Black Mirror Easter Eggs We All Missed
By Jack Clark
1 year ago
The Episode With The Pig...Yeah, That One
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Black Mirror came storming onto our Netflix accounts back in 2016, and it first aired on Channel 4 in the UK in 2011. Booker (the show's creator) doesn't hold back here, and the first episode is about a prime minister who must have intercourse with a pig on live TV in order to save a young girl who has been kidnapped and held hostage. Pretty gruesome stuff. The next time you hear about this in the Black Mirror universe is in the 3rd series during the episode 'Shut Up and Dance', where the viewer can see an article titled 'PM Callow "to divorce"', making reference to the disgraced PM's rocky marriage.More Bad News For Callow
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The more Black Mirror you watch, the more you realise how deep these easter eggs actually go. There are probably tons of references that people have missed, waiting to be unearthed and marvelled over. In the episode 'Nosedive', the protagonist, Lacie, who lives in a social media-obsessed world (so, kinda like this one?) is scrolling through her social media account. Eagle-eyed viewers spotted another easter egg about Callow, but this time in the form of a tweet. On Lacie's computer, you can see 'Highest Rated Posts', featuring a post from Michael Callow saying "just got thrown out of the zoo again".The Waldo Moment
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This episode is a weird one, in that a small, cartoon-like blue bear, who was voiced by a down-on-his-luck late night comedian, ends up running for office after the TV executives saw a gain in Waldo's popularity. It's a fun episode, like most of Black Mirror's repertoire, and Waldo shows up ALL the time throughout the rest of Black Mirror. For example, in 'Shut Up and Dance', you can see a small Waldo sticker. Also, in the episode 'White Christmas', you can see a clip of the late-night talk show that features Waldo whilst Joe is flicking through the channels on his TV.Waldo Strikes Again
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Honestly, the depth to this show is out of this world. Waldo crops up AGAIN in White Christmas, but this time during the scene where Jon Hamm's character is a live dating coach who helps his clients talk to, seduce and sleep with women who they otherwise wouldn't have spoken to. Seems like a good guy, right? Nope, he livestreams the whole thing to other paying customers, whilst his 'client' is completely unaware. There's a big twist in this scene which we won't ruin, but you can see the usernames of the customers viewing the date, and one of them is called 'I_AM_WALDO'.A Show Within A Show
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This one is actually pretty cool. In the episode 'Nosedive', things are going from bad to downright awful for our sweet Lacie, who is desperately trying to get to her friends wedding but can't seem to catch a break. She ends up managing to hitch a ride with a bunch of cosplayers, who are all dressed up as characters from the in-series sci-fi show 'Sea of Tranquility'. It seems random, but this (obviously) isn't the first time this show is mentioned. The special effects expert that features in 'National Anthem' (the pig one) mentions that they worked on the 'Sea of Tranquility' show.Men Against Fire
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Not necessarily a fan-favorite, but still a good all round episode, 'Men Against Fire' is referenced in other episodes. Stripe, the main character in this episode, is a soldier in the military whose job it is to hunt and kill 'roaches'. These 'roaches' are actually other human beings, but the soldiers are having their reality altered by a neural implant which has the codename 'MASS'. In the episode 'Hated In The Nation', a news channel showcases some breaking news that the military had announced they were moving forward with the 'MASS' project.Black Mirror Loves Irma Thomas
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Music in films and TV series, if done right, can really elevate the story and it can play a vital role in helping it to become iconic. Booker definitely knows the importance of this and, just like the continuous event references that crop up throughout the series, the music of choice isn't an exception to this rule. The song 'Anyone Who Knows What Love Is' features in a grand total of 6 episodes. Six! The shows creators apparently love this song, and it appears consistently to help glue each series together.Adult Channels
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Black mirror is very good at portraying elements of 'normal' life, and the detail they go into is completely unheard of for a TV series. They even add in tiny, tiny details that make the whole Black Mirror universe feel totally cohesive and, even though the episodes happen in different timelines (present day, future), you can tell that it is part of one world. During the episode 'Crocodile', the TV screen in her hotel room shows 'Best of Wraith Babes' under the 'Adult Films' section - the very same sex channel is mentioned in 'Fifteen Million Merits'.Implants
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Booker and his team love to explore the idea of futuristic technology that allow the propagation of digital or virtual realities. In several episodes of Black Mirror, the story is centred around a neural device or implant that alters the protagonists perception of reality in some way or another. You'll find this technology in episodes like 'White Christmas', ' Striking Vipers' and 'The Entire History Of You' - whilst it isn't stated outright that this tech is the same, they all have the same effect on the protagonists pupils.Even More Virtual Realities
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'San Junipero' is one of the most iconic episodes of Black Mirror. Not only is it a favorite amongst the fans, it is also highly regarded by the critics, with it winning a couple of Emmy's. Not bad, right? It's a great episode and it explores way more than just the idea of advanced technology. During the episode, you find out that the people in 'San Junipero' are actually just digital representations of the their real-life selves, and the same technology is mentioned in the episode 'Black Museum', where Hayes describes his invention of 'Digital Consciousness Transfer'.Killer Bees
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This episode is pretty scary, not in the typical horror sense, but the idea that technology can easily reach such sophistication that mass-death is, not only achievable, but uniquely easy. The ADI (Autonomous Drone Insects) are the main feature of 'Hated In The Nation', and are responsible for the death of nearly half a million people in the UK. The antagonist in this episode, Garrett Scholes, programs the bees to attack anyone who used a certain hashtag. In the episode 'Black Museum', one of the exhibits showcases one of these deactivated ADIs. Creepy stuff.Granular
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Talking of killer insects, the company responsible for the invention of these ADIs features in a couple of different episodes, including the Black Mirror film 'Bandersnatch'. Granular, a robotics company that claims to help the environment, is a big feature in 'Hated In The Nation', and the main protagonists even pay a visit to the companies headquarters to learn about how the ADIs function. However, the company also gets a mention in 'Playtest' (yeah, the horror episode), in the form of a magazine front cover that Cooper Redfield is perusing.'Playtest'
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Talking of 'Playtest', there are plenty of easter eggs dotted around this episode and other episodes make reference to it. 'Playtest' is a brilliant episode, but one that requires the watcher to procure a pillow from the nearest sofa to hide behind once this episode gets going. During 'Hated In The Nation' the news ticker references a man named Shou Saito, mentioning that he has released 'immersive new gaming system', a direct reference to 'Playtest'. The episode 'Playtest' also features Shou Saito on the front cover of a magazine (the same one that features Granular).More Magazine Details
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The magazine read by Redfield in 'Playtest' also features a company called 'TCKR, a neural technology company within the Black Mirror universe. The magazine states that "it plans to turn nostalgia into a game", and we then see that 'TCKR' is responsible for creating the virtual universe in 'San Junipero'. This isn't the only time 'TCKR' shows up however - the 'TCKR' logo can briefly be seen during 'Metalhead', and 'Black Museum' expands on the early days of 'TCKR' and how they used to experiment on patients who didn't have insurance at the St. Junipers hospital (oh look, another easter egg!).More TCKR
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That's right, we haven't finished with 'TCKR' just yet. Honestly, it crops up all the time, and it is definitely a big sub-plot and an important recurring story line within the Black Mirror universe. Remember 'Striking Vipers'? The episode that explores virtual reality though the use of an online game, whereby the player becomes the character they're meant to control. There's a lot more to this episode and is well worth the watch, but what is interesting is that the company that manufactures the game Striking Vipers is none other than 'TCKR'. We won't ruin the new season for you, but 'TCKR' also features briefly in 'Joan Is Awful'.Dating Apps
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Just like in the real world, Black Mirror features its own dating app. The majority of young people nowadays admit that they met their current partner through a dating app, which is a pretty crazy stat. Back in the day, people generally met at social gatherings or work, and it showcases a major shift in our society. If you can count on any TV show to pick up on trends in our society, Black Mirror is definitely the one. In the episode USS Callister, Elena, the receptionist, can be seen using the dating app - that's right, the very same one that our unfortunate friend Cooper is seen using in 'Playtest'. It also features in 'Hang The DJ'.USS Callister
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This episode is one of the most viewed episodes of Black Mirror, and it is easy to see why. It's got everything someone could want in an episode, and the spectacular writing is delivered superbly by the amazing actors. Not only that, 'USS Callister' has a LOT of easter eggs embedded throughout the episode. During the episode, the USS Callister pays a visit to a planet called 'Rannoch B', which many fans believe is a direct reference to the silent character Iain Rannoch from the episode 'White Bear'. Some fans also believe that the name of this planet is a reference to the video game 'Mass Effect 3'.USS Callister Part 2
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Honestly, 'USS Callister' is full of easter eggs and external cultural references. One of the planets they visit is called 'Skillane IV', which is a reference to Victoria Skillane, the protagonist of 'White Bear' (who later turns about to be an evil, child-murderer). The episode also briefly featured two a-list actors, Aaron Paul and Kirsten Dunst, who both have worked with Jesse Plemons (the main antagonist of 'USS Callister') on previous shows. Something else found littered all over this episode is the fact that the whole thing is just one big, flattering parody - any guesses of what? Star Trek.Roaches
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Remember 'Men Against Fire'? Well, there is a direct reference to this in the 'Arkangel' episode. Arkangel is another episode that, whilst isn't a fan-favorite, touches on the hot media topic of censorship. The episode sees a concerned parent have a doctor implant a device that censors potentially harmful images and 'protects' the user from having to see them, in this case the mothers daughter. During this episode, footage of Raiman (one of the characters in 'Men Against Fire') hunting and shooting 'roaches' is used to prove how good at censoring the neural chip is.Pizza, Anyone?
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'USS Callister' showing up again, sorry! It's a great episode though. Those who have watched the episode will know that Daly (Jesse Plemons) orders a pizza, but not everyone will know the name of the company that delivers said pizza: Fence's Pizza. This doesn't seem like a big deal but, like everything in Black Mirror, it is very deliberate. The episode 'Crocodile' follows the protagonist who has a number of things she wants to hide. Unfortunately, she witnesses and accident from her hotel window and all hell breaks loose. More importantly, the truck that was involved in the accident outside was none other than a Fence's Pizza truck.Let's Talk About White Bear
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This episode has the most shocking an unexpected twist of any Black Mirror episode to date, and wouldn't be out of a place in a list that ranks the top TV twists seen on a series. We won't ruin it, but there are LOT of references to 'White Bear' throughout the rest of the series. During the episode 'White Christmas', Joe's TV shows a news ticker that mentions Victoria Skillane. Small details of her trial can also seen on a website in the episode 'Shut Up And Dance', and she also appears briefly in 'Hated In The Nation', where it is reported that the courts had thrown out her latest appeal.More White Bear
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The episode 'Hated In The Nation' has two 'White Bear' easter eggs and references hidden within it, and further demonstrates the connection between each episode. We've already mentioned the hashtag that got people killed by the ADIs - the hashtag was 'DeathTo' followed by public figures that the Black Mirror universe has hates, Skillane being one of them. Interestingly, another character in this episode makes a direct reference to the events of 'White Bear': Blue, one of the cops, tells someone that she had previously been assigned to work on the Iain Rannoch case.The First Easter Egg
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Black Mirror is full of complex and seemingly trivial easter eggs that only true fans would ever pick up on. Lucky for us, Black Mirror has a LOT of dedicated fans and have found nearly ALL of the easter eggs within the series. They had to start somewhere, and beginning of the easter egg hunt is found in 'Be Right Back'. Fans have spotted that Marta, the episodes protagonist, receives an email from UKN News, which is the very same news network found in the first episode 'National Anthem.UKN News
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Talking about UKN News, this fictional news network appears in pretty much every single episode of Black Mirror and this is no coincidence. Booker has never confirmed that Black Mirror takes place in one universe, but instead has littered the episodes with common themes, character links and events. With UKN News appearing ALL the time, it demonstrates a clear truth that we all know - every Black Mirror episode is in some way connected to one another and the world in which they take place. You even see the American branch of the news network, USN, in 'Black Museum'.White Bear Symbol
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In the 'White Bear' episode, this symbol shows up an awful lot - on the TV screen as Victoria wakes up, on the masks of her attackers and is also the tattoo that is inked into Iain Rannoch's neck. This isn't the only time this symbol can be seen in Black Mirror though, and fans have a theory about what the symbol means. It is widely accepted that the symbol shows up whenever someone in the episode is being controlled or manipulated. For example, it shows up in 'Playtest', 'White Christmas' AND in the movie, 'Bandersnatch'.Callow...Again
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This guy just can't catch a break, can he? Obviously, he was put in quite the predicament back in episode one, but he did what he did to save someones life. The new series starts with 'Joan Is Awful', and episode that highlights our obsession with streaming services, their monopoly of the media industry and the power that they hold over us. 'Streamberry', Black Mirrors version of Netflix, can be seen on the TV screen, and the recommended series to watch is called 'The Callow Years' - a direct reference to our pig-loving friend Callow.Sea Of Tranquility...Again!
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Thought we were done with this fictional show within a show? Nope! It comes up ALL the time within the Black Mirror universe, and it crops up in episodes that are clearly meant to be far apart from each other in terms of timeline, making it an extremely long-standing show that each generation seems to enjoy. Kinda like Friends? Maybe. 'Sea Of Tranquility pops up a couple of times in season 6, specifically in episodes 1 and 4. Interestingly, it also appears in the episodes 'Smithereens' and 'Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too'.The Thirteenth Floor
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Black Mirror doesn't just reference itself through the series, it also pays homage to various movies and pop culture icons in various different and subtle ways. USS Callister (I know, again) has a number of external easter eggs littered throughout it. For example, when Robert Daly gets in the elevator to go to his company, Callister Inc, his office is located on none other than the thirteenth floor. This is a subtle but direct easter egg about the 80s movie The Thirteenth Floor, which is based upon the idea of virtual reality.Metalhead
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No, this isn't a description of an angry youth with long hair listening to music music with screaming vocals, but the title of one of the episodes of season 4. There are many easter eggs hidden within this episode, mostly subtle, but some are outright and deliberately obvious. One of the characters has to hack into a van in one of the scenes, and when he does this the viewer sees lines of code that are directly related to every single Black Mirror episode. This isn't an exaggeration, the code literally lists every single BM episode, in order, in code. Pretty cool.Black Museum
