The trailer for Black Mirror Season 6 is crammed chock-full of weird technology, nightmarish scenarios, and several Easter eggs linking to the show’s past.
Black Mirror has included self-referential Easter eggs to prior episodes throughout its run — but those that can be glimpsed in the Season 6 trailer are especially meta. In one of Season 6’s upcoming episodes, titled “Joan Is Awful,” an average woman named Joan (Annie Murphy) discovers that her life has been adapted into a prestige drama by streaming service Streamberry. (In a nod to Netflix, Streamberry has the same logo and opening sound.)
‘Black Mirror’ Season 6 trailer promises murder, space travel, and something called ‘Red Mirror’
The trailer gives us a glimpse at the Streamberry menu, where we see “Joan Is Awful” alongside a whole host of made-up dramas — each of which is a reference to a prior “Black Mirror” episode. Take a look.
What are we watching next?
Credit: Screenshot: Netflix
Rowdy and Peanut are characters created by Charlie Brooker.
First up on Joan’s Streamberry “Recommended For You” page is an animated show called Rowdy and Peanut, about a cat and a dog. Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker came up with these characters as part of his interactive Netflix special Cat Burglar. The special, which sees Rowdy try to steal a piece of art from under security guard Peanut’s nose, is geared toward children, so it’s decidedly un-Black Mirror. However, if you want the interactive Black Mirror experience, check out Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.
The Callow Years references “The National Anthem.”
Next up on Streamberry is The Callow Years: A Six-Part Documentary Event, a callback to Black Mirror‘s first-ever episode, “The National Anthem.” The episode focuses on UK Prime Minister Michael Callow (Rory Kinnear), who must have sex with a pig on live television in exchange for the safe return of a kidnapped princess. If The Callow Years truly were real, we’d bet that incident would take up a whole episode — possibly more.
Keep your eyes out for a sneaky “White Bear” Easter egg.
Right under Rowdy and Peanut, we see the top half of another one of Streamberry’s shows or movies. While we don’t see the title, we do see the top half of a very familiar face: That of Victoria Skillane (Lenora Crichlow), the lead of Season 2’s “White Bear.” At the start of the episode, she doesn’t remember who she is. However, by the time her nightmarish journey through the White Bear park is done, she’s told that she and her fiancé Iain Rannoch abducted and murdered a child. Another photo of Victoria and Iain appears on the Streamberry title card, suggesting that this is a true crime documentary about the pair. Or perhaps, even more sinisterly, it’s footage from Victoria’s subsequent torture at the justice park.
Botherguts! ties to “15 Million Merits.”
We don’t get much of an image for the show next to Victoria Skillane’s, but we do get a title: Botherguts! The show is one of many that the characters of “15 Millions Merits,” including Daniel Kaluuya’s Bing, watch while pedaling to earn merits. In this one, a panel of judges laugh at and dehumanize fat contestants. We don’t see much of it in “15 Million Merits,” but the concept is so nasty that’s for the best.
Ashley O returns in On a Roll.
One of the other Streamberry shows, titled “On a Roll,” references Season 5 episode “Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too.” The episode stars Miley Cyrus as pop star Ashley O, whose hit single “On a Roll”(opens in a new tab) is a certified banger based on Nine Inch Nails’ “Head Like a Hole.” Is Streamberry’s “On a Roll” just the music video? A documentary? A concert movie? Whatever it is, the song is stuck in my head again.
Junipero Dreaming is a nod to “San Junipero.”
“San Junipero,” one of Black Mirror‘s best and most-beloved episodes, gets a quick tribute in “Joan Is Awful” with a show or movie titled Junipero Dreaming. The image on Streamberry looks like a tropical sunset, referencing the resort town where Yorkie (Mackenzie Davis) and Kelly (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) fell in love. Another possible reference to “San Junipero” is the Fancy Dogs title card above Junipero Dreaming. The dog in the image looks like Yorkshire terrier, tying to the name Yorkie.
Black Mirror Season 6 hits Netflix June 15.(opens in a new tab)
