Every episode ofBlack Mirrorseason 7 is connected to one another through a very subtle detail that you might have missed. Though it’s an anthology show, there have been plenty of hints through the years that every episode ofBlack Mirrorexists in a shared universe. The series constantly references older episodes, such as the “White Bear” symbol that appears inJon Hamm’sWhite Christmasepisode, and several others.Black Mirrorseason 7, however, added new fuel to the discussion of the show’s shared universe through a subtle, blink-and-you-miss-it detail in each of the new episodes.
Black Mirrorseason 7 was unusual before it even began due to its two sequel episodes:USS Callister: Into Infinity, a sequel to the acclaimed season 4 episode, andPlaything, which is a sequel to the 2018 interactive movieBandersnatch. Both of those sequel episodes expanded their individual stories and provided more evidence of a shared universe in the way of Easter eggs, but they also made one brilliant detail possible. Each episode ofBlack Mirrorseason 7 features a hidden reference toBandersnatchthat essentially ties them all together.
All 6 Black Mirror Season 7 Episodes Feature The Same Bandersnatch Book In The Background
The Choose Your Own Adventure Book That Was Central To Bandersnatch Has Remained Popular Through The Years
In every episode ofBlack Mirrorseason 7, a copy of the book “Bandersnatch” is visible in some scene. For example, inBlack Mirrorseason 7, episode 2,Bête Noire, the book could briefly be seen when Maria was searching through Verity’s bedroom, though it was only identifiable by the end of the title on its spine. It makes similarly brief appearances, usually sitting on a desktop, inUSS Callister: Into Infinity,Plaything,Hotel Reverie,Eulogy, andCommon People. A book titled “Bandersnatch” is a clear reference to the 2018Black Mirrormovie of the same name, and the source of the episodePlaything.
The book “Bandersnatch” was a choose your own adventure novel that theBlack MirrormovieBandersnatch’s protagonist, Stefan (Fionn Whitehead), used as inspiration for a game of the same name. The book was quite well known withinBandersnatchdue to the fact that its author went insane, butBlack Mirrorseason 7 proved that it’s still popular in the future of the show. Additionally,since a major theme ofBandersnatchwas the concept of branching, parallel universes, it may be a clever hint that the entire season ofBlack Mirrortakes place in the same shared universe.
Black Mirror Season 7’s Episodes Also Frequently Mentions Juniper
The Black Mirror Season 4 Episode “Saint Junipero” Frequently Makes Appearances In Newer Episodes
Bandersnatchisn’t the only classicBlack Mirrorepisode that was referenced in season 7, however. The laudedBlack Mirrorseason 3 episode,San Junipero, also had a few appearances across the season’s episodes. InCommon People, Mike (Chris O’Dowd) and Amanda (Rashida Jones) regularly go to the Juniper Lodge.USS Callister: Into Infinitymentions “St. Juniper Hospital,” andHotel Reveriefocuses on a movie titled “Saint Juniper,” while Brandy lives on a street named “Junipero Drive.“The plot ofEulogyalso shares thematic similarities withSan Junipero’s digital afterlife, though there isn’t an overt reference in it.
Black Mirrorseason 7 also isn’t the first time the series has made a callback toSan Junipero. BothBlack Mirrorseason 4, episode 6 andBandersnatchreferenceSaint Juniperoin different ways. That’s really only the tip of the iceberg when it comes toBlack Mirrorshared universe Easter eggs, however. Other facets of the series, like Tuckersoft fromBandersnatch, crop up in various episodes across seasons, as well as the previously mentioned White Bear symbol. There are more than a few clues that hint at a shared universe inBlack Mirrorjust waiting for eagle-eyed viewers to spot them.
