Black Mirror Season 6: Why Fans Keep Hating on Demon 79?

When Charlie Brooker first premiered his dystopian anthology show, Black Mirror, in 2011, fans were quick to describe the British screenwriter as one of the most exciting creators in the industry. Each subsequent season of the series, which soon acquired a cult status, validated this notion. However, when the hit show found a new home on Netflix, the quality seemingly faltered slightly.

Fans were disappointed that Brooker decided to adopt a much lighter approach to his dystopian narratives. However, it wasn't until the disastrous Season 5 that people actually started questioning whether Black Mirror had a future.

Even though the recently released Season 6 features several episodes that got praise from both critics and fans, the season overall still got plenty of flak, with critics accusing Brooker of running out of interesting ideas. Season 6's final episode, Demon 79, was cited by many as a clear sign that Black Mirror was no longer the same show that we loved and were scared of so much during its golden years.

Having a Black Mirror episode set in the past rather than the future is not an inherently bad idea. What really disappointed fans was the inclusion of supernatural elements in this tale of a shop assistant committing some heinous acts in Northern England in 1979. And even though Brooker used a new Red Mirror logo as a loud and clear message to viewers that he was exploring new avenues in his work, most people still hated the fact that Demon 79 was even included in a Black Mirror season.

‘I'm definitely happy that the creator's expanding into new Genre's but I think it would have gone over better by creating a Red Mirror show on Netflix. I know contracting could be a big piece of why they didn't, but I think even a different grouping/thumbnail would have let people adjust their expectations better,’ a fan explained.

It should be said, though, because the episode was crafted with great skill and genuine appreciation for the classic horror genre, some fans just couldn't help admiring it, even though it seemed to clash in style and vibe with the ones that came before it.

‘It actually makes it fun for me, switching things up. I didn’t predict the supernatural popping up at all, especially in the prior episode, so it helps keep me on my toes more when watching these episodes,’ another fan argued.

Still, it would appear that the majority of the Black Mirror fandom don't seem to enjoy having curveball episodes thrown their way.

Source: Reddit.