Ranking the five episodes in the long awaited sixth season of “Black Mirror”
1: Loch Henry (Episode Two)
Davis and his girlfriend Pia visit his mother in Scotland while the two filmmakers are creating a documentary about an egg producer. When Pia learns Davis’ father was a policeman who found a local serial killer’s torture cellar years prior, she convinces Davis to change the topic of their film.
While looking at lost footage from the killer’s hideout, Pia runs away from the house after learning a dark secret about their host. Davis ends the episode devastated, finding himself on the opposite side of a documentary than he originally planned.
Starring: Samuel Blenkin, Myha’la Herrold, Monica Dolan
2: Beyond the Sea (Episode Three)
In an alternative 1969, two astronauts on a 6-year mission are able to leave their real bodies on the space ship while their subconscious transports to a machine replica of their body on earth. This allows the astronauts, Cliff and David, to continue living their lives with their wives and kids. Two years in, David’s family is killed and his replica burned by members of the Manson family. He finds himself trapped and heartbroken in his real body on the ship with no replica to return to earth with.
Cliff fears David will end his life on the ship after he sees how the loneliness and sadness has turned into a deep depression. With the ship requiring two people to make it back to earth, Cliff lets David use his replica to return to earth regularly to help prevent this. When an affair almost forms with Cliff’s wife, Cliff no longer lets David return to earth. Out of anger, David forces Cliff to share the pain of this nightmare situation.
Starring: Aaron Paul, Kate Mara, Josh Hartnett, Rory Culkin
3: Joan Is Awful (Episode One)
When Joan is scrolling through Streamberry, a Netflix-like streaming service, with her boyfriend, she finds a show called “Joan Is Awful.” This new hit show stars Salma Hayek as Joan, looking almost identical to the real Joan. The show plays out her life in almost real time, exposing her secrets and mistakes to the world.
In order to get the show out so quickly, the entire show is CGI and actor’s faces are added using deep fake technology. After heavy complaints, Joan finds they are legally allowed to create a show about her life due to the terms and conditions she signed.
After Joan commits an act that is sure to get Hayek’s attention, Hayek fires her lawyer for allowing her face to be attached to those acts. When they find this will be happening with everyone who has a subscription to the app, they team up to try and end it.
Starring: Salma Hayek, Annie Murphy, Michael Cera
4: Demon 79 (Episode Five)
In an attempt to prevent the apocalypse, The Demon Gaap must help Needa sacrifice three people within the next three days. Against murder, Needa only agrees to kill people who truly deserve it after Gaap shows her what the apocalypse will bring.
After killing a man who killed his wife, she finds out murderers don’t count. In order to make up for this time lost, she quickly tries to sacrifice a politician who would cause war and genocide. When she is caught by the police, she worries she will not complete her task in time.
Starring: Anjana Vasan, Paapa Essiedu, David Shields
5: Mazey Day (Episode Four)
When paparazzi member Bo is offered $30,000 for a photo of newly troubled actress Mazey Day— $40,000 if she makes her look like she’s on drugs— she has to hide her sympathy and do what she needs to avoid being evicted.
After finally finding her, it is something far more supernatural than drugs that have harmed her.
Starring: Zazie Beetz, Clara Rugaard, Danny Ramirez
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