Black Mirror Could Start Making More Sequel Episodes
Netflix's hit anthology series is doubling back in Season 7.
Black Mirror’s twisted tales of technology gone wrong have always been told from different perspectives across a variety of time spans, but it’s long been tempting to try to connect the anthology series’ episodes. References between stories are common, from the recurring use of the song “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)” to the “White Bear” symbol. Even creator Charlie Brooker’s other brainchild, Philomena Cunk, fit a Black Mirror reference into her latest special.
In the upcoming Season 7, that interconnectivity will reach a new level with a sequel to “USS Callister,” the Star Trek-spoofing episode that followed characters trapped in a billionaire’s sci-fi fantasy. Charlie Brooker is now hinting that this could become a habit, so what other episodes have more stories to tell?
“USS Callister” is getting a sequel called “USS Callister: Into Infinity.”
With Black Mirror Season 7 arriving on April 10, The Hollywood Reporter recently asked Charlie Brooker about the franchise’s future. “We’ve done a sequel for the first time this season,” he said. “We’re now looking at old episodes and thinking, ‘How could you revisit that idea?’ As long as it’s interesting, I’m allowed to make it and people continue to f***ing watch, I’d like to keep making the show.”
Besides confirming that Black Mirror is unlikely to end anytime soon, the quote also suggests that “USS Callister: Into Infinity” won’t be the only sequel episode. So which episode could enjoy a follow-up next? “USS Callister” was one of the series’ higher-profile releases and won multiple Emmy Awards, so the likely suspects are Black Mirror’s two other award-winning episodes: “San Junipero” and “Bandersnatch.”
“San Junipero” is Black Mirror’s other big standout episode, but does it have more story to tell?
“San Junipero” was a love story set in a simulation, so while there may be potential for another story set in the same world, the simulation twist would be spoiled for a sequel. “Bandersnatch,” the franchise’s interactive movie, did end with a sequel tease, but there’s already a connection to it in Season 7 — the trailer revealed Will Poulter’s ‘80s techie character, Colin Ritman, will return.
Maybe the best option is to look back at the often-ignored Seasons 1 and 2, which came out before the series moved to Netflix. What happened to the penal system used in “White Bear”? How does the technology for “The Entire History of You” grow and evolve over time? We have almost 15 years of Black Mirror archives to dip into, so why not go for a deep cut that revives a forgotten classic?
