Black Mirror Episodes Ranked Best to Worst

Black Mirror Episodes Ranked Best to Worst

News
Our definitive ranking of the sci-fi/horror anthology's episodes sees season 1 episodes at the top of the list and a season 2 episode at the bottom. Catch up before season 6 drops!
TAGGED AS: Netflix
It’s arguable that creator Charlie Brooker’s episodic anthology series Black Mirror is one of the scariest shows on TV — not because it relies on zombie attacks or murderous clowns, but because it shows just how easily phones, computers, and other advancing technology that we are increasingly dependent on can be used against us if we’re not paying close enough attention. (The fact that...

News
Our definitive ranking of the sci-fi/horror anthology's episodes sees season 1 episodes at the top of the list and a season 2 episode at the bottom. Catch up before season 6 drops!
TAGGED AS: Netflix
It’s arguable that creator Charlie Brooker’s episodic anthology series Black Mirror is one of the scariest shows on TV — not because it relies on zombie attacks or murderous clowns, but because it shows just how easily phones, computers, and other advancing technology that we are increasingly dependent on can be used against us if we’re not paying close enough attention. (The fact that all of these episodes are available to be played on Netflix, the innovative streaming giant known for obsessively monitoring our usage without really sharing what they find, should not be overlooked.)
With Netflix unleashing a new chapter of this paranoia-fueled scarefest this week, it’s time to catch up on the acclaimed series if you’re not already.
Rotten Tomatoes has crunched the numbers to rank the best Black Mirror episodes down to the worst. We’ve updated the list to reflect the current Tomatometer score; however, it’s worth noting that early episodes like “The National Anthem” and “15 Million Merits” have scores of 100% on fewer than 20 reviews, while more recent episodes, may not have perfect scores, but have more reviews — season 4’s first episode “USS Callister,” for example, scores in the mid 90s, but on 38 reviews. In case of ties, those titles’ “Average rating” (under “See Score Details”) are taken into account where episodes had the same score and number of reviews.
Don’t like the ranking? Sound off in the comments. (Also, some spoilers follow.) UPDATE (6/13/23): List updated to reflect added reviews and changing scores. #1The first-ever episode of Black Mirror lives in infamy for two reasons in particular. The first is that its plot — a prime minister (Rory Kinnear) has to do the unthinkable in the name of saving his country’s kidnapped princess (Lydia Wilson) — prepares audience’s for the show’s macabre humor as it pokes fun at privacy, political corruptness, and our obsession with technology. The second is that it became a footnote in a real-life political scandal a few years later when then-prime minister David Cameron’s reputation was muddied after — and there’s really no way to say this delicately — it was rumored he’d had a roll in the sty with a pig. #2A sort-of Hunger Games—meets—environmental disaster story, the show’s second episode highlights one of its most popular themes: our society’s addiction to fame. Here, we have a world where humans must peddle exercise bikes in order to both power their surroundings and earn “merits,” or payments. Ways out include inheritance (because inequality is still prevalent in dystopia) and participating on a reality competition show. The episode also showcases Black Mirror’s uncanny ability to cast actors just as they’re on the verge of hitting the mainstream. Alongside known names like Downton Abbey’s Jessica Brown Findlay and My Best Friend’s Wedding’s Rupert Everett is future Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya. #3A winner of five Emmy Awards, this episode should make us wonder how many of the TV Academy’s voters secretly hate their coworkers. By day, Jesse Plemmons’ Robert Daly is a mild-mannered programming ace who co-founded a popular multi-player game. He also has a habit of taking his work home with him; stealing the DNA of co-workers and employees who routinely ridicule him (like his partner, played by Jimmi Simpson) or don’t realize they’re the objects of his attraction (a new employee, played by Cristin Milioti) and uploading digital copies of them to his own private, Star Trek—like universe. Stay to the end to spot the voice of a surprise guest star. #4Do you enjoy that euphoric rush of someone liking, commenting on, or retweeting your pi...