Ranking All 6 Episodes of Black Mirror's Beautiful, Bleak, and Brutal Fourth Season

In addition to boasting a damn good cast, "USS Callister" is the most cinematic of all the episodes this season, despite much of the story revolving around an old Star Trek-esque TV show. It chronicles the disturbing journey Nanette (Cristin Milioti) goes on after waking up on a strange spaceship operated by a crew that offers constant praise to its all-knowing captain, Daly (Jesse Plemons). The kicker is that no one aboard the ship is actually alive — their consciousnesses are merely trapped inside an elaborate game Daly created in the real world (think: a much more sinister version of Jumanji).

There's some great work in this episode from Milioti as Nanette, who is exceptional on her mission to break everyone free from the game. Costars Michaela Coel and Jimmi Simpson also shine, but it's Plemons who really brings "USS Callister" over the top. As introverted and vindictive tech nerd Daly, he makes a terrifically creepy villain. All of Black Mirror's episodes can be viewed as mini movies in a way, but this is one of the few that truly feels like a fully realized sci-fi film.

Black Mirror attempts to re-create the magic of season three's hopeful love story "San Junipero" in "Hang the DJ," and although it doesn't completely succeed, it's still a lovely entry into the season. The episode chronicles the lives of Amy (Georgina Campbell) and Frank (Joe Cole), two people inside a community called The System, where everyone's sole goal is to find their soulmate (they basically live inside Tinder). With the help of a digital "coach," a supersmart beeper, they meet and date a bunch of potential suitors who the algorithm decides might be a match.

Frank and Amy hit it off right away, but the pair are only given a few hours to spend with each other (you can match with someone for a day, a month, or even a year). Their fierce fight to be with each other is easily one of season four's high points and a great introduction to Campbell (Broadchurch, Five by Five). It's one of the few Black Mirror episodes that will leave you with a smile on your face. (I'd totally understand if you want to save it for last.)

Imagine your mom being the most controlling she's ever been, and then crank it up a few notches — she might be something close to the well-meaning but overbearing mother (Rosemarie DeWitt) in "Arkangel." After 3-year-old Sarah briefly goes missing, her mom decides to implant a special chip into her head that will allow her to track Sarah's every movement and see what she sees on an iPad-like device. The chip also lets her alter what Sarah sees (ex: blurring out explicit or upsetting imagery, bleeping out curse words).

As Sarah grows up, blossoming from a shy young toddler to a curious teenager, her mother's overbearing ways begin to divide them. "Arkangel" was made to feel like an indie movie, and it definitely has that vibe. It's also an excellent showcase for DeWitt, especially in the episode's gutting climax, which will likely be a divisive moment (and potentially a letdown) for a lot of Black Mirror fans.

Despite being shot entirely in black and white, season four's stark "Metalhead" is absolutely brutal. It's one of the season's shorter episodes, and it doesn't spend any time on either the background of the barren world the characters inhabit or the characters themselves. We're dropped directly into the postapocalyptic landscape of the Scottish Moors as one woman (Maxine Peake) attempts to survive a robotic "dog" coming after her.

The episode is one long, incredibly tense chase sequence that will have your stomach in about 50 different knots. That being said, it falls a little flat. The choice to present a bare-bones story was clearly purposeful, but next to the rest of the episodes in this season, it feels hollow. The concept behind the episode is intriguing, but pretty much everything is left open-ended.

"Crocodile" sees Andrea Riseborough pushed to the edge. The Battle of the Sexes star, who actually convinced the Black Mirror creators to change the role to a female part for her, plays a successful architect who has a horrifying incident from her past come back to bite her. "Crocodile" is set in a near future where insurance companies have a device that can access your memories, which leads to complications when Riseborough's character needs to be questioned.

The beautiful landscapes of Iceland create an otherworldly feeling throughout the episode, and it's exciting to see a woman get to take on a role so savage. Unfortunately, the character also ends up doing a long list of maddeningly stupid things in the wild second half, which takes away from its impressive start. The ending, like a lot of Black Mirror's stories, is frustrating, but at the very least it hammers home just how far a woman (and mother) will go to protect her life.

"Black Museum" follows a young woman (Letitia Wright — who's about to blow up, thanks to her role in Black Panther) whose car runs out of gas outside a strange museum: the "Black Museum." The proprietor (Douglas Hodge) lets her in early and tells her stories relating to each of the odd and disturbing artifacts on display. The narrative unfolds in three parts, similar to Black Mirror's "White Christmas" episode. Both Wright and Hodge deliver strong performances, but it's not enough to buoy the episode's ultimately weak story.

Only one of the three tales, about a convict wrongly imprisoned for his crime, is truly memorable (it's also incredibly bleak). But there's a reason you should wait to watch it last, regardless of how weak you might find the episode to be. "Black Museum" is packed with Easter eggs from previous episodes in the season, like a bathtub from "Crocodile" and the iPad from "Arkangel." It's not that you won't understand the story without having seen the first five episodes, but there are little winks and nods you'll miss.