We pick the best episode of ‘Black Mirror’s’ delightfully strong new season
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone still obsessing over “Black Mirror’s” new (and improved) season.
As The Times’ David Viramontes writes in this week’s Catch Up, Charlie Brooker’s dystopian anthology series returned to Netflix for the first time in four years last week — and returned to form on the strength of several episodes, including his top pick, “Mazey Day,” that shift Brooker’s lens from an imagined future to an all-too-real present.
Also in Screen Gab No. 87, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” actor Celia Rose Gooding reveals her favorite “Star Trek” series, we offer streaming recommendations for your weekend and more. Want to be featured in a future newsletter? Pretend we’re at the water cooler and give us your review of a TV show or streaming movie you’ve loved. (Submissions should be approximately 100 to 150 words and sent to [email protected] with your name and location.)
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Turn on
Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times
For all the milestones “Never Have I Ever” marked in its four-year run on Netflix — depicting Hindu traditions, fighting “model minority” stereotypes and representing immigrant kids of all stripes — Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher’s comedy about Sherman Oaks overachiever Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and the band of freaks, geeks, stoners and jocks in her orbit has always succeeded on the strength of its high school hijinks, deployed with a tongue-in-cheek, San Fernando Valley-shaped twist (and John McEnroe’s voiceover narration). Senior year doesn’t disappoint, with humorous riffs on losing one’s virginity, prom and, most perceptively, the torturous modern college application process, which leaves Devi and her friends Eleanor (Ramona Young) and Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez) higher-strung than Lindsay Weir. Even if you’re left unsatisfied by the conclusion of the Team Ben (Jaren Lewison) / Team Paxton (Darren Barnet) “dichotomy,” or Devi’s college search, the series delivers a poignant, never-less-than-necessary reminder that failed AP classes, botched auditions, and embarrassing dates will (mostly) be forgotten, while the friendships we forge stay with us, and sustain us, long after the final bell rings. With the charming Poorna Jagannathan as our heroine’s protective mother, Nalini, and the highly entertaining Ranjita Chakravarty as her grandmother, Nirmala. If the streamer is in need of spinoff ideas, it could do worse than starting with those two. — Matt Brennan
The makers of this 2020 Danish Mads Mikkelsen starrer might appreciate the insufficiency of Hulu classifying it under “comedy, action”: “Riders of Justice” delights in swerving around expectations, starting with that title. What does it imply? Civil Rights-era biopic? Hard-boiled revenge thriller? Well, it’s a drama about damaged people with abundant humor and spates of expertly staged violence. Soldier Mikkelsen returns home when his wife dies in an apparent accident. As he tries to salvage his relationship with his teen daughter, some complicated nerds help him investigate. They run afoul of a murderous biker gang, The Riders of Justice. Carefully considered character exploration — and hilarity — ensue. Mikkelsen is dependably excellent; Danish star Nikolaj Lie Kaas, looking like Jason Bateman after 18 miles of bad road, is sympathetic and complex. Writer-director Anders Thomas Jensen won the Oscar for his short “Election Night,” and wrote the Oscar-nominated “After the Wedding” and winners “The New Tenants” and “In a Better World.” — Michael Ordoña
Catch up
Everything you need to know about the film or TV series everyone’s talking about
Warning: Spoilers ahead for the “Mazey Day” episode of “Black Mirror” Season 6.
In what might be described as a surprising evolution for Netflix’s bleakest and most dour series yet, the delightfully strong sixth season of “Black Mirror” takes a less heavy-handed approach to its tech-obsessed nightmares. From the multiverse-esque romp “Joan Is Awful” — which features perfectly meta performances from Annie Murphy and Salma Hayek — to the sci-fi body swap horror “Beyond the Sea,” the new run of episodes succeeds by putting human drama ahead of high-tech horrors.
But perhaps the best time you’ll have this season is with the penultimate episode, “Mazey Day.” The hook is simple: How far will a paparazzo go to get photos of a big celebrity in recovery? Zazie Beetz plays Bo, a compassionate celebrity photographer who leaves behind the scuzzy practice after snapping photos of an actor having an affair, which leads to his suicide. Feeling remorse over the incident, Bo hangs up her camera and takes a job as a barista. With her bills quickly adding up, she ventures back into L.A.’s seedy paparazzi underbelly for one last score when her photog friend Hector tells her about an open offer of $30,000 in exchange for the first photos of actress Mazey Day following a mysterious hit-and-run. Bo locates Day and follows her to a secure compound in the mountains where she, Hector and a couple other photographers with sketchier morals break into Day’s room to find her in chains.
At this point, the episode transcends “Black Mirror’s” tech-based genre and becomes a supernatural horror story.
As the photographers take photos of the actress and Bo tries breaking her free from the restraints, Day slowly transforms into a werewolf. Yes, a werewolf! Bo and Hector escape before the creature rips their former colleagues to shreds. They are followed by the transformed Day to a diner, where the werewolf kills everyone but Bo before turning back into a human. Day begs Bo to kill her, but Bo instead hands her a gun before taking pictures of Day as she kills herself.
“Black Mirror’s” supernatural twist adds a welcome genre-infused sheen to the series, but Season 6’s other new addition is that much of the action takes place in the past. Instead of being confronted by the nightmarish possibilities of cutting-edge technology, we’re forced to reckon with the very real ways our existing tech has made us into nightmares of our own. — David Viramontes
Guest spot
A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching
With her hand to her ear and her predecessor Nichelle Nichols close to her heart, Celia Rose Gooding revives one of television’s most memorable characters, (not yet Lt.) Nyota Uhura, in streaming prequel “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” (Paramount+). That she is steeped in “Trek” lore is doubly appropriate given the almost classical shape of the series, which, as Times TV critic Robert Lloyd wrote in his initial review, revives “some of the Buck Rogers brio of the original.” Gooding recently stopped by Screen Gab to discuss being brought up Trekkie, her aspirations as a Dungeons & Dragons ace and what she’s watching. — Matt Brennan
What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?
I love messy dating/reality TV shows like “Love Island” [Hulu] and “Ex on The Beach” [Paramount+], and while I’m not caught up yet, I’m loving this season of “The Ultimatum: Queer Love” [Netflix]. I’m about halfway through the season, and it’s my perfect kind of show: People who would probably benefit from couples therapy, instead going on a global platform and attempting to sort their relationship issues out there. Chef’s kiss. I don’t think I would survive a dating show, but, man, do I love watching other people try.
What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the movie or TV show you go back to again and again?
This might seem a bit random coming from me as I’ve established myself as a fan of messy dating/reality TV shows, but I also love TTRPGs (Tabletop Role Playing Games) like Dungeons and Dragons. While I’ve barely played any myself, there’s a show called “Dimension 20” on Dropout.tv, and it is my favorite comfort show to watch these days. There are several seasons, and I find myself rewatching them constantly, my favorites being The Unsleeping City and A Starstruck Odyssey. The rotating casts are always hilariously excellent storytellers and just really good at D&D. I’ve always wanted to be a part of the campaign someday, and this show is renowned in the D&D community, so I think part of me is just studying the pros’ style of gameplay to get good instincts.
In taking on the role of Lt. Uhura you are stepping not only into an iconic role, but into the shoes of a pathbreaking performer. What about Nichelle Nichols’ performance as Uhura has stayed with you most?
Her candor. It’s not a stretch to say Nichols’ Uhura did not get a lot of screen time. As viewers, we rarely had opportunities to know her outside her position on the Enterprise’s bridge crew. We knew her creative talents (dancing, singing, etc.) and her love for the beautiful things in life from brief exchanges with crew mates, but not much more. I learned a lot about who she was by watching her work. Her ability to be straightforward and practical while still maintaining a sense of curiosity and grace. She was 100% herself all the time, which was inspiring to witness. It gave me a strong foundation on how to play my Uhura, who, in her youth, is much different from Nichols’ regal yet inquisitive Uhura. Her Uhura said what she meant and stood by it. She didn’t need to look to other officers to confirm what she already knew. Nichols’ Uhura had that confidence in her, and it became my job to play in the context of how she got there. As an actor reprising a younger version of a role, it’s much easier to know who you are when you know who you’re growing into. By process of elimination, you know what you have to shed and grow out of. Nichols’ Uhura is my lighthouse.
Are you a Trekkie, whether from before this role or since landing it? What’s your favorite iteration of the franchise besides your own, and why?
I come from a family of Trekkies, so I am more of a Trekkie through birthright than the typical route. I got into it once I realized what franchise I landed a role in. My mother and I spent the weeks after my booking watching as much of TOS [the original series] as possible. But with almost 30 hourlong episodes a season, we didn’t make it all the way through. I would say “Lower Decks” is my favorite in the newest generation of Trek shows. As somebody relatively new to enjoying authentic sci-fi entertainment, the comedy and hijinks in “Lower Decks” are right up my alley. It’s one of the few shows in the franchise I can watch and truly enjoy as a fan and less as someone cast in the franchise. Maybe because it’s animated and more comedic than “Strange New Worlds,” I don’t feel as great of a need to really study and take note of the thematic choices as I do when I’d watch “Discovery” or “Picard.”
What’s next
Listings coordinator Matt Cooper highlights the TV shows and streaming movies to keep an eye on
Fri., June 23
“I’m a Virgo” (Prime Video): A reclusive 13-foot-tall Black youngster (“Moonlight’s” Jharrel Jerome) stretches his legs in this new coming-of-age comedy set in Oakland.
“King of Clones” (Netflix): A South Korean scientist’s controversial forays into human cloning are probed in this new documentary.
“The Perfect Find” (Netflix): Gabrielle Union gets her groove back in this 2023 romcom set in the fashion industry.
“Quicksand” (Shudder): Welcome to the jungle, we’ve got an American couple stuck in a pit in this 2023 thriller. With Carolina Gaitán.
“Swagger” (Apple TV+): This drama about a young basketball phenom (Isaiah Hill) hits the court for Season 2.
“Unwelcome” (Shudder): Welcome to rural Ireland, now get the hell out in this 2023 supernatural thriller. With “Killjoys’” Hannah John-Kamen.
“World’s Best” (Disney+): A 12-year-old math wiz wants to add “rapper” to his résumé in this 2023 fantasy comedy. With Manny Magnus.
Sat., June 24
“Linoleum” (Hulu): He’s not the man they think he is at home — oh no, no, no — he’s a rocket man in this fantastical 2023 comedy starring Jim Gaffigan.
“Make Me a Match” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.): A single gal who works for a dating app company gets schooled by a traditional Indian matchmaker in this new TV movie. With Eva Bourne.
“Keyshia Cole: This Is My Story” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.): The R&B diva and reality TV personality stars in the role she was born to play — herself — in this new biopic.
“Love & Marriage: Detroit” (OWN, 9 p.m.): The relationship-themed reality franchise sets up shop in the Motor City in this new series.
Sun., June 25
“Pride Across America” (Hulu, 8 a.m.): They’ll be letting their rainbow flags fly in live coverage of Pride parades in New York, Chicago and San Francisco.
“2023 BET Awards” (BET, 8 p.m.; also MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central): Canadian rapper Drake leads the field with seven nominations at the annual shindig.
“Love at First Lie” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.): Her new beau claimed to be an art dealer, but he seems a bit sketchy to me in this new TV movie.
“Average Joe” (BET, VH1, 11:30 p.m.): His dearly departed dad stole millions from the mob and now they want it back in this darkly comic crime drama. With Deon Cole.
Mon., June 26
“Happy Valley” (Acorn TV, AMC+; also 11 p.m. BBC America): This gritty British-made cop drama presents its series finale. Sarah Lancashire stars.
“Cannes Confidential” (Acorn TV): A detective and a con artist solve mysteries on the French Riviera in this stylish new drama. With Lucie Lucas and Jamie Bamber.
“Claim to Fame” (ABC, 8 p.m.): Even more relatives of the rich and famous cohabitate as the competition hosted by Kevin and Franklin Jonas returns for Season 2.
“The Bachelorette” (ABC, 9 p.m.): “The Bachelor’s” Charity Lawson will be the one handing out the roses this time ’round as the competition returns.
“Celebrity IOU” (HGTV, 9 p.m.): “Empire’s” Taraji P. Henson does a solid for an important person in her life in this new episode.
“POV” (KOCE, 10 p.m.): A filmmaker explores the Black experience in post-Civil War America through the lens of his own family history in the 2022 documentary “After Sherman.”
Tue., June 27
“American Experience” (KOCE, 9 p.m.): The new episode “Casa Susanna” recalls a safe space that members of the LGBTQ+ community created for themselves in the Catskills in the 1950s and ‘60s.
“Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music” (HBO, 9 p.m.): The performance artist and MacArthur “genius” grant recipient gets gussied up for this guided tour of American song from 1776 to the present day.
Wed., June 28
“Anthem” (Hulu): Film and TV composer Kris Bowers hits the highway to crowdsource ideas for a more inclusive American national anthem in this new special.
“Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate” (Netflix): This new documentary recalls a safe space that members of the LGBTQ+ community created for themselves in 1920s Berlin.
“Hijack” (Apple TV+): Crying babies and a line at the lavatory are the least of anyone’s worries in this new real-time thriller starring “Luther’s” Idris Elba and “The Good Wife’s” Archie Panjabi.
“Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators” (Netflix): This new docuseries takes a look back at the syndicated 1990s-era TV show that pitted amateur athletes against a stable of pros.
“Run Rabbit Run” (Netflix): “Succession’s” Sarah Snook stars as a single mom whose young daughter says the eeriest things in this Aussie-made 2023 supernatural thriller.
“Grown-ish” (Freeform, 9 p.m.): The “Black-ish” spinoff starring Yara Shahidi clocks in for a sixth and final season.
“Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed” (HBO, 10 p.m.): This new documentary remembers the closeted 1950-60s matinee idol who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1985.
Thu., June 29
“Jericho Ridge” (BET+): A cop in rural Washington takes on a drug cartel single-handedly in this 2022 thriller starring “Luther’s” Nikki Amuka-Bird.
“Secret Chef” (Hulu): Cooks toil away in isolation while also judging one another’s creations in blind taste tests in this new culinary competition.
“Ten Year Old Tom” (Max): Our put-upon protagonist perseveres as the adult-themed animated comedy returns. With the voices of Steve Dildarian and Jennifer Coolidge.
“Warrior” (Max): Andrew Koji kicks butt from one end of 19th century San Francisco to the other as the martial-arts drama returns for a third season.
“The Witcher” (Netflix): Henry Cavill grunts and F-bombs his way through a new series of adventures as the fantasy drama returns for its third season.
“The Match” (TNT, 4 p.m.): The NFL’s Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce and the NBA’s Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson hit the links for charity in this new special.
“Generation Gap” (ABC, 8 p.m.): Old fogeys and young whippersnappers put their knowledge of trivia to the test for a second season. Kelly Ripa hosts.
“(Re)solved” (Vice, 9 p.m.): A new episode reexamines the suspicious death of beloved indie singer-songwriter Elliott Smith in 2003.
“Revealed” (HGTV, 10 p.m.): Houses get makeovers inspired by the homeowner’s family history, heritage and culture in this new renovation series.
The complete guide to home viewing
Get Screen Gab for everything about the TV shows and streaming movies everyone’s talking about.
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