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The Independent
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Charlie Brooker reveals hidden Black Mirror references you missed in season 7
The anthology show, which started life on Channel 4 in 2011 before moving to Netflix in 2016, is now on its seventh run – and if Brooker has his way, it'll be on air for another 14 years. Speaking to The Independent about the Easter eggs featured in each episode, Brooker instructed viewers to hit 'pause' regularly as 'there's little details hidden in the captions', sarcastically adding: 'They're little jokes and gags to keep things light in such a fun and breezy watch.' Brooker also set a challenge for viewers: 'I should say, in all these episodes, there's one Easter egg prop that's in every single episode – the same thing. I'm not gonna tell you what it is.' Below, Brooker and his co-producer Jessica Rhoades have run through all the references to look out for in every new episode. Episode one: 'Common People' 'There's the Juniper lodge,' Brooker said, in reference to the hotel Amanda (Rashida Jones) and Mike (Chris O'Dowd) stay at on their anniversary. This is a reference to the Emmy-winning season three episode 'San Junipero'. While dining on their anniversary, the song 'Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)' by Irma Thomas can be heard being performed in the background. This song has recurred throughout Black Mirror, first appearing as early as season one episode '15 Million Merits', where it's sung by Jessica Brown Findlay's Abi. It also featured in season six episode 'Joan is Evil'. Series two episode 'The Waldo Moment' is also referenced in the scenes showing Mike's hurting himself for money on website Dum Dummies. One user is called I_AM_Waldo, a nod to the cartoon character-turned-politician A few scenes also reference future episodes – namely season seven's second instalment 'Bête Noire', which is set in a confectionary company named Ditta. When adverts are added to Amanda's plan, she starts reciting adverts for the company. Another scene references season seven's third episode 'Hotel Reverie', which is named after a fictional 1940s classic film that exists in the Black Mirror universe. The film is playing in a cinema that the couple walk past. Producer Jessica Rhoades added: 'I think Rashida is a little Easter egg in herself 'cause she was involved in 'Nosedive'.' Season three episode 'Nosedive' was co-written by Jones and Michael Schur. Episode Two: 'Bête Noire' 'There's a literal Easter egg in the lobby – a 'White Bear' Easter egg – but whether you actually see it, I'm not sure,' Brooker said. 'White Bear' was the second season's second episode, which aired all the way back in 2013. The reference might have stemmed from the fact that the school Maria (Siena Kelly) and Verity (Rosy McEwan) went to – Colworth Manor High – is based in the town where they filmed the episode. Barnie's Chicken – which becomes a point of contention among the episode's characters – is where Alex Lawther's character in season three episode 'Shut Up and Dance' worked. The most memorable scene in the episode shows Verity (and then Maria) glugging organic almond milk, whose brand is raiman – Raiman is the name of the main character in 'Men Against Fire', another season three episode. Of course, the episode being set in Ditta is a reference to the previous episode – and it is situated opposite Tuckersoft, which is the maker of the game that was the source of the interactive episode 'Bandersnatch'. Tuckersoft references recur throughout season seven. Episode Three: 'Hotel Reverie' When actor Brandy Friday (Issa Rae) is researching film star Dorothy Chambers (Emma Corrin), she goes on YouTube and watches videos uploaded by Pia (Myha'la) and Davis (Samuel Blenkin) – the two podcast makers from season six episode 'Loch Henry'. Videos on the sidebar also reference another season six episode – 'Demon 79'. 'We also have a Space Fleet shirt in the control room,' Brooker said, referencing the online game featured in 'USS Callister'. The shirt is worn by a technician played by Ted Lasso 's Charlie Hiscock. The Nubbin used to transport Brandy into Hotel Reverie is similar to the tech used in season one classic 'The Entire History of You', while Radio Times highlighted two blink-and-you'll-miss-it details: that Dorothy previously starred in starred in St Juniper and My Kingdom for a Pig, which is surely a reference to Rory Kinnear's prime minister in the show's very first episode, 'The National Anthem'. The former is a 'San Junipero' reference – and it's not the only one: Brandy lives in Juniper Drive. The fictional actor's version of Hotel Reverie is also made available on Streamberry, the fictional streaming service first introduced in season six instalment 'Joan is Awful'. Episode four: 'Plaything' 'Obviously the biggest one is Colin Ritman and Mo Thakur, who return from 'Bandersnatch',' Brooker said. These are the characters played by Will Poulter and Asim Chaudhry, who cameo in the episode. Poulter's Ritman is revealed to be a fan of Waldo, the controversial animated political candidate featured in season two episode 'The Waldo Moment'. Rhoades points out that 'all the posters' in the video game company Tuckersoft headquarters – itself a reference to 'Bandersnatch' – are references to past episodes, including season five's 'Striking Vipers'. Episode five: 'Eulogy' 'Eulogy has fewer Easter eggs, but there is the odd little thing,' Brooker said, pointing out that the aforementioned prop used in every episode is easiest to spot in this moving Paul Giamatti instalment. Episode six: 'USS Callister' 'USS Callister' episode within itself is an Easter egg,' Brooker said, with Rhoades chiming in: 'And there's a human Easter egg – a character from 'Demon 79' pops up in the space battle.' Brooker also pointed out that 'the character of Pixie they meet is listening to the song by Ashley O', the pop star character played by Miley Cyrus in season five's 'Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too'. The end of the episode features a bunch of references, with the show's creator stating: 'If you watch the news ticker at the very end, there's a bunch of Easter eggs in there.' He's not lying – the headlines read as follows: Hotel Reverie reboot hits Streamberry – an obvious 'Hotel Reverie' and 'Joan is Awful' reference Thronglets 2 launches to critical acclaim – a 'Plaything' reference Former UK PM Michael Callow enters Celebrity Vet School – a brilliant 'National Anthem' reference 'Mysterious Talisman' found in plane wreckage – a 'Demon 79' reference
BBC News
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Black Mirror season seven: Eulogy is the anthology's most 'heartfelt and quietly devastating' episode ever
Viewers have been "shattered" by Eulogy, an emotional new episode in the seventh season of Charlie Brooker's series, starring Paul Giamatti. Since 2011, Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones' dystopian anthology series, Black Mirror, has presented 34 stories about the dark side of technology: how computer systems and digital gadgets might distort, warp and even end life for humans. There have been the shocking, twist-filled episodes – a prime minister is forced to have intercourse with a pig on live TV to release a kidnapped princess (National Anthem); a woman chased by bounty hunters on a sadistic reality TV show is revealed to be a child-killer (White Bear) – but every so often, there's a tale that transcends the "what if technology went bad?" theme and instead manages to capture the multi-layered nuances of human existence. This gentle, more emotional side to Black Mirror has previously emerged in several fan-favourite episodes, such as San Junipero, released in 2016: a love story between two young women set in the 80s, that is later revealed to be a simulated reality where the dead and the still living can co-exist together online. Be Right Back (2013) was prescient in its explorations of AI, and how the experience of grief might lead someone to create a computer-generated version of their loved one. And themes of infidelity and sexual obsession viewed through an embedded memory "grain" were explored with devastating results in 2011's The Entire History of You, written by Succession's Jesse Armstrong. And while there's always a place for slightly silly, catastrophising predictions of the endgame of computers and the internet (Plaything and Common People in season seven are decent new examples of this), Black Mirror excels when the technology is just one part of the story, not the point of the story. The newest series appears to recognise this, and is perhaps the most heartfelt and emotional of the entire catalogue. With three of the seven episodes centred around a love story, however, it's episode five, Eulogy, which has been the standout, quietly devastating viewers on the day of its release. "Eulogy broke me in a very particular way I wasn't expecting," one viewer wrote on X, while another said it was "an utterly heartbreaking yet fantastic piece of television… just beautifully painful". Another user added: "Truly incredible from every standard possible. I've been crying for the last 5 minutes… Heartbreak can't even scrape the surface of what this has made me feel." Another was still in recovery from the viewing: "It ha[d] me sobbing. And I mean heavy, fat tears." The critics agree. Stylist's Kayleigh Dray said, "Eulogy shattered me, and I can't stop thinking about it," while Ben Rosenstock from Vulture added that it was the "most heartbreaking episode of the season". GameRant's Aayush Sharma called it "the best episode of Black Mirror Season 7... Paul Giamatti is EXCEPTIONAL", and Jake Kleinman from Huffington Post said: "It might even be the best Black Mirror episode in years." Eulogy – co-written by Brooker and Ella Road – indeed features a captivating performance from Giamatti as Phillip, an older man who is asked if he'll use a digital chip to access his memories to create a eulogy for the funeral of Carol Royce, a girlfriend who broke his heart in his 20s. The technology set-up is just one impressive strand of this episode as the special effects featured allow Phillip to "jump" into old photos, exploring the recreated scene around him. But it's the world-building outside of these merged live-action and CGI scenes that is truly affecting. Piece by piece, the story of Phillip and Carol's relationship and break-up is revealed through his old images and mementos – how it was fractured by him having an affair; the subsequent dramatic proposal he orchestrates in London; and his humiliation when she walks out on him, never to be heard from again. His resulting emotional turmoil is palpable, especially in Giamatti's powerful monologues. But with the help of an avatar "guide" (played by Patsy Ferran) in the Eulogy digital chip, Phillip discovers information that gives him a brand new perspective that could have changed the course of his and Carol's lives – but which, tragically, has come too late. More like this:• Why The White Lotus season three divided fans and critics• The must-see star-studded takedown of modern Hollywood• The Instagram wellness guru who faked cancer Brooker told Vulture that Eulogy is meant to be a companion piece to Be Right Back and The Entire History of You, and examines the blinding, subjective nature of hindsight: "We were talking about memory and photography, and how an individual's take on memory might deceive them in terms of who they feel is the villain in their life." He added to Rolling Stone: "It's somebody using technology to revisit the past and come out with a slightly different perspective and put some ghosts to rest." Brooker also revealed that the loss of his own father – and having to read the eulogy at his funeral – had made the subject even more poignant for him. Eulogy, like much of the anthology, plays with the idea of nostalgia. For Phillip, however, this nostalgia has curdled; any good memories he might have had of Carol have been mentally and physically destroyed by him, leaving him quietly seething with regret and bitterness for almost 30 years. As is almost customary for Black Mirror characters – and in life itself, perhaps – there is no neat, happy ending in Eulogy, but Phillip is given a bittersweet moment of cathartic acceptance, which is what is really resonating with viewers. As Giamatti told Rolling Stone on reading the script for Eulogy: "I was really moved by it at the end, which doesn't always happen to me." Even the most cynical of Black Mirror fans would have to agree that this might be the most heartfelt episode yet. Black Mirror season seven is available on Netflix. -- For more Culture stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Telegraph
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Black Mirror season 7: all the Easter eggs you might have missed
Black Mirror excels at delivering short-sharp shocks of technological anxiety – what if our phones had it in for us or it was only possible to live your best life in virtual reality? But along with the tart taste of 21st-century digital dread, series creator Charlie Brooker has been careful to sweeten the formula with the occasional delectable treat. These are the 'Easter eggs' discreetly tucked into the scripts and which generally refer back to previous episodes. The latest season is no different: here are some of those playful references stirred into the misanthropic mix. And yes, there will be spoilers! Common People At the start of the episode, Rashida Jones's Amanda is teaching her class about 'autonomous drone bees' – the same self-replicating artificial insects introduced in season three's Hated in the Nation. Jones, of course, wrote the script for another season three instalment, Nosedive. Later, the The Juniper lodge where Amanda and husband Mike (Chris O'Dowd) spend their anniversaries is a nod towards the series three tearjerker episode, San Junipero – though the storylines do not otherwise intersect. The couple's anniversary is soundtrack by Irma Thomas' Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand) – a favourite of Black Mirror that was sung by Jessica Brown Findlay's Abi in 15 Million Merits (season one) and which played in the background Joan is Awful from 2023. Further in, when Mike is shaming himself for cash on Dum Dummies, one of the users goading him is named I_AM_Waldo, which refers to the season two episode, The Waldo Moment, where a foul-mouthed cartoon character is elected to high office. When Amanda and Mike meet Rivermind executive Gaynor, the office for 'Skillane Legal' can be seen across the hall. The law firm featured in Joan is Awful and is named after Victoria Skillane, the protagonist in series two's White Bear. Common People also foreshadows the next episode, Bête Noire, which takes place at confectionery manufacturer Ditta – one of the businesses Amanda plugs when adverts are added to her plan. Elsewhere, the fictional silent movie Hotel Reverie – which pops up later in the season – is playing in a cinema that the couple walk past. Bête Noire Maria's (Siena Kelly) boyfriend used to work at Barnie's – a fast food chain previously referenced in White Christmas, Shut Up and Dance, Metalhead and Joan is Awful. The teacher with whom Verity (Rosy McEwen) is wrongly accused of having an affair is a 'Mr Kendrick' – might he be related to the psychologist Mr Kendrick, played by Michael Cera in 2014's White Christmas? The lobby of Ditta contains a literal 'White Bear' Easter egg – referring to the season two episode. White Bear is referenced again in the fact that Maria (Siena Kelly) and Verity went to Colworth Manor High – Colworth being the town where Channel 4 filmed White Bear. Verity's LinkedIn profile references to WayHaven Travel, the hotel chain from season three's Shut Up and Dance. In one chilling scene, Verity drains an entire carton of almond milk and then blames Maria. The brand of the milk is Raiman – the name of the main character in series three's Men Against Fire (who reveals that his family owned a farm). Oh and Ditta's HQ is opposite the offices of Tuckersoft, the video game maker which pops up in the interactive episode Bandersnatch and later in series seven. Hotel Reverie When Issa Rae's movie actress Brandy is researching silent screen star Dorothy Chambers (Emma Corrine), she goes on YouTube – where a video about Dorothy has been uploaded by 'Pia and Davis', the podcasters from 2023's Loch Henry. A sidebar video references another season six episode, Demon 79 – 'Demon 79: The Real Scary Story of a Cult Classic'. At one point we see Brandy's (Issa Rae) manager preparing for a meeting with Streamberry – Black Mirror's 'in-universe' version of Netflix, as featured in season six's Joan is Awful. There is also a shot of the manager playing the video game Balatro – not quite an Easter egg, but a game Black Mirror showrunner Charlie Brooker has described as 'the most addictive thing ever created'. When Kimmy (Awkafina) and Judith (Harriet Walter) discuss rebooting Hotel Reverie, the posters in the background reference The White Bear and Haven Green, which was the working title of this season's Black Mirror. Brandy's address in Hollywood is Junipero Drive – another San Junipero nudge. Later, a computer programme Jack (Ted Lasso's Charlie Hiscock), wears a Space Fleet shirt – a call back to the Black Mirror universe's version of Star Trek. There is also a reference to previous Dorothy Chambers classics – St Juniper (San Junipero again) and My Kingdom for a Pig, a wink towards the notorious first ever Black Mirror, The National Anthem, where Rory Kinnear plays a Prime Minister forced to do something rude with a farmyard animal on national television. Plaything The entire episode is a call back to 2018's interactive special, Bandersnatch – albeit with updated references to early 1990s PC and Amiga gaming, rather than the ZX Spectrum/Dragon 32 universe of the earlier episode. At one point, Will Poulter's Colin Ritman is revealed to have gone crazy and started 'ranting about a Basilisk' – potentially a reference to the 'Roko's Basilisk' thought experiment, which some Black Mirror fans believe Brooker winked at in season four's Black Museum, where the protagonist is named Rolo (you could argue that 'Roko' is an amalgam of 'Brooker' and 'Rolo'). As for Roko's Basilisk – it is a wacky hypothesis which bubbled within internet discussion forums, which argues that a super intelligent computer in the far future might travel back in time to 'punish' people who knew that it could be built but who didn't actively contribute towards its creation. Sounds like a Black Mirror elevator pitch. In Ritman's office there is a framed picture of Waldo – the evil cartoon bear from The Waldo Incident. And we learn that Tuckersoft is working on Striking Vipers II – a reference to the video game in Striking Vipers. Eulogy Paul Giamatti's character is able to 'enter' old photographs by applying an 'experiencer disk' – the same super-advanced VR tech that previously featured in San Junipero, USS Callister and Striking Vipers. The AI he encounters, and which is based on his old girlfriend's daughter, resembles a 'cookie' – the digitally-replicated consciousness of a person who featured in White Christmas (though it is not referred to as such). USS Callister: Into Infinity When Nanette (Cristin Milioti) arrives at the virtual basement of incel mega-villain Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons), we see a video game box with the logo of SaitoGemu – the tech company that featured in series three's Playtest. There is also a reference to Miley Cyrus' pop star Ashley O, from Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too, when we hear gamer Pixie (Iolanthe) listening to one of her songs. Robert (Jesse Plemons) offers Nanette (Cristin Milioti) a box of chocolate milk made by Raiman - the food company also mentioned in Men Against Fire. Demon 79's Anjana Vasan and Paapa Essiedu are among the gamers attempt to destroy the USS Callister. Later, a news bulletin has the logo of USN – Black Mirror's version of CNN or Sky News. And when the 'real' Nanette is knocked down she is taken to St Juniper Hospital – yet another San Junipero reference (don't you think that's more than enough for the time being, Netflix?). The news ticker at the end contains several callbacks to season seven. 'Hotel Reverie reboot hits Streamberry' – is a hat tip to Hotel Reverie and Joan is Awful. 'Thronglets 2 launches to critical acclaim' is about the video game from Plaything and 'Rivermind CTO stands down' has to do with the wicked medical corporation in Common People. The National Anthem also surfaces again – 'Former UK PM Michael Callow enters Celebrity Vet School' is about the pig-fancying PM from series one. Finally, 'Mysterious talisman found in plane wreckage' is a call-back to Demon 79. Black Mirror season 7 is on Netflix now
The Independent
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Black Mirror season 7: Charlie Brooker runs through every Easter egg
Black Mirror is back and writer Charlie Brooker is at it again – every new episode is a treasure trove filled to the brim with references to past instalments The anthology show, which started life on Channel 4 in 2011 before moving to Netflix in 2016, is now on its seventh run – and if Brooker has his way, it'll be on air for another 14 years. Speaking to The Independent about the Easter eggs featured in each episode, Brooker instructed viewers to hit 'pause' regularly as 'there's little details hidden in the captions', sarcastically adding: 'They're little jokes and gags to keep things light in such a fun and breezy watch.' Brooker also set a challenge for viewers: 'I should say, in all these episodes, there's one Easter egg prop that's in every single episode – the same thing. I'm not gonna tell you what it is.' Below, Brooker and his co-producer Jessica Rhoades have run through all the references to look out for in every new episode. Episode one: 'Common People' 'There's the Juniper lodge,' Brooker said, in reference to the hotel Amanda (Rashida Jones) and Mike (Chris O'Dowd) stay at on their anniversary. This is a reference to the Emmy-winning season three episode 'San Junipero'. While dining on their anniversary, the song 'Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)' by Irma Thomas can be heard being performed in the background. This song has recurred throughout Black Mirror, first appearing as early as season one episode '15 Million Merits', where it's sung by Jessica Brown Findlay's Abi. It also featured in season six episode 'Joan is Evil'. Series two episode 'The Waldo Moment' is also referenced in the scenes showing Mike's hurting himself for money on website Dum Dummies. One user is called I_AM_Waldo, a nod to the cartoon character-turned-politician A few scenes also reference future episodes – namely season seven's second instalment 'Bête Noire', which is set in a confectionary company named Ditta. When adverts are added to Amanda's plan, she starts reciting adverts for the company. Another scene references season seven's third episode 'Hotel Reverie', which is named after a fictional 1940s classic film that exists in the Black Mirror universe. The film is playing in a cinema that the couple walk past. Producer Jessica Rhoades added: 'I think Rashida is a little Easter egg in herself 'cause she was involved in 'Nosedive'.' Season three episode 'Nosedive' was co-written by Jones and Michael Schur. Episode Two: 'Bête Noire' 'There's a literal Easter egg in the lobby – a 'White Bear' Easter egg – but whether you actually see it, I'm not sure,' Brooker said. 'White Bear' was the second season's second episode, which aired all the way back in 2013. The reference might have stemmed from the fact that the school Maria (Siena Kelly) and Verity (Rosy McEwan) went to – Colworth Manor High – is based in the town where they filmed the episode. Barnie's Chicken – which becomes a point of contention among the episode's characters – is where Alex Lawther's character in season three episode 'Shut Up and Dance' worked. The most memorable scene in the episode shows Verity (and then Maria) glugging organic almond milk, whose brand is raiman – Raiman is the name of the main character in 'Men Against Fire', another season three episode. Of course, the episode being set in Ditta is a reference to the previous episode – and it is situated opposite Tuckersoft, which is the maker of the game that was the source of the interactive episode 'Bandersnatch'. Tuckersoft references recur throughout season seven. Episode Three: 'Hotel Reverie' When actor Brandy Friday (Issa Rae) is researching film star Dorothy Chambers (Emma Corrin), she goes on YouTube and watches videos uploaded by Pia (Myha'la) and Davis (Samuel Blenkin) – the two podcast makers from season six episode 'Loch Henry'. Videos on the sidebar also reference another season six episode – 'Demon 79'. 'We also have a Space Fleet shirt in the control room,' Brooker said, referencing the online game featured in 'USS Callister'. The shirt is worn by a technician played by Ted Lasso 's Charlie Hiscock. The Nubbin used to transport Brandy into Hotel Reverie is similar to the tech used in season one classic 'The Entire History of You', while Radio Times highlighted two blink-and-you'll-miss-it details: that Dorothy previously starred in starred in St Juniper and My Kingdom for a Pig, which is surely a reference to Rory Kinnear's prime minister in the show's very first episode, 'The National Anthem'. The former is a 'San Junipero' reference – and it's not the only one: Brandy lives in Juniper Drive. The fictional actor's version of Hotel Reverie is also made available on Streamberry, the fictional streaming service first introduced in season six instalment 'Joan is Awful'. Episode four: 'Plaything' 'Obviously the biggest one is Colin Ritman and Mo Thakur, who return from 'Bandersnatch',' Brooker said. These are the characters played by Will Poulter and Asim Chaudhry, who cameo in the episode. Poulter's Ritman is revealed to be a fan of Waldo, the controversial animated political candidate featured in season two episode 'The Waldo Moment'. Rhoades points out that 'all the posters' in the video game company Tuckersoft headquarters – itself a reference to 'Bandersnatch' – are references to past episodes, including season five's 'Striking Vipers'. Episode five: 'Eulogy' 'Eulogy has fewer Easter eggs, but there is the odd little thing,' Brooker said, pointing out that the aforementioned prop used in every episode is easiest to spot in this moving Paul Giamatti instalment. Episode six: 'USS Callister' 'USS Callister' episode within itself is an Easter egg,' Brooker said, with Rhoades chiming in: 'And there's a human Easter egg – a character from 'Demon 79' pops up in the space battle.' Brooker also pointed out that 'the character of Pixie they meet is listening to the song by Ashley O', the pop star character played by Miley Cyrus in season five's 'Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too'. The end of the episode features a bunch of references, with the show's creator stating: 'If you watch the news ticker at the very end, there's a bunch of Easter eggs in there.' He's not lying – the headlines read as follows: Hotel Reverie reboot hits Streamberry – an obvious 'Hotel Reverie' and 'Joan is Awful' reference Thronglets 2 launches to critical acclaim – a 'Plaything' reference Former UK PM Michael Callow enters Celebrity Vet School – a brilliant 'National Anthem' reference 'Mysterious Talisman' found in plane wreckage – a 'Demon 79' reference
