Lifestyle ‘Black Mirror’ season six A hit-or-miss return to form

Michael Clark Staff Reporter

The first three seasons of Charlie Brooker’s Sci-Fi anthology series “Black Mirror” feature some of the best sci-fi stories in recent memory. From shocking twists, to dark and terrifyingly plausible scenarios, “Black Mirror” has solidified itself as one of the darkest and most surprising shows on television. Then, once its fifth season came along, all goodwill went out the window with some truly abysmal content. Thankfully, Black Mirror’s long-awaited sixth season brings us back to what made some of the best episodes in the series fantastic, with a few weak episodes as well.

Since “Black Mirror” is famously an anthology series, every episode features new worlds and characters. It’s hard to properly review the season as one, tangible product. Because of this, it might be easier to briefly discuss each episode individually, then evaluate the season as a whole.

“Joan is Awful” is an incredibly strong start to the season. The tone takes a more comedic and lighter direction, with hints of the existential, technology driven terror that makes Black Mirror so powerful. The concept here is entirely plausible and will probably happen in the near future. It’s a twisty, fun ride with a delightfully meta ending. The satire feels a little contrived at times, like th writers are trying a bit too hard to laugh at themselves, but it works for the most part, making for a great seasonal debut.

“Loch Henry” is a mixed bag of an episode, but has some fantastic components. The tone is very unique to the series, taking a look at the nature of true crime documentaries in a surprisingly effective way. The Scottish setting brings back that dark, European feel that later seasons miss. However, the episode doesn’t get compelling until the mandatory big twist. The middle portion of the episode is a huge slog, but the fantastic ending scene will stick with audiences long after the credits.

“Beyond the Sea” is classic Black Mirror. Aaron Paul does a fantastic job in the most sci-fi, technological episode of the season. While the plot and performances are great, the pacing is not. This episode doesn’t really deserve its runtime as the longest in the season, clocking in at over an hour. The narrative begins to drag at times, but it all comes together in a genuinely haunting climax.

“Mazey Day” is the worst episode in the series, and it isn’t even close. Unfortunately, I can’t say why without ruining it. The idea of a paparazzi focused episode could be compelling, but the “criminal on the run” lens this episode focuses on is a tired troupe in this series. It’s a boring and aimless episode until the last 10 minutes, throwing out one of the most contrived twists I’ve ever seen.

“Demon 79” is a fun, pulpy slasher film disguised as a Black Mirror episode. Does it work as an episode of this show? Not really, but it’s still a ton of fun to watch. But once again, it is way too long. Regardless, Paapa Essiedu delivers a fantastic, charming performance here. All in all, season six of Black Mirror was a mixed bag, with great ideas brought down by poor pacing and bloated runtimes. Despite that, this season still manages to be a fun, twisty ride and is far from the worst season in the series. entertainment.ed@ocolly.com