Actual Definitive Ranking Of All Black Mirror Episodes
Today, everyone is ranking all Black Mirror episodes, but unfortunately some of these lists appear to have been written by FOOOOOOOLS. Here is a better ranking, it contains a couple of MILD, OH SO VERY VERY MILD SPOILERS.
San Junipero [3-04]
I didn't know Brooker had it in him; he possibly didn't himself. A near-perfect episode which would work as a stand-alone movie in the Charlie Kaufman style. Gugu Mbatha-Raw fills the screen with her off-the-charts levels of charisma, but is even better when asked to show what lies beneath the surface. Equally as good is the cinematography, achieving a fairytale feeling of vibrancy and possibility without tipping the viewer off too early. Possibly the best single episode of television I've seen for several years, and a perfect candidate for "if you only watch one episode..."
Hated in the Nation [3-06]
Way more plot-driven than any other episode, this functions brilliantly as a procedural, and I wonder whether it could go to a spin-off series. Kelly MacDonald has the perfect balance of ordinariness and charm to pull it off. The central plot device is not that original - I can think of at least three times I've seen something similar done - but the "why" rather than the "what" is what powers the thing forward. A couple of bits of creaky, this-has-to-happen-so-it-happens plot points just tarnish it a little, but it's otherwise a very impressive piece of work.
The Entire History of You [1-03]
The first "classic" Black Mirror episode, in that it's the first to nail the combination of "ten minutes into the future" with a cynical but realistic look at the capacity for human nature to be self-defeating. Editing could be smoother in places.
White Bear [2-02]
One of the most shocking and memorable episodes, Lenora Crichlow's central performance is vital to why it works. Unlike other "shock" entries, it stands up to multiple viewings at least partly because its real theme is about how cruel we can be to someone once we've decided they don't deserve our sympathy, a theme explored in much cruder fashion lower on this list.
Nosedive [3-01]
The first Netflix season wisely opens with a "typical" Black Mirror episode, albeit one which has a touch more humour towards the end than was previously typical (given the writers of the teleplay I'm somewhat surprised it's not even funnier; there was plenty of opportunity for it to be).
Fifteen Million Merits [1-02]
Nice production design and direction help elevate perhaps the most overtly sci-fi entry. Supporting characters tend towards the cartoonish and the story as a whole is juggling a number of distinct ideas somewhat clumsily, leading to a rather weak ending, but there's great stuff buried in here.
Playtest [3-02]
This one - best described as cyberpunk meets P.T. - takes a long time to get going and has a loose, free-wheeling style which is understandable but at times frustrating, particularly towards the end. A stronger episode could have been made out of the great premise.
White Christmas [Special]
The odd decision to take three mini-ideas and string them loosely together gives this episode a difficult rhythm, at least on first watch. None of the storylines has enough space to develop, though they all show promise. It's the details that let it down. Repeat after me: people with dissociative identity disorder are much more likely to be the victims of crime than the perpetrators.
Be Right Back [2-01]
Good casting lifts a derivative and rather slow story that may be the sweetest pre-Netflix episode, but is otherwise unremarkable.
The Waldo Moment [2-03]
Like The National Anthem this says less about our relationship to technology than it needs to, though it's still an engaging watch with good characterisation. It's damaged by the ending, where what was a fairly realistic storyline suddenly becomes ridiculously far-fetched, which pushed it down from being a mid-table entry.
Shut Up And Dance [3-03]
An obvious attempt to be this season's "White Bear", this episode pales in comparison to the earlier one, partly because the twist isn't as jaw-dropping as it wants to be.
The National Anthem [1-01]
With hindsight this sticks out for not speculating about technology or indeed making technology central to its idea. It's now most famous for being a little similar to something that someone who doesn't like David Cameron much claimed without evidence he once did, much to the delight of sheeple everywhere (yes, including me). Propped up by shock value alone, there's not much reason to return to it.
Men Against Fire [3-05]
I saw the twist in this coming way, way too early and as a result the whole thing feels bloated and preachy. There are also - rare for this season - structural oddities; the video interview shown towards the end seems hugely out-of-character to say it apparently happened fairly recently - are we supposed to think it's faked? - and the final scene is just odd. Is it supposed to tell us which option he picked? I don't get it. Easily the weak link of the season.
San Junipero [3-04]
I didn't know Brooker had it in him; he possibly didn't himself. A near-perfect episode which would work as a stand-alone movie in the Charlie Kaufman style. Gugu Mbatha-Raw fills the screen with her off-the-charts levels of charisma, but is even better when asked to show what lies beneath the surface. Equally as good is the cinematography, achieving a fairytale feeling of vibrancy and possibility without tipping the viewer off too early. Possibly the best single episode of television I've seen for several years, and a perfect candidate for "if you only watch one episode..."
Hated in the Nation [3-06]
Way more plot-driven than any other episode, this functions brilliantly as a procedural, and I wonder whether it could go to a spin-off series. Kelly MacDonald has the perfect balance of ordinariness and charm to pull it off. The central plot device is not that original - I can think of at least three times I've seen something similar done - but the "why" rather than the "what" is what powers the thing forward. A couple of bits of creaky, this-has-to-happen-so-it-happens plot points just tarnish it a little, but it's otherwise a very impressive piece of work.
The Entire History of You [1-03]
The first "classic" Black Mirror episode, in that it's the first to nail the combination of "ten minutes into the future" with a cynical but realistic look at the capacity for human nature to be self-defeating. Editing could be smoother in places.
White Bear [2-02]
One of the most shocking and memorable episodes, Lenora Crichlow's central performance is vital to why it works. Unlike other "shock" entries, it stands up to multiple viewings at least partly because its real theme is about how cruel we can be to someone once we've decided they don't deserve our sympathy, a theme explored in much cruder fashion lower on this list.
Nosedive [3-01]
The first Netflix season wisely opens with a "typical" Black Mirror episode, albeit one which has a touch more humour towards the end than was previously typical (given the writers of the teleplay I'm somewhat surprised it's not even funnier; there was plenty of opportunity for it to be).
Fifteen Million Merits [1-02]
Nice production design and direction help elevate perhaps the most overtly sci-fi entry. Supporting characters tend towards the cartoonish and the story as a whole is juggling a number of distinct ideas somewhat clumsily, leading to a rather weak ending, but there's great stuff buried in here.
Playtest [3-02]
This one - best described as cyberpunk meets P.T. - takes a long time to get going and has a loose, free-wheeling style which is understandable but at times frustrating, particularly towards the end. A stronger episode could have been made out of the great premise.
White Christmas [Special]
The odd decision to take three mini-ideas and string them loosely together gives this episode a difficult rhythm, at least on first watch. None of the storylines has enough space to develop, though they all show promise. It's the details that let it down. Repeat after me: people with dissociative identity disorder are much more likely to be the victims of crime than the perpetrators.
Be Right Back [2-01]
Good casting lifts a derivative and rather slow story that may be the sweetest pre-Netflix episode, but is otherwise unremarkable.
The Waldo Moment [2-03]
Like The National Anthem this says less about our relationship to technology than it needs to, though it's still an engaging watch with good characterisation. It's damaged by the ending, where what was a fairly realistic storyline suddenly becomes ridiculously far-fetched, which pushed it down from being a mid-table entry.
Shut Up And Dance [3-03]
An obvious attempt to be this season's "White Bear", this episode pales in comparison to the earlier one, partly because the twist isn't as jaw-dropping as it wants to be.
The National Anthem [1-01]
With hindsight this sticks out for not speculating about technology or indeed making technology central to its idea. It's now most famous for being a little similar to something that someone who doesn't like David Cameron much claimed without evidence he once did, much to the delight of sheeple everywhere (yes, including me). Propped up by shock value alone, there's not much reason to return to it.
Men Against Fire [3-05]
I saw the twist in this coming way, way too early and as a result the whole thing feels bloated and preachy. There are also - rare for this season - structural oddities; the video interview shown towards the end seems hugely out-of-character to say it apparently happened fairly recently - are we supposed to think it's faked? - and the final scene is just odd. Is it supposed to tell us which option he picked? I don't get it. Easily the weak link of the season.