Image: Netflix via YouTube

Something’s not right on the U.S.S. Callister—but at least the outfits look groovy.




Black Mirror has released the trailer for one of the most-anticipated episodes of season four, “U.S.S. Callister.” It heavily harkens back to first season Star Trek, in both style and tone, but something definitely feels slightly off about the dystopian space opera. Even though it’s campy, colorful, and stupid, with cheesy special effects to boot, it’s clear there’s something going on underneath pseudo-Captain Kirk’s devilish grin. Then again, it wouldn’t be Black Mirror if there wasn’t.

Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker previously said “U.S.S. Callister” is less about Star Trek’s normal (non-Discovery) themes of hope and exploration, and more about “tyranny and abuse of power.” The space opera episode has been compared to the acclaimed episode “San Junipero,” because of how distinct it is from the rest of the series. According to producer Annabel Jones:

The challenges of trying to create that world, and obviously getting to play with the genre, opened a whole new opportunity. But I think we’ve put a clever spin on it. It’s a romp – it’s big and ambitious with lots of CG. It’s an absolute visual feast and really high octane. There are obviously more unsettling, poignant and slightly more melancholic moments, but at the same time, it is a romp.


Black Mirror returns sometime in 2018.