he British series Black Mirror makes its return with its sixth season after a four-year gap. So much has changed in these four years – from the pandemic forcing us to spend more time with our screens to internet-conspiracy-crazed mobs on the rise, not to mention the AI revolution potentially leading to thousands of layoffs. Come to think of it, it is surreal; almost like living in a real-life Black Mirror season.

Created by the talented Charlie Brooker and drawing inspiration and comparisons from the American TV series The Twilight Zone, Black Mirror first graced our screens in December 2011.

Since then, the show has burrowed its way into the hearts and minds of viewers worldwide, becoming a cultural phenomenon that holds a dark, haunting mirror to the intricate relationship between humanity and technology.

Aptly named after the spooky reflection of screens when turned off, Black Mirror is celebrated for its ingenious storytelling and thought-provoking narratives.

Each episode stands alone, exploring a dystopian and speculative vision of a tech-driven future. From the disturbing consequences of public opinion driven by social media in the very first episode of The National Anthem, to the unsettling exploration of digital consciousness in San Junipero, the anthology series has an uncanny ability to captivate and disturb its audience.

What has made it a big hit is the diversity and relevance of its themes and topics. Privacy, identity, social media, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and the relentless pursuit of progress, are placed under the microscope one by one.

Black Mirror captures the unintended consequences of seemingly innocuous technological advancements, compelling the audience to ponder over the ethical dilemmas that lie ahead in an increasingly digitilised world.

Whether it’s examining the dark side of “liking” in Nosedive or the potential dangers of implanted memory technology in Crocodile, the series compels us to confront the ethical quandaries of our time.

Both critics and lay audiences have lauded the show for its brilliance, originality and unflinching portrayal of the human condition in the digital age. It has also won numerous prestigious awards including several Primetime Emmy Awards.

However, the world has changed significantly over the 12 years and the show’s creator has realised that his sci-fi nightmares no longer have the effect they once did. This is why the sixth season employs a different approach, avoiding the most obvious subjects like the NFTs, crypto-currency and ChatGPT.

Creating a series like Black Mirror poses significant challenges. Each episode stands as a self-contained unit, adhering to its unique internal logic. This demands copious amounts of exposition and expensive production design at a time when both the budgets (for series and films) and attention spans (of the audience) are shrinking.

Unlike many shows, it lacks recurring characters or ongoing storylines leaving viewers without the comfort of familiar faces or plotlines to follow. Instead, it offers a thought-provoking and often grim exploration of humanity, which, for some people, can be anything but relaxing.

As real life advances align with some of the show’s futuristic elements, the series has taken on a new role. Instead of solely predicting the unintended consequences of technology, it now serves as a chilling reflection of the present world, resonating with eerie accuracy.

Black Mirror has been praised as well as criticised for its bleak and unsettling narratives, sparking debates about whether they are empowering or merely nihilistic.

As real-life advances align with some of the show‘s futuristic elements, the series has taken on a new role. Instead of solely predicting the unintended consequences of technology, it now serves as a chilling reflection of the present day world, resonating with eerie accuracy.

The sixth season can be broken down into three sections, comprising five episodes (two more than the last season). The first two episodes, Joan Is Awful and Loch Henry, take on contemporary screen phenomena: streaming entertainment.

The episode Joan Is Awful follows a woman played by Annie Murphy who discovers that her daily life is being adapted into a streaming series starring Salma Hayek, providing an uncanny tech-queasiness that once defined the show.

Loch Henry sees a young couple, Davis and Pia, stopping off in Davis’s rundown Scottish highlands hometown on their way to the island of Rùm, where they plan to make a nature film. They are sidetracked instead into making a true-crime documentary with disastrous results.

Both episodes address the hunger and race for views and ratings, regardless of whether it is based on personal tragedy or trauma.

The third episode, Beyond the Sea, is also the longest of the season. It takes us on a journey with a pair of astronauts two years into a six-year mission in deep space. They can download their consciousness into android replicas of themselves back on Earth to reduce the burden of their isolation and keep their families happy. Naturally, things do not work out swimmingly. In this episode, Aaron Paul gives perhaps the best individual performance of the season.

The last two episodes, Mazey Day and Demon 79 are horror stories. The former revolves around a troubled young film star hounded by a determined paparazzo who seems to be having doubts about the morality of her job. The episode starts well, taking a page from the lives of celebrities and paparazzi, before taking a typical grim, unexplainable Black Mirror turn towards the end.

In the episode, Demon 79, a quiet British Asian woman, who works in a department store, accidentally enters a binding contract with a demon, leading to an unexpected ending that affects the entire world.

With a star-studded cast including Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, Salma Hayek Pinault, Kate Mara, Myha’la Herrold, Annie Murphy, Rob Delane and Paapa Essiedu, the episodes are often set in the 1960s and ’70s. One has a rare happy ending – at least by Black Mirror standards.

In an ever-changing world, Black Mirror continues to hold up a dark and captivating mirror to our society. As reality intertwines with the show’s dystopian visions, it becomes evident that the series has transitioned from being merely a cautionary science fiction tale to a compelling reflection of our present-day challenges and moral dilemmas.

While its narratives may not be as shocking as they once were, the show’s ability to make us contemplate the ethical complexities of technology remains potent.

As we venture deeper into the digital age, it serves as a timely reminder that the consequences of our tech-driven choices are far from fictional.

The writer is a digital communication expert and consultant currently working in the public sector. He is the mastermind behind the digital platforms, Sukhan, Mani’s Cricket Myths and Over The Line