Charlie Brooker’s dystopian sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror examines technology and its current and future impact on modern society; in particular, season 2, episode 4, "White Christmas", happens to be its highest rated episode and most disturbing to date. The series originated on the British public-service station Channel 4 for two seasons in 2011 and 2013, but was purchased by Netflix in 2014 where it currently resides and will continue in the foreseeable future. With five seasons, the series’ most popular episode to date is its 2014 holiday special.
The episode stars Jon Hamm as Matt and Rafe Spall as Joe, two men stationed at a snowy outpost, isolated from society. It is one of three mini-stories included in the special that shift between featuring either Joe or Matt. In the first story, Matt details how he once assisted men in talking women into bed, and the gruesome results of one night in particular. Furthermore, he tells Joe about his side job training clones of people to be personal assistants known as “cookies”. Due to Matt’s openness, Joe tells his own story about him and his fiancé, Beth, when they disagreed on whether or not she would get an abortion. Ultimately, she blocked Joe.
Blocking ensures that the blocked individual cannot have any contact with the blocker or their offspring. When Beth dies unexpectedly, the block is lifted, and Joe attempts to see his child only to discover it is not his; instead, the child is really the offspring of the man with whom Beth was cheating on him. Joe kills Beth’s father and abandons the little girl, who seeks help only to end up freezing to death. It is also revealed that Matt was using Joe’s cookie to give a confession to the crime. The scene changes to Matt in the real world where he is a convicted sex offender, and blocked by everyone forever.
Why Black Mirror's “White Christmas” Episode Is So Popular
The holiday special is disturbing in a multitude of ways. Matt’s first story includes a murder-suicide that stems from the service he provides for men to meet women. He, and other men who pay to witness the subsequent sex expected from these scenarios, are forced to watch. Furthermore, Matt is a highly manipulative character who forces people to abide by what he says and unsuspectingly forms a bond with Joe in order to make him confess. The episode also features the gruesome death of an innocent child. Joe did not have to abandon his ex-fiancé’s daughter, regardless of the situation. By leaving her, he played a hand in her death.
“White Christmas” gained high levels of popularity with both fans and critics. In particular, it utilizes previous modes of technology which were introduced in earlier seasons, such as the system used to block people. It also alluded to the show's future and the upward trajectory toward much more disturbing episodes. The special was a turning point for the series from public access television to high profile streaming, with well-known actors such as Jon Hamm. Artfully crafted, it includes easter eggs for fans, and a plot worth revisiting time and time again.
Drawing inspiration from The Twilight Zone, “White Christmas” set the standard for the show's episodes to follow, raised the bar high, and continues to do so with its immense popularity on Netflix. Undoubtedly, the success of the holiday special episode garnered a greater fan base due to its newfound accessibility on streaming, and serves as the landmark moment that Black Mirror became a force to be reckoned within the sci-fi genre for its examination of humanity and technology.