'Black Mirror' season 6

June 15

Full trailer and synopsis

Can't wait, I'm gonna binge the shit out of this.

r1 Salma's tits steal the spotlight once more, god damn.

Salma Hayek’s tits open beautiful trattoria in SoHo

Pats would have to come up with a whole new quip for them melons, they're in a league of their own.

r2 Can anyone ID Annie Murphy's beautiful husband at 0:04 and again at 0:37?

Finally!

If you haven’t gone back and re-watched Andrea Riseborough in her episode “Crocodile” I highly recommend.

r5 I'd never even connected until now that that was Andrea Riseborough, holy shit. Yeah, that was one of my favourites and she was amazing in it. Pure anxiety of an episode from start to finish.

I thought this show was done. Seems like a very long stretch between the last season and this new one.

What a random cast.

Each episode is a discrete unit, so you shouldn't really look at the season's lineup as a classic cast. It makes more sense when you're watching the episodes.

r7 This show usually takes this long between seasons, the creator doesn't really like pumping them out.

I'd suck Aaron Paul's hairy cock

First episode is so trippy and funny, Salma is such a good sport.

Can't believe the actor I was thirsting over at r4 is Avi Nash, the exact same guy I've been thirsting over in the Silo thread. Those bitches actually had him shave his gorgeous hair, which is why I didn't recognise him straight away.

The Kate O'Mara episode is great. She plays a slutty actress who has a lesbian fling and then a few years later the lesbian becomes a man and writes a book telling the world about their formerly lesbian now heterosexual fling and Kate O'Mara has to pretend to be happy about it.

r12...what?

If you haven't seen it yet - also on Netflix - watch Brooker's Cunt on Earth with that goddess of cluelessness Diane Morgan. Hysterically funny.

Kate O'Mara is dead.

Salma’s dialogue is hilarious.

This was one of the better seasons of Black Mirror, in my opinion. I don't know what the reception will be like since it's started leaning into the supernatural now. Already covered the premiere, so assorted thoughts on the remainder:

Wasn't feeling Myha'la Herrold's blond eyebrows in the second episode. A nice horror story otherwise.

Third episode was awesome, although the Japanese knotweed in front of that idyllic house needs to be pulled out by the roots and burned right NOW. It's a horribly invasive species that will eventually swallow everything in sight. Awful for allergies, too. Hartnett still looks good in a beard, but somewhat melty without it. Ageing sucks. He was great though, as were Paul and Mara.

Fourth episode was nice and taut, love how they established the time period using Suri Cruise. Zazie Beetz as always magnetic to watch and Danny Ramirez has never looked more beautiful.

Last episode drags towards the end, but then comes together nicely. Exploration of the rage that minorities feel, sometimes you just want to watch the world burn. Love how she's an Indian in a racist environment, reading a New Age classic by Shakti Gawain, a white American woman who changed her name to an Indian one and profited off handsomely off the oriental aura said name awarded her.

FUCK Josh Hartnett has turned into a big hot man. Shame there was so much Aaron Paul in his episode.

So any stand out episodes?

I have only watched the first r19 so far. It is certainly a stand out for me.

I thought “Loch Henry” was pretty great, but I am also a huge Myha'la Herrold and she figures prominently. I might need someone to explain it to me but I didn’t notice the usual “near-future technology” aspect of it. If anything, it seemed to be plumbing the depths of old tech (VCR tapes used to record on top of taped shows).

Anyway, I was into it.

* Myha'la Herrold FAN

What's the best episodes of all time?

R23, for me, the tops are San Junipero, Crocodile, and Nosedive.

R24 loved San Junipero, so sad.

I'm a sucker for nostalgia

Why does this season has terrible rating on IMDb? Especially episode 4

R24, you are correct.

r26, episode 4 has a supernatural twist that won't work for everyone. I would expect that to be the reason.

The other episodes have higher ratings than most of Season 5, which was received much worse.

R28 Yeah, but a lot worse ratings than the early seasons. Was this season really that bad? Is it worth checking out?

Looking at the reviews most of them are complaining that most of the episodes aren't really Black Mirror because, other than the first one, they're not really about future technology. Of course the very first episode, The National Anthem, wasn't about future technology either so it's not something the show has always promised.

None of the episodes rank with the show's best, but they're generally enjoyable enough. The first episode, Joan Is Awful, was fun, especially if you like the lighter Black Mirror episodes. The second is pretty good as long as you don't care that it's not about future tech. The third is set in the past, but does involve futuristic technology, and is the feel bad episode of the season if you like that. I thought it was both too long and then ended too soon. The plot should have been condensed into the first 2/3 of an episode and then proceeded to show what happened next (but then it wouldn't have been the massive downer it was going for). The fourth episode won't work for everyone because of the bizarre twist. The fifth episode is pure supernatural horror thriller, set in 1979. If you're looking for a pessimistic attitude toward humanity in your Black Mirror, it may work for you. If you're looking for the technology, it may not.

A ranking of all episodes, with the new season included.

I read that list earlier today; it's really shitty (the hundreds of comments on it concur).

A few more rankings articles. They're all over the place (I doubt many would agree The Entire History of you is the worst episode?)

#1 is...Metalhead?

Too fuckin' bad. I dropped Netflix in February, after six years. They had YEARS to continue "Black Mirror" and now...I couldn't care less. And I reaaaaally enjoyed it.

I can’t say much more about S6E1, because if I do, I’ll probably start laughing uncontrollably again. I chuckled all night long last night thinking of how I could work in certain gems into my work dialogue when things go sour and I want to make a point of it:

“Whose anus is shitting?”

(“What about Cate Blanchett?”) … “Fuck her!” … best thinking of CB on public transport

Lots more possibilities, but need more context.

It was great to see Salma have such a sense of humor, but also Annie’s self-awareness to do such a better job than she did in Kevin Can Fuck Himself.

I’m trying to pace the other episodes so that they last at least a week or two. Wish me luck!

R35 There are these things called torrents

One list has The entire history of you in top 4 place, while it is in the last place on the other list.

And why do all three lists have The National Anthem (Season 1, Episode 1) listed so high? On one even above San Junipero. That episode was garbage.

The National Anthem has always been overrated. I think it's due to the shock factor and because it introduced so many to the show.

[quote]I’m trying to pace the other episodes so that they last at least a week or two. Wish me luck!

I'm the opposite, I binged the whole thing in two days fearing I'll be left behind in any DL discussion of it, and now hardly anyone has seen the full season yet.

I love the John Hamm White Christmas one, Hang The DJ, White Bear, and USS Callister.

I really did not like San Junipero, Nosedive, and I especially hated Bandersnatch, but I am glad they were entertaining for others.

How can you not like San Junipero?

I've only watched Joan is Awful and Loch Henry. The first one was ok, a little overstuffed, but really glad Salma has the opportunity to show her humor.

Loch Henry was brilliant, even though I saw the twist coming a mile away, it was still lovely, and the performances were great.

I started watching the 2nd one, did not find myself following it, so I will watch more today.

I don't know, R41, I guess it was so overhyped to me as "You've Got to See IT. I hate the look of it, though I know it is appropriate.

Not everyone likes the same things; it doesn't make one a bad person if they don't like something you love.

Probably my favourite thing about the Loch Henry episode was the way it avoided the cliché of the mom turning into a super duper tracker at the end because that's what the situation called for. A lesser movie/show would have her be a villainous badass proficient at hunting down Myha'la. But she isn't that, she never was that, she's just an old lady who had some sadistic fun decades ago. So it's only natural that she tried to catch up to her with her car and when she couldn't, yelled a bit into the void, then gave up.

Also, that mini waterfall in the opening looked so nice. Was fenced off, so it's probably private property, but I just want to get naked and sit under it regardless. Bet it's freezing cold, too.

Loved Loch Henry. Demon 76 was a lot of fun.

I'd like to ask some questions about Beyond the Sea if anyone else has seen it.

As far as these list rankings are concerned, I saw one that had my personal favorite, Season 5’s Striking Vipers, in the bottom 5. Any list that doesn’t have that great and thought provoking episode in the Top 5 has no credibility.

The next one is amazing, R36.

I'm glad to see Josh Hartnett getting roles again. I'm excited for Oppenheimer. Great season minus the supernatural one. As a scifi geek and Twilight Zone junkie I enjoy all the Easter eggs like the newspaper articles linked to previous episodes.

[quote] "[R35] There are these things called torrents"

Thank you, R37. I was completely unaware.

Great, but even more depressing season. Hated that the protagonist of the supernatural episode and wanted her dead, too. She was the reason so many of the characters died (allthough, the first two deserved it for being such jackasses), by "helping" the actress.

The episode about the Irish documentary/serial killer was great but I cringed throughout it at the irritating American GenZ’er who was distractingly unattractive. She definitely played an entitled Western GenZer perfectly which was probably why she was so unwatchable.

R48 - haven’t made it past the second episode but excited to hear Josh Hartnett is in one of them!! I’ve been in love with that guy since ‘30 Days of Night’. One of only a couple of celebrities I’ve ever had a hard-on for.

Can’t wait for Oppenheimer either. Have you been able to get the website loaded for you? It’s “OppenheimerMovie.com” but multiple browsers and three computers and I’ve not been able to get the site to load since they announced it.

[quote]..avoided the cliché of the mom turning into a super duper tracker at the end..

Huh? What does that even mean? A “super duper tracker”??

Each season is getting worse and worse. Josh Hartnett is so hot.

People who enjoyed Loch Henry might be interested in Monica Dolan's other work.

She played George MacKay's mother in Pride, Hugh Grant's wife in A Very English Scandal, the wife in The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe and as Tracey Pritchard in W1A. And she was in the remake of Talking Heads, in one of the two new monologues. And she won an Olivier for All About Eve, the Gillian Anderson/Lily James NT production.

Her most famous role is the iconic Rosemary West in Appropriate Adult, for which she won a BAFTA, alongside Emily Watson and Dominic West who played the equally iconic Fred West.

One of the least typecast actors around.

r53 You seem unusually perplexed, it's literally explained in the next sentence. She doesn't magically turn into someone who can successfully track down a fleeing human in the Scottish countryside just because she happens to live there as well.

I now love Salma Fucking Hayek. Great comic performance.

R49 You're welcome

[QUOTE] I now love Salma Fucking Hayek. Great comic performance.

Have you seen “Beatriz at Dinner”? Highly recommend. Salma is amazing in it and really shows another side of herself as an actor. John Lithgow is also fantastic in it as her Trumpian nemesis.

Excellent film. She deserved an Oscar nom at the least for that. She really is a surprisingly good actress and has always been underrated.

I'm clearly in the minority, as I found both "Loch Henry" and "Mazey May" to be hugely underwhelming. The latter was a total bore, IMO. Both felt like D-list episodes of "The X-Files."

I enjoyed "Demon 79" and thought Paapa Essiedu (who played the demon) was fantastic. And "Joan is Awful" was a lot of fun.

Watching the last episode ("Beyond the Sea") tonight.

Oh, and I'm really enjoying all the Easter eggs!

Josh Hartnett has fucked with his face, yes?

R62 Like take a couple of dicks in his mouth? Heavy rimming?

R62 - I still think he's beautiful but I was thinking the same thing. Something's "different" about his face.

We watched "Beyond The Sea" last night and I wasn't a fan. I know Black Mirror's always been kind of creepy and depressing but that seemed unnecessarily violent and intense. Sad, horrific, etc. Just seemed to be a little out of character for this series. And of course they couldn't even give the audience a little context in that ending. Although, I would have embraced all of it had it just ended with Josh Hartnett and teeny tiny Aaron Paul making sweet man love in outer space. ..... Josh as the top. Of course. ;-D

Beyond the Sea was too much. It seemed dark and violent just for the sake of being dark and violent. I agree with r62.

Yep, what R65 said. It seemed dark and violent just for the sake of being dark and violent.

In Beyond the Sea why didn’t they just send the avatars into space where technically it was more dangerous and have the real life guys down below just beam on up there when they needed to do some work? And why did it seem they had no otherwise Earth to space transmissions while they were up there?

They had no radio contact of any kind with anybody, R67 - which makes absolutely no sense. That ship would've been monitored constantly by NASA or its equivalent, which would've put an immediate stop to one astronaut using another's link.

And speaking of, why couldn't Josh Hartnett have had another avatar constructed? Why was it never suggested or referenced, even if just to say it was in process or would take too long?

I didn't care for the ending, either. Hartnett becomes a savage murderer?? There was almost no motivation for that. I thought he would kill Aaron Paul in space and then secretly assume his place on Earth to be with his wife.

Having another built WAS discussed, R68, by the Aaron Paul character and his wife. He said it wouldn't work because Josh was now on the ship, implying that the person needed to be in the same place as the avatar to start/sync up.

I was hoping that Josh was going to be lonely and turn to Aaron and they would become lovers in space and Aaron would keep the wife at home. But then again I’m Gay.

[quote]But then again I’m Gay.

Who would have thought?

The NASA one could have gone in any direction.

Josh could have pretended to be Aaron to get into Kate O'Mara's bed

And Aaron could have pretended to be Josh to try and get Kate O'Mara into bed and test her to see if she's a lying cheating whore.

I didn't see what came coming.

[quote] Hartnett becomes a savage murderer?? There was almost no motivation for that.

Hartnett should have played the Aaron Paul character. And the Hartnett character should have been played by someone who could portray his descent into madness - Michael Shannon maybe.

That episode as a real push/pull..I love Josh Hartnett, but I loathe Aaron Paul.

OT, but if you like Josh Hartnett try to find a movie “August.” Also has Adam Scott and David Bowie.

Aaron Paul was great in Breaking Bad, but everything else I've seen him cast in he looks and behaves like a bewildered baby-man.

Which is exactly what he played in Breaking Bad.

Aaron Paul looks so Mormon. It’s distracting.

Even more distracting: Salma Hayek's fake basketball-sized breastesses.

Aaron Paul would have been a better choice to play the Hartnett character considering his range of acting is basically aggressive sarcasm to rage, and he doesn't really play that very well. I will say one thing about him though: he's one of the few guys in Hollywood who've really gotten incredibly better looking with age. The close-ups of his face in that episode.... he was beautiful. Of course, he's got the body of a twink leprechaun. In one scene they show him standing, facing Josh Hartnett. They're both in their little short shorts, undershirts, and with no shoes or socks. And Aaron Paul looked like a wee little toothpick next to big, strapping Josh Hartnett. Those little chicken legs and tiny little feets were adorable.

R69's corrent that making another "replica" was discussed, but only for a couple of seconds and the reasoning was really weak and lame. Paul's character said they have to be on Earth to make a new replica, I think he may have insinuated the sizing/measurements or whatever. Lame excuse. They had computers and memory chips, and no doublt NASA wouldn't have built a sophisticated dopplegangar robot of two men and not have kept the code, plans and measurements.

And yeah, Hartnett doing what he did was way out of any reasoning or motivational cause. The way he kicked that chair aside when Aaron Paul walked into the common area was both sexy and foreboding. I like to think they talked it through and made sweet, sweaty man-love afterwards.

Most of the episodes in this season—excepting the first one—were disappointing. They were essentially a quasi-Twilight Zone style rehash.

The previous seasons that focused strongly on social media, the internet and all the related tech were much more engaging and interesting. They conveyed some unique insights on how technology is taking us into increasingly darker and ever-more ominous territory.

Too bad the the show runners hadn’t waited a bit longer to start production. The current AI controversy would have made great source material.

Or dirty, nasty man-love, r80.

[quote] And yeah, Hartnett doing what he did was way out of any reasoning or motivational cause. The way he kicked that chair aside when Aaron Paul walked into the common area was both sexy and foreboding. I like to think they talked it through and made sweet, sweaty man-love afterwards.

Choosing to play "La Mer" after that made me think that was the point, since every time the song plays in the episode, Josh's character is making out with his scene partner which sort of made the ending unintentionally hilarious to me for a quick second (now that I eliminated the people in your life, you MUST spend some time with me! No more "see you next Friday!").

The whole episode (and many of the season's episodes) were too dark for me. I love the dark social commentary of the series, but a great deal of episodes just seem unnecessary cruel to whack the viewer on the head with a rolled up newspaper.

After watching the first, Joan, I found this article and decided to take up their recommendation. Watched Demon ‘79 last night, it was alright. Any slower and I would be posting this on the “Underwhelmed” thread.

R83 is right that the series has always focused on dark commentary but not necessarily "dark" by way of events or execution of the storyline. The poor young girl/lady in Demon 79 just seemed to turn into a murdered way too quickly. Going from shock to hammer-bludgeoning psychopath literally over night. While the demon was somewhat charming and maybe even a little cute in his Human form, I really hated the whole "wacky/chatty" demon thing he had going on. He's a DEMON. He wasn't really supposed to be nice or want to pal around with his Human protege while directing her to conduct murders. If she just would have murdered the evil fat chick at work, all of this mess could have been avoided, (even though the racist nazi MP candidate would have become Prime Minister. I mean, you gotta pic your battles.)

I'll totally contradict myself now by saying that I sort of wish there would have been more of a ramp-up to the ending. I do kind of enjoy a good nuclear exchange/Armageddon style story, especially when they show it going down and then show how it could be avoided. I really liked the two lead actors in this episode. They seemed to do very well with each other. Hopefully they'll be costars again in something else.

I can't remember if this is it. Did they do an episode about starring in into a cell phone, finding a virus, and it killing the viewer or causing them to be a homicidal and zombie like? Like it hypnotizes them into committing suicide so all of the cell phones become banned and the most addicted to the phone users die first because they think it's a hoax, and ignore the CDCs warnings to trash the cell phones.

So a hand full of luddites are left until the next generation finds an abandoned phone.