Are you tired of correctly predicting every major plot point in TV shows?

I know I am.

Over the years, I have seen many shows that have the same storyline in every single flipping episode. The first TV show I ever binge-watched is Bones, a crime drama; I would flop onto the broken couch next to my stepsisters with a big container of animal crackers and watch episodes back to back for hours. But watching it six years later, I am able to identify who the killer is before the halfway point of the 40-minute episodes.

On the other hand, Black Mirror on Netflix is one of the only shows I’ve seen that is always unpredictable. Each episode stands alone, and they all can be categorized into a different genre, such as sci-fi, horror, or romance.

These are the best episodes to watch first:

1. “USS Callister” – S4E1

This episode is like Star Trek—but with a twist. A game developer creates a Star Trek-inspired expansion of his outer space conquering game in which he can do anything he pleases—even torture. Using his coworkers’ DNA, he imports a digital copy of his oblivious coworkers into it. When a new employee, Nanette, is downloaded into the game, she attempts to contact her real self to put an end to their misery. Unlike many of the other episodes, this one has a lot of suspense and action.

2. “Hang the DJ” – S4E4

Two of the three episodes with love stories are on this list, this one being more of a rom-com. A new matchmaking service pairs up couples and gives them an expiration date. Their relationship can last just several hours or end up in marriage. The episode follows a couple that breaks up after 12 hours, but they linger in each other’s minds while they’re with their next partners. “Hang the DJ” has one of the only endings in the show that leaves you feeling pleased.

3. “Playtest” – S3E2

The genre of this episode is closest to horror, so skip it if you can’t handle anything scary. Cooper, an American visiting the UK, runs out of money and needs a quick way to get some. He jumps at the opportunity to earn a stack by testing a new Virtual Reality video game that doesn’t require goggles–just a little device injected into his neck. This episode is great, but it has a plot twist that I couldn’t get out of my head for days.

4. “San Junipero” – S3E4

This is another love story. But don’t scroll away just yet. It is also one of the few episodes with a (somewhat) happy ending. The episode is about a device that allows the elderly to enter a virtual beach town called San Junipero as a young version of themselves. Two women, Yorkie and Kelly, meet at a club and fall in love with each other.

I know. It sounds very cheesy. And I normally hate romance-based shows and movies, but “San Junipero” is very cute and has a creative concept.

5. “Nosedive” – S3E1

This episode has a great message: social media has made us obsessed with the way people view us. In this dystopia, people rate everyone they meet using their mobile devices; if you’re nice to a stranger they can instantly give you five stars, but being rude to someone could get out a one-star rating. People will high ratings live a life of luxury with beautiful houses and expensive cars. The episode follows Lacey as she realizes the system causes her to live a fake life.

 

Although I only included episodes from seasons three and four in this article, there are several from previous seasons that almost made the cut, like “White Bear” (S2E2), “Fifteen Million Merits” (S1E2), and “White Christmas” (S2E4). Fortunately, there are only 3-6 episodes in the four seasons of the show, so it’s not a big time commitment. But I’m warning you now: some of them will mess with your head for weeks.

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Featured image by Netflix via Wired

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