Black Mirror has recently returned to help make your 2023 more paranoid, with a sixth season recently dropping on Netflix. It's a show that began in 2011, and started to receive worldwide attention around 2016 (the first time it had a season produced by Netflix), so most surely know what the deal is with the premise by now. It's an anthology series that predominantly focuses on sci-fi/mystery/thriller stories that are often bleak and tend to comment on humanity's relationship with technology, whether that be present-day tech or futuristic things that don't exist yet (but one day could).

Things feel a little different in season 6, however, with the sci-fi elements stripped back to a surprising extent. Three of the five episodes are set in the past, one feels like it's in the present, and only one feels like it might be futuristic. Of course, sci-fi stories don't have to be set in the future by default, but technology and its impact on the lives of everyday people is less prevalent of a theme here, which does feel odd. It may well be what others feel the show needs, though, given a series will inevitably start to feel a little formulaic after five seasons. It all adds up to a rather strange, perplexing, and sometimes interesting season of Black Mirror, with the five latest episodes ranked below from worst to best.