‘Black Mirror’ Trailer Reveals Star Trek-Inspired Episode For Season 4 [UPDATED]

Jesse Plemmons in "USS Callister"

Today Netflix released the trailer for the fourth season of its popular (and Emmy-winning) sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror which gives us a peak at the six new episodes including “USS Callister,” a title clearly inspired by Star Trek. Check it out.

The “USS Callister” episode features Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad, Fargo) as the captain. The goofy look on his face — as well as the more than passing similarity to Futurama’s Zapp Brannigan — makes us assume the episode will be a parody: so how will “USS Callister” compare to The Orville

Also in the episode are Cristin Milioti (Fargo), Jimmi Simpson (Westworld) and Michaela Coel (Chewing Gum). The episode is directed by Toby Haynes (Dr Who, Sherlock) and written by show creator Charlie Booker with William Bridges as co-writer. No indication when the episode will drop other than “soon.” 

Black Mirror is headed to space

This will be the first space-based episode of Black Mirror, which typically looks at technology’s impact on more grounded topics like marriage, elections, and corporal punishment. Of course Black Mirror is known for telling darker stories that may not be typical of Star Trek, but it does deal with serious topics through science fiction, which is something Star Trek is known for. I discussed this connection when I previewed the third season here at TrekMovie to delve into the question over how Black Mirror can appeal to Trekkies.

UPDATE: New Image

On September 9th Netflix released a new image of this episode.

Promo shot of Black Mirror episode “USS Callister”

 

 

 

 

 

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Great show. Some episodes are downright creepy. I expect this one to be a fun ride, but there’s always a cautionary lesson about the excesses of technology at the end of each. Neat.

so, its a scarier version of the twilight zone then?

Updated, naturally, and in a hour-long format, but that Twilight-Zone creep factor is often present. I wouldn’t say necessarily ‘scarier’ (I’m a huge TZ fan), but definitely worth a watch.

‘BM’ has about a 40% track record.

compared to what ? I love the show.

Almost every single episode is fantastic.

A crew member gets injured and discovers she’s a Time Lord about to regenerate.

…while Captain Benny Hill does a humorous take and a nubile lieutenant runs around the bridge in her knickers.

This looks better then The Orville by a long shot.

Obvious troll is obvious

Very excited about it, because it’s clearly Trek-inspired but a blank slate plot-wise.
The style of the uniforms and bridge wal-interfaces are very close to TOS. I don’t think a real-life future space navy would go for such tones, so “USS Callister” may veer closer towards parody. OTOH, BM episodes are high octane nightmare fuel.

That’s it – that dichotomy makes me really excited for what we might get in the end.

true