Do You Need to Watch Black Mirror in Order? | Attack of the Fanboy

Black Mirror is once again a hot topic, as it should be with fans consistently put into a state of concern about the series’ prescient, biting satire and cautionary tales. But given that it dips into an alternate world of the past and future, it has fans wondering whether they have been enjoying it wrong. So the question remains: do you need to watch Black Mirror in order, and if so, what type of order?

Black Mirror: Should You Watch it in Order?

You technically don’t need to watch Black Mirror in order as it’s released, since the show often releases episodes chronologically all over the place. But there is one key aspect that makes this assessment tricky: it builds upon its world, with small details, easter eggs, or outright references/callbacks to various tech and characters throughout the show.

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This includes the robot dogs from Metalhead, the ethically complicated Cookies, and the fraught political career of Michael Callow. There’s a world built in this series and it has a murky linear progression, if you look hard enough. Fortunately, some have identified a rough progression of episodes you can follow.

How to Watch Black Mirror in Chronological Order

If you’re feeling up to jumping all over the Netflix episode menu to find these episodes, this is the Black Mirror watch order for you! With a series plot spanning decades, it’s fascinating to see how tech and seemingly fantastical horror entities shape this bleak alternate near-future:

The beginning shows some of the darker sides of our society and how it quickly twists technology and concepts, taking them to some scary places. It incorporates images including seemingly archaic runic-looking characters, only to see them used for increasingly menacing purposes later in the show.

Technology begins to overtake society in numerous ways including eye implants letting you browse your memories. It winds up in some truly scary, awful places where people can be completely isolated and blocked out even when directly in public, and peoples’ consciousnesses are replicated and tortured endlessly. Finally, it progresses to the bleakest future where humanity is running for its lives.

So what are you waiting for? Doesn’t this experience sound uplifting? No? But you can’t deny that this approach is a fascinating way to check out the show or rewatch it.

– This article was updated on June 23rd, 2023

About The Author

J.R. is a content creator with AOTF and has been covering gaming and entertainment in the industry since 2022. Along with a B.A. in History from the University of Cincinnati, he has studied at the University of Birmingham, UK, and part of his M.A. at the University of Waterloo. You’ll find J.R. particularly at home writing about the hottest manga and anime. He is highly passionate about horror, strategy, and RPGs, and anything about Star Trek or LOTR. When not ranting about fan theories or writing guides, J.R. also manages his local movie theater.