The long-awaited return of the Netflix anthology series Black Mirror is coming in June but with a twist! Black Mirror episodes have always been standalone installments. This time, however, creator Charlie Brooker hints that Season 6 will follow a new model. The series plans to “reinvent itself with each new episode this season.”
With a logline that says “The sixth season of Black Mirror is the most unpredictable, unclassifiable, and unexpected yet,” fans can’t wait to see what is in store for them! As an added tease, it’s been revealed that each episode will be more cinematic in scope, with each installment being treated as an individual film. Now, to further this tease, Netflix has released this season’s episode details:
“Joan is Awful” – An average woman is stunned to discover a global streaming platform has launched a prestige TV drama adaptation of her life — in which she is portrayed by Hollywood A-lister Salma Hayek Pinault. In addition to Hayek, the episode stars Annie Murphy, Michael Cera, Rob Delaney, Ben Barnes, and Himesh Patel. The episode’s directed by Ally Pankiw.
“Loch Henry” – A young couple travels to a sleepy Scottish town to work on a genteel nature documentary but finds themselves drawn to a juicy local story involving shocking events from the past. It stars Samuel Blenkin, Myha’la Herrold, Daniel Portman, John Hannah, and Monica Dolan. The episode was directed by Sam Miller.
“Beyond the Sea” – In an alternate 1969, two men on a perilous high-tech mission wrestle with the consequences of an unimaginable tragedy. The episode was directed by John Crowley and stars Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, Kate Mara, Auden Thornton, and Rory Culkin.
“Mazey Day” – A troubled starlet is dogged by invasive paparazzi while dealing with the consequences of a hit-and-run incident. Directed by Uta Briesewitz, this episode stars Zazie Beetz, Clara Rugaard, and Danny Ramirez.
“Demon 79” – Set in northern England in 1979, a meek sales assistant is told she must commit terrible acts to prevent disaster. This is the only episode of the series that wasn’t written solely by Brooker. Ms. Marvel‘s head writer Bisha K. Ali co-wrote this episode. “Demon 79” is directed by Toby Haynes and stars Anjana Vasan, Paapa Essiedu, Katherine Rose Morley, and David Shields.
Not every episode of the new season will be exactly what you expect — but that’s the whole point. As Booker explains:
“So partly as a challenge, and partly to keep things fresh for both me and the viewer, I began this season by deliberately upending some of my own core assumptions about what to expect. Consequently, this time, alongside some of the more familiar Black Mirror tropes we’ve also got a few new elements, including some I’ve previously sworn blind the show would never do, to stretch the parameters of what ‘a Black Mirror episode’ even is. The stories are all still tonally Black Mirror through-and-through — but with some crazy swings and more variety than ever before.“
“I can’t wait for people to binge their way through it all and hope they enjoy it — especially the bits they shouldn’t,” says Booker.
Season 6 of Black Mirror premieres in June.
