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Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
All 34 ‘Black Mirror' episodes ranked, including ‘USS Callister: Into Infinity' and ‘Eulogy'
Every new season of Black Mirror launches a feverish debate over which episode was the best. Emmy voters gave three consecutive Best TV Movie awards to "San Junipero" (2017), "USS Callister" (2018), and "Bandersnatch" (2019), but how does the entire fandom rate the best and worst installments? We've consulted the cumulative IMDb scores for all seasons and have come up with the definitive ranking of Black Mirror episodes. Can you guess the No. 1 choice? Season 7 was released in April 2025 and brought the total number of episodes and specials to 34. Created by Charlie Brooker, the sci-fi anthology series began on the U.K.'s Channel 4 in 2011 before moving to Netflix (and becoming a worldwide phenomenon) in 2016. The show took a four-year break after Season 5, thanks in part to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, but that just gave people even more time to relive their favorite episodes from the beginning. More from GoldDerby 'Abbott Elementary' bosses on subverting finale expectations, 'the season of Ava,' and their dream crossover Bleepin' Seth Rogen joins club of stars who went rogue at award shows Kit Connor, Jake Gyllenhaal, Denzel Washington could make Tonys history for 'Othello' and 'Romeo + Juliet' SEE'Black Mirror' star Jimmi Simpson on the importance of the 'USS Callister' sequel How do the six new episodes from Season 7 — "Common People," "Bête Noire," "Hotel Reverie," "Plaything," "Eulogy," and "USS Callister: Into Infinity" — compare to all of the installments that have come before? Scroll through our gallery below. Here are the Black Mirror episodes ranked, from worst to best: Netflix Season 6, Episode 4 Air date: June 15, 2023 Director: Uta Briesewitz Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Zazie Beetz, Clara Rugaard, Danny Ramirez Plot: A troubled starlet is dogged by invasive paparazzi while dealing with the consequences of a hit-and-run incident. Netflix Season 5, Episode 3 Air date: June 5, 2019 Director: Anne Sewitsky Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Miley Cyrus, Angourie Rice, Madison Davenport Plot: A lonely teenager yearns to connect with her favorite pop star - whose charmed existence isn't quite as rosy as it appears. Netflix Season 2, Episode 3 Air date: Feb. 25, 2013 Director: Bryn Higgins Writer: Charlie Brooker, Christopher Morris Starring: Daniel Rigby, Chloe Pirrie, Jason Flemyng Plot: A failed comedian who voices a popular cartoon bear named Waldo finds himself mixing in politics when TV executives want Waldo to run for office. Netflix Season 4, Episode 5 Air date: Dec. 29, 2017 Director: David Slade Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Maxine Peake, Jake Davies, Clint Dyer Plot: In the post-apocalyptic landscape of the Scottish Moors, a woman attempts to survive the land full of "dogs." Netflix Season 6, Episode 5 Air date: June 15, 2023 Director: Toby Haynes Writer: Charlie Brooker, Bisha K. Ali Starring: Anjana Vasan, Paapa Essiedu, Katherine Rose Morley Plot: Northern England, 1979. A meek sales assistant is told she must commit terrible acts to prevent a disaster. Netflix Season 5, Episode 1 Air date: June 5, 2019 Director: Owen Harris Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Anthony Mackie, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Beharie Plot: Two estranged college friends reunite in later life, triggering a series of events that could alter their lives forever. Netflix Season 7, Episode 3 Air date: April 10, 2025 Director: Haolu Wang Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Issa Rae, Awkwafina, Emma Corrin, Harriet Walter, Enzo Cilenti Plot: A high-tech, unusually immersive remake of a vintage British film sends Hollywood A-list star Brandy Friday into another dimension, where she must stick to the script if she ever wants to make it home. Stuart Hendry/Netflix Special (between Seasons 4 and 5) Air date: Dec. 28, 2018 Director: David Slade Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Craig Parkinson, Alice Lowe, Asim Chaudhry, Will Poulter Plot: A young programmer starts to question reality when he adapts a mad writer's fantasy novel into a video game. Netflix Season 7, Episode 2 Air date: April 10, 2025 Director: Toby Haynes Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Siena Kelly, Rosy McEwen, Michael Workéyè, Ben Bailey Smith, Amber Grappy, Ravi Aujla, Elena Sanz, Hanna Griffiths Plot: Confectionary whizz kid Maria is unnerved when her former schoolmate Verity joins the company she works at - because there's something altogether odd about Verity, something only Maria seems to notice. Netflix Season 7, Episode 4 Air date: April 10, 2025 Director: David Slade Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Peter Capaldi, Lewis Gribben, James Nelson-Joyce, Michele Austin, Asim Chaudhry, Will Poulter Plot: In a near-future London, an eccentric murder suspect is linked to an unusual video game from the 1990s - a game populated by cute, evolving artificial lifeforms. Netflix Season 4, Episode 2 Air date: Dec. 29, 2017 Director: Jodie Foster Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Rosemarie DeWitt, Brenna Harding, Owen Teague Plot: After nearly losing her daughter, a mother invests in a new technology that allows her to keep track of her. Netflix Season 4, Episode 3 Air date: Dec. 29, 2017 Director: John Hillcoat Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Andrea Riseborough, Kiran Sonia Sawar, Andrew Gower Plot: An insurance agent investigates a minor traffic incident using a device that manifests peoples' memories, but one of her witnesses has something to hide. Netflix Season 6, Episode 2 Air date: June 15, 2023 Director: Sam Miller Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Samuel Blenkin, Myha'la Herrold, Daniel Portman Plot: A young couple travel to a sleepy Scottish town to start work on a genteel nature documentary - but find themselves drawn to a juicy local story involving shocking events of the past. Netflix Season 6, Episode 1 Air date: June 15, 2023 Director: Ally Pankiw Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Annie Murphy, Salma Hayek, Michael Cera Plot: An average woman is stunned to discover a global streaming platform has launched a prestige TV drama adaptation of her life - in which she is portrayed by Hollywood A-lister Salma Hayek. Netflix Season 6, Episode 3 Air date: June 15, 2023 Director: John Crowley Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, Kate Mara Plot: In an alternative 1969, two men on a perilous high-tech mission wrestle with the consequences of an unimaginable tragedy. Netflix Season 3, Episode 5 Air date: Oct. 21, 2016 Director: Jakob Verbruggen Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Malachi Kirby, Madeline Brewer, Ariane Labed Plot: Future soldiers Stripe and Raiman must protect frightened villagers from an infestation of vicious feral mutants. Netflix Season 5, Episode 2 Air date: June 5, 2019 Director: James Hawes Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Andrew Scott, Damson Idris, Topher Grace Plot: A cab driver with an agenda becomes the center of attention on a day that rapidly spirals out of control. Netflix Season 1, Episode 1 Air date: Dec. 4, 2011 Director: Otto Bathurst Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Rory Kinnear, Lindsay Duncan, Donald Sumpter Plot: Prime Minister Michael Callow faces a shocking dilemma when Princess Susannah, a much-loved member of the Royal Family, is kidnapped. Netflix Season 2, Episode 1 Air date: Feb. 11, 2013 Director: Owen Harris Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Hayley Atwell, Domhnall Gleeson, Claire Keelan Plot: After learning about a new service that lets people stay in touch with the deceased, a lonely, grieving Martha reconnects with her late lover. Netflix Season 1, Episode 2 Air date: Dec. 11, 2011 Director: Euros Lyn Writers: Charlie Brooker, Konnie Huq Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Jessica Brown Findlay, Rupert Everett Plot: In a world where people's lives consist of riding exercise bikes to gain credits, Bing tries to help a woman get on to a singing competition show. Netflix Season 2, Episode 2 Air date: Feb. 18, 2013 Director: Carl Tibbetts Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Lenora Crichlow, Michael Smiley, Tuppence Middleton Plot: Victoria wakes up and cannot remember anything about her life. Everyone she encounters refuses to communicate with her, and they all seem to know something she doesn't. But what? Netflix Season 3, Episode 2 Air date: Oct. 21, 2016 Director: Dan Trachtenberg Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Wunmi Mosaku Plot: An American traveler short on cash signs up to test a revolutionary new gaming system, but soon can't tell where the hot game ends and reality begins. Netflix Season 7, Episode 1 Air date: April 10, 2025 Director: Ally Pankiw Teleplay by : Charlie Brooker; Story by : Charlie Brooker & Bisha K. Ali Starring: Rashida Jones, Chris O'Dowd, Tracee Ellis Ross Plot: When a medical emergency leaves schoolteacher Amanda fighting for her life, her desperate husband Mike signs her up for Rivermind, a high-tech system that will keep her alive. Netflix Season 7, Episode 5 Air date: April 10, 2025 Director: Chris Barrett & Luke Taylor Writer: Charlie Brooker & Ella Road Starring: Paul Giamatti, Patsy Ferran Plot: An isolated man is introduced to a groundbreaking system that allows its users to literally step inside old photographs - stirring powerful emotions in the process. Netflix Season 3, Episode 1 Air date: Oct. 21, 2016 Director: Joe Wright Writer: Rashida Jones, Michael Schur, Charlie Booker Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Alice Eve, Cherry Jones Plot: A woman desperate to boost her social media score hits the jackpot when she's invited to a swanky wedding, but the trip doesn't go as planned. Netflix Season 4, Episode 1 Air date: Dec. 29, 2017 Director: Toby Haynes Writer: Charlie Brooker, William Bridges Starring: Jesse Plemons, Cristin Milioti, Jimmi Simpson Plot: Capt. Robert Daly presides over his crew with wisdom and courage. But a new recruit will soon discover nothing on this spaceship is what it seems. Netflix Season 7, Episode 6 Air date: April 10, 2025 Director: Toby Haynes Writer: Charlie Brooker, Bisha K. Ali, William Bridges & Bekka Bowling Starring: Cristin Milioti, Jimmi Simpson, Billy Magnussen, Milanka Brooks, Osy Ikhile, Paul G. Raymond Plot: Robert Daly is dead, but now the crew of the USS Callister - led by Captain Nanette Cole - are stranded in an infinite virtual universe, fighting for survival against 30 million players. Netflix Season 3, Episode 3 Air date: Oct. 21, 2016 Director: James Watkins Writer: William Bridges, Charlie Brooker Starring: Alex Lawther, Jerome Flynn, Susannah Doyle Plot: When withdrawn Kenny stumbles headlong into an online trap, he is quickly forced into an uneasy alliance with shifty Hector, both at the mercy of persons unknown. Netflix Season 3, Episode 6 Air date: Oct. 21, 2016 Director: James Hawes Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Kelly Macdonald, Faye Marsay, Benedict Wong Plot: In near-future London, police detective Karin Parke and her tech-savvy sidekick Blue investigate a string of mysterious deaths with a sinister link to social media. Netflix Season 1, Episode 3 Air date: Dec. 18, 2011 Director: Brian Welsh Writers: Jesse Armstrong, Charlie Brooker Starring: Toby Kebbell, Jodie Whittaker, Tom Cullen Plot: In the near future, everyone has access to a memory implant that records everything they do, see and hear. You need never forget a face again - but is that always a good thing? Netflix Season 3, Episode 4 Air date: Oct. 21, 2016 Director: Owen Harris Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mackenzie Davis, Denise Burse Plot: When Yorkie and Kelly visit San Junipero, a fun-loving beach town full of surf, sun and sex, their lives are changed totally. Netflix Season 4, Episode 6 Air date: Dec. 29, 2017 Director: Colm McCarthy Writer: Charlie Brooker, Penn Jillette Starring: Douglas Hodge, Letitia Wright, Daniel Lapaine Plot: A woman enters the Black Museum, where the proprietor tells his stories relating to the artifacts. Netflix Season 4, Episode 4 Air date: Dec. 29, 2017 Director: Timothy Van Patten Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Georgina Campbell, Joe Cole, Gina Bramhill Plot: Paired up by a dating program that puts an expiration date on all relationships, Frank and Amy soon begin to question the system's logic. Netflix Special (between Seasons 2 and 3) Air date: Dec. 16, 2014 Director: Carl Tibbetts Writer: Charlie Brooker Starring: Jon Hamm, Rafe Spall, Oona Chaplin Plot: Three interconnected tales of technology run amok during the Christmas season are told by two men at a remote outpost in a frozen wilderness. SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Launch Gallery: 'Black Mirror' episodes ranked by fans (updated) Best of GoldDerby 'Paradise' star Julianne Nicholson on the ruthless Sinatra: 'I love that she's an evil genius, but she's not just an evil genius' 'I felt so proud of myself': 'Monsters' star Cooper Koch on awards buzz, filming 'The Hurt Man' episode, and advocating for the Menendez brothers 'Say Nothing' star Lola Petticrew on the 'gray areas' of playing an IRA member: 'I had to leave all moral judgment at the door' Click here to read the full article.
BreakingNews.ie
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Review: Black Mirror back to its best in season 7
* Warning: There are spoilers in this article if you have not seen Black Mirror season seven * Black Mirror returns to its brilliant best in season seven with themes such as the dangers of AI, irresponsible billionaires and forbidden romance prevalent. The genius of Charlie Brooker's storytelling is that so many episodes of Black Mirror feel all too real in the modern world, and things like the healthcare story in episode one 'Common People', seem eerily possible. Advertisement Rashida Jones and Chris O'Dowd star as a couple who are faced with a devastating medical diagnosis. Without the means for the best care available, they turn to a high-tech subscription service that initially works miracles, but turns out to have a sinister edge. 'Bête Noire' is a fast-paced episode that feels like a pyschological thriller. Maria (Siena Kelly) appears to have a very full life, and works in her dream job. However, an old classmate ( Rosy McEwen) suddenly arrives in her workplace and has her questioning her sanity, and reality. Advertisement Episode three, ' Hotel Reverie', was our favourite from season seven. It has more than a few similarities with San Junipero, one of the best Black Mirror offerings to date, and expect a few easter eggs. Issa Rae plays Brandy Friday, a high profile Hollywood star who has become frustrated with her career. She can hardly believe her luck when she is invited to star in a remake of her favourite vintage film. Advertisement It is being reproduced by a cutting edge technology company, and Brandy soon realises it won't be like any film she has worked on before. Transported into an AI-designed universe, her co-stars are AIs. A replication of Ingrid Bergman (Emma Corrin) is more human than it initially seems, with big consequences. 'Plaything' features a character we've previously seen, eccentric video game developer Colin Ritman (Will Poulter). Advertisement One of his new creations is more rooted in reality than behind the screen, and it drives Cameron Walker (Peter Capaldi) crazy.. or does it? 'Eulogy' is a closs second to Hotel Reverie in our ranking, and Phillip (Paul Giamatti) plays a man haunted by his memories. When he is asked to look back on the love of his life with a virtual assistant, Phillip gets far more than he bargained for. Giamatti's performance is powerful. 'USS Callister: Into Infinity' is a sequel episode. It is well saved as the sixth episode and might as well be a film of its own. The effects and story are visually stunning. It boasts an ensemble cast including Cristin Millioti (who plays Nanette Cole), Jimmi Simpson (as James Walton), and Jesse Plemons (as Roberty Daly). Brooker's dystopian anthology series has provided again, and viewers will be hoping for a season eight.
Identity
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Identity
Ahead of Season 7: Top-Ranked Black Mirror Episodes to Rewatch
If you're into mind games, thrillers, and stories that keep you on the edge of your seat—with twists you never see coming—chances are you're already a Black Mirror fan. Since its debut in 2011, this sci-fi anthology has built a cult following for its bold, thought-provoking, and sometimes chilling takes on technology and society. Over six seasons, it's delivered unforgettable episodes that are equal parts entertaining and disturbing in the best way. Now, with Season 7 officially out and starting to make the rounds, some fans feel it hasn't created the same buzz as earlier seasons, but we think it's just a matter of time before everyone catches up and dives in. So, what better moment to revisit some of the most iconic episodes that defined Black Mirror? Whether you're new to the series or looking to rewatch the best of the best, this list is for you. Swipe to see the top picks, and tell us in the comments: which episode is your all-time favorite? The Entire History of You – Season 1 Episode 3 White Christmas – Season 2 Episode 4 San Junipero – Season 3 Episode 4 Metalhead – Season 4 Episode 5 Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too – Season 5 Episode 3 Beyond The Sea – Season 6 Episode 3
Forbes
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Black Mirror' Season 7: ‘Hotel Reverie' Is Reminiscent Of A Favorite Episode
Former journalist-turned-TV writer Charlie Brooker has gained a cult following with his Netflix sci-fi anthology series, Black Mirror, as viewers worldwide discuss and analyze each episode when new seasons air. Since its April 10 premiere, the six-episode seventh season has had more than seven million views. The new season of Black Mirror made the Top 10, landing at No. 4 on the English TV list. Additionally, the new season has entered the Top 10 in 71 countries. For gamers, the episodes were launched alongside a mobile video game that they can download and play while binge-watching. Awkwafina in 'Black Mirror' on Netflix. Photo Courtesy of Netflix. The new episodes have had the usual online buzz, with one being compared to a past favorite. The episode 'Hotel Reverie' stands out this season with its bittersweet message of love, how it can be found unexpectedly, and how nothing can destroy it if it's real. This story is reminiscent of season three's 'San Junipero,' about two women who find true love in a simulated afterlife. In both stories, love prevails in Brooker's dark landscape. Each of these tales are, at their core, love stories. The happy-ish ending in 'Hotel Reverie' is a departure for Brooker; his twisted tales rarely end on a high note. In separate sit-down interviews, Awkwafina and Issa Rae confirmed they were both huge fans of Brooker's writing before signing on. 'The human condition is so fully realized,' said Awkwafina. Of this episode, she added, 'Charlie's stories open up worlds that haven't been traveled before. Time and space cannot stop a connection, and that's the ultimate love story. There's something beautiful about it.' In 'Hotel Reverie,' Rae portrays modern-day Hollywood star Brandy Friday, who is frustrated with being typecast. She believes her luck is changing when she discovers that a favorite vintage romantic film from long ago is getting a remake when Keyworth Pictures studio head Judith Keyworth (Harriet Walter) is approached by Kimmy (Awkwafina) to remake her classic film 'Hotel Reverie' with the new Redream software. Brandy has the idea of gender-swapping the male lead, Alex Palmer, and taking on that role. When offered the part, she signs on without realizing this technology inserts modern stars into classic films for interactive remakes. Things quickly go awry as Brandy enters the immersive, AI-generated version of the movie. She finds love with the film's original star, Dorothy Chambers (Emma Corrin), and when she misses a cue, she creates a major plot hole in the story. Trapped in this otherworld, the only way out is to keep the story moving forward until the end credits roll. Then, an engineer working on the film spills his coffee on a computer server, knocking Redream offline with Brandy trapped inside. In real life, the program is up and running within minutes, but in the simulated reality, months have gone by, and the two women have fallen in love. 'This is about how love can exist outside of this realm, outside of this space,' explained Rae. 'Time and space can't stop this connection. It was bittersweet at the end because there was a real love there that can't exist in her reality, and that hurt me, despite the ending.' The episode ends with Brandy and Dorothy, who live in different eras, having an opportunity to connect in this parallel dimension of time. 'I thought it was a beautiful episode. It's interesting because I feel like the themes of Black Mirror coincide with technology gone awry, but there's always this human element with it. The answer behind the Black Mirror is that it's up to us how we use this technology. I think that's the point of this series,' Rae added. Rae connected to and understood her character immediately. 'She desired to take agency over her career and to be seen outside of this box that the industry was putting her in. She felt very lonely to me, and so it felt like it was completely possible that she would enter this world and open herself up to fall in love. I was just drawn to this element of the character, and also how scary this technology would be if it existed.' Awkwafina described this story as a warning against the misuse of ever-evolving advances in technology. 'That's the scary thing about AI. It's so integrated into what we do in our lives, and we don't know what it can do. Every episode of this show serves as a cautionary tale. When you have people peddling technology and they don't know the bounds of it, then I think we're all screwed.'
USA Today
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
The 5 best 'Black Mirror' episodes, ranked (including 'U.S.S. Callister')
The 5 best 'Black Mirror' episodes, ranked (including 'U.S.S. Callister') Show Caption Hide Caption 'Black Mirror': Paul Giamatti, Issa Rae headline new Netflix episodes A look at the six new episodes in Season 7 of the Netflix sci-fi anthology series "Black Mirror," featuring Paul Giamatti, Issa Rae and Rashida Jones. Are you ready to stare into the "Black Mirror" again? Netflix's dark and cynical sci-fi anthology series, all about the dangers of technology, returns for a seventh season (now streaming) to warn us to get the heck off our phones and turn off all those A.I. chatbots for our own safety. The new season has the series' first sequel episode, a tragedy tied up with those oh-so-familiar subscription fees and a sentimental hour featuring none other than Paul Giamatti. But do any of the new episodes rank among the series' very best? Since 2011, "Mirror" has offered 34 usually depressing stories designed to make us take a hard look at our digital future. And while most have been thought-provoking and striking, a handful stand out far above the rest. In honor of the seventh season's debut, we ranked the five best "Mirror" episodes of all time. Don't worry, "U.S.S. Callister" and "San Junipero" are still on the list. But some of the others may surprise you. 5. 'Metalhead' (Season 4, 2017) Most episodes of "Mirror" are extremely psychological, intimate and intellectual. "Metalhead" is all of those things, but also a rip-roaring piece of physical horror, a jump-scare bonanza that will leave you chilled even in the moments you don't have to think too much. Filmed in a stark black-and-white palette and set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by insatiably violent robot "dogs," "Metalhead" is one of the most thrilling and tense episodes of the series. That it still manages a heart-wrenching twist in its final moments only speaks to the maturity and depth of the writing. 4. 'The Entire History of You' (Season 1, 2011) One of the few "Mirror" episodes penned by someone other than creator Charlie Brooker (a pre-"Succession" Jesse Armstrong), "History" represents everything that "Mirror" does best, the Platonic ideal of the anthology series. In a world in which people have implants that allow themselves to rewatch their memories like episodes of a TV show, a couple (Toby Kebbell and Jodie Whittaker) is rocked by jealousy and distrust. The overarching theme of "Mirror" (technology is scary and bad) is illustrated by the eerie and intrusive memory recorders, but the sci-fi element only serves to amplify the flaws of the characters. The episode is fundamentally a story about relationships, good and ill. 3. 'San Junipero' (Season 3, 2016) Romantic, gratifying but also deeply tragic, this retro-futuristic episode starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Mackenzie Davis is Emmy-winning and beloved by fans for a reason. It is a deeply resonant love story with a technological twist: Two women meet and fall in love in a digital afterlife designed with our nostalgia-obsessed culture in mind, except one of them isn't looking to make her stay eternal. You might call it a happy ending when Mbatha-Raw's Kelly chooses the virtual heaven instead of a natural death so she can stay with Davis' Yorkie. But when the camera cuts to the stark, gray, electronic servers that contain the entirety of their world, their fate is also revealed to be deeply sad. Their afterlives and love is virtual, ephemeral and fragile, tied to the fallibility of human technology. How long could their "forever" end up lasting? 2. 'U.S.S. Callister' (Season 4, 2017) The only "Mirror" episode ever to get a direct sequel (Season 7's new "U.S.S. Callister: Into Infinity," now streaming), "Callister" is perhaps the most culturally relevant and insightful installment of a series that is built on those qualities. A lonely and deeply cruel programmer creates sentient digital clones of all the people in his office he perceives to have wronged him, so he can torture them inside a "Star Trek"-like video game. An apt "Trek" parody, meditation on fandom and toxic masculinity and acting showcase for stars Cristin Milioti and Jesse Plemons wrapped up in one, the episode fires on all phasers, as its space-faring characters might say. This season's sequel is a fun continuation with returning stars, but it doesn't match the depth of the original. 1. 'Be Right Back' (Season 2, 2013) Harrowing is the only word to describe this devastating episode, a cruel and heart-rending version of the "be careful what you wish for" story. Hayley Atwell stars as a woman whose boyfriend (Domhnall Gleeson) dies in a tragic accident, and amid her inescapable grief tries a service that digitally recreates her love based on his online presence. What starts out as essentially a ghost chatbot turns into a full-blown android, but Atwell's character quickly discovers that this construct can never be anything more than a facsimile. She cannot recreate the man or the love she shares, and she suffers all the more for having tried. Atwell's performance is an undeniable force, making the story all the more wrenching and affecting.
