USS Callister

I normally don't write reviews for TV shows or movies, but felt compelled to write one after reading some of the negative reviews.

The one thing pointed out by most of the negative reviews (all of the ones I read), is that there are major plot holes. I, for one, get incredible annoyed by gaping plot holes in movies and TV shows. I'm generally a VERY critical person when it comes to any movie or show. When going into any movie, I automatically assume it'll probably be trash, which is why I'm not real keen on going to or watching movies that haven't been extensively reviewed and give me some understanding of what I'm getting into. I don't like wasting hours of my time on churned out movies for teenagers who have not been disappointed enough yet, who will then crack jokes with their friends about how bad that movie was for an hour afterwards.

That said, are there gaping plot holes in this episode? Absolutely. But do they detract from the concepts and psychology of the characters on display (which is entirely the main point of the episode)? Absolutely not.

It's very rare for me to embrace a movie or a show with gaping plot holes, but don't let that turn you off from watching it. As they can easily be overlooked when you provide thoughtful ideas and concepts as well as a strong character analysis, which is what this episode does. The journey itself was just a means of expressing those ideas. On the other hand, if this was a mindless action film (which I thoroughly enjoy from time to time), then the plot holes would matter as the journey is the entire value of the movie.

As I see it, complaining over the plot holes in this episode is like if someone were to make a big deal if someone pronounced a word incorrectly after making a very thoughtful and nuanced statement. Isn't the point of language to communicate an idea or concept? So as long as you understand what the person is communicating, fussing over their incorrect pronunciation is irrelevant to the thoughts or ideas they had expressed.

Is the episode perfect? No. But it certainly doesn't deserve 3 stars or lower because of plot holes which are completely irrelevant to the ideas and concepts communicated in this episode.

USS Callister is biting commentary on 'reboot-culture', gaming, internet trolls and nostalgia as a whole. This episode is almost like a loot-crate for sci-fi fans who grew up on this stuff (show runner Charlie Brooker did); you can see callbacks to things like the original Star Trek (obviously), the 2009 film reboot, Battlefield Earth, The Matrix, Toy Story, Interstellar, and even Guardians of the Galaxy (at least certain images did that for me). It evokes all these classics while telling a memorable tale in this anthology series masterpiece, showing how 'playing-master' over your subjects, even digital ones, is not necessarily a good thing.

For me, this episode is probably the season-best alongside Black Museum and Hang the DJ. Black Mirror is innovative television at its best.

When it started I could feel my high expectations fading, I thought I was in for a bad Star Trek spoof, but within minutes I realised that they'd come up with the goods in this episode. The plot is extraordinary, so incredibly imaginative, a wonderfully slick script and great performances all round. In the better episodes of Black Mirror you get absorbed in the crazy world, in this one I truly did buy into it. So imaginative, so good. 9/10

I'll admit, I'd been dodging USS Callister ever since it dropped back in 2017. That poster, all flashy with the Star Trekish vibe, just didn't do it for me. I've never really been into that space adventure aesthetic, so I kept skipping it, assuming it was just Black Mirror having its own little sci-fi parody moment.

But cut to 2025, when its sequel suddenly popped up, I figured, let's take the risk. And wow! Just wow! That one glance I'd cast all those years ago couldn't have been more misleading. Because yes, the Star Trek vibe is there, but only as a wrapping paper. What's inside is something else entirely. A layered, haunting, and mind-bending exploration of ethics, power, identity, and justice, all wrapped up in classic Black Mirror brilliance.

And I do have a soft spot for the "bullied nerd finally takes revenge" kind of arc. There's always something raw and cathartic about watching the underdog flip the script, and Jesse Plemons starts to pull that off in the most unsettling way. But what is amazing is that it doesn't stop at just revenge. It flips that narrative too. As the story progresses, it shifts tone and perspective in a way that I honestly didn't expect. The structure had me hooked.

Technically, as someone who understands the ropes, I know better than to nitpick Black Mirror's science. It's meant to push boundaries with creative liberty, and it does exactly that here. The episode never let go of its grip, keeping me invested with that classic "will they, won't they" escape tension that I secretly love.

In a world where new content keeps disappointing me, Black Mirror somehow always knows how to reel me back in. It's episodes like these that remind me why I still believe in this kind of storytelling.

I'm beginning to think that Black Mirror fans are one of those audiences that are impossible to entirely please (similar to Star Wars or Star Trek fans). Some of the "criticisms" I'm reading are people that don't seem to understand what creative license is, and are nitpicking the episode for not being 100% realistic. This is far and away one of the best episodes of the entire series. The story is perfectly paced and consistently engaging. The characters are all well-acted and compelling. The technical aspects of the episode are perfect; terrific visual style, direction, set design, etc. Jesse Plemmons delivers an absolutely golden performance making this an unforgettable episode. There is little not to like here.