I'll preface this by saying that Black Mirror is a fantastic show. To someone who grew up watching The Twilight Zone, this is the only piece of television, (or media in general for that matter) that's a worthy successor. That being said, the show has become somewhat repetitive and cliche. They would do well to venture into more supernatural areas that The Twilight Zone covered, as opposed to just repeating the "what if technology but like... too much" trope. I think they are all worth watching, but some much more than others. Also the Black Mirror rankings done by Esquire were pretty bad.
19: Metalhead S4E5
This is easily the closest I'v ever come to simply skipping an episode of Black Mirror. It's chilling, and the world in which it takes place is interesting, but it has no backstory, the conclusion is lazy and unsatisfying, no character development, and it gets very dry in the middle. It seems like they realized they knew it was mediocre and tried to give it an air of sophistication by making it black and white.
18: The Waldo Moment S2E3
Uninteresting and flat. The statement being made is that we allow politics to become tainted by money, entertainment, and humor. These supposedly take away the legitimacy of politics and distract from "real issues." Without getting into an anti-political rant I'll just say that politics is boring and if you're trying to be taken seriously on a deep, human, philosophical level, stay away from trying to defend the "sanctity" of democracy. You don't want to do die on that hill.
17: Crocodile S4E3
It seems like they wanted to reinvent the "chase to preserve my life as it was" narrative from Shut Up and Dance, but they failed to capture the horror from that season 3 episode as the main character, Mia, is cold and unrelatable. You weren't really cheering for her throughout the episode, and you always kind of knew she wasn't gonna get away with it.
16: Be Right Back S2E1
Interesting premise, but once it's introduced it's predictable. The ending is creepy though and definitely sticks with you.
15: Playtest S3E2
It had a good horror/scary type element to it, and the twist is good, but almost seems like a joke. It reminds me of the end of that Rick and Morty episode where they're in several levels of a simulation, and I don't think that's what they were going for.
14: Arkangel S4E2
The obvious message of unintended consequences of overbearing parents is a good one, but you get the idea in the first 15 minutes and it never really evolves into anything else, except for taking it to basically the most extreme outcome you could think of.
13: Black Museum S4E6
Basically a worse version of the White Christmas episode where they mashed up a couple half ideas for an episode. The two preliminary stories are decent, but the last part that ties it together is much better. Unfortunately they tried to mix it into a "socially conscious" narrative about the criminal justice system. The message comes from a good place but comes off fake.
12: The National Anthem S1E1
The very first episode of the series is the most realistic episode, and is definitely a good way to get used to the dark, ultra modern style of Black Mirror.
11: Nosedive S3E1
Nosedive is one of a few episodes of Black Mirror that tells a story of somebody escaping from a tyrannical system. This and 2 other episodes are excellent demonstrations of the Nietszchean idea of evolving past a beast of burden mindset, and although most of the episode is the same, the end makes worth it.
10: Shut Up and Dance S3E3
The best way to describe it is just twisted and enthralling. It is pain strictly for the sake of inflicting pain.
9: White Christmas
Like Black Museum, it's kind of a mashup of a few different stories that are all related in some way. Jon Hamm is excellent, and it combines several futuristic elements with a crime and punishment aspect and of course a twist in each story.
8: Hated in the Nation S3E6
There's very little predictability in this episode, and you get the feel that it's more like an abridged movie, complete with a satisfying climax and resolution, even if it ends without much redemption. The scariest part about it may be that the robot bees from this episode are actually kind of real.
7: Men Against Fire S3 E5
Although you can probably guess what the real deal is with the "roaches," it doesn't take away from the power of the message, or how masterfully Malachi Kirby demonstrates it through his character The two powerful parts of this episode are 1: the fact that in the postnuclear era we have to rationalize civilian casualties in order to convince ourselves that we've maintained our humanity, and 2: the massively myopic ability of human beings to otherize and truly see other human beings as evil that are only suitable to executed.
6: The Entire History of You S1E3
Most of the time the parallels that are drawn between far off technology and how we use technology now are pretty corny and don't tell you much. This isn't the case in this episode, and every teenager in America can tell you a story about what the trust issues that arise from a person's every move being monitored.
5: Hang the DJ S4E4
Although it reminds me of a kind of Anthem by Ayn Rand inspired critique of Tinder, it maintains its originality in the big reveal at the end. If any episode captured the magic from San Junipero that captivated people that might otherwise not watch Black Mirror, it's this one.
4: USS Callister S4E1
By far the most original episode in the new season, it goes into a dark comedic area that Black Mirror had never ventured into previously. It keeps you on your toes throughout the episode and the ending is both sick and satisfying.
3: San Junipero S3E4
One of the very few uplifting episodes of the series, it is well produced, thoughtful, engaging, and satisfying. It leaves you in the dark about what is actually happening for a good portion of the episode, and by the time you figure it out, you're into it. It, Hang the DJ, and 15 Million Merits are the best romantically inclined episodes of the series.
2: White Bear S2E2
This is the single most chilling, suspense filled, horrific episodes of the series. The main part of the episode keeps you on edge throughout and leaves you with a dizzying number of questions. The answers to those questions not only complete the episode in every way, they'll leave you stunned and wondering how complicit we all are in the often vile social norms we are used to.
1: 15 Million Merits
Finally, the best episode of Black Mirror, one that could actually have been part of The Twilight Zone. This is maybe the most futuristic episode ever, taking place in an entirely dystopian society with basically no apparent freedom but satisfying every whimsical want, Brave New World style. It's another of a few elite episodes that detail the narrative of the journey against a tyrannical system. The audience gets to see somebody gain a purpose in life, and discover another. The piece that brings it all together is the Marcusean idea of the commercialization of "resistance," and ends by leaving you with the echo of The Twilight Zone's "The Obsolete Man."