- The new season is out today on Netflix
- It contains a sequel to the beloved USS Callister episode
- Critics are now having their say
Black Mirror’s seventh season has just landed on Netflix – but it is any good?
The Netflix anthology series’ new outing consists of six episodes, two of which call back to previous Black Mirror episodes. One of these is a sequel to season 4’s USS Callister, while another episode, Plaything, takes place in the world of Bandersnatch.
Read more: Black Mirror season 7: USS Callister sequel plot
The cast includes names such as Andor’s Ben Bailey Smith, Jackpot’s Awkwafina, Deadpool and Wolverine villain Emma Corrin and The Holdovers’ Paul Giamatti. Peter Capaldi also has a major role.
“A lighter, more easily accessible Black Mirror”
The Wrap was full of praise for the new season, writing: “Bookended by strong performances and eerie realities, Black Mirror Season 7 prides itself on its deliciously weird and thought-provoking concepts. Further pushing the envelope and creating scenarios where surprise guest stars flourish in combative dialogue, the series gives its loyal viewership a deeper look into established premises while entangling characters in dazzling situations.”
RadioTimes had similar praise, saying that “this new batch of season 7 episodes is Brooker’s most emotional to date, with episodes that will surely shock, surprise and – I don’t say this lightly – tear your heart open.”
To balance all of that while digging into mind-bending technology is no easy feat, but it’s done with near-flawless quality here.
The i described season seven as “a lighter, more easily accessible Black Mirror” that’s maybe slightly less dark than previous seasons, but also not of the same quality. Indeed, the review questioned if Brooker was running out of ideas.
“As standalones, the six episodes aren’t bad – but as a collection, they’re a long way away from the Black Mirror that once shocked us into paying attention,” it read.
“None of the episodes feel like they’re really trying to push the boundaries”
Consequence’s review was similarly mixed, praising Eulogy as the strongest episode of the season, while arguing that Common People was the weakest.
“Overall, Season 7 features more hits than misses, but none of the episodes feel like they’re really trying to push the boundaries of what’s possible within the realm of Black Mirror,” the outlet said.
“Watching these episodes, it started to feel like the seemingly infinite number of stories this show can explore is no longer so infinite. Which is wild to consider, in a time when potential abuses of technology feel more rampant than ever.”
The Independent‘s verdict was also slightly more negative. It pinpointed Eulogy as the best episode and Plaything as the worst of the new episodes. Meanwhile, it argued the USS Callister: Into Infinity was “perfectly watchable, but pointless”.
“Once again, the pot-luck nature of the show has given way to an overabundance of bilge. Too many episodes rely on logic-straining mechanics, too few have the emotional sucker punch of San Junipero or “Be Right Back,” it said.
“The horror too, of episodes like Shut Up and Dance or White Christmas, has given way to a repetitive fear of digital imprisonment. In short, this latest season of Black Mirror just doesn’t carry the same punch that it used to.
