this kid for what at first seems to be hackers blackmailing this kid with embarrassing photos or videos and as it's escalating it's harder and harder to watch and then the big reveal at the end is a means to test just how cruel we can be to people under certain circumstances and just how quickly our empathy can turn to hate or ire. It's in my top 3 episodes. It's anxiety inducing and it makes me question my outlook on humanity as a whole. Top 3 for me are: 1. USS Callister 2. White Bear 3. Shut Up and Dance If it wasn't obvious, I enjoy the episodes that really psychology challenge the human condition!

I'm stunned you rated Ashley Too so high. I loved the direction of this episode

I suspect that a lot of people are re-evaluating _The One With Miley Cyrus_ in the wake of Britney Spears regaining her freedom.

I didn't get San Junipero at first. It didn't speak to me that much but then I watched it again after I fell in love with my Fiancee and then I watched it again with my fiancee and I have a much deeper appreciation for it now. You're right - it's a very authentic, beautiful love story and very well executed. There were a couple of surprises on your list. I was stunned by how high you ranked "Striking Vipers" but hey it's your list and your opinion which you always present well so I doff my cap to you as always Vera 👍🏻

See, after I watched Beyond the Sea I kinda felt like I didn't know why I spent over an hour watching it. Thought maybe I just missed something, tried looking online for other people's takes, maybe they could point out what I was missing. I'm glad I'm not the only one. Demon 79 was easily my favorite of the latest season, good to see it was rated so highly here.

Was that a box of white bears!?!?! How did I miss that Easter Egg! To be fair, I've only seen MetalHead once.

I think the only place I disagree significantly is with Beyond the Sea. I agree with all your critiques, but, for me, the intrigue of the scifi aspect is enough to elevate it a bit higher in my list even if it fails in so many other ways.

The big problem with White Bear is that as much as the in-universe audience are enthralled at the spectacle of never-ending punishment, none of them seems aware that it is not eternal punishment at all, but just one day's punishment from the girl's point of view due to the mind wipe. They have turned her into a goldfish who doesn't remember the last time it swam from one side of the bowl to the other and back. The audience just wants revenge, but it's hollow revenge if only they'd think about it. It says more about them than it does about crime and punishment.

I'm gonna give Black Museum the gold for getting the most of a reaction out of me. I blacked out and hit my head after seeing the sado masochist doctor torture himself. As a fan of Hellraiser, to get that reaction, that's talent. All the anthology stories were very creative.

My personal ranking 28) Playtest; awful dialogue and and too many twists ruin the somewhat intriguing premise 27) Hang the DJ; bland characters and a frustratingly monotonous story with a somewhat cool twist 26) The Waldo Moment; nice jab at politics and political fatigue but the main character's arc was just not engaging enough 25) Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too; brilliant commentary on the entertainment industry and a fab performance from Miley Cyrus but the plot and dialogue needed a lot of tidying up 24) Joan is Awful; fun takedown of streaming services but I just really hated the dialogue and Salma Hayek just seemed really bored to me 23) Arkangel; good direction and good build-up to the final scene but the performances seemed somewhat questionable to me 22) Hated in the Nation; nice, subtle comparison between mass extinction of animals like bees and the way we treat each other online, but the characters were paper-thin and the dialogue was too explanatory and exposition-ridden 21) Mazey Day; not as cringe acting or dialogue as in Joan is Awful and I actually like the twist but again the characters were far too bland for me 20) Black Museum; really biting commentary of issues like healthcare and the judicial system, but it's just far too similar to White Christmas for my liking 19) Smithereens; fantastic performances and a great plot, but the messaging could have been handled more subtly 18) Crocodile; heartbreaking and disturbing, but the scene with the hamster took me right out of the episode 17) Men Against Fire; I get that it recycles a lot of elements and imagery from other media, but I still like the messaging and the performances, and the ending is so sad and impactful 16) The National Anthem; again, brilliant acting, great escalating pace and superb commentary on sensationalism, but some elements felt thrown in at the last minute like with the journalist 15) Striking Vipers; the dialogue and plot could do with some tidying up but I love how it explores relationship dynamics and escapism and self-exploration through video games 14) Loch Henry; great commentary on how exploitative documentaries can be, but some lines of dialogue could have been rewritten 13) Be Right Back; beautiful, heartbreaking and disturbing depiction of grief and longing, but I wish the woman's outbursts were saved for the ending 12) USS Callister; fantastic depiction of how toxic fanbases can be, but Daley's death confused me a little bit 11) Shut Up and Dance; gut-churning and hauntingly realistic portrayal of how dangerous modern-day tech already is, but the hackers' ability to get so many people in close proximity to each other to do their biding was a tiny bit contrived and I also don't believe that Kenny could have killed that guy at the end. But the tone and depiction of modern-day tech still won me over 10) The Entire History of You; really well-written depiction of paranoia and the multifaceted pros and cons of highly developed technology 9) Metalhead; underrated as hell in my opinion. This is a tense and harrowing imagining of AI at its worst and how humanity will still try to fight and cling on to any form of comfort until the very end 8) Beyond the Sea; fantastically directed piece of sci fi that in my opinion allegorically conveys all the frustrations and anxieties people - including Charlie Brooker - had during the Covid 19 lockdown of 2020 (see his BFI interview for how I got this interpretation) 7) San Junipero; such a BEAUTIFUL story of immortality, making peace with your past and finding love in the most unexpected places. Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous 6) White Christmas; really well-written, well-acted and intense depiction of how technology can completely wipe away people's privacy and replace it with crippling isolation instead 5) Fifteen Million Merits; science fiction satire at its best, it really does capture how any sense of innovation and authenticity can be exploited, distilled and merchandised beyond recognition 4) Bandersnatch; incredibly meta commentary on how technology and media can make us feel that we are not in control over our lives. For me this film isn't just a novelty, it is a horrific piece of insight into how lonely and disillusioned our media-and-tech-based society can make us become 3) Nosedive; gorgeous and oddly cathartic takedown of how fake and hypocritical we can be on social media, and how we subconsciously rely on other people's perceptions of us to survive 2) Demon 79; unconventional yet positively perfect reflection of how hardly anything has changed since the 70's. Racism, paranoia and war are still rife even if the technology and media are more advanced than they were nearly 5 decades ago 1) White Bear; succinctly yet frighteningly embodies how hypocritical we can really be, and how we throw hatred and anger and violence at any spiteful figure we can get our hands on before looking in the mirror and seeing the villain within ourselves

I'm impressed you and others can rank these. I am struggling to pick a no. 1, since I base my faves on re-watchability. 😅 It's a tie between USS Callister, Black Museum, and Nosedive. 🙂

I'm with you on Demon 78. The more I think about it, the more I like it, mostly for the same reasons as you. I'm a Brit, & whilst it's set a few years before I was born, I feel it captures the tensions of that time period really well. Plus I adore Anjana Vasan. Here's a bit of trivia for you: the main character Nida Huq is named after Nida Manzoor (director of We Are Ladyparts in which Vasan also starred), and Konnie Huq (writer, TV presenter, & Charlie Brooker's wife).

Fantastic list. Well discussed and rationalised as always. I love that even though no two lists are going to be the exact same, fans of 'Black Mirror' can still find things to appreciate across all episodes and encourage others to think about them in new, interesting ways. My personal list does tend to change depending on the day. However, my ranking as it stands today is as follows: 28. Season 6, Episode 4: 'Mazey Day' 27. Season 3, Episode 5: 'Men Against Fire' 26. Season 4, Episode 5: 'Metalhead' 25. Season 1, Episode 1: 'The National Anthem' 24. Season 2, Episode 2: 'White Bear' 23. Season 5, Episode 3: 'Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too' 22. Season 2, Episode 3: 'The Waldo Moment' 21. Season 1, Episode 2: 'Fifteen Million Merits' 20. Interactive Film: 'Bandersnatch' 19. Season 6, Episode 5: 'Demon 79' 18. Season 2, Episode 4: 'White Christmas' 17. Season 4, Episode 3: 'Crocodile' 16. Season 1, Episode 3: 'The Entire History of You' 15. Season 5, Episode 1: 'Striking Vipers' 14. Season 5, Episode 2: 'Smithereens' 13. Season 3, Episode 1: 'Nosedive' 12. Season 3, Episode 6: 'Hated in the Nation' 11. Season 6, Episode 1: 'Joan is Awful' 10. Season 3, Episode 2: 'Playtest' 9. Season 4, Episode 2: 'Arkangel' 8. Season 6, Episode 3: 'Beyond the Sea' 7. Season 3, Episode 3: 'Shut Up and Dance' 6. Season 6, Episode 2: 'Loch Henry' 5. Season 4, Episode 6: 'Black Museum' 4. Season 4, Episode 1: 'USS Callister' 3. Season 2, Episode 1: 'Be Right Back' 2. Season 4, Episode 4: 'Hang the DJ' 1. Season 3, Episode 4: 'San Junipero'

I originally watched USS Callister before getting into Star Trek, but my GF got me into Star Trek a few years ago and I really wanna revisit it with the context

You're a wild one for ranking White Christmas that low, but since you haven't put Crocodile or Black Museum in the bottom, I am gonna keep watching. This is a good video. I like your analysis.

Arkangel is one of the best episodes and it's another one that is consistentely ranked low. It's so full of little details and foreshadowing. Just the subplot with the barking dog informs so much. And Owen Teague is one of the best actors of his generation and he's perfectly cast here. This episode is so Black Mirrory that they should have shoehorned in Anyone Who Knows What Love Is.

Awesome video. I don’t have an American friend who watched every BM episode so this ranking gave a new perspective with myself being British. Especially with Waldo. In real life, Waldo is Nigel Farage. A candidate who relies heavily on populism and mockery of others, even though Farage was never successful to win an MP position (ironically became a representative member for European Union), his power of populism still changed the UK for the worst in both political and cultural sense. Voters basically giving up their own rights to vote for someone who is worse than a mascot and definitely not qualified for the job because “he says it how it is” to the point of novelty. The ending of the Waldo episode is basically the aftermath of citizens losing their rights from Brexit and incompetent/dysfunctional politicians with it, before Brexit happened in real life.

@TheGerkuman

11 ай бұрын

I think this brings up why I don't think the ending worked. In the episode, Waldo lost to the boring Tory guy, though he did swing the seat into the Tory guy's favour by making the Labour candidate look worse. The implication was then that Waldo had done well enough as an experiment that they shipped him overseas to do the same thing in another country. Whereas real life shows that Waldo probably would've run for the Tories, and won.

@cmbeadle2228

11 ай бұрын

Tbh waldo strikes me more as Boris than Farage. Farage was more identifiably a right winger who appealed to a niche of politically aware people, and he never was hugely popular. Boris is much more Waldo - he presented himself as a silly figure that people not particularly interested in politics often liked (e.g. he often did well in school votes in his mayoral days), but ultimately he began to show his true colours as power hungry and willing to adopt retrograde positions for power.

I feel like I'm the opposite to you in the sense that I actually have more respect and appreciation for something that has a lot of ambition but doesn't quite pull together than I do for something that aims for mediocrity and largely hits it. Anyway, this was a very interesting ranking, always nice to hear different perspectives and analyses of a show like this. My ranking meanwhile 28) Mazey Day: a bland episode with a superficial message, all of which is sunk by a supernatural twist that comes out of nowhere. 27) Crocodile: a really derivative and needlessly mean-spirited episode with no interesting ideas or commentary, it looks pretty though. 26) The Waldo Moment: it's gained relevance in recent years, but it's a really dull episode and the central concept is too far-fetched. 25) Men Against Fire: predictable and boring script, largely elevated by an interesting concept and an absolutely haunting ending. 24) Arkangel: the first half is interesting, but the second half becomes an overblown and tedious melodrama. 23) Rachel Jack and Ashley Too: a tonally inconsistent mess that's not as bad as everyone says, Miley Cyrus is great and so are the songs. 22) Bandersnatch: an interesting experiment, but the bland story and characters mean it doesn't make for good repeat viewing. 21) Playtest: the horror stuff in the middle is great, but the ending is far too convoluted for its own good and tries to be too clever. 20) Metalhead: an exhilarating and fast-paced action thriller, just wish there'd been more context given for what was happening. 19) Beyond the Sea: great performances and I love the themes of isolation and obsession, but it's way too long and bloated. 18) Striking Vipers: interesting concepts and ideas around masculinity and sexuality buried under a load of bland melodrama. 17) Black Museum: love the lead performances and the individual stories are fun, but the overall narrative is very disjointed and scattershot. 16) Demon 79: love it overall as a standalone thing, not as much as a part of Black Mirror, I might appreciate it more if we get more Red Mirror. 15) Hated in the Nation: a bit obvious when it comes to the message, but it has a good mystery, good pacing, and a fun dynamic between the leads. 14) Joan Is Awful: a delightful full-blown meta-narrative with a great sense of humour and great performances from Annie Murphy and Salma Hayek. 13) Smithereens: again kind of obvious message, but love the dark comedy-of-errors nature of the story and Andrew Scott's performance is beautiful. 12) The National Anthem: a really underrated episode with an impactful and shocking gut-punch ending and fantastic commentary, a great start for the show. 11) Loch Henry: a dark and twisted takedown of true crime shows with a haunting twist that left me floored in a way the show hadn't in a long time. 10) White Bear: a dark and horrifying action thriller that's elevated by a gut-wrenching ending that opens the door for loads of fascinating conversations. 9) Nosedive: another underrated episode, a delightful comedy-of-errors roadtrip story with great social commentary, entertaining performances, and a surprisingly sweet ending. 8) Hang the DJ: Black Mirror does When Harry Met Sally, a lovely cynical romcom with loveable leads and another really sweet ending. 7) Shut Up and Dance: a dark yet playful relentless thrill ride, the performances are excellent and the ending is a shocking emotional gut-punch. 6) The Entire History of You: THE archetypal Black Mirror episode, a great technological concept, a great examination of its effects on normal people, and a truly haunting ending. 5) Fifteen Million Merits: a nightmarish bit of satire on our relationship with entertainment, with great music, fantastic production design, and a powerhouse performance from Daniel Kaluuya. 4) White Christmas: a moody and creepy anthology episode that pulls everything together in an effective way, with great performances from the two leads. 3) San Junipero: a beautifully written love story, a fantastic central concept, a PHENOMENAL soundtrack, the most impactful happy ending in the entire show, what else is there to say? 2) USS Callister: also my first episode of Black Mirror, a delightful takedown of entitled nerd fandom, phenomenal effects, a perfect ensemble cast, and a fantastic balance of comedy and existential horror. 1) Be Right Back: it's just perfect; a melancholic and heartbreakingly story, great performances from Hayley Atwell and Domhnall Gleeson, and the most tragic use of the Bee Gees in all of history.

If Mia had just told the truth about the first car accident she witnessed, she wouldn't have had any issues arise when forced to talk about the second one.

Top Ten for me: 1. Fifteen Million Merits 2. Be Right Back 3. Nosedive 4. White Christmas 5. Hang the DJ 6. Loch Henry 7. USS Callister 8. White Bea 9. The Entire History of You 10. San Junipero

Shut Up and Dance is brilliant, just like The National Anthem. The ultimate subject matter (which makes the episodes only watchable one time) makes people dislike them. The ick factor with those two episodes is unheard of. But you know they're executed well.

Watched the current season yesterday. Thought it was a great season. Really interesting episodes. Some pretty scary ones too!

Your number one is definitely not a surprise. I'd need to watch them again to pick favourites as it's been too long. Christmas Story was the first one I saw and that convinced me to watch the others, so that's definitely up there. National Anthem is a favourite mainly because of it's real life comparisons to a former scummy UK PM. There's so many good ones though and while some work better than others, I can't say there's been a bad one. They've all had something going for them.

Black Mirror does catharsis in every episode. How broad the viewer's ability for empathy and compassion is, is the gage for whether the viewer feels it.

The ending twist in Playtest takes cues from a Twilight Zone episode (Perchance To Dream). It's not very new either

@CouncilofGeeks

11 ай бұрын

No but I still attest it was better executed than other versions I’ve seen if only for its understanding of games.

The technology didn't dictate how far she took something. Her nature did. Look up crocodiles and watch Mia Nolan as if she is a crocodile as opposed to a woman. The double entendre of the collision course with women who is uncovering who is at fault for car accidents and nevermind.....

28. Nosedive - just too cringey for me 27. The Entire History of You - Plot plays out waaaaay to predictably, don’t connect to the characters 26. Hang the DJ - Twist monumentally undermined a really fun story 25. Striking Vipers - The plot was also too predictable and reused a lot of older ideas, but I liked the characters more 24. Playtest - I do like the episodes from hereon up, but this one’s very generic 23. The Waldo Moment - Has some interesting political ideas, but I agree that it needed a few more drafts 22. Mazey Day - I’m totally up for supernatural stuff, and while this is a bit straightforward, I still have fun 21. Men against Fire - generic twist, and doesn’t land the ending, but still an important message I feel needs to be regularly told 20. Shut Up and Dance - Strong up until the twist, which I agree undermines what came before 19. Smithereens - Some interesting commentary on social media, but not too much else. 18. Crocodile - Interesting tech, and they take it in a decent direction. Gets a little repetitive in the middle. 17. Bandersnatch - I genuinely think this was a good idea, and while the final product is fascinating, I don’t find the narrative(s) that engaging 16. Metalhead - It paints a fascinating picture of a world, but I want to see more, and I am left with a lot of questions 15. Loch Henry - I agree with what Vera said in her full breakroom review. 14. Be Right Back - Interesting explorations of grief, but I don’t feel it has a proper climax/resolution/end 13. The National Anthem - strong political and character stuff, but there is such a thing as ‘too edgy’ for me. Oink. 12. Arkangel - I’ve known parents like this, and while the story doesn’t have as much edge as I would like, it still works for me. 11. Beyond the Sea - I agree that if there is a point, it isn’t clear, but I still find it an engaging story with interesting technology. It could be a bit tighter though, and doesn’t quite land the ending. 10. 15 Million Merits - Has a good point to make, is emotional, but could use a bit more subtlety (that’s actually true of most of the early seasons). 9. White Bear - Creepy with an impactful twist - but again, it’s trying to be a bit edgy on both sides of the dilemna. 8. Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too - I think this is an immensely fun ‘family adventure’ version of Black Mirror that takes some nice shots at the music industry. 7. Joan is Awful - Genuinely the funniest episode for me, with great setup and commentary. I just feel the twist near the end was unnecessary and holds it back. 6. Demon 79 - I’m digging the supernatural direction, and this is a tense yet funny, and simultaneously emotional story that hits all the right beats and lands the ending. My only note is it could be a little shorter. 5. White Christmas - A bunch of very fun tech nightmares, if a bit too on the nose at times. Still, very impactful. 4. USS Callister - A bit derivative, but who cares, its an outstanding story with great direction 3. Black Museum - Like White Christmas, it’s a bunch of fun, dark tech stories, brought together by a nice overall narrative. It inches above its counterpart due to a more enjoyable ending. 2. Hated in the Nation - I actually think the climax could have gone a little further, but this is a great commentary on internet mobs and public opinion with some interesting tech thrown in. 1. San Junipero - I have nothing to add. And I can even point out a few flaws, but why bother? It’s a masterpiece.

@badfem

11 ай бұрын

I have the same exact top 2 & Also love black museum. Great taste!

The only way I will think this list is legit is if Nosedive and San Junipero are in the top three. Striking Vipers being ranked this high with Beyond The Sea being ranked last speaks volumes.

Wait.... You're a geek?!?! Everything I know is a lie!!!!! A mildly inconvenient lie!!!!! Couldn't resist getting that out of my system

....not me going back to find your White Bear review to peep the comments cos I cannot fathom how anyone could defend the punishment side of that episode. Because they are wiping her memories, she is not the person who committed the crime. And sure, if you really want to go down a 'whatabout' rabbit hole and parallel it with 'well what about nazis getting caught in the modern era but now they have dementia what do we do', I can see an argument for some kind of punishment still holding, but the extent of her punishment is horrific (and also the act of her losing her memory was imposed on her as part of the punishment, which just adds layers of 'no this is wrong on every level' because they literally made it so she can never take accountability for what she did).

@CouncilofGeeks

11 ай бұрын

If I were to guess I’d say the divide is probably along similar lines between those who believe the purpose of the Justice system is rehabilitation and those who believe it’s purpose is punishment.

Interesting that you ranked the Waldo moment so low even in a post Trump era I see a lot of international viewers re-evaluate the episode in light of the parallels between that cautionary tale and the span of Trump 's presidency Also I am offended you ranked SUAD so low!! Narratively it's the strongest episode for sure! I don't care whether it utilises futuristic tech or not or how simple the twist and the point it's trying to make. It's effective. And the ending haunts you.

#28😮 I don't know if I can trust you. But, I am gonna keep watching.

Joke Candidates is definitely a thing in America too.

Interesting, my list very different! Here is mine, along with a brief explanation for each. 28. Hang the DJ The characters are too vein, the setting is too picturesque considering the unsettling nature of the story being told, and I HATE the ending with the way it completely disregards the lives of the people within the simulation. 27. Mazey Day Two clichés combined; the Black Mirror cliché of setting an episode in the aftermath of a car accident, and the cliché of journalists being spineless vultures that will litterally stand still in front of a snarling werewolf to take just one more pic. Even the "good" journalist couldn't resist breaking into an a person's private home to get the next big scoop. Sigh. 26. The National Anthem The whole pig sex thing felt a tad immature for my tastes. I much prefer the later Black Mirror episodes that have learned to be more subtle. 25. Playtest For a horror story, it wasn't that scary. It also used the "it was all a dream" plot twist FAR too often. 24. Arkangel I can't really remember this one too well, so I guess the best way you could describe this episode is as "forgettable". 23. Black Museum The first part was so cringy I felt I had to force myself to keep on watching, but the other parts were pretty entertaining. If albeit, uneventful. 22. Fifteen Million Merits I have to give this one credit for its unique premise, but it completely lost me with its ending. I fail to understand why the main character would agree to make his own talk show at the end given everything he's been put through... 21. Striking Vipers The episode has a strong emotional core to it, I just don't understand why they didn't make a game a straight up dating sim instead of the bizarre concept of a fighting game that for some reason allows players to experience real pain? 20. The Entire History of You Another one I don't remember too well, but I do remember the ramifications of there being a technology capable of perfectly recording memories being well realised. 19. Rachel, Jack and Ashley, Too Perhaps the most supercilious episode of Black Mirror, but it had some nice character development and moments of catharsis. 18. Beyond the Sea I loved how perfectly this episode captures the sensation of being isolated in space and what it can do to a person, especially in wake of the pandemic. I just can't help feeling as though Aaron Paul was miscast. 17. The Waldo Moment A surprisingly deep exploration of how a politician making a caricature of themselves can be used to mask some quite serious issues in their personality and policies. Sadly predicted Trump's inauguration all too accurately. 16. Bandersnatch I found this to be extremely immersive considering how loose the story had to be to incorporate the interactive elements. My only gripe is that the plot becomes somewhat messy after repeat viewings, and some endings contradict other endings. 15. Loch Henry This honestly wasn't anything special until the end. I mean, it was still produced to a high standard in every regard, it was just missing that "oh shit" factor almost every other episode has. But then the ending hits you like a freight train. 14. Men Against Fire A truly fascinating deconstruction of wartime propaganda, and how victims are war are so often dehumanised. Perhaps it doesn't have all the bells and whistles other episodes have, but in terms of communicating its message this is top tier. 13. Demon 79 This episode almost entirely owes its high placement to chaotic energy the demon character gave to it. He kept me invested for every second, even if I did take issue with how black and white the characters were written to be as well as the story lacking any deeper point than "Tories bad". Not that I don't agree with the sentiment. 12. Nosedive This was a wild ride from start to finish, extremely gripping and you really feel what the main character is going through every step of her journey. 11. Joan Is Awful Similar to Nosedive but deals with slightly more interesting science fiction concepts. The dumb ending and multiple plot holes are the only things keeping it out of the top 10, although it's light-hearted enough for that to not be too big of an issue. 10. Be Right Back Just a thoroughly beautiful demonstration of grief, and how nothing can completely fill in the gap left behind from losing someone. 9. Hated in the Nation Another one earning kudos points for having a unique concept. The main thing I love about it though is the way the plot twist with the bees turns the entire premise of the episode on it's head, in a way that's both shocking and makes perfect sense the more you think about it. 8. Smithereens Holy crap this was intense. The way it was filmed to make it look like the main character could be killed at any moment was phenomenal, and I kind of remember thinking it felt like a character study of both the kidnapper and the tech CEO the way it delve so keep into both characters' psyche. 7. Metalhead I was completely sucked in by how well the cinematography was done throughout this episode, and it made what could have been a harmless little dog robot into the most terrifying thing you could ever imagine to be hunting you. 6. Crocodile An absolutely horrifying "snowball effect" kind of story that encapsulates everything I love about Black Mirror. 'nuff said. 5. White Christmas Like Black Museum it has a weak first part, but the following two parts are such a roller coaster of a ride you almost forget the first part happened by the end of it. 4. USS Callister The story, acting, direction and artistic flare to this episode just gel together so well that it's hard to find much to complain about with this. Plus, who would have thought they'd have made a digitalised reconstruction of a person stuck inside a space exploration game so relatable. 3. San Junipero Probably the most wholesome episode of Black Mirror. Both the leads conveyed great chemistry and the happy ending felt earned. 2. White Bear Really tough deciding between this and the next one, but I feel like the memory wiping thing slightly dilutes the point this is trying to make about what constitutes fair punishment. That said, damn is this episode gut wrenching in all the best of ways. 1. Shut Up And Dance The quintessential Black Mirror episode. It has everything, a protagonist you can empathise with, technology and its potential to be used for evil, the massive plot twist towards the end and a masterful critique of its subject matter (vigilantism) without muddying the waters like White Bear did with its memory wiping.

How fixed is this ranking? I mean, is it the case that if you made this any other day, the order would have been different, even slightly. Or is this the definitive list? Or is it something in between like as you get older and tastes change you may feel differently.

@CouncilofGeeks

11 ай бұрын

Opinions change. Nothing based on opinion is ever fixed. This is snapshot of how I feel about the episodes right now.

I more-or-less watched Black Mirror as it aired (more-so with the Netflix seasons, and one time I briefly caught the White Christmas special on TV when I went to London back in 2014, but I didn't know what it was and I didn't watch it until like almost a year later), and personally, I liked the show the most until S4 and the Bandersnatch special. S5 & S6 just didn't do it for me as it didn't have the punch like the previous seasons. I think with the changing landscape of our world, real life has become more like Black Mirror and the recent seasons just haven't caught up yet, and they haven't even tried to make something as thought-provoking and captivating like before (at least to me). I will say, Joan is Awful was the better ep from S6 and the only ep I truly enjoyed, bcs the rest were very messy. Lastly, I consider Demon 79 to be the worst episode of the entire series, bcs the ending was not satisfactory to me, and it completely ruined the predictions the demon made, bcs how is that little girl gonna grow up to be a mom and grandma when the world ends?? It made no sense and it frustrated me! Mazey Day comes a close-second, bcs I did not expect that plot twist and it could've been a far more hard-hitting ep imo.

26.Mazey Day 25.Smithereens 24.Striking Vipers 23.Metalhead 22.The National Anthem 21.Beyond the Sea 20.Hated in the Nation 19.Black Museum 18.Be Right Back 17.White Christmas 16.USS Callister 15.Hang the DJ 14.Loch Henry 13.Men Against Fire 12.The Waldo Moment 11.Joan Is Awful 10.White Bear 9.Shut Up and Dance 8.Playtest 7.Crocodile 6.Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too 5.Arkangel 4.Nosedive 3.Fifteen Million Merits 2.The Entire History of You 1.San Junipero HC : Bandersnatch, it really is an experience, difficult to compare it and Demon 79, it’s not a Black Mirror episode, it’s a Red Mirror episode, it’s something new, it would not be faire to compare it to the rest.

Engagement for the engagement god!

Funnily enough, I watched 'Nosedive' for the first time just yesterday, and all the way through I was thinking of you and your intolerance to cringe! I agree the ending is fantastic - they are in jail but simultaneously free, and the performance is wonderful. San Junipero makes me cry - I think it's lovely. I think my biggest deviation, however, is Striking Vipers. YES, the representation of gaming is good. YES the performances are great and the theme hangs together. BUT... Charlie Brooker has said it was his commentary on online porn, and I think that it really fails at that. In fact, I don't get it at all.

@CouncilofGeeks

10 ай бұрын

That... doesn't track at all. I think we have an instance of a creator failing to understand what they actually made. It happens sometimes.

@DrewDesign

10 ай бұрын

@@CouncilofGeeks Admittedly, I heard that secondhand (on a review show back when it was released, I think) I've not actually seen Charlie Brooker say it directly so, who knows, I might be wrong on this. I'll probably google later 😃

We have joke candidates, but they rarely get airtime though. Vermin Supreme is a gem though

@Torthrodhel

11 ай бұрын

Joke candidates used to be funny, didn't they? Nowadays they feel more like a sick joke than a funny one.

Do you still watch inside number 9? That's actually what first brought me to your channel

@CouncilofGeeks

11 ай бұрын

No. The fandom for it put a really bad taste in my mouth.

@JamesLawner

11 ай бұрын

@@CouncilofGeeks Have you watched HBO's Room 104?

@CouncilofGeeks

11 ай бұрын

@@JamesLawner Never heard of it.

@JamesLawner

11 ай бұрын

@@CouncilofGeeks It’s an anthology series, kind of like Inside No. 9, but it centers around a motel room and each episode is its own story that takes place there.

Sorry hazing comment but i have heard that Megan movie is "gay" and i wonder why?

my lowest rated is the one with the pig... not that it was badly done, it's just that if you want to recommend the show to your friend and they see that, be embarrassed

Extrapolations...an apple tv series is like black mirror but for climate change. It'll scratch that itch and is anthology-ish

I agree, you should watch episode one season one first. But the fact that you think Joan Is Awful is better than like half of the shows already ranked is sus. You're trolling a little bit, right?

@CouncilofGeeks

2 ай бұрын

Not that I know of, no I’m not.

I guess you queer alliey but why Megan is gay?

@CouncilofGeeks

11 ай бұрын

I’m sorry… what?

@jaakkosamuli2785

11 ай бұрын

I have to say sorry drinks at all oh why megan the movie is queer coded? I myself is gay

@CouncilofGeeks

11 ай бұрын

@@jaakkosamuli2785 I have no idea. I haven’t seen it.