Top TV Memes: The Best Formats From 'Black Mirror'

Black Mirror is a popular sci-fi anthology TV series. Available on Netflix, it has often been compared to a modern-day Twilight Zone, though it focuses more specifically on the modernization of technology and its effects. Usually, there are no happy endings in Black Mirror, however, there are lots of very weird, highly specific jokes that have come from each episode.

Each episode is very different and has a unique cast, though they tend to be a lot of British stars who somehow wound up in roles much darker than they could have expected. There was also an episode featuring Miley Cyrus and thousands of clones of her. Things are really confusing with this show, and each episode is like an individual movie to make endless memes from. These are some of the show’s most memorable episodes that have led to many of the references you’ll see online.

Most Popular Memes: Season 1, Episode 1: "The National Anthem"

Black Mirror is perhaps best known for "the pig scene." For some reason, the showrunners thought it would be a good idea to start the series with this, and somehow, it worked. If you are blissfully unaware of what the pig scene entails, I envy your innocence, and I’m not going to spoil this unpleasant surprise for you, mostly because I’m still processing what I had to see and I don’t want to talk about it. But there’s something to be said about the show’s confidence in itself, because logic says a pilot episode like this would never, ever evolve into a series. In essence, the episode is about a prime minister trying everything to save a princess being held hostage. And yes, I mean everything.

It’s obvious why this has led to so many memes, not just about the pig scene, but about the creation of the episode itself. We just can’t wrap our minds around what inspired this. I’m not saying you should watch this, and I’m definitely saying you should not watch this if you’re at a viewing party or having a movie night with your parents. You will never be able to recover from the awkwardness this will cause. But you might get some of the jokes people have been coming up with for nearly a decade. Suddenly, the backstory behind all those pig memes will make so much sense. And if you decide not to watch it, then you’ll live a happier life than we ever could.

Most Meme Potential: Season 5, Episode 1: "Striking Vipers"

To be honest, it’s difficult to say why this is one of the most talked-about episodes of the show. Instead of being about anything particularly deep or meaningful, it’s about two straight male friends who play a VR game together and start an affair via male and female characters. It’s not particularly groundbreaking and doesn’t stick with you the same way most Black Mirror episodes do. But due to the ties with gaming and the fact that most of us gamers will never find a relationship, in reality, or otherwise, this one’s been blowing up in the meme world.

When it comes to the memes, this episode isn’t famous for the right reasons. There are way more memes out there about it’s gamer friendship/romance dilemma than there should be. There are lots of other questions we should be asking, like why would we ever want to play a video game where you can literally feel the pain of being punched in the face repeatedly? And why does that guy’s wife really not care? Why do we care? How did we end up here? Based on memes and viral jokes alone, we’re led to believe everyone loves this episode, but somehow this is one of the most divisive episodes of anything out there, and there's a lot more to make fun of here.

---

Meme Insider is a Know Your Meme publication and the world's leading internet culture magazine. Find out how to get your first print copy for free, and check out the Meme Insider website for more info.