When Netflix subscribers press play on a new season of Black Mirror, they expect to see mind-bending episodes like “White Christmas” and “Hang the DJ”. So, when Charlie Brooker decided to subvert expectations in Season 6 and do some horror episodes, some fans didn’t take it very well. While speaking to Collider during Netflix’s Geeked Week, Brooker addressed his decision to shift formats and commented about the possibility of doing horror episodes again.
During the Q&A, Brooker told Collider’s Carly Lane that he’s still very much a fan of horror stories, but maybe it would work better if his horror episodes were planned as a spin-off or an entirely separate show. Additionally, the writer and showrunner teased that Season 7 of the series — which has just announced its impressive cast — is returning to Black Mirror origins:
“If we’re doing it in a future season, I’d do it as a separate thing, I’d do it as its own show. Because I think I’d like to not cross the streams. It’s certainly something… I love horror films and I love seeing horrible things — I mean, fictional horrible things! Not real horrible things, just want to make that perfectly clear! So it’s something I might revisit, but we’re keeping it sort of… it’s OG Black Mirror, this season.”
Black Mirror Is Going “So Black Mirror” For Season 7
The term “OG Black Mirror” might make fans raise their expectations even more, because some of the edgiest and most famous episodes from the anthology series came out when it wasn’t even on the Netflix catalog and aired on British network Channel 4. If Brooker intends to bring back the original and a lot bleaker tone to the series, fans will once again be left in a fetal position after binge-watching the new episodes.
As usual, Netflix isn’t disclosing a lot of details about Season 7. However, Brooker also hinted to Collider that the new episodes might vary in tone. “We’ve got some that are kinda funny, in a way. We’ve got a big escapist romp sequel. So yeah, hopefully, people will like it.” Brooker also suggested that the new season will try new storytelling formats like the series did previously with the game-like Bandersnatch. We’ll only discover exactly how the show will subvert its own format when it comes back in 2025, though.
Netflix is yet to reveal a release window for Season 7 of Black Mirror. Catch up on past seasons on Netflix.
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