Every Episode of 'Black Mirror,' Ranked

34) “The Waldo Moment” (Season 2, Episode 3)

Although “The Waldo Moment” aired in 2013, it turned out to be one of Black Mirror’s most prolific episodes. When the crass blue bear cartoon, voiced by the character Jamie, enters the election, he surprisingly wins over the crowd, with his “tell it like it is” attitude mixed with celebrity worship. Sound familiar?

33) “The National Anthem” (Season 1, Episode 1)

“The National Anthem” is one helluva way to open a series; kidnappers demand that the nation’s Prime Minister have sexual intercourse with a pig (yes, an actual pig) in order to save their captive, Princess Susannah. While it’s one of the most cringe-worthy episodes, it also sets the tone for the rest of the show. It’s all uphill from here...that is, if you can stomach this one episode.

32) “Mazey Day” (Season 6, Episode 4)

Paparazzo is one of the most shamed professions in the world, and this episode won't do its reputation any favors. A famous actress tries to escape the limelight, and four paparazzo race to get the first photo of her in hiding, which would be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. They discover, in their pursuit, there was a good reason why she didn't want people around her.

It's probably the weakest episode of the sixth season. But "Mazey Day" is also the shortest episode, and it doesn't lose momentum for the entire time it's on screen.

31) “Plaything” (Season 7, Episode 4)

"Plaything" tells the story of a game journalist who demos a life simulation game. The developer claims he has cracked the code on creating sentient, digital life. Eventually, the journalist (with the help of hallucinogens), comes to believe that the digital creatures are talking to him, and he begins to follow their instructions in the real world.

This episode is about a lot of things—about the blurring of our physical and digital realities, and also about the dangers of isolating oneself and using technology as a defensive shield rather than a social access point.

30) “Arkangel” (Season 4, Episode 2)

While some moms would certainly like to know what their kids are doing, feeling, and thinking at all times, the Black Mirror masterminds showed that being a helicopter parent isn’t the best method. While this episode has a slow build, it culminates to an explosive ending.

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

“Shut Up and Dance” starts off seemingly mild, with the teenage main character masturbating in front of his computer screen. Not unheard of. But it isn’t long before he’s blackmailed by an anonymous group who recorded his deed. They send him on a wild goose chase that ends with a fight to the death brawl—only to figure out he’s been trolled, and his deed is revealed anyway.

28) “Crocodile” (Season 4, Episode 3)

Fifteen years after committing (and getting away with) a hit-and-run, two old friends reunite; one of them is overcome with guilt. The other has no desire to confess, and must figure out a way to keep their crime hidden. . She quickly spirals into a murderous rabbit hole, where she kills anyone who might give her away. It’s a brutal episode with a bitter ending.

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

When an army is tasked with getting rid of mutants referred to as “roaches,” one soldier, Stripe, finds out that they’re actually killing humans, who they’ve been conditioned to see as genetically inferior. It turns out that soldiers are fitted with tech that alters their reality to make them unflinching killing machines who can murder without guilt.

26) “Demon 79” (Season 6, Episode 5)

Co-written by Bisha K. Ali, the scribe behind Ms. Marvel and Loki, "Demon 79" is about a British-Indian girl who is forced into a pact with a demon: kill three people, or the entire world dies in a hellfire. But like all the best Black Mirror episodes, it's about something more—the hidden darkness in apparently normal people, and the pressures of living in a society that degrades and demeans you at every turn.

You question if the demon is real, or if the woman is crazy, the entire time. And the episode also asks a more cynical question: is the world even worth saving? “Demon 79” addresses that, in a way. And of course, the answer is grim.

25) "Striking Vipers" (Season 5, Episode 1)

"Striking Vipers" takes place in a world where video game technology has advanced exponentially, to the point where people can fully inhabit a virtual reality world with all their senses intact. And when two men, longtime friends, meet each other in-game (one playing as a male character and the other playing as a female character), sexual sparks fly.

Is this cheating? Are they falling in love? Would this passion only be possible in-game, or would it translate to real life? The premise opens a Pandora's Box of tantalizing questions. Subversive, weird, and surprisingly humorous at times, "Striking Vipers" asks whether online relationships can be just as, if not more intense than "real" relationships. And it also serves as a critique of traditional marriage, and the problems and insecurities that exclusivity can foster.

24) “Bête Noire” (Season 7, Episode 2)

Maria is an admired chocolatier at a huge confectionery company, but her life goes off the rails when Verity, the "weird" girl from her high school graduating class, joins the company as an assistant.

What starts on the surface as personal jealousy becomes complicated as Maria starts making mistakes at work and claims events happened that actually didn't—or did they? The sci-fi connection in this episode sneaks up on you.

23) “Playtest” (Season 3, Episode 2)

Cooper is avoiding his mom’s calls when gets the chance to try out an intense beta augmented-reality game from SaitoGemu, a horror-game giant in the Black Mirror-verse. He winds up in a rabbit hole of his deepest fears, perpetually stuck in the so-called game. The possible open ending is something to marinate on.

22) “Metalhead” (Season 4, Episode 5)

“Metalhead” is much like a classic horror film—it’s even in black-and-white. A murderous robotic dog-like machine hunts down a group of people, eventually leaving one woman on the run, and raises major goosebumps for viewers.

21) “Hotel Reverie” (Season 7, Episode 3)

A spiritual sequel to "San Junipero," "Hotel Reverie" stars Issa Rae as Brandy, an actress who attempts a new way of making films. Her conscience is digitally transported into the film, and she acts alongside digital characters. 

But then things go wrong (because, of course, they do—this is Black Mirror, after all). One of the digital characters gains self-awareness, and Brandy begins experiencing real feelings for her. What would you be willing to sacrifice for a chance at love? "Hotel Reverie" posits that it's so rare, you'll hold onto it wherever and whenever you find it.

20) “Black Museum” (Season 4, Episode 6)

Two months before the fabulous Letitia Wright earned our adoration as the Wakandan genius Shuri in Black Panther, she took a turn in Black Mirror’s “Black Museum.” As the episode draws onto the moral implications with technology, it leads up to an epic twist that makes this one of the best episodes in the series. "Black Museum” also contains several easter eggs to previous episodes in the Black Mirror-verse.

19) "Bandersnatch" (Interactive Film)

"Bandersnatch," unlike other Black Mirror episodes, is an interactive movie/game where you make narrative decisions on everything: from which cereal to have for breakfast to which record you want to buy to which character should dive off a building. The show responds to your choices, and the plot proceeds accordingly.

There are multiple narrative layers and multiple possible endings. The episode picks up considerably when the main character, Stefan, becomes self-aware and realizes that you, the viewer, is making choices on his behalf, without his consent. But overall, "Bandersnatch" is a clever premise that works better on paper than it does in practice.

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

This sci-fi tale about fictional pop star Ashley O (Miley Cyrus), who mass manufactures an interactive doll that shares her personality, is a mixed bag. The build is a bit tedious; the writers spend considerable time developing the characters of Rachel, one of Ashley O's superfans, and her older, more cynical sister Jack, while giving us little indication of why or how they're important.

But the actors' performances are wonderful, and the main plotline that emerges, about how Ashley's handlers want to control her career and creativity at all costs, is frothy fun. "Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too" also contains one of Black Mirror's rare happy endings, with no strings attached — a refreshing change of pace from the standard 'everything is awful and we're all going to die' ethos of the show.

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

Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker expanded his scope in Season 6. Rather than his usual exclusive focus upon futuristic technologies and their damaging effects on the human psyche, he dipped his toes into supernatural and true crime.

But even the "typical" episodes have a twist to them. "Joan is Awful" has a classic Black Mirror premise—a woman discovers that her life has been turned into a dramatized, streaming television show, thanks to pervasive technology that is always “on”and documents the most intimate parts of her life. But what distinguishes this episode is the full-on, laugh-out-loud humor of it. They can't all be fraught with sickening dread. There need to be lighter moments, if only to juxtapose and emphasize the dark.

16) “Common People” (Season 7, Episode 1)

The most on-the-nose satire of Season 7 is also one of its most affecting. Mike and Amanda are a loving couple which faces tragedy when Amanda is diagnosed with malignant brain cancer. A medical company offers her a new chance of life with a catch: the positive outcome of the surgery is subscription-based, and it eventually becomes punitively expensive.

"Common People" is a damning portrait of the healthcare industry and the cruel debasement that people will endure for a chance at love and life. It's also a satire of tier-based subscriptions, which places Black Mirror's Netflix partnership in an ironic new light.

15) “Nosedive” (Season 3, Episode 1)

Can you imagine if your social media clout determined your status in real life, or vice versa? “Nosedive” explores this concept as the main character, Lacie, finds her “rating” in society taking a serious...well, nosedive. The concept is not unlike Uber’s rating system, and will make you thankful that their rating feature doesn’t apply to other apps—yet.

14) "Smithereens" (Season 5, Episode 2)

In "Smithereens," a grieving man holds a social media company's intern hostage and demands to speak to the platform's creator. The episode is a cautionary tale about screen addiction and the ripple effect that death can have upon a family.

There are many narrative twists in this episode, but two stand out in particular. The first one is when the police are investigating the hostage situation, and they quickly realize that the social media company has discovered more about the suspect than they had. The second twist is at the end of the episode when the CEO finally gets on the phone and we realize he's a decent guy. He lost control over the company's direction a long time ago, and he too is appalled at what it's become.

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

“Fifteen Million Merits” is one of the few episodes that doesn’t take place in a world as we know it. Instead, the characters live in an enclosed area where they must cycle on exercise bikes to fuel the building, and earn “merits” to buy things. Bing is well-off thanks to inherited merits, but risks it all to send a girl, Abi, to compete in a talent show. When she wins, she’s offered a job in pornography, leaving Bing horrified. When he shows up to threaten the hosts, they offer him a television series instead, along with an upgraded life, proving that anything can be bought—even the revolution.

12) “Eulogy” (Season 7, Episode 5)

The saddest of the Season 7 episodes, "Eulogy" stars Paul Giamatti as Phillip, who learns that an old girlfriend of his has recently passed away, and he attempts to recall memories of her via AI technology, which allows him to enter old photos of their memories together.

The technology in "Eulogy" allows for a Christmas Carol-esque retrospect, in which Phillip sees his past self for who he truly was, rather than the self that he idealized himself to be.

11) “USS Callister: Into Infinity” (Season 7, Episode 6)

The most-anticipated episode of Season 7 was also its best. "Into Infinity" revisits the crew of the USS Callister—quasi-real people trapped in a digital world, fighting for survival. Like its predecessor, "Into Infinity" has a sense of humor about itself, which helps to alleviate the existential horror of the situation. And like its predecessor, "Into Infinity" sends up Star Trek and adheres to its idealistic principles.

The bad guys are the most interesting part of "Into Infinity." Villains are made, and the road to hell is paved with little acts of moral compromise, which snowball into bigger ones.

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

“Be Right Back” not only shows the dangers of texting while driving, but also of ordering a lifelike robot that carries the look and personality of your dead loved ones—even if you really really miss them. It’s a touching episode with a welcome appearance from Domhnall Gleeson. Also, points for reminding us of the incredibly cute manga, “Absolute Boyfriend.”

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

Dating IRL can be difficult, but The System makes it easier by matching people into relationships (and determining the length of said relationship) with a compatibility algorithm. But two lovers, who are certain of their destiny, end up saying down with the system and rebelling against it.

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

“Loch Henry” analyzes our unhealthy obsession with serial killers—who they are, how they operate, and the notoriety they accumulate; the more horrific and unspeakable their crimes, the better. There is no technological innovation that underpins the episode; the premise of a man who captures people, tortures them, and records his misdeeds on video cassettes is bad enough.

There's humanity in this episode; you feel for the victims who suffered, and you also feel for the documentarian protagonists, one of whom has a direct connection to the killer. And your heart aches as the pageantry subsumes everything; in the world of Black Mirror, suffering is just another word for entertainment. "Loch Henry" is not about the technology that's enslaved us,it's about the breaking of a world, which will one day turn to technology to bandage its wound.

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

“Hated in the Nation” gives a new meaning to “killer bees.” A killer uses social media and rogue mechanical bees—initially put in place by the government for ecological purposes—to kill whoever the Internet has decided to hate on a particular day. It makes us think twice about the bee population, trolling, and the impact of our words. This episode keeps us on our toes throughout the entire ordeal and may be a real thing sooner than we think. The mechanical bees, not the killer.

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

There's only a few Black Mirror episodes that have a happy ending, or at least a rough approximation of one. Most of the episodes are supreme downers: "Shut Up and Dance," "Hated in the Nation," and "White Bear" leave people feeling queasy, even disgusted. And now we have "Beyond the Sea" to add to that list.

The basic plot is that two astronauts, on a long-term mission in outer space, have identical robotic avatars on earth. They can inhabit the bodies of these avatars, which allows them to see and be with their loved ones, even though they're millions of miles away. It seems like a win-win scenario at first. But then the twists begin.

We know it can't end well. But then you realize that it's even worse than you think.

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

This episode is far from a nostalgic trip to a Star Trek–esque world. Instead, it’s a sinister take on the series as a shy video game programmer, Robert Daly, who is meek and unassuming in the real world, uses DNA scans to create digital clones of the people he feels have wronged him. Daly’s digital crew must find a way to escape his control.

4) “White Bear” (Season 2, Episode 2)

“White Bear” is a prime example of Black Mirror being a total mind fuck. The main character wakes up in a town where everyone stares at the TV or records her on their phone, as she’s hunted down by a masked man with a shotgun. She’s able to escape with two people who aren’t brainwashed, with the goal of shutting down the signal that’s left everyone in a blank state. It may sound like the tale of hero vigilantes, but “White Bear” has one of the most twisted endings in the series.

3) “White Christmas” (Special)

Jon Hamm always brings it, and “White Christmas” is no exception. While it originally seems like the two main characters have been perhaps stranded in a cabin together, viewers eventually learn what Hamm’s character has actually been tasked to do. It’s an episode with a slow burn that utilizes a set of stories to create an epic payoff.

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

“San Junipero” is one of the most optimistic episodes of Black Mirror and begs the question, “What if we didn’t have to die?” Totally '80s, we get a rare happy(-ish) ending to a sprawling, award-winning edition of Black Mirror that truly highlights what this series says about tech, and us.

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

“The Entire History of You” proves that the things we want most are not always best for us. The ability to play back memories for nostalgia, bragging rights, or fuel in an argument becomes detrimental when the characters are forced to confront things they don’t want to see.

Looking for more streaming recommendations? Check out our guides to the best TV shows available on Netflix, AppleTV, Hulu, Peacock, Disney+, and HBO Max, plus the best movies on Hulu, Prime Video, Peacock, AppleTV, Netflix, and Tubi.