‘Black Mirror’ season 7 episode guide: All about the cast, plot details, and more

As if you weren’t already on edge, a new season of Black Mirror is here to make you distrust your phone that much more.

Created by English writer and satirist Charlie Brooker, the Netflix anthology series weaves our anxieties over technology’s growing ubiquity with sci-fi and horror elements, as well as a bit of comedy. Its six previous seasons have unleashed a number of prescient installments, many of which you can read about in our list of the best Black Mirror episodes.

Brooker teased season 7 while speaking with The Guardian. “Quite a lot of the technology is being used to relive things or bring them back into the present,” he said. “It wasn’t conscious, but then I have a lot more past than future.”

He continued, “There’s probably more social commentary and more emotive or vulnerable episodes. That doesn’t mean we don’t go to disturbing places or deliver those chills, but people come to Black Mirror expecting to be surprised, so you can’t give them exactly what they want. I’d say there’s a little less dystopia. If you want that, there’s a 24-hour panel showing it called your window. You don’t necessarily want to see something saying: things are going to get worse.”

As anticipation and ennui percolate inside you, you may be curious about the plot, runtime, cast, and commentary of each new story. We’ve got you covered — check out Entertainment Weekly‘s Black Mirror season 7 episode guide.

Episode 1: “Common People”

“Common People” was written by Brooker from a story idea by Brooker and Bisha K. Ali. It’s directed by Ally Pankiw.

What’s it about?

When a medical emergency puts schoolteacher Amanda’s life at risk, her desperate husband Mike connects her with Rivermind, a neuroscience company that will keep her alive (with consequences, of course).

How long is it?

“Common People” runs 57 minutes.

Who’s in it?

Three stars anchor “Common People”: Rashida Jones, Chris O’Dowd, and Tracee Ellis Ross.

Actress, director, and producer Jones is best known for her roles on The Office (2006–2009; 2011) and Parks and Recreation (2009–2015). She won the Grammy Award for Best Music Film in 2019 for Quincy, a documentary she directed about her father, the late music legend Quincy Jones.

Irish actor O’Dowd led Channel 4’s beloved comedy The It Crowd (2006–2010) before finding success in the States in projects like Bridesmaids (2011) and Girls (2012–2013), not to mention his voice work on shows like Family Guy (2011–2012), The Simpsons (2021), and Big Mouth (2022–present).

Ross, the daughter of singer Diana Ross, led the series Girlfriends (2000–2008) before scoring six Emmy nominations for work on Black-ish (2014–2022). In 2019, she co-created Black-ish spinoff Mixed-ish.

What have the cast and crew said about it?

“It’s one of our bleak ones,” Brooker told EW in an interview unpacking the episode’s “gut punch” ending (no spoilers here!).

Speaking with BuzzFeed, Brooker said the episode’s Rivermind technology could become a reality, explaining that, despite it being “quite far-fetched,” he believes it is “probably happening and about to be launched.”

Ross spoke vaguely about the episode on a recent episode of Late Night With Seth Meyers. “It’s a dark episode about a couple that has an accident, a difficult situation, and there’s a tech system that they have an opportunity to use that goes a certain way,” she says. “We’re amazing, the writing’s amazing, and it’s gonna make you ask questions about yourself.”

Later in the interview, she said her longtime friendship with Jones made filming difficult. “She’s so good and heart-wrenching in this — it was hard to see my friend going through something, especially when I was kinda the one inflicting the difficulty.”

Episode 2: “Bête Noire”

“Bête Noire” was written by Brooker and directed by Toby Haynes.

What’s it about?

Confectionery whizz kid Maria is unsettled when her former schoolmate Verity joins a focus group for one of her creations. There’s just something… off about Verity, but Maria seems to be the only one to notice.

How long is it?

“Bête Noire” runs 50 minutes.

Who’s in it?

“Bête Noire” is led by Siena Kelly and Rosy McEwen, with supporting turns by Michael Workéyè, Ben Bailey Smith, Amber Grappy, and Hanna Griffiths.

Kelly, who plays Maria, is an English actress known for U.K. series like Temple (2019), Adult Material (2020), and Domino Day (2024).

McEwan, who costars as Verity, recently appeared in Paramount’s Rosemary’s Baby prequel Apartment 7A (2024), as well as the TNT series The Alienist (2020). She won a British Independent Film Award for her turn in 2022’s Blue Jean.

What have the cast and crew said about it?

Kelly described “Bête Noire” as being one of the season’s “lighter, more fun” episodes in a chat with 1883.

“It’s not too existential — I don’t think people are going to come away from it shaking about the state of humanity,” she said. “I have a few friends who don’t watch Black Mirror because it’s too dark for them — they can’t shake it. And I do think that every season has one episode that’s just a little more light-hearted and silly — one that laughs at us a bit.”

Episode 3: “Hotel Reverie”

“Hotel Reverie” was written by Brooker and directed by Haolu Wang.

What’s it about?

An unusually immersive remake of a vintage British film transports Hollywood star Brandy Friday into another dimension, where going off script could leave her stuck in the alternate reality for good.

How long is it?

“Hotel Reverie” runs 77 minutes.

Who’s in it?

“Hotel Reverie” stars Issa Rae, Emma Corrin, Awkwafina, and Harriet Walter.

Rae was a successful YouTuber and New York Times bestseller before creating and starring in the Emmy-winning HBO series Insecure (2016–2021). In 2023 alone, she appeared in three acclaimed films: Barbie, American Fiction, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Corrin’s career is on the rise, having recently appeared as the villain in Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), as well as the Hulu series A Murder at the End of the World (2023) and the box office horror hit Nosferatu (2024). They’re perhaps best known for playing Princess Diana on The Crown.

Rapper and actress Awkwafina was a YouTube sensation before finding her way into blockbusters like Crazy Rich Asians (2018), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), and Kung-Fu Panda 4 (2024). She won a Golden Globe for her turn in 2019’s The Farewell.

English screen and stage legend Walter recently scored Emmy nominations for guest turns on Succession (2018–2023) and Ted Lasso (2021–2023), though you may also recognize her from series like Downton Abbey (2013–2015) and Silo (2023–present).

What have the cast and crew said about it?

Brooker spoke with TheWrap about how “Hotel Reverie” was born from two different ideas: one about someone being thrust inside a movie in the vein of James Bond and another, spookier premise about a “digital ghost.”

“Sometimes the stories come out in a different form to how I necessarily would have expected going in,” Brooker said. “I couldn’t quite work out how to make either of these work, and then I watched Brief Encounter, this British romance from the 1940s, and something went zoink! And these two ideas glommed together.”

Along with Corrin, Brooker also spoke with the BBC about the episode’s exploration of AI technology.

“I can totally see the value of AI as a tool for creative people,” said Brooker. “The point at which it worries me is if you remove the people bit from that equation, or you’re just hoovering up their work and regurgitating it, and they’re not being paid.”

Corrin concurred. “Obviously, I think it’s scary, but it’s also a massive conversation, right?” they said. “There are aspects of it that are terrifying to me as an artist. I love the creative process. I love that this art is born out of being in a room with people and things coming from the depths of someone’s human experience or imagination. And I really don’t think we’ll lose that, or I hope not.”

Episode 4: “Plaything”

“Plaything,” a pseudo-sequel to Bandersnatch, was written by Brooker and directed by David Slade.

What’s it about?

A tech-savvy social outcast (and murder suspect) is linked to an unusual ’90s video game populated by cute, evolving artificial lifeforms.

How long is it?

“Plaything” runs 46 minutes.

Who’s in it?

The cast of “Plaything” includes Will Poulter and Asim Chaudhry, each reprising their roles from Bandersnatch, as well as Peter Capaldi, Lewis Gribben, and James Nelson-Joyce.

Poulter’s career began with early roles in Son of Rambow (2007) and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010). These days, he’s best known as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3‘s Adam Warlock and his recurring role on FX’s The Bear (2023–2024). He was nominated for an Emmy for his turn on Hulu’s Dopesick (2021).

Chaudhry has a Royal Television Society Award, as well as two British Academy Television Award nominations, for his turn in the BBC mockumentary People Just Do Nothing, which he also co-created. He also appeared in Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) and Barbie (2023).

Scottish actor Capaldi, the twelfth Doctor in the Doctor Who universe (2013–2017), won several awards, including a British Academy Television Award, for his performance as Malcolm Tucker in the beloved satire The Thick of It (2005–2012). Other notable credits include the first two Paddington films (2014; 2017) and James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad (2021), in which he played the Thinker.

What have the cast and crew said about it?

Speaking of “Plaything” as a follow-up to Bandersnatch, Brooker told TheWrap, “It looks like more of a sequel, in a way, than it was necessarily anticipated to be.” He was keen on revisiting that world, though, since Poulter’s Colin Ritman is “one of (his) favorite characters (he’s) ever written across the seasons.”

He added, “As an anthology show, you don’t often get to write for returning characters, so if I get that opportunity, why not take it?”

Episode 5: “Eulogy”

“Eulogy” was written by Brooker and Ella Road. It was directed by Chris Barrett and Luke Taylor.

What’s it about?

Following the death of his former lover, a lonely man encounters a new technology that transports people into old photographs for the purpose of crafting a eulogy.

How long is it?

“Eulogy” runs 47 minutes.

Who’s in it?

“Eulogy” is led by Paul Giamatti and Patsy Ferran.

The Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning Giamatti broke out with an unforgettable turn as Pig Vomit in Private Parts (1997). Since then, he’s emerged as one of Hollywood’s most indelible and emotive leading men with acclaimed turns in films like American Splendor (2003), Sideways (2004), and The Holdovers (2023). In recent years, he led Showtime’s Billions (2016–2023).

Spanish-British actress Ferran is an award-winning stage actress. She’s appeared in films such as Darkest Hour (2017), Firebrand (2023), and this year’s Mickey 17.

What have the cast and crew said about it?

Brooker spoke about the episode’s inspiration with The Times. “One of the new Black Mirror episodes, ‘Eulogy,’ is about analogue photography,” he explained. “My dad passed away over the new year and I had to deliver his eulogy. Eerily, life imitated art and I had to find photographs to project on to the wall. It is striking that, until phones arrived, you had only a handful of photos and they were all blurry. Now everything is documented.”

He continued, “I’m writing a lot of characters who are looking back or using technology to excavate the past. I wasn’t consciously trying to do that but I think it’s because I’m getting older. I have more time behind me than ahead of me. And maybe it’s because the future seems so scary and I don’t want to predict it too much.”

Episode 6: “USS Callister: Into Infinity”

A sequel to season 4’s Emmy-winning “USS Callister,” “USS Callister: Into Infinity” was written by Brooker, Ali, William Bridges, and Bekka Bowling. It was directed by Haynes.

What’s it about?

Robert Daly is dead, but now the crew of the USS Callister — led by Capt. Nanette Cole — are fighting for their lives in an infinite gaming realm against millions of hostile players.

How long is it?

“USS Callister: Into Infinity” runs 90 minutes.

Who’s in it?

The sequel to “USS Callister” features original stars Cristin Milioti, Jimmi Simpson, Billy Magnussen, Milanka Brooks, and Osy Ikhile.

Milioti was recently nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance as Sofia Falcone on HBO’s The Penguin (2024). She’s also known for a pivotal role on How I Met Your Mother (2013–2014), as well as the films The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and Palm Springs (2020).

An Emmy-nominated actor, Simpson notably played Lyle the Intern on The Late Show With David Letterman and appeared in films like Loser (2000), Zodiac (2007), and Under the Silver Lake (2018). You may also recognize him from Psych (2009–2013), Westworld (2016–2020), or as one of the disgusting McPoyle brothers on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005–2023).

Magnussen is best known for appearing in films like Into the Woods (2014), Game Night (2018), and Aladdin (2019), as well as HBO’s Made For Love (2021) opposite his Black Mirror costar Milioti. He played real-life figures Kato Kaelin and Robert Redford in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016) and The Offer (2022), respectively.

What have the cast and crew said about it?

Brooker spoke about the episode’s creation with The Hollywood Reporter. “The first one ends like you could just carry that story on and follow where they go now. So it was always like, ‘Hmm, I’m going to do that,'” he said. “It was something we were looking at for quite a long time. There were various iterations it went through, various version we wanted to do and were discussing on and off for several years.”

He added, “We continue the story from where we left off. And there are some new characters as well. There is new stuff to do with where they’ve now ended up versus where they were.”

He offered some more details in a recent interview with The Guardian, speaking about the clones’ battle with the players of Infinity, the game they’re now trapped inside. “They’re in a minute-by-minute scrap for survival,” he said of the crew. “Everyone else there is a player in a game who will idly blow your head off if they see you, whereas the clones can bleed and die.”

Executive producer Jessica Rhoades chimed in about the episode’s themes — and how they pair with the previous episode’s exploration of toxic masculinity,

“We flip the toxicity discussion in this episode,” she said. “There’s a scene where a character, who sees themselves as a nice person, cannot contemplate another version of themselves. It speaks to nice-guy culture with a real understanding of someone’s isolation, while also asking: why should your loneliness and anger dictate what happens to my body?”

Where can I watch Black Mirror?

All seven seasons of Black Mirror are currently streaming on Netflix.

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