Black Mirror: Season 5

One offering is clearly lesser than the other two and one of the rare broad misses that the series sometimes delivers. Ah, but the other two episodes this season are exceptional, a timely reminder that Brooker remains restlessly creative and still enormously interested in the genre, having moved it beyond "tech paranoia" to the aforementioned more nuanced exploration of how technology changes our emotional and intimate connections with loved ones, family and friends. Read full review

In offering dystopian visions that hew closer to reality than they have in past seasons, these episodes exceed the show’s promise of nightmarish hypotheticals. ... While none of these episodes are as nihilistic as the show’s grimmest installments to date, they remain imbued with snarky, topical satire and dogged cynicism. Read full review

Two of the three stories making up Black Mirror's fifth season offers a more hopeful vision. Things get kinker and funkier in the "Striking Vipers" episodes... In the most purely enjoyable hour, "Rachel, Jack And Ashley Too," Miley Cyrus is a delight. [10 - 23 Jun 2019, p.9]

Any anthology is going to yield somewhat uneven results, but Brooker's hitting percentage has been pretty envious. By that measure, a homerun, a single and a pop up isn't bad, but "Striking Vipers" is the one that really draws blood. Read full review

It may not be on the level of classic Black Mirror and the mirror may not show us as much as it used to, but it’s still a fine place to look for digital-era self-reflection. Just don’t expect this run of episodes to break your brain. Read full review

“Smithereens”—is excellent not because of a clever twist but because of one of the best performances in the history of the show. And while the other two episodes have some good ideas, they don’t come together like the best of “Black Mirror.” Read full review

Instead of manipulating our anxiety about technology—something Brooker often accomplished simply by activating viewers’ visceral disgust—the new episodes revel in the ridiculousness of our predicament, achieving a level of detachment that makes the show campy in the same way so many out-of-touch spectacles are campy. Read full review