Picture Credit: Michael Wharley/Netflix
The long-awaited return of Black Mirror is upon us and Charlie Brooker (Creator and Executive Producer) and Jessica Rhoades (Executive Producer) have been attending a myriad of events and performing multiple interviews in the buildup to the release of six brand new episodes. Tonight, the pair took part in a live Q&A following a rewatch of USS Callister, and they both had some interesting tidbits about what we can expect…
As a reminder, here is our full Black Mirror season 7 preview. It features extensive breakdowns of each new episode, the full cast of 90+ names, and much more.
Many topics were discussed throughout the evening, touching on how the new episodes are more familiar to those looking for OG Black Mirror. The stellar cast was touched on, citing the inclusion of Paul Giamatti, Issa Rae, and Peter Capaldi. Despite the big celebrity names, though, the creators also prioritize lesser-known actors who often go on to become stars. Brooker, who seems to read a lot more online criticism than he perhaps should, mentions how people may complain that Black Mirror now features too many famous actors, but reminds us that even big names like Daniel Kaluuya were unknown when the show began.
‘Plaything’ in Black Mirror Season 7 Is Not a Sequel to Bandersnatch
Picture: Netflix
USS Callister isn’t the only episode getting a follow-up, although Brooker was keen to stress that it’s precisely that over a direct sequel. He explained that the upcoming episode related to Bandersnatch is not a direct sequel but that it shares thematic and creative DNA with it.
He also revealed that the episode is set between the 1990s and now and involves a video game programmer, similar to Bandersnatch. He was also working on an episode without the characters from Bandersnatch initially and wanted to include a genius coder character, which led him to bring back Will Poulter and Asim Chaudhry’s characters from Bandersnatch.
“So I sort of wrote, I thought, well, why not? It’s my bloody anthology show. I can bring characters back if I want. I mean, not that anyone was standing over me going, ‘Don’t bring them back.’ And so it was just fun to kind of… again, I wrote the best version I could of that scene, which was the one with them in it, if you see what I mean.”
He emphasizes that although it’s not a traditional sequel, it “shares some DNA” with Bandersnatch—right down to the return of director David Slade, who also worked on both Metalhead and Bandersnatch.
Brooker did talk about the character, though, and his ability to know that he existed in the game (plus that he died in some playthroughs!). “I would say Colin Ritman was a character that I really loved. And it was tricky because he did die in various timelines in Bandersnatch, but he’s also a character who kind of seems to know that he lives outside of time and space. So that’s why it was easy in a way. I decided to bring him back. I don’t think it messes with the chronology.”
The Impact of San Junipero and Upcoming Easter Eggs
A fan-favorite episode of most who love Black Mirror is San Junipero, which came in season 3, and is often the subject of conversation. It’s teased that multiple easter eggs are referencing the episode (after all, half the episodes in season 7 contain the Nubbins device).
Though reflecting on the episode’s impact, Brooker credits its success to the perfect blend of script, direction, and performance, with Rhoades agreeing. Making a more significant point, she refers to Black Mirror as a music album—each episode offering something different in tone, theme, and execution. That variety, she says, is what keeps the show exciting.
In materials thus far, we’ve already seen references to the branching symbol first introduced in season 1, and the pair also confirmed that Streamberry (the show’s fictionalized Netflix spoof) will be back.
Beyond San Junipero references, the duo teases lots more Easter eggs. One specific one is that Ally Pankiw is returning to direct this season in the episode Common People following Joan is Awful in season 6. Rhoades states, “It’s an episode that meant a lot to her. So it shows up in the episode.”
Picture: Netflix
A Philomena Cunk Episode!?
For anyone not familiar, one of Charlie Brooker’s best-known creations outside of Black Mirror is the fictional character Philomena Cunk, excellently played by English actress Diane Morgan. She’s got a couple of specials on Netflix right now, which are well worth a watch.
She was brought up in conversation as one of the few characters Brooker hasn’t killed off in his career, and later, when the subject of Con Tech came up, he jokingly said, “Well, you know what? Yes, I thought about this. I did think about this, because it’s like, I thought you could do an episode… because we do different genres within Black Mirror. In a way, we’ve done sort of romances, we’ve done comedies, we’ve done horror… I thought, well, you could just do con tech, you could just do that as a mockumentary episode, and just send her to Silicon Valley, and get her to interview.”
Will Red Mirror ever return?
Introduced in season 6, Red Mirror is a more horror-focused label within Black Mirror that won’t return for season 7. One viewer submitted a question (which got past the Netflix moderators – hint hint) and asked if more horror-themed episodes or a formal Red Mirror label might be coming. Charlie confirms that Red Mirror is already being used to clearly label horror episodes that diverge from the core Black Mirror tone in Demon 79 and that he envisions any future entries as its distinct creative space—its “patch” in the wider Black Mirror universe.
Brooker mentioned Nida and Gaap from Demon 79 as another pair of characters he would’ve liked to explore further. Did someone say spin-off?
Viewers tuning into the livestream—and those lucky enough to be there in person donning Nubbin devices—were treated to an extended first look at the long-awaited sequel episode to USS Callister, titled USS Callister: Into Infinity (complete with the extended Netflix intro—loved that!). We’ll have a full recap and ending explained in the coming days, but from the early footage shown, we get a glimpse into the fallout from the original episode. The five survivors are now navigating life inside the infinite online game, but the in-game economy proves to be brutal. Meanwhile, Nannette in real life is grappling with guilt over her actions that led to the death of Robert Daly, and a New York Times journalist surfaces with some serious allegations…
Speaking about the sequel, Brooker said that the production team rebuilt the ship’s bridge with upgraded, next-gen features. Unlike the original, which used green screens, the sequel used LED screens to simulate space, enhancing the immersive experience for actors.
Black Mirror season 7 arrives on Netflix globally on April 10th, 2025.
Rating: TV-MA
