11 Years Ago, Netflix’s 10/10 Sci-Fi Masterpiece Released The Darkest Christmas Special Ever

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As a longtime fan of unsettling television, I thought I’d seen it all when it came to dark holiday specials. But even amongst the grim offerings – like those from American Horror Story and its spinoff, American Horror Stories – the Black Mirror Christmas special stands out. It’s easily the bleakest episode of Black Mirror and, honestly, probably the darkest Christmas special television has ever produced. It’s a truly chilling experience.

Despite being comedies, The Mindy Project‘s season 4 episode “When Mindy Met Danny” and The Simpsons‘ season 9 episode “Miracle on Evergreen Terrace” are both well-known for being surprisingly gloomy Christmas episodes. They intentionally went against the typical cheerful tone expected from holiday specials, resulting in episodes that felt unexpectedly dark.

Given how consistently dark the best episodes of Black Mirror are, it’s not shocking that the show has a particularly grim Christmas special. However, revisiting the 2014 standalone episode, “White Christmas,” really highlights just how intensely dark the story becomes.

Black Mirror’s “White Christmas” Is The Darkest Christmas Special Ever

The movie “White Christmas” opens on Christmas morning with Joe (Rafe Spall) and Matt (Jon Hamm) having breakfast. They’ve been living together in a remote cabin for five years, but they’ve never truly connected or talked about their lives. As they finally begin to speak, something feels strange about their situation, though it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s wrong.

The two men share three stories, each one more unsettling than the last. First, Matt recounts his past as a dating coach, secretly feeding advice to clients through an earpiece – a practice that ends in disaster. Then, Hamm’s character describes his previous work.

An episode of Black Mirror, later spoofed by The Simpsons, features John Hamm playing a character who develops “Cookies”—digital copies of people designed to take care of their tedious tasks. While seemingly helpful, the life of these clones is deeply disturbing, as shown by the terrifying ordeal experienced by Oona Chaplin’s character, Greta.

Now it’s Joe’s turn to share, and he tells Matt about his breakup. The situation mirrors a previous storyline in the show: Joe’s ex blocked him, and within the show’s reality, that makes her appear as just a blurry figure to him.

Black Mirror’s Christmas Special Is One Of Its Best Episodes Ever

By the time the surprising ending of this Black Mirror episode arrives, viewers are deeply invested in both Matt and Joe, despite their obvious shortcomings. However, nothing can truly prepare them for what happens to the characters in the end. “White Christmas” is arguably the most disturbing Christmas TV special ever created, due to the bleak reality behind their unusual circumstances.

This episode is possibly the most depressing one of the series, which is saying something considering how bleak Black Mirror often is. While other episodes like “White Bear” and “Shut Up and Dance” have shocking moments, they still offer complete stories. In contrast, every storyline here ends sadly, and it all builds to an even more devastating conclusion.

Despite sounding potentially difficult to watch, “White Christmas” is actually a really enjoyable and fast-paced thriller. Its structure, featuring several shorter stories within the main episode, keeps things moving and prevents any one story from feeling too drawn out – a common problem with some of the show’s longer episodes. Even the strongest seasons of Black Mirror sometimes fall into predictable plot twists.

When you watch the Christmas special again, you realize all the big surprises are hinted at from the beginning. Even what happens to the two main characters is subtly shown right away. But the story moves so quickly and jumps between different storylines in a smart way, which keeps you guessing and makes re-watching it a really satisfying experience.

“White Christmas” Changed Black Mirror Forever

As a huge fan of Black Mirror, I remember when “White Christmas” came out – it felt like a pivotal moment for the show. It originally aired on Channel 4 back in 2011, and while it got some decent reviews at first, it really started to gain a following over time. By the end of season 3, it had become a proper cult classic – everyone was talking about it!

After season 3 concluded, Channel 4 turned down several scripts from the creators of Black Mirror. This ultimately led to the creation of the standalone special, “White Christmas,” which became the last Black Mirror episode broadcast on Channel 4. The show then moved to Netflix, and its overall style shifted significantly.

Even though Netflix kept most of the original people who made the show, having more money and famous actors meant seasons 4 through 7 felt much grander and more global. This period produced some of the show’s best episodes, such as “San Junipero,” but also some of its worst.

Netflix acquiring Black Mirror has had both positive and negative effects on the show. Whether fans prefer the earlier or later seasons, the episode “White Christmas” marks a significant moment in the series’ history. It was the last episode to air on Channel 4, and a fittingly bleak and enjoyable conclusion to its run on the British network.

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2025-12-17 20:19