Hey folks, Jesse here and it’s time to talk about everyone’s favorite sucker punch to the gut Black Mirror. Now I know a sucker punch is not an ideal form of receiving your entertainment. Nevertheless, fans of the Netflix anthology series have just finished paying off the therapy they needed from the last time around. Luckily, it’s just in time because Black Mirror Season 4 returns and will be available for streaming on Netflix December 29th starting at midnight in the US and 8am in the UK. For those unfamiliar with the series, Black Mirror originally aired in the UK in 2011. Netflix picked up the show in 2015 and it was quickly deemed binge worthy by the internet.

The show is an anthology series much like The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. In this take, the series focuses on technology and it’s ever-growing effects on our daily lives. The episodes take place in a not too distant future or even an alt-present with technology being the main theme. Seasons past include topics like the dangers of a social media obsessed culture, how far we are willing to go with video games and reality television, and the media’s influence on politics. The lasting effect after viewing is seeing these alternate visions as a very plausible outcome of the direction we are headed.

Like previous seasons there will be six stand alone episodes, each featuring different genres. This season will also include an “anthology within an anthology” episode, which will include three intertwined stories. Show producer Annabel Jones teases,“It’s absolutely full of ideas that whip along and before you know it you’re at the end of a 90-minute film and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, can you please stop? This is horrendous – stop throwing me these things!” This idea was used previously in Season 2 for the fan favorite “White Christmas”, and is also why I don’t see snow globes the same way anymore.

I mention the series as a sucker punch because while you’re watching you may suddenly be questioning your own levels of paranoia, fear, and unease as the exponentially growing world of technology continues to assimilate into our intimate and social experiences. Show creator Charlie Brooker wanted to feature stories, “…the way we live now – and the way we might be living in 10 minutes’ time if we’re clumsy.”

It wasn’t even that long ago and it hadn’t occurred to me the first time I heard the name of the show, but as I was shutting down my phone… when it was off I saw my reflection in the shiny black screen. I saw myself in the black mirror and suddenly realized how long I missed the joke.

This upcoming season promises to have even more ways to unsettle your nerves and keep you looking over your shoulder well into the summer. Look for an episode directed by Jodie Foster called, “Arkangel”, a haunting black and white episode and even a space opera. Black Mirror is meant to be a satirical look at life with technology but as satire becomes closer to reality things get blurry real quick and then you’re set up to get sucker punched all over again.

Black Mirror Season 4 returns to Netflix December 29th. If you haven’t caught up yet… what are you waiting for? You have just a few days to watch all the old episodes.













