The much-admired Black Mirror is back for its most unpredictable sixth season. The Netflix series consisting of five new episodes launched on June 15. Black Mirror reinvents stories that are completely different from one another, keeping worldwide audiences on their toes. Writer, creator and executive producer Charlie Brooker has often said a key element is to keep surprising the viewer.

An incredible group of gifted directors were eager to come on board. Amongst the many talented actors featured are Aaron Paul, Anjana Vasan, Annie Murphy, Auden Thornton, Ben Barnes, Clara Rugaard, Daniel Portman, Danny Ramirez, David Shields, Himesh Patel, John Hannah, Josh Hartnett, Kate Mara, Michael Cera, Monica Dolan, Myha’la Herrold, Paapa Essiedu, Rob Delaney, Rory Culkin, Salma Hayek Pinault, Samuel Blenkin and Zazie Beetz.

Over the past decade, the hit show has become well-known for its profound, satirical interpretation of the frightening repercussions of imaginary technological developments, which have been shockingly prescient. In this season, Brooker seems to focus a bit more on old tech – videotapes, digital cameras, etc. yet familiar topics such as AI, data collecting and deep fakes are ever-present.

In the first powerful episode “Joan is Awful,” Black Mirror specifically tailored the story toward gay people. Schitt’s Creek’s Annie Murphy stars as Joan, a laid-back tech CEO, who discovers that her whole life has been played out for the world to see on the Netflix-esque streaming service Streamberry, where she’s portrayed by Hollywood A-lister Salma Hayek.

Murphy tells Gay Times (gaytimes.co.uk) that she didn’t grasp the episode’s queer appeal until she and Hayek attended a Pride screening hosted by drag queen Trixie Mattel. “It was a room full of very excited, very loud, very involved gays,” Murphy recalled. “Salma and I sat in the back in the dark, in the last row, and just held each other’s hand. We knew it was a fun good episode, but then hearing these genuine gasps and cackles… Salma got a standing ovation at one point.”

Due to the pandemic, fans had to patiently wait for four years but are now invited to binge-watch their way through all five episodes.

Below are short synopses of the episodes.

“Joan Is Awful”

An average woman is stunned to discover a global streaming platform has launched a prestige TV drama adaptation of her life in which she is portrayed by a Hollywood actress.

“Loch Henry”

A young couple travel to a sleepy Scottish town to start work on a genteel nature documentary, but find themselves drawn to a juicy local story involving shocking events of the past.

“Beyond the Sea”

In an alternative 1969, two men on a perilous high-tech mission wrestle with the consequences of an unimaginable tragedy.

“Mazey Day”

A troubled starlet is dogged by invasive paparazzi while dealing with the consequences of a hit-and-run incident.

“Demon 79”

In Northern England in 1979, a meek sales assistant is told she must commit terrible acts to prevent disaster.