1. 15 Million Merits
A twisted and satirical take on entertainment shows, Daniel Kaluuya played Bing in this episode. He’s a man stuck in purgatory unless he’s able to impress a group of judges and an audience that he’s worthy. Bing manages to get 15 million merits but gives the ticket to his crush, Abi (Jessica Brown Findlay). Unfortunately, the judges aren’t too impressed with Abi’s singing but think she’s solid eye candy. So she ends up being one of the centerpieces for Wraith Babes.
Rightfully, this angers Bing, but he works extremely hard to earn another 15 million merits. Once he does, he threatens to kill himself on stage. In a weird twist of events, it turns out the judges and audience like his act, and it becomes a weekly series.
The premise of 15 Million Merits is clever in itself, but the mid-act twist was brilliant. The climax of the episode showcased a mirror (no pun intended) of our reality. Audiences eat up this sort of drama as that’s the basis of reality television overall. It was striking commentary on the entertainment business as a whole, and Kaluuya’s performance was incredible.
2. White Bear
In this episode, Victoria (Lenora Skillane) wakes up in a random neighborhood without a single recollection of her life. She rightfully asks for help, but all people seem interested in doing is filming her. Needless to say, White Bear was a roller coaster of emotions. Though it’s not quite clear who the young woman was, it’s human nature to have empathy for someone who’s clearly suffering.
However, the rug is pulled out in the finale as it’s revealed that Victoria and her fiance killed and tortured a little girl, then filmed it for fun. It was one of the best endings in Black Mirror and one that made perfect sense for the story overall. It’s a sharp commentary on how people derive joy from the suffering of others. Even more, it’s rare for television these days to pull such a 360 on a main character.
3. White Christmas
Bottom line, this one was haunting. Matt Trent (Jon Hamm) is in a snowy outpost with a man who kidnapped a child. It takes a long while, but Joe Potter (Rafe Spall) finally confesses his sins and is taken in by the law. However, all isn’t good and well for Matt, as he’s also a criminal who made a deal with the detectives.
Though he’s a free man, he’s practically shunned by society. In a nutshell, Matt is also in prison though he isn’t stuck behind bars. It could be argued that Matt’s punishment is worse than Joe Potter’s. White Christmas is a strong episode, and Hamm and Spall made an engaging pair. Their interactions felt raw and real, which further aided their performances in the gut-wrenching episode.
4. Shut Up and Dance
Shut Up and Dance is probably the most notable episode on the list for its jaw-dropping climax. Here Alex Lawther plays Kenny, a guy who’s entrapped online and forced to do various tasks to get the recording back. Black Mirror does an excellent job of giving the characters depth. So, while Kenny genuinely seems like a good guy at the beginning of the episode, there’s more to him.
It’s revealed that the footage was of him pleasuring himself to an underage photo. Needless to say, that just highlights the worse in humanity. Even more, it’s proof that criminals like Kenny can easily come across as everyday citizens.
5. Hang The DJ
Easily the happiest story on the list, Hang The DJ is actually a sweet love story about Frank and Amy (Georgina Campbell and Joe Cole). The episode represents the complications of dating in the social media age. It also highlights the insecurities humans battle when trying to connect.
Does Hang The DJ have the most shocking twist in the series? Probably not, but the series does tend to explore the darker and bleaker side of humanity. So, it wouldn’t be hard-pressed to believe that something bad was going to happen to the lovebirds. However, the ending showcased hope and optimism about love and capped off a strong episode overall. That in itself is quite shocking as far as endings in Black Mirror go.
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