Black Mirror is depressing again, and I love it

In case you missed it, Season 7 of Black Mirror just hit Netflix. Although the last couple seasons have contained far more misses than hits for me (in my opinion, the Season 3 episode 'Shut Up and Dance' is the peak of the series as a whole, and it's almost ten years old!), the promise of a 'USS Callister' sequel saw me crawling back. And despite the series' recent trend toward less substantive, more lighthearted stories – the Miley Cyrus episode in particular strikes me as odd for a series that started with a government official being forced to have sex with a pig – Season 7 feels like much more of a return to form.

I am pleased to report that the season opener, 'Common People', is absolutely brutal – the point where fans are urging new viewers to skip it entirely. Cowards, I say! You'll sit there and you'll enjoy your existential crisis. As per usual, the series is at its best when it presents something that could happen as opposed to straight fantastical sci-fi.

Given that Black Mirror A) is meant to be bleak but plausible and B) doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon, this shift back toward a darker tone bodes well for the inevitable Season 8. The rest of Season 7 also trends pretty dark, but that 'USS Callister' sequel is mercifully saved for the finale so you get a bit of a palate cleanser. It's not all doom and gloom – just mostly, which is how I like it.