As you may have gathered by now, Black Mirror season 6 has sparked a heated debate among Netflix fans. It has been a while since we got the last batch of episodes and many viewers have started to wonder whether the show is losing its edge. While it’s hard to deny that some of the more recent episodes have been lackluster, the show still has a few tricks up its sleeve.
With the new season, Brooker has tried to shake things up a bit by taking aim at his own creation. In the first episode titled ‘Joan Is Awful’, we follow Joan, a regular working woman played by Annie Murphy who is shocked to learn that Streamberry, an online platform that looks remarkably like Netflix, has created a prestige drama adaptation of her life. The episode is a fun and playful take on the invasive nature of social media, and it features Salma Hayek Pinault delivering a standout performance.
It’s also worth noting that this is the first time in a while that an entire Black Mirror season has been backdated to the era in which it was written. This is a bold move for the show, which typically leans into cautionary tales about the ominously boundless potential of technological advances.
Another big change is that this season features a number of co-writing and directing efforts from female filmmakers. Previously, the series was solely helmed by male directors and writers. With the addition of these women, it’s clear that the show is trying to branch out and offer a more diverse range of perspectives.
The first two episodes to hit the streaming service were met with mixed reviews from fans. Some felt that they were a step down from past installments, while others thought they were refreshingly different. While there’s no denying that these episodes are not as good as previous ones, they do manage to offer some interesting takes on our modern day society and culture.
The final episode titled ‘Demon 79’ is one of the more unique entries in this batch. It tells the story of Nida, a timid salesgirl who is forced by a disarmingly friendly disco-glam demon (Paapa Essiedu) to commit heinous crimes in order to avoid an apocalypse. The episode is a perfect example of Black Mirror’s ability to craft stories that are wildly varying in theme, setting and tone, yet still manage to come together as a cohesive whole. It’s a dark and thought-provoking piece that shows that Brooker isn’t losing his touch as he continues to satirize the nexus of pop culture, technology and politics. The season is well worth a watch for anyone who is interested in seeing how the show is evolving and growing into its own identity.