Confirmed: “Black Mirror” is a shared universe

For years, fans of Netflix hit series “Black Mirror” have argued over whether the episodes of the show take place in the same universe. Creator/showrunner Charlie Brooker contended they did not, that they were all completely separate stories. But in a new Season 4 featurette, Brooker appears to have changed his mind.

The episode “Black Museum” from the new season features a museum chock-full of references to other episodes, mostly from the new season. Brooker confirms this is the first time a “Black Mirror” shared universe has been explicitly addressed, so the myth is busted: “Black Mirror” does take place in one universe, but the episodes are still standalones.

While this is cool, it doesn't change the dynamic of the sci-fi anthology series, according to Collider. Brooker hasn't yet crossed characters over from one episode to another, so for now it's a tangential connection between the standalone anthology stories. Moreover, Brooker has already been hinting at a shared universe for a while now with cleverly placed Easter Eggs—the pizza delivery company from the episode “Crocodile” shows up in another episode, tech from one episode is used in another, and so on and so forth.

Shared universe or not, the show continues to churn out compelling, shocking, and emotionally affecting standalone episodes. Netflix produced both Season 3 and Season 4 (after the first two seasons aired on British TV channel, Channel 4) and while they haven't officially ordered “Black Mirror Season 5” just yet, given the show's popularity, one imagines it's just a matter of time. There's even been chatter about a spinoff series based on the “USS Callister” episode, the opening episode of the new season.

The entire show is currently streaming on Netflix, with the latest season releasing December 29, 2017.

Source: Collider