Black Mirror Season 6: Every Episode Ranked Worst To Best

The show that makes you feel guilty for staring at your phone before you go to bed has finally returned after four long years. This seminal Charlie Brooker series has been leading the charge when it comes to satirising the modern world's dependence on technology for over a decade now, and its sixth season has (mostly) kept that charge going.

Black Mirror Season 6 delivers five brand-new episodes for fans of the bleak sci-fi anthology to obsess over. It comes packed with plenty of punches, including a negative look on the world of streaming (ironic considering Netflix owns it), an overabundance of recognisable celebrities and some truly ambitious concepts. But, while the season has certainly seen some highs, it has not been short of lows.

A major note to be made about Black Mirror Season 6 is the lack of speculative technology, something that has been its bread and butter since day one. This is a season that feels altogether unlike what fans have come to expect from the show, which works in some places and really doesn't in others.

So, which episodes are cleaned and polished, and which ones are cracked?

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This article will be spoiler free.

Boy howdy, that twist ending sure was... something. Unfortunately for "Mazey Day," it's a very, very easy option for the bottom position on this list.

The episode follows a paparazzi photographer -- played by Atlanta's Zazie Beetz -- who is disillusioned with her job. She jumps back onto the non-consensual photography scene after a famous starlet becomes involved in a hit-and-run and goes into hiding. The episode follows her as she tracks down the celebrity, only to uncover a shocking secret.

Nothing comes together nicely in this outing, as the overall theme of a paparazzi artist hunting down a celebrity lacks any hook. There's no focus on technology, and the twist ending is so out-of-left-field that it almost feels like a joke. That might work if the episode allowed itself to have fun, but it doesn't even come close, as it takes itself way too seriously.

Additionally, while Beetz works well in the leading role, her character's writing is muddled and confused. Her conflict over ruining people's lives through her job is only explored in bits and pieces, leaving minimal conflict for the protagonist. This makes the episode feel hollow, dull, and tonally jarring.

Overall, the episode might work as a goofy segment in a horror anthology movie, but as a Black Mirror outing, it's a sure-fire dud.