9 Years Later, This Sci-Fi Show’s Boldest Episode Still Feels Untouchable

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The show expertly captured the spirit of modern life, leading to some truly groundbreaking television stories. Season 3’s “San Junipero” demonstrated the show’s quality, winning critical praise and two Emmy Awards. Though “San Junipero” is often considered the best, Season 4’s “USS Callister” was arguably the most daring.

Featuring a standout performance by Jesse Plemons, “USS Callister” was a major success, earning four Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Television Movie. Many critics consider it one of the best episodes of Black Mirror, cleverly using a *Star Treklike setting to examine common biases. It’s unique in that it’s the only episode with a follow-up, though “USS Callister: Into Infinity” didn’t achieve the same level of acclaim as the original.

“USS Callister” Might Just Be Black Mirror’s Best-Looking Episode

From the beginning, Black Mirror has stood out as a unique television series. It’s consistently praised for reflecting current cultural trends, with each episode presenting a different scenario of how technology could be used for harm. The show is also visually striking, employing a wide range of styles – from the bleak, muted tones of episodes like “The National Anthem,” “Be Right Back,” and “Men Against Fire,” to the bright and colorful aesthetics of episodes such as “Nosedive” and “Fifteen Million Merits.”

The episode “USS Callister” draws heavily from the look and feel of Star Trek, but its influence goes deeper than just visuals. The in-universe show, Space Fleet, is a clear tribute to Star Trek. The episode’s creators also took inspiration from classic 1960s television, blending it with elements from the 2009 Star Trek reboot to create a unique and layered experience.

The stunning visual effects in “USS Callister” helped create a perfectly balanced and cinematic feel, making it stand out as one of the most movie-like episodes of Black Mirror. It evokes the feeling of a grand, classic adventure film, and its atmosphere is truly larger than life. Jesse Plemons’ character, Robert Daly, has access to a powerful computer program that can essentially bring his imagination to life, no matter how he chooses to use it.

The “USS Callister” episode transforms a fantastical digital world—complete with strange creatures—into a playground for its characters. Reviewers consistently praised the episode’s significantly improved visual effects, with The Verge stating they surpassed anything the show had done previously. The publication even called it the first Black Mirror episode that felt worthy of a big-screen movie experience.

True boldness in storytelling isn’t just about looking good; it requires stories to really connect with their own ideas, with other stories, and with the people experiencing them. The Black Mirror episode “USS Callister” does this by exploring complex social and political issues through a nostalgic, adventure-filled lens. At the start of the episode, though, only the character Daly seems to be having any real fun.

The Episode’s Cinematic Visuals Mask a Dark Reality

Captain Robert Daly and his brave crew fight against the evil Valdacks in a classic, heroic battle. However, the scene takes a troubling turn when Captain Daly kisses two of his female crew members, making viewers feel uneasy. This act highlights the serious issue of workplace abuse, and the following celebratory song, “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” feels inappropriate and unsettling in light of it.

Robert Daly is a strange and unsettling figure, and as the story progresses, we learn he’s the withdrawn CTO of a virtual reality game company. When his coworkers discover something disturbing about him, they warn others to stay away. After overhearing this, Daly decides to target Nanette with the same terrifying virtual reality experience he’s inflicted on his other perceived enemies.

Creating a consciousness copy through DNA isn’t based in science, but the show “USS Callister” uses a bit of fantasy to make its story work. Essentially, Daly can recreate a person’s mind inside his virtual reality, which is separate from the Infinity game. Because these recreated people feel everything, they’re forced to do whatever he tells them.

Despite the impressive visuals and special effects of this Star Trek story, a truly terrifying reality lies beneath the surface. The story centers around a ruthless leader who lacks all compassion. He inflicts brutal punishments on those who defy him – from disfiguring people to prevent them from breathing, to monstrous transformations, and even throwing them into space to suffer a slow death. While fans may still enjoy the show’s colorful landscapes and effects, they now feel like a disguise for a deeply disturbing narrative.

Despite appearing harmless at times, everything Daly does remains frightening due to his violent tendencies. Nanette devises a plan to outsmart him and escape the virtual world, intending to use distraction while her team completes their assigned tasks. It’s disturbing that Nanette felt she had to rely on manipulation, but it highlights just how shameless, crude, cruel, and hateful Daly truly is.

Facing a genuine god, but trapped inside a virtual world, could have led to irreversible disaster. The digital copies of themselves had only one opportunity to break free from Daly’s power, and they succeeded through a fortunate mix of chance and bravery.

The famous Star Trek motto – “to boldly go where no one has gone before” – resonates strongly in the episode “USS Callister.” Nanette and the crew risked everything, even their digital lives, by entering a game-updating wormhole, but surprisingly survived and gained their freedom. This allowed them to begin a truly incredible adventure, one that would be almost impossible for people in the real world to even dream of, let alone live through.

“USS Callister” Remains Culturally and Ethically Relevant Today

Man, “USS Callister” really hit different. It was way more intense than even “San Junipero,” which is the only other Black Mirror episode that left me feeling genuinely good. What’s crazy is how they flipped the script on the whole Star Trek vibe. You almost expect Robert Daly to be the hero – the story gives you all the pieces to understand why he’s angry about his work being stolen. But instead of fighting back in the real world, he becomes this truly awful villain, choosing to endlessly torture digital copies of the people who wronged him. It’s a bold move, and it totally works.

Honestly, seeing Daly, it’s like looking at everything you’d expect from someone deeply stuck in that incel world – a white guy completely wrapped up in online spaces that just reinforce his messed-up views. He doesn’t seem to care about what’s right or wrong, or even being kind to others; it’s all about getting revenge in his mind. And it’s disturbing to see Nanette initially so impressed with him. She actually praised his coding as amazing and said that’s why she wanted to work at the company – she thought he was a genius, and who wouldn’t want to work for someone like that, right?

Even after hearing Nanette compliment his work, Daly quickly decides to make her life difficult, believing she’d act like his other coworkers. Perhaps he was bullied when he was younger – a common experience for those seen as outsiders – and now, unfortunately, he repeats that behavior by targeting the helpless digital copies. The episode, “USS Callister,” powerfully shows how easily power can be abused within the tech world, and connects this to Daly’s harmful need to control both power and women.

According to a recent article in Vulture, the show highlights the troubling mindset behind rape culture – a sense of entitlement, an imbalance of power, and a disturbing fascination with forced submission. The show’s creator, Daly, doesn’t want his characters to simply have fun on their adventures. Instead, he seems driven by a desire to control and sexually exploit those who are weaker, and that’s what brings him satisfaction.

Some viewers noticed similarities between the character Daly’s actions and the accusations against Harvey Weinstein, which came to light around the same time as the show “USS Callister” aired. Like Weinstein, Daly frequently used threats to intimidate and silence those who disagreed with him. Given the ongoing conversations sparked by the #MeToo movement, the show’s powerful message – that oppressive systems of power need to be completely broken down for true freedom to exist – feels particularly important today.

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2026-01-17 06:43