Martin Carr Review: Black Mirror Season 6

Netflix's Black Mirror seeks to unsettle audiences with profound life lessons, poignant character pieces, and flashes of dystopian drama -- and in so doing, has become an international institution. Showrunners Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones have expanded their budget -- and ambition -- since Netflix became involved in 2015. Season 6 is a far cry from where the show began on the UK's Channel 4, when Rory Kinnear got into a spot of bother with some livestock.

Only during the COVID-19 pandemic did a discreet line get drawn under Black Mirror, as life imitated art and society went into a perceived freefall. However, armageddon failed to happen and more top-tier talent joined Black Mirror Season 6, which premiered in June 2023. But does this season featuring Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Salma Hayek (House of Gucci), Annie Murphy (American Horror Story) and Zazie Beetz (Joker) installment measure up, or is it best forgotten?

Black Mirror might not be the satire or social commentary series it once was, but neither can it be dismissed as something that is now dated, given current world events. Season 6 offers poignancy and pathos from a great writer with plenty to say, even if some episodes are stronger than others. "Beyond the Sea" and "Demon 79" are the high points of the season, while "Loch Henry" also leaves a considerable impact on the viewing audience. The other two episodes are less successful, though "Mazey Day" does pick up toward its ending.

With Black Mirror Season 7 coming to Netflix in 2025, looking back at the sixth season proves that Brooker hasn't run out of ideas yet -- and will likely get more with everything happening in society. The recognizable actors all turn in solid performances, though some are given more room to shine than others. And there are plenty of scares and thought-provoking moments to be had, which is what people expect from the show that remains TV's best anthology.

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