Christmas came four days late this year. On December 29, Season 4 of Black Mirror lands on Netflix, with six new storylines to glue you to the TV for hours. No season has been as expansive and ambitious as this latest one, which features episodes shot with varied artistic tones, set in far-flung locations, and imbued with vastly different moods. But there's a unified takeaway from these disparate episodes: Don't let anyone place a piece of shiny, newfangled technology onto your head — it won't end well.
Each episode was written by Charlie Booker, the show's co-creator, so you know they're going to be quality. To help you choose which episode to begin with, here's the gist of each episode.
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Episode One: "USS Callister"
Cast: Jesse Plemons, Cristin Milioti, Jimmi Simpson, Michaela Coel
Directed By: Toby Haynes
Written By: Charlie Booker and William Bridges
Cast: Jesse Plemons, Cristin Milioti, Jimmi Simpson, Michaela Coel
Directed By: Toby Haynes
Written By: Charlie Booker and William Bridges
Black Mirror has gone inside our phones and inside our minds. Now, the show is setting forth into deep space. Get ready for Black Mirror's futuristic, feature-length take on Star Trek.
Episode Two: "Arkangel"
Starring: Rosemarie DeWitt, Brenna Harding, Owen Teague
Directed By: Jodie Foster
Written By: Charlie Booker
Starring: Rosemarie DeWitt, Brenna Harding, Owen Teague
Directed By: Jodie Foster
Written By: Charlie Booker
In this episode, set in America in the near future, a single mother invests in a technological procedure she believes will help keep an eye on her daughter.
Episode Three: "Hang the DJ"
Starring: Georgina Campbell, Joe Cole, George Blagden
Directed By: Tim Van Patten
Written By: Charlie Booker
Starring: Georgina Campbell, Joe Cole, George Blagden
Directed By: Tim Van Patten
Written By: Charlie Booker
Fans of the Season 3 episode "San Junipero" will love "Hang the DJ," which is about two young people navigating an advanced dating system designed to pair individuals with their one true match.
Episode Four: "Crocodile"
Starring: Andrea Riseborough, Andrew Gower,, Kiran Sonia Sawar
Directed By: John Hillcoat
Written By: Charlie Booker
Starring: Andrea Riseborough, Andrew Gower,, Kiran Sonia Sawar
Directed By: John Hillcoat
Written By: Charlie Booker
The past comes back to haunt Mia. And thanks to a new device that can access all a person's memories, she can't run away from the repercussions of her actions.
Episode Five: "Metalhead"
Starring: Maxine Peake, Jake Davies, Clint Dyer
Directed By: David Slade
Written By: Charlie Booker
Starring: Maxine Peake, Jake Davies, Clint Dyer
Directed By: David Slade
Written By: Charlie Booker
In this taut thriller of an episode, three unnamed characters set forth into an abandoned landscape that had been ravaged by a lethal creature they call "dogs." "Metalhead" is Black Mirror meets thriller meets arthouse cinema.
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Episode Six: "Black Museum"
Starring: Douglas Hodge, Letitia Wright, Babs Olusanmokun
Directed By: Colm McCarthy
Written By: Charlie Booker
Starring: Douglas Hodge, Letitia Wright, Babs Olusanmokun
Directed By: Colm McCarthy
Written By: Charlie Booker
A young woman makes a pit stop in a desolate roadside attraction, and is treated to three stories by the museum's strange owner. "Black Museum" is our first indication that Black Mirror takes place in a unified universe, so keep alert for references to technologies featured in other episodes.