Black Mirror: Ranking Every Episode From Worst To Best

9. USS Callister

USS Callister Black Mirror
Netflix

Commonly referred to as 'the Star Trek episode', USS Callister sees a frustrated co-founder of a successful online game trapping clones of his colleagues inside a version themed after his favourite TV show, embarking on Trek-esque escapades with him as the hero figure.

With its bright colours, cinematic scope, and overt use of comedy, USS Callister stands out as being different from the majority of Black Mirror episodes, but there's also much more to it than its homages.

Underneath all that is a meaty story that tackles a range of important and relevant topics, such as workplace harassment, toxic masculinity, and Gamergate. The sci-fi tropes are then used and deconstructed in order to deliver the story and its messaging, rather than simply being for show, resulting in this being an episode as terrifying as it is humorous.

[JH]

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Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.

Contributor

Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.