It’s been a couple of years since the last series of Black Mirror, but now, at a time when the world is evolving rapidly, the show is back for a seventh season. Charlie Brooker’s acclaimed series, known for its eerie and often unsettling portrayals of humanity’s relationship with technology, returns just as both political and technological landscapes have shifted dramatically.
When the first episode of Black Mirror aired in 2011, Siri was a new innovation and the iPhone 4S had just been released. Fast forward to today, and technologies like Meta AI and the Apple Watch have become part of daily life. In between, Black Mirror has explored a range of chilling concepts—from creepy memory devices and phone implants to robotic bees and werewolf transformations.
Despite the changing tech landscape, Brooker is in good spirits. He tells the BBC that there’s no shortage of inspiration for the series. “Technology is developing in the real world very quickly,” he explains. “That means there are more sources of inspiration, and… the viewer is experiencing more [technological] things in their everyday life.” He notes that this shift allows for more complex stories and fewer explanations to the audience about new tech, since people are more familiar with it.
AI Takes Center Stage
Emma Corrin, star of The Crown and Deadpool, appears in one of this season’s episodes, and she highlights how relevant and close to home the show has become. “People have access to stuff like AI, which is terrifying, so then it’s more confronting and serves as a better warning,” she says.
In her episode, Hotel Reverie, Corrin plays Dorothy Chambers, a Hollywood star in a remake of a vintage film. Issa Rae stars alongside her as Brandy Friday. The episode explores the impact of AI, which has stirred much debate in the creative industries. Corrin admits, “Obviously, I think it’s scary, but it’s also a massive conversation… There are aspects of AI that are terrifying to me as an artist. I love the creative process.”
Brooker echoes her concerns, noting that while AI could serve as a tool for creativity, the risk lies in its potential to replace human input altogether. He recalls Andy Serkis’s groundbreaking performance as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, where technology enhanced the actor’s human performance. “The point at which it worries me is if you remove the people bit from that equation,” Brooker adds.
Exploring the Gaming World
Brooker continues to revisit the theme of gaming, which has featured prominently in past Black Mirror episodes. The series’ 2018 interactive film Bandersnatch explored a video game developer’s mind-bending journey, and now, Black Mirror‘s new episode Plaything revisits the gaming world.
Lewis Gribben, a star of the new Blade Runner 2099 series, plays Cameron, a 1990s games journalist who becomes obsessed with a particular game. Brooker himself once worked as a games journalist, so the theme of gaming resonates deeply with him. Gribben says he was a bit intimidated working alongside established actors like Asim Chaudhry and Will Poulter, but coming into the episode fresh, without prior knowledge of Bandersnatch, actually helped his performance.
Gribben, a gamer himself, enjoys playing games like Assassin’s Creed Shadows. “When you have a day off… I can spend a solid 10 hours [on it]. But I like to think most people game in moderation or just have bingeing game sessions,” he says.
Josh Finan, who stars alongside Gribben, plays a character caught in Cameron’s distorted sense of reality. Despite the series’ focus on AI and gaming, Finan isn’t concerned about being replaced by robots. “I’m very optimistic. I don’t think actors are going anywhere. What we do is too special,” he says.
The Future of Black Mirror
Brooker remains confident that Black Mirror will continue as long as its relevance persists. “I’ll find out when it stops if I drop dead or people stop watching,” he quips.
The seventh season of Black Mirror will be available on Netflix starting Thursday, April 10. Fans can expect more chilling and thought-provoking episodes that continue to explore the complexities of technology and human nature.
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