The Best Uses Of Actual Black Mirrors In Black Mirror, Ranked

Contains spoilers for "Black Mirror"

If viewers want their nightmares serialized on TV, "Black Mirror" definitely ticks all the boxes. First appearing on Channel 4 back in 2011, the show switched over to Netflix before the start of its third season. The move has caused plenty of derision over the years, with fans still debating what types of episodes are the most successful. Over its six seasons, creator Charlie Brooker has scared viewers silly with a host of fantasy stories that are too grounded in reality to be dismissed. Though Season 6 hasn't proven as popular as the rest, there's no ruling out that "Black Mirror" could return for an even more terrifying seventh season.

Since it first began airing, "Black Mirror" has treated its viewers to plenty of Easter eggs along the way, with some of the more obvious being black mirrors themselves. Though not every episode features the use of a screen, their appearances are always utilized to great effect. From phones that dictate social standing to camcorders that reveal secrets better left hidden in the past, black mirrors are perhaps even more ominous than we first thought. Strap in as we rank the best uses of actual black mirrors in the "Black Mirror" universe.

Season 4 marked the start of A-list actors getting involved behind the "Black Mirror" camera as well as in front of it, with Jodie Foster stepping in to direct the season's second episode, "Arkangel." When Marie loses her three-year-old daughter Sara, she decides to install a system that tracks Sara's vision, hearing, and health. By the time Sara is 15, the system is being used against her, with Marie's snooping effectively alienating her through one breach of boundaries after another. It's all being controlled from Marie's iPad — a tool that doesn't leave her side for the better part of 12 years.

In the end, it's Marie's iPad that does the damage to her own physical well-being. Not only is the concept of controlling your child's body through a household item a particularly chilling thought, but the iPad is what Sara uses to beat Marie to a pulp before escaping their house. Some might say that Marie deserved what was coming to her, with some viewers listing the narrative of "Arkangel" as one of the most underrated episodes in "Black Mirror" history. Whether fans agree with Marie's actions or not, her iPad is a fantastic visual marker for her personal progression throughout the episode.

Though it wasn't a key part of the main storyline in "Crocodile," the self-driving pizza truck is one of the best examples of a black mirror in the series. The episode focuses on Mia, who is caught up in the killings of two people — one she saw being committed, and one she carried out herself. When insurance investigator Shazia comes to visit her, Mia is subjected to a "recaller" that reveals people's memories and outs her as a killer. Tying Shazia up, Mia leaves to make her family the next target. In the middle of all of this, Shazia's recaller reveals a local pizza truck that has been earmarked during an incident near the murder. It might not seem like a typical black mirror, but it sports a screen for customers to collect their orders.

Despite the pizza truck not doing damage directly to Mia, it set a precedent for technology that was about to seep into real life. Shortly after the episode aired, international chain Pizza Hut announced that it was going to be trialing a similar idea, partnering with Toyota to bring freshly cooked meals straight to people's doors. Given the fact that the "Black Mirror" version had maimed a passer-by, it didn't seem like the smartest idea — with viewers quickly pointing this out. Needless to say, there's probably a good reason we've never seen many out on the roads.

The world would arguably be a better place if we could all create animated characters that drive past politicians on a digital billboard to taunt them. This is the exact premise of the Season 2 episode "The Waldo Moment," which follows failed comedian Jamie who voices the fictitious Waldo, becoming embroiled in the country's annual political race. Waldo proves so popular with the public that TV executives ask him to run for office, but Jamie decides to step away when things take a turn for the worse. Amazingly, the animated bear does end up standing for election, with Jamie watching the events unfold from a nearby hospital bed.

If nothing else, this is a use of a black mirror at its most cathartic. Not only is the image of Waldo presented on one of the biggest black mirrors the show has ever used (his mobile billboard), but the journey to making him sentient requires plenty of smaller ones behind the facade. Starting out as a novelty, Waldo charts the progression from a publicity stunt into murkier politics, eventually goading voters to physically harm his rivals for a monetary bribe. The episode itself continues to be divisive, with some viewers suggesting that the story might hit too close to home.

"Black Mirror" has often dabbled with mixing the perils of technology and matters of the heart, and the opening Season 2 episode "Be Right Back" might be the most emotional example of this. After Martha's boyfriend Ash is killed while trying to return a hire van, she is stuck alone in their brand-new house in the countryside. She soon learns that she is pregnant and agrees to test a service that her friend has signed her up for, which takes Ash's digital data and transfers it into an AI version. The two must learn to communicate all over again, leading Martha to become frustrated and rethink her earlier choices.

Every decision Martha makes — and therefore everything that happens in her immediate future — stems from the power her laptop screen holds. When she feels lost, it provides her with answers and options, while also being her only point of contact as she becomes increasingly shut off from the real world. While scouring her laptop is the action that maintains her quality of life, it's also the reason that it's all taken away, deeply affecting her daughter's life in the years to come.

Back when "Black Mirror" first started out, nobody knew what to expect. However, the show quickly laid down a gauntlet for how far it was willing to go in its pilot episode, "The National Anthem." The story follows the U.K.'s fictional Prime Minister Michael Callow (Rory Kinnear), who is at the center of a blackmail scandal after the kidnapping of Princess Susannah. The kidnappers ultimately want Michael to have sex with a pig on live TV, leaving the public hanging on every word of the unfolding news broadcasts. When Michael agrees to go forward with the plan, it's revealed that the kidnapper had already released Susannah before any decision was reached.

Unlike political dramas like "The West Wing" or "Veep," there's an extra sense of darker tension while the cabinet watches their boardroom TV. Michael essentially has his livelihood and well-being on the line in front of the entire nation, unable to do anything but look at the screen in horror. This is then flipped onto the public when the act is later broadcast, stunned into amazement that it's actually happening. Although his action is made with the safety of others in mind, its reprehensible nature is not easily forgotten.

The first instance of "Black Mirror" staring the future of technology in the face was the Season 1 episode "Fifteen Million Merits." It's an episode that instantly leaves an impression, with fans still debating theories on what the story actually means. In a futuristic living environment with a strict class system, Bing spends his days riding a stationary bike to accrue merits. After meeting the talented Abi, he convinces her to apply for a renowned talent show, though her stardom comes with strings attached. Fed up with society, Bing stages a protest on the same show, earning his freedom and own notoriety.

In this world, Bing's entire bedroom becomes the black mirror. Sustaining little human interaction throughout the day, Bing is mostly left alone in his room, faced with whatever is playing on the screens around him. As he loses more merits, he becomes unable to skip the compulsory adverts, learning that Abi has been picked up by the society's porn ring. It's also the first instance t viewers see a black mirror being defaced, with Bing breaking a screen in his anguish.

Let's face it, all "Black Mirror" episodes are scary — but the terror was turned up a notch in the Season 2 episode "White Bear." Victoria wakes up in her house with no memory of what happened the day before, soon finding that people on the street record her without speaking to her. Desperate to find out what's going on, she meets Jem, who explains that the area is affected by an unknown signal. Being attacked by hunters while trying to destroy the signal transmitter, Victoria learns that the entire ordeal has been staged as punishment for being an accomplice to a child murderer. She actually lives in White Bear Park, where she must relive the same events for tourists every day.

In short, it's bone-chilling stuff. In the opening few minutes of "White Bear," Victoria is presented with a strange symbol on TV that has no meaning, only occasionally glitching as she tries to work things out. The symbol tells viewers exactly what's happening before they've even pieced it together, with it later following Victoria throughout her day. There's a great deal of power in what Victoria sees on her screen, making her believe that she should be remembering something that she doesn't. It tantalizes fans with the biggest clue they need to stay hooked, yet never offers any further explanation. Overall, it's a stroke of genius.