Black Mirror’s fourth season is interesting. It’s not bad by any means…it features some intriguing episodes. While I praise the simple premises of earlier episodes like The Entire History of You or Be Right Back, season four keeps some episodes a little too simple. And the best episodes are somewhat derivative of better, earlier episodes.

That said, this is still a solid season of the dark science fiction show.

USS Callister

USS Callister is one of the more humorous episodes of any season of Black Mirror. Granted, that’s not saying much since the majority of the show is as serious as death. While season three’s Nosedive relied on satirical humor, this episode uses more traditional, albeit black, humor. It’s a nice palette cleanser in comparison to the show’s normal bleakness

That’s not to say the episode isn’t dark. Jesse Plemons is suitably creepy as Robert Daly, a nerdy programmer who takes his revenge fantasies to terrible heights. His loving recreation of a Star Trek-like show seems innocent, but he uses it to torture sentient copies of his co-workers. It’s an interesting twist, as a character like Daly might garner sympathy. Instead, his cruelty is used as a commentary on male entitlement, whether it be in social situations or in genre fandom.

Cristin Miloti is fun as the feisty Nanette, Daly’s latest addition to his enslaved crew, but Jimmi Simpson steals every scene as Walton, the ship’s science officer and Daly’s partner in real life. Whether it’s a pithy comment or a sleazy look, Simpson is amazing. The rest of the cast also gets a chance to shine in what is probably the most entertaining episode in the series.

SCORE: 10 OUT OF 10

Arkangel

Technology and obsession are common threads in the Black Mirror universe and Arkangel offers an interesting take on it. Imagine the horror when a helicopter mom uses technology. What could have been an absolutely brilliant episode is ruined by some big miscues towards the end, but it is still a solid look at an overprotective parent.

Rosemarie DeWitt portrays Marie, a woman obsessed with keeping tabs on her daughter Sara after nearly losing her. She implants her with an implant that allows her to not only see everything she sees, but also control what she sees. Even as Sara gets older, Marie can’t help but interfere.

The script is a solid look at the ugly side of parenting, showing how it can become an obsession. DeWitt is great at showing this side of parenting, slowly building to an ugly obsession. Brenna Harding is solid as the teenaged Sara, though we don’t spend a lot of time with her. Director Jodie Foster coaxes some good performances out of her actors and creates a realistic, near future world with a grounded script from Brooker.

The show fails with its questionable use of the abortion pill near the end. The episode has caught flack over its unrealistic use as a plot device that doesn’t quite add up. I won’t ruin the “twist,” but it makes you look at the past narrative and wonder how it happened. Overall, while this is a solid episode, it feels like a missed opportunity.

SCORE: 7 OUT OF 10

Crocodile

Crocodile brings a modern twist to a classic theme. Just how far would you go to cover up a past misdeed? Mia (Andrea Riseborough) is a successful architect whose world is threatened by a former boyfriend’s guilty conscience. Years ago, they accidentally killed a man and covered it up. Now the boyfriend wants to come clean and Mia is willing to cross the line again…and again.

That storyline by itself is really compelling. Riseborough is great as the desperate Mia and her journey is truly disturbing and utterly watchable. Unfortunately, the episode cuts between her guilt-ridden trip and the “adventures” of Shazia (Kiran Sonia Sawar), an insurance woman utilizing a memory recaller, the episode’s technology. While Shazia is likable, her story isn’t particularly interesting, at least not until she crosses paths with Mia.

Ultimately, that’s the problem with Crocodile. The memory recaller, while interesting, feels like an afterthought. It’s as though the episode realized they needed a tie to technology. If the episode stayed with Mia more often, it would have been more successful.

SCORE: 6 OUT OF 10

Hang the DJ

Hang the DJ is very similar to season three’s San Junipero. It attempts to recapture the optimism of that brilliant episode, but it falls just a little short. The story of Amy (Georgina Campbell) and Frank (Joe Cole), two star crossed lovers trying to navigate a rigid dating program in a controlling future, is ultimately uplifting in a different way.

The episode succeeds because of its two leads. While Campbell and Cole don’t have the same red hot chemistry as Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Mackenzie Davis from San Junipero, they are incredibly likeable and charming. You genuinely come to root for these two to get together with their cute, shared sense of humor.

And that word describes this episode perfectly. Hang the DJ is a cute love story, one that is written well and embraces the…err, embrace of love. In some ways, it’s inspiring. Though it’s ending isn’t all it seems. I’ve seen some dismiss the conclusion as overly sweet, but those people should watch it again. It’s actually very bittersweet.

SCORE: 9 OUT OF 10

Metalhead

Metalhead is probably the simplest episode Black Mirror, which works both for it and against it. The black and white episode follows the lone survivor (Maxine Peake) of a botched expedition through an apocalyptic wasteland as she tries to escape a mechanical hunter dubbed a “dog.” It’s a compelling game of cat and mouse between the two, but it feels like something is missing.

Sometimes, the best stories just hit the ground running without any explanation. At first, this is the case with Metalhead. We get a brief introduction to Peake’s Bella, her companions, and their mission. Then the dog is unleashed and it’s a fight for a survival. The script and the episode’s look do a great job creating a sense of isolation as Bella struggles to survive. And Peake is solid as Bella.

But as the episode proceeds, more and more questions keep coming up. What is behind the “dog?” Where is everyone? Where exactly is Bella going? Metalhead becomes frustratingly simple. And the ending looks to be devastating, but only brings up more questions.

SCORE: 6 OUT OF 10

Black Museum

Season four ends solidly as Black Museum takes on the fun structure of White Christmas with three interconnected stories tying into one overarching plot. It doesn’t hit the same highs as that landmark episode, but this is definitely a good conclusion to the season.

Like White Christmas, a single character ties the stories of the episode: Rolo Haynes (Douglas Hodge), a sleazy neural technology pitchman with the morals of a snake. He has a certain charm, but unlike Jon Hamm’s character in White Christmas, you never particularly like him. He is just so fun to watch. That said, he does become something of a caricature at times. On the other hand, Letitia Wright is subtle as Nish, a young woman who visits Rolo’s house of neurological horrors, the Black Museum.

The script is tightly done, but it doesn’t come together as beautifully as White Christmas. Of the the stand alone mini stories, the first is probably the creepiest. Based on a story written by Penn Jillette, this section follows a doctor who uses a neurological implant to feel the pain of his patients. When he becomes addicted to the sensation in a sexual way, the story twists in a sickening (But entertaining) way. The other stories, involving placing a person’s mind into their partner’s and capturing the essence of another in virtual reality are creepy in their own right. In general, these vignettes have an affective twisted sense of dark humor to them.

Black Museum is undone slightly by a few too many twists and endings with its conclusion. It ends perfectly at one point, but then the script adds a few too many beats that feel unnecessary. One even contradicts a plot point from just a few moments earlier.

SCORE: 8 OUT OF 10

Retread or Brilliance?

While season four of Black Mirror is certainly entertaining, you can’t shake the feeling of deja vu. This is the first time that the show repeats itself in more than just thematic ways. While those retread episodes are actually well done, it is a bit worrisome. Is the show running out of ideas? Not quite yet…but it is something to think about.

SEASON SCORE: 7.5 OUT OF 10