Read update
Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the Netflix show Black Mirror.Everyone loves a healthy dose of social commentary.Black Mirrorstunned audiences with its brutally honest portrayal of modern-day technology, and 3 years after its final season, fans are still talking about it.
Charlie Brooker’s groundbreaking anthology series does a wonderful job of capturing the damages of technological development and the ever-growing social isolation of the 21st century. As s a result, nearly every single episode ends in a way that few people could deem happy. While sad endings are good for artistic expression and thought-provoking themes, they can weigh heavily on the heart and mind. So, for the sake of our mental health, we have to occasionally watch an episode where there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Updated on June 23, 2025, by Ryan Heffernan:
Ever since it first premiered in 2011,Black Mirrorhas become a cultural phenomenon, exploring the intersection between modern society and near-future technology with contemplative, disturbing, and often depressing results. However, not all the series’ episodes have sad endings.Black Mirror Season 6gives audiences another captivating mix of ingenious sci-fi stories, ranging from terrifying episodes like “Beyond the Sea,” to some not-so-scary ones like “Joan is Awful”.
10"Loch Henry"
Season 6, Episode 2 (2023)
While it is too early to say for certain, “Loch Henry” is likely to be viewed as one of thebest episodes ofBlack Mirror’s sixth season. Tackling the phenomena of true-crime documentaries, it follows a young couple who travel to a small Scottish town to film a nature documentary only to become invested in shedding new light on a local serial killer from the 1990s.
In trueBlack Mirrorfashion, the episode takes audiences on a wild ride of plot twists and social and technological commentary, highlighting the personal toll the production of such documentaries can take on the filmmakers. While it is morbid and complex, audiences aren’t likely to feel completely depressed upon completion of the episode, which makes it one ifBlack Mirror’s happier installments.
9"Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too"
Season 5, Episode 3 (2019)
The finale ofBlack Mirror’s fifth season, “Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too” presented a more upbeat and encouraging change of pace from the series’ usual dismal tone. It follows a lonely teenage girl who grows attached to a robotic doll of her favorite pop idol while, simultaneously, the real pop star’s life begins to unravel at the hands of her domineering aunt.
It featuresMiley Cyrusin a starring role as Ashley O, and despite the episode’s confronting plot, it actually runs as one of the more enjoyableBlack Mirrorinstallments with the second half of the episode running as a high-concept heist thriller. Despite its mixed critical reviews, the episode provided something different for series fans and rounded out the third season with a healthy dollop of adventurous fun.
8"Black Museum"
Season 4, Episode 6 (2017)
Make no mistake, therewatchable season four finale ofBlack Mirroris one heavy episode to endure. It follows Nish (Letitia Wright), a visitor at the Black Museum which boasts several sinister exhibitions, all of which are related to the owner’s previous technological experiments, and many of them relate to violent crimes, including that of the museum’s centerpiece, a conscious hologram of an executed death row prisoner.
With thematic overtones linked to racism, false imprisonment, and the grotesque fascination some people have with death and pain, the episode is not bereft of depressing and confronting material. However, it also boasts a satisfying finale as it takes the guise of a rousing revenge flick with Nish’s true purpose being revealed.
7"Demon 79"
Season 6, Episode 5 (2023)
Black Mirrorhas played with its own formula multiple times before, but “Demon 79” saw the series completely depart its high-concept sci-fi foundations in favor of supernatural horror. It takes place in Northern England in 1979 where a young sales assistant – routinely facing misogynistic and racist abuse – becomes bound to a demon who says she must kill three people in three days or the world will end.
Seeing the repressed rage of the mild-mannered Nida (Anjana Vasan, who also appeared in the season 3 episode “Nosedive”) spill out as she targets evildoers and racists has a certain cathartic charm to it, which imbues the episode with a sense of twisted triumph. It also boasts a demon who takes the form of Bobby Farrell from Boney M. which adds a delightfully absurd spin on events and makes for a finale that is as puzzlingly romantic as it is apocalyptically damning.
6"Nosedive"
Season 3, Episode 1 (2016)
There are multiple episodes ofBlack Mirrorthat could be considered out there, but this isn’t one of them. “Nosedive” takes place in a world where everything is based on ratings. Each individual’s mind is connected to the internet, making online profiles as accessible as ever when first meeting someone. Ratings could be based on the topic of a conversation, how many smiles were given, whether someone’s hair is combed, if they are wearing makeup, etc. These ratings impact every aspect of life, from how nice a person’s apartment is to how fast a hospital will treat them.
The protagonist is Lacie Pound (Bryce Dallas Howard), an ambitious young woman who has clawed her way to a 4.2 rating with her more-than-pleasant social demeanor, copious amounts of fake, creepy smiles, and the oldest trick in the book, latte foam art. When a childhood friend contacts Lacie and asks her to be her maid of honor, she deems it a perfect opportunity to make an unforgettable wedding toast and increase her rating to 4.5, thereby gaining her entry into an elite apartment complex. Needless to say, the situation doesn’t work out as planned, and although Lacie does make it to the wedding, her ratings in no way increase. The climax of the episode sees Lacie in the midst of a public breakdown turned cathartic experience. While the majority of the episode is rather disheartening, the last 20 minutes turns it all around. If you aren’t convinced this is one of thebest episodes ofBlack Mirror, just revisit that final scene one more time, then get back to us.
5"Joan Is Awful"
Season 6, Episode 1 (2023)
Black Mirror’s comedic tastes typically get audiences chuckling while also dancing on common anxieties many people have concerning technology, the future, and modern society. “Joan Is Awful” – the season six premiere – managed to deliver a wonderfully on-brandBlack Mirrortale with themes surrounding our own sense of identity, the invasion of privacy for content, and the uncertain future of the entertainment industry, without giving audiences an overwhelming amount of existential dread.
The episode serves as a satirical sci-fi comedy, it follows an ordinary woman whose life is upended when she discovers a TV series based entirely on her life starring Hollywood A-listerSalma Hayek. While it does evoke a sense of paranoia, it primarily excels on the comedic talent of Hayek andAnnie Murphyto be a thoroughly enjoyable episode.
4"USS Callister"
Season 4, Episode 1 (2017)
TheacclaimedBlack MirrorSeries 4 premiererevolves around a disgruntled gaming employee (Jesse Plemons) who takes revenge on his cruel co-workers through the manipulation of one of his games, creating genetically identical copies of them and trapping them in the digital world. When a new employee, Nanette (Cristin Milioti) joins the team, she immediately attempts to find a way out, to the detriment of herself and her fellow hostages.
The concept itself is pretty dark. The thought of being eternally trapped in a world that is controlled by a vindictive gamer with a god complex is just horrifying enough to be right upBlack Mirror’salley. However, with the set design and costumes, it makes for a pretty fun viewing experience, and despite the heavy material, the ending is actually really fun.
3"San Junipero"
Season 3, Episode 4 (2016)
A critically acclaimed episode that is beloved by fans, it is in fact one of the least scaryBlack Mirrorepisodes that does not traumatize its viewers. The episode tells the story of Yorkie (Mackenzie Davis) and Kelly (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) living their best lives in the beach town of San Junipero, a virtual reality simulation in which people can revert to their former, youthful selves for the most vital activity of all, partying.
It is one of the more romantic episodes of the series, and although there are bumps along the way, the episode ends on a high and hopeful note, rather than a depressing and tragic one. Beyond that, it takes place in the ’80s and if all the remakes, revamps, sequels, prequels of the past ten years have taught us anything, it’s that audiences love some good nostalgia.
2"Striking Vipers"
Season 5, Episode 1 (2019)
Black Mirroronce again takes a look at the pros and cons of virtual reality.“Striking Vipers” centers on Danny(Anthony Mackie), his wife Theo (Nicole Beharie), and his best friend Karl (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). After a term of estrangement, Karl invites Danny to participate in a realer-than-life video game. However, things get awkward when the two’s fighting turns to sex within the gaming world, and they wonder what the attraction is and why they haven’t ever felt it before.
All three of the lead actors deliver outstanding performances, and the ending brings it all together, in the best possible way. The episode does a great job of looking at virtual reality vs. actual reality, and it has a very healthy take on sex, sexuality, and romantic relationships. If you can only catch one episode ofBlack Mirror, this one comes very highly recommended.
1"Hang the DJ"
Season 4, Episode 4 (2017)
Set in a world where every romantic relationship is formed by a dating program that decides the fate of each match, this least disturbingBlack Mirrorepisode takes a look at the way technology affects human interaction. What is and isn’t compatibility is addressed in “Hang the DJ,” as well as the decision to leave a non-human entity in charge of human emotions that so are vital to the well-being of our species.
Paired together by “Coach,” the popular dating algorithm that has a 99.8% success rate, Amy (Georgina Campbell) and Frank (Joe Cole) instantly spark, but their first meeting has a time limit of only 12 hours. They are sad to see each other go but move on to their next partners, per Coach. They meet again midway through the episode and embark on a slightly longer relationship before it is broken off yet again. When Coach chooses for them both their respective life partners, the pair meet again one last time and rebel against the system, together. All in all, it’s one of the sweetest episodes of the series, and the two main actors have great chemistry. Of course, in trueBlack Mirrorfashion, there is a twist, but this one is much easier to handle than what we’re used to.
