The 10 best episodes, ranked by Rotten Tomatoes

Created by Charlie Brooker, black mirror The series premiered on British television in 2011, before making its way to Netflix in 2016. Instantly winning praise for its groundbreaking look at our fears of technology, the series has expanded to other broad themes such as love, grief, and identity.

Since then, it’s become recognized as one of the best anthology series to ever grace the small screen, being nominated for a whopping 86 awards and winning 24. With the Season 6 premiere behind us, let’s take a look at the 10 best episodes so far in Rotten Tomatoes’ current ranking.

10 The Entire History of You (Season 1, Episode 3) 89%

Written by Max hit creator, Succession“,”your full history It examines technology’s role in relationships, while at the same time warning us that obsessing over your partner’s past isn’t healthy.

In a world where implants allow us to rewatch our memories over and over again, the episode takes a dark turn when Liam begins obsessing over his ex-wife’s relationship with another man. The heated arguments ensure that it’s almost uncomfortable to watch, leading to an ending that’s as sad as it is horrific. With this being the final episode of the first season, it was way to sad black mirror Until the end, but a threat to what was to come in later seasons, Charlie Brooker told us he wouldn’t pull any punches.

9 White Christmas (Holiday Special 2014) – 90%

There was a lot going on inWhite Christmas‘, with three stories told by two men locked in a cubicle together. Dealing with themes of consent, time warping, and artificial intelligence, it was one episode of Black Mirror that kept you guessing all the way through. Why were John Hamm and Rafe Spall locked together? The essays were well told. , giving us clues along the way to keep fans on the edge of their seat until the final reveal.

While Hamm’s character in Matt has been compared to his portrayal of Don Draper in mad menHowever, there were enough differences to differentiate the two roles, leading to both Hamm and Spall being praised for their efforts. While the holiday specials trend didn’t take hold, it was nice to enjoy an episode outside of the regular seasons, something that wasn’t likely to be seen again until 2018’s Bandersnatch.

8 Hang the DJ (Season 4, Episode 4) 92%

There are not many episodes black mirror happy ending, buthang out djis the exception. Dealing with dating apps like Match and Tinder, this episode deals with people who are paired together by an algorithm for a set period of time, until a lifelong partner is selected. When Frank (Joe Cole) is paired up and Amy (Georgina Campbell) Were Only Together For 12 Hours Then They Immediately Hit It Off.Finally They Fault The System And Algorithm, In A Similar Ending The Truman Show.

As one of the more emotional episodes of the series, “Hang the DJ” was a great story that encourages viewers to trust their intuition, rather than the technology we rely on so much. While critics were torn about the twist ending, Cole and Campbell’s performances were praised, making this episode a perfect online dating quiz.

7 San Junipero (Season 3, Episode 4) 92%

Featuring a heavy ’80s setting, and a soundtrack that tugs at our hearts,”San JuniperoIt’s one of the most popular episodes black mirrorAnd viewers still praise her to this day. As the first episode to focus on a same-sex couple, San Junipero It deals with themes of love, death, equality, and acceptance in the LGBTQ community.

Although it was initially written with a heterosexual couple, low end, in mind, Charlie Brooker turned the script around and added a gay couple to resonate with viewers, and give them the happy ending they deserve. With strong performances from Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Mackenzie Davis, we can’t imagine anyone else playing the love-struck couple. “San Junipero” would go on to win eight awards in 2017, two of which were Emmys.

6 Be Right Back (Season 2, Episode 1) 93%

Starring Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter in the MCU),”I’ll come backIt tells the story of Martha, a woman grieving the loss of her husband. Thanks to the wonders of technology, she is first able to communicate with a virtual version of him via text messages and phone calls, with these eventually escalating into Martha requesting a robotic device that resembles her late husband.

Dealing with themes of loss, social media, and artificial intelligence, “Be Right Back” is one of those episodes black mirror which really stands out from the rest thanks to not only Atwell’s performance as Martha, but also Domhnall Gleeson’s portrayal of an empty vessel based on ones and zeros.

Related: These Are Hayley Atwell’s Best Performances, Ranked

5 Nosedive (Season 3, Episode 1) – 95%

What happens when you take the ability to rate things like Door Dash driver, AirBnB accommodations, and apply it to your entire life? I got “the noseEpisode of black mirror You see, Lacey (Bryce Dallas Howard) tries desperately to raise her overall rating, with disastrous results.

Perhaps a sign of things to come, “Nosedive” takes “likes” on social media to the next level in an expertly done episode that demystifies our fears and desires to fit in. Inspired by movies like Planes, trains and carsHoward plays Lacie with comedic perfection as she embarks on a road trip that goes horribly wrong. Co-written by Rashida Jones Amusement parks and resorts fame, the nose It’s a deliciously satirical episode, with black mirror Brand warnings about the dangers of technology only reinforce their ludicrous elements.

4 USS Callister (season 4, episode 1) – 95%

Star Trek Fans will recognize the familiar setting of “USS CallisterWith Jesse Plemons as a computer programmer who takes his wrath on his fellow staff in a virtual environment, USS Callister takes both comedy and tragedy, wrapping them in a story dealing with themes of cloning, consent, and toxic masculinity.

Star Trek Comparisons aside, USS Callister is the most popular series from creator Charlie Brooker, and has been praised by audiences and critics alike not only for its themes, but for Plemons’ performance as a bully who gets bullied. Going back four Emmy Awards, it’s certainly an episode that has resonated with fans even now, six years after its premiere.

3 Demon 79 (Season 6, Episode 5) – 100%

Announced in black mirror latest season,”demon 79It is one of the few episodes that does not highlight any technology, but rather relies on its supernatural elements to entertain the viewers. Presented under the Red Mirror banner to set it apart from the other episodes, “Demon 79” focuses on Nida (Anjana Vasan), an employee of A shoe store accidentally summons a demon who gives it the task of killing three people in order to prevent the end of the world.

Set in 1979, “Demon 79” definitely has that retro vibe, thanks in part to Paapa Essiedu’s performance as Gaap the demon, featuring Nida as Bobby Farrell from disco group, Boney M. The likes Ring in the cabinThis episode quickly became a favorite with fans praising its departure from technology, and homage to horror films from the past. One can only hope to see more episodes under red mirror title in future seasons.

2 Fifteen Million Merits (Season 1, Episode 2) 100%

Starring Daniel Kaluuya before he became famous for his role in Get out“,”Fifteen million advantagesIt takes the concept of reality television to a whole new level, exploring themes of fame, work, and surveillance, in black mirror the second episode.

As humans cycle around to earn benefits to support themselves, Fifteen Million Benefits also takes a deep dive into the exploitative nature of corporations over humanity, and examines the stranglehold held by those in positions of power over the working class. It’s a visually stunning episode that gave viewers a taste of what’s to come, combining not only sci-fi elements, but drama and romance as well. Kaluuya has since gone on to make quite a name for himself, most recently lent his voice to the role of Spider-Punk in Spider-Man: Through the Spider-Verse.

Related: Daniel Kaluuya talks about playing Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Through the Spider-Verse

1 National Anthem (Season 1, Episode 1) – 100%

What can we say about the opening episode of black mirror“,”National anthemIt has a prime minister, a pig, and a princess, and it was the perfect opening to introduce viewers to what the show was all about. This episode was inherently shocking taking punches from political correctness, voyeurism, and sensationalist media, with a twist ending that the series has become known for à la Twilight Zone.

With leading performances by all of the cast, especially Rory Kinnear as Prime Minister Michael Callow, “The National Anthem” stands out as one of the best episodes of the series, not only for its performances and themes, but for its willingness to go places viewers aren’t used to watching on TV. To highlight the government’s incompetence, the “National Anthem” remains above the rest in its making black mirror Instant smash.