(Warning: This post contains major spoilers for “Black Mirror” Season 5)
The fifth season of “Black Mirror” dropped Wednesday, giving fans three fresh stories about how technology can screw with your life in the most unexpected of ways. And with the new came nods to the old, as there are several ways in which Season 5’s episodes connect to the rest of the Charlie Brooker-created anthology series’ universe.
TheWrap has rounded up all the shout-outs to the show’s first four seasons that can be found in the trio of new installments which include Miley Cyrus’ “Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too,” the Andrew Scott-starring “Smithereens” and the Anthony Mackie and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II-led “Striking Vipers.”
See our list below and feel free to chime in with any we might have missed.
1. “Sea of Tranquility”
Rachel and Jack are watching a news report about Ashley O’s coma status in their room, when the anchor refers to a “Sea of Tranquility” reboot. This reference is twofold: 1) “Sea of Tranquility” is the “HBO moon Western” first mentioned in Season 1’s “The National Anthem,” that the special effects expert, who was called in to digitally remove the Prime Minister, worked on. 2) The show is referred to again in Season 3’s “Nosedive,” when Lacie Pound has to hitchhike with “Sea of Tranquility” fans headed to convention for the series.
2. Tusk
Tusk is a character from Season 3’s “Hated in the Nation” who pops up in the same news broadcast mentioned above, when the anchor says he “makes a boo-boo” on a British TV show.
3. A bunch in a news ticker
We can’t make out the full headline of each story that appears in the scroll at the bottom of the screen during the Ashley O news report, but here is what we could decipher: “Architect arrested on multiple murder charges” (Season 4’s “Crocodile”), “SaitoGemu shares jump on Striking Vipers release” (Season 3’s “Playtest” and Season 5’s “Striking Vipers”), “Museum owner’s body found in smoking ruins” (Season 4’s “Black Museum”).
4. Willow Grain
Aside from all that during the broadcast itself is a commercial that airs ahead of the news segment, which advertises a “Willow Grain upgrade.” This is a memory recording implant device that first appears in the Season 1 episode “The Entire History of You.”
5. “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)”
This chilling Irma Thomas song has been featured in numerous episodes of “Black Mirror” and we hear a haunting rendition of it performed by Ashley O when she is in a coma and her aunt’s team is using Ashley’s mind and the “Ashley Too” vocal-mimicking software to create new music.
6. Smithereen
Toward the beginning of the episode, Ashley’s aunt is seen using the titular social media app from Season 5’s “Smithereens.”
7. Saint Juniper Hospital
Ashley O is rushed to Saint Juniper’s ICU after her “allergic reaction to shellfish” that leaves her in a coma. For starters, this is a clear shout-out to Season 3’s “San Junipero.” It’s also a reference to the interactive “Black Mirror” movie “Bandersnatch,” in which Stefan’s psychiatrist, Dr. Haynes, works in the Saint Juniper Medical Practice. Additionally, Rolo Haynes (maybe relation?) worked at a Saint Juniper Hospital in New York, during one of the stories in Season 4’s “Black Museum.”
“Smithereens”
1. Bandersnatch Theatre
At the very beginning of the episode, which is set in 2018, Chris pulls up a ride-share driver app on his phone to look at a new rider request and the map shows the Smithereen office is right next to the Bandersnatch Theatre. Obviously, this is a shoutout to “Bandersnatch.”
1. Tcker Systems
Tcker is a neural research and technology company thatd was featured in “Playtest,” “San Junipero,” Season 4’s “Metalhead” and “Black Museum,” as well as “Bandersnatch.” Tckr is the maker of the VR add-on Danny and Karl use to play the virtual reality game “Striking Vipers X.”
2. The polar bear
One of the characters you can choose to play as in the video game “Striking Vipers” is a large white polar bear. We refuse to accept this isn’t a nod to the Season 2 episode “White Bear.”
3. SaitoGemu
The video game company that created “Striking Vipers X” is the same one featured in Season 3’s “Playtest.”
'Striking Vipers' to 'San Junipero': Every 'Black Mirror' Episode Ranked, From Good to Mind-Blowing (Photos)
With the arrival of "Striking Vipers," "Smithereens" and “Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too,” it's time to re-rank every episode of "Black Mirror," going back to the first episode, "National Anthem." There are no bad "Black Mirror" episodes, so we ranked them from good to mind-blowing.
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23. Season 2, Episode 3: "The Waldo Moment"
Many have made the now-trite observation that this episode, about a cartoon bear who insults his way into higher office, predicted the rise of Donald Trump. OK. This episode does a good job of again showing that we bend too easily before the loud and obnoxious. But "Black Mirror" usually has more novel things to say.
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22. Season 3, Episode 6: "Hated in the Nation"
It's disappointing that "Black Mirror" Season 3 -- one of the best TV seasons ever -- ended with a story that feels a little like "Sharknado." Great acting, though, and it can be taken as a friendly reminder not to cancel people over tweets.
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21. Season 5, Episode 2: "Smithereens"
Topher Grace's lovely performance as a tech guru who hates beeps, bloops and push notifications as much as you do saves this from being a pretty run-of-the-mill hostage drama. But it is a "Black Mirror" episode that could happen right now, in the present day, and we always like when the show pulls that off.
20. Season 2, Episode 2: "White Bear"
Sure, this one's scary, but it's just scary. There's some "Purge"-quality social commentary here, and that's nice. But "Black Mirror" is usually smarter. ("Black Mirror" creator Charlie Brooker seems pleased with this episode, though: "Bandersnatch" calls back to it aggressively.)
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19. Season 3, Episode 2: "Playtest"
This episode relies too much on typical scares to be among our favorites. The sudden turn into real-life horror is more affecting than the haunted house scenes.
18. Season 5, Episode 3: “Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too”
This feels like the umpteenth episode of "Black Mirror" in which someone's digital soul becomes trapped outside his or her body. This time the victim is pop star Ashley (Miley Cyrus! We like her), who ends up inside a robot toy owned by one of her adoring fans. A caper to reunite mind and body ensues, making this one of the funniest episodes of "Black Mirror." It feels deliberately light, and it's charming, but nothing about it will haunt you except Ashley's cheery take on a Nine Inch Nails classic.
17. Season 2, Episode 1: "Be Right Back"
We recommend this episode, and all the ones that follow, with zero reservations. Starring Hayley Atwell and Domhnall Gleeson, "Be Right Back" is another look at the qualities that make us us.
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16. Season 4, Episode 2: "Arkangel"
This episode has the best setup of any "Black Mirror," and seems poised to launch a savage critique of over-parenting. But it doesn't escalate as much as we expected it to, and can't quite live up to its brilliant concept.
15. Season 1, Episode 2: "Fifteen Million Merits"
This twist on "American Idol"-style mobs is gorgeously acted by Jessica Brown Findlay and a pre-"Get Out" Daniel Kaluuya, and their chemistry helps sell familiar lessons about literal cycles of exploitation. We think about this episode every time we ride an exercise bike, which probably isn't often enough.
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14. Season 1, Episode 1: "National Anthem"
This mean little story feels all the meaner because it's so easy to imagine it happening in real life. It's a perfect first episode, because there's no better test of whether "Black Mirror" is for you.
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13. Season 4, Episode 6: "Black Museum"
“Black Museum” references every past episode in the anthology, but the ruthlessness with which it merges three vignettes into one nasty story. Letitia Wright and Douglas Hodge counter the ugliness with some beautiful acting.
12. Season 4, Episode 5: Metalhead
Hey, Alexa: Is this episode just a stripped-down survival story? Or a grim warning that our reliance on Amazon is a slippery slope into Terminator dogs chasing us down across a hellscape Earth? Just asking.
11. Season 4, Episode 3: "Crocodile"
If Alfred Hitchcock had done a "Black Mirror" episode, it would go pretty much like this. A frosty blonde antihero (Andrea Riseborough) tries to outsmart a relentless insurance adjuster. A rodent gets involved.
10. Season 2, Episode 4: "White Christmas"
If you're dreaming of a black Christmas, this showcase for madman Jon Hamm combines two imaginary technologies -- one of which allows you to "block" people in real life -- to tell one of grayest stories ever told. Sentiment-free, it's the most "Black Mirror" episode of "Black Mirror."
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9. Season 4, Episode 4: "Hang the DJ"
Boy and girl meet cute in The System, which is designed to find “true matches.” If you and your better half are fighting over complicated wedding plans and too-high expectations, stop and watch this episode and remember you don't owe anything to anyone but each other.
"Hang the DJ" is probably the sweetest episode of "Black Mirror," and is therefore not our favorite.
8. Season 3, Episode 3: "Shut Up and Dance"
No episode of "Black Mirror" will leave you feeling worse about humanity than this one. The ultimate prank is on you. Oh, also? It could happen. Similar things have already happened.
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7. Season 4, Episode 1: USS Callister
This one makes the Top 5 on sweep and ambition alone. And it's one of many episodes that remind us to never let anyone make a digital copy of your soul. Stars Jesse Plemons and Cristin Milioti should be in everything.
6. Standalone movie: "Bandersnatch"
By far the most ambitious "Black Mirror," "Bandersnatch" does something never before attempted in serious drama, using the "Choose Your Own Adventure" format to ask provocative questions about free will and power. Part film, part video game, it's incredibly impressive, and builds a complicated, stunning alternate-reality 1984 that we're still navigating. The one flaw is that the lack of a consistent narrative makes it hard to completely engage with the characters.
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5. Season 3, Episode 1: "Nosedive"
This is the episode that probably hits closest to home: We think about it every time we get in a Lyft or consider writing a negative Yelp review. The Bryce Dallas Howard story is a perfect sendup of our obsession with social-media approval. As soon as it ended we tweeted how much we loved it, then waited to see if anyone would retweet us, and... why didn't they? What's wrong with them? What's wrong with us?
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4. Season 5, Episode 1: "Striking Vipers"
One of the best written and acted episodes, with an especially good turn by Nicole Beharie as a woman trying to figure out what's wrong in her marriage. What's wrong is very hard to explain, but it revolves around a video game obsession shared by her husband (Anthony Mackie) and his former roommate (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). This is one of the scariest episodes of "Black Mirror," because the fear of a relationship disintegrating is so well-grounded. But there's also a beautiful resolution.
3. Episode 3, Season 5: "Men Against Fire"
We don't say this lightly: This episodes stands alongside "All Quiet on the Western Front" and "Full Metal Jacket" as one of the best stories about how war really works. (Even though the speech about how most soldiers don't fire their weapons might be totally wrong.)
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2. Season 3, Episode 4: "San Junipero"
No other story better captures the 1980s' pulsing mix of hope, heartache, cruelty and perfect pop music. It's another episode that could have been a Best Picture, and it may be the best single episode of television at capturing raw emotion. (It also feels joyously defiant that this story of colorblind LGBT love was filmed in South Africa, a former bastion of government-mandated bigotry.)
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1. Season 1, Episode 3: "The Entire History of You"
If you've ever been in a relationship with anyone who's been in another relationship, this one will crush you. Should life be lived, or remembered? And can you separate the living from the remembering? We think of this episode every time our memories fail us -- or serve us much too well.
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There are no bad episodes of ”Black Mirror,“ but only one of the new episodes is among the best
With the arrival of "Striking Vipers," "Smithereens" and “Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too,” it's time to re-rank every episode of "Black Mirror," going back to the first episode, "National Anthem." There are no bad "Black Mirror" episodes, so we ranked them from good to mind-blowing.
Netflix
Netflix
