Black Mirror season 7 episodes ranked from worst to best: a return to tech-driven storytelling

Black Mirror season 7 revives near-future tech tales with standout performances and genre-blending narratives.

Black Mirror season 7, now streaming on Netflix, marks a strong return to form for creator Charlie Brooker’s dystopian sci-fi anthology.

This latest season blends classic near-future tech themes with emotional depth and genre variety, delivering six new episodes that explore memory, identity, AI, and societal change.

Topping the list is “Hotel Reverie” (Episode 3), a cinematic masterpiece set in Hollywood, where AI is used to revive an old film with a new star. Issa Rae leads with nuance in what many critics call the best Black Mirror episode since Season 4’s “San Junipero.”

“Common People” (Episode 1) follows closely, with Rashida Jones and Chris O’Dowd portraying a couple navigating a healthcare-tech nightmare via an experimental AI brain implant. The story skewers subscription culture and inequality with unsettling realism.

The season closes with “USS Callister: Into Infinity” (Episode 6), a much-anticipated sequel to the fan-favorite space odyssey. While a bit overloaded with plot, the episode reunites the original cast and delivers biting commentary on toxic gaming culture.

Mid-tier entries include “Bête Noire” (Episode 2), a slow-burning psychological thriller about memory manipulation and past trauma, and “Eulogy” (Episode 5), where Paul Giamatti shines in a story about grief and distorted recollections.

At the bottom is “Plaything” (Episode 4), a retro-futuristic mystery with intriguing ideas but a lackluster payoff involving digital creatures called Thronglets.

Overall, Black Mirror season 7 showcases Brooker’s evolving vision—less focused on tech terror, more interested in the human condition behind the screen. It’s a thought-provoking mix of satire, heart, and horror.