Hated in the Nation

In my opinion, the third season of Black Mirror has been very shaky. Each episode has had its own major attributes and its own major flaws. This one is the least flawed of the season. And while it may not quite achieve the moral intensity of "men against fire" or the interpersonal chemistry of "San Junipero", these elements were strong enough to be serviceable, and much better balanced with each other. As a result, this is the most polished and watchable episode of the season.

The plot focuses on the investigation of the mysterious death of a hated journalist. While this starts out as a commentary on the social media age, it gradually builds in more futuristic elements until it is full-on science fiction horror. I was pleasantly surprised by just how dark and terrifying it got by the end of the episode. This was the right episode to put at the end of the season, and it is probably the strongest overall.