
This article was originally published in June 2019.
If you’re terrified of the future and the increasingly invasive ways that technology degrades our lives and magnifies our problems, the science fiction television series Black Mirror, now streaming on Netflix, will do you no favors. This is a dark satire that’s rarely “ha-ha” funny, even when it jokes.
The show, created by Charlie Brooker, first aired on Channel 4 in the UK in 2011. But Netflix, seeing the viral hit potential, purchased the series in 2015, and Black Mirror has aired on the streaming service ever since Season 3.
The best Black Mirror episodes twist your guts into knots. The majority of episodes deal with the underbelly of humanity—corporate greed, sexual predation, extortion and blackmail, unfaithfulness—and filter those themes through some dystopian plot device. A man is forced to have sex with a pig on a live feed as the global community watches. A woman struggles to survive in a world where social media ratings determine social status. A young man is held hostage by a troll who records people’s sexual indecencies and crimes.
It’s absurd stuff, bordering on obscenity. But it is connected to our reality, enough that we identify with what we see. And sometimes, when the show is especially meta and cruel, it indicts the viewer as complicit in the characters’ suffering. After a hiatus since Season 5 aired in June 2019, the series is ready to make its return with Season 6 this June.
The new season will continue to feature performances from top talent like Aaron Paul, Annie Murphy, Josh Hartnett, Kate Mara, Michael Cera, Myha’la Herrold, Rory Culkin, Salma Hayek Pinault, Zazie Beetz, and more.
Since it’s been a while since we’ve had our minds blown by Booker’s show, it’s time for a refresher. Here is every episode of Black Mirror so far, ranked.
28. “The Waldo Moment” (Season 2, Episode 3)

27. “The National Anthem” (Season 1, Episode 1)

26. “Mazey Day” (Season 6, Episode 4)

25. “Arkangel” (Season 4, Episode 2)

24. “Shut Up and Dance” (Season 2, Episode 3)

23. “Crocodile” (Season 4, Episode 3)

22. “Men Against Fire” (Season 3, Episode 5)

21. “Demon 79” (Season 6, Episode 5)

20. "Striking Vipers" (Season 5, Episode 1)

19. “Playtest” (Season 3, Episode 2)

18. “Metalhead” (Season 4, Episode 5)

17. “Black Museum” (Season 4, Episode 6)

16. "Bandersnatch" (Interactive Film)

15. "Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too" (Season 5, Episode 3)

14. “Joan Is Awful” (Season 6, Episode 1)

13. “Nosedive” (Season 3, Episode 1)

12. "Smithereens" (Season 5, Episode 2)

11. “Fifteen Million Merits” (Season 1, Episode 2)

10. “Be Right Back” (Season 2, Episode 1)

9. “Hang the DJ” (Season 4, Episode 4)

8. "Loch Henry" (Season 6, Episode 2)

7. “Hated in the Nation” (Season 3, Episode 6)

6. “Beyond the Sea” (Season 6, Episode 3)

5. “USS Callister” (Season 4, Episode 1)

4. “White Bear” (Season 2, Episode 2)

3. “White Christmas” (Special)

2. “San Junipero” (Season 3, Episode 4)

1. “The Entire History of You” (Season 1, Episode 3)
