Black Mirror season 5: Every hidden easter egg and reference you missed
6 June 2019, 14:55
From the San Junipero references to the Bandersnatch easter eggs, here's every hidden detail you might have missed in Black Mirror season 5.
Black Mirror season 5 has officially dropped on Netflix and once again, the emotional, startling and down right terrifying storylines have sent the internet spiralling into a pit of existential dread.
With only three episodes, season 5 stands as one of the shortest seasons, alongside season one. 'Striking Vipers', 'Smithereens' and 'Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too' touch on several topics, including Black Mirror's favourite virtual reality world, the dangers of social media and ridiculously advanced technology.
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But despite only being three episodes long, the season is jam packed full of references, call backs and easter eggs that once again confirm that Black Mirror exists in a shared universe. In season 5, there's several references to episodes past, including 'San Junipero', 'Hang The DJ', 'Nosedive', 'White Bear', 'The National Anthem' and 2018's choose your own adventure stand-alone episode 'Bandersnatch'.
Here are all the easter eggs and references you might have missed in Black Mirror season 5:
Season 5, episode 1: Striking Vipers
- TCKR, who produces those little virtual reality headsets, is also the company behind the simulated afterlife in 'San Junipero' and the one that was explored in more detail in 'Black Museum'.
- There's a literal 'White Bear' reference in the Striking Vipers X game, where players can select a polar bear called Tundra to fight as. Later in the episode, Karl (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) tells Anthony Mackie's character Danny that he "fucked a polar bear and I still couldn't get you out of my mind."
Season 5, episode 2: Smithereens
- Billy Bauer, who is the CEO of Smithereen, was first introduced in one of the many alternative endings to Bandersnatch. As computer programmer Pearl Ritman talks to a reporter about adapting Bandersnatch, a news ticker at the bottom reads: “Senate Committee grills Smithereens CEO Billy Bauer over Russian bots.”
- In the Smithereens reception area, there's a projection of the timeline on the wall where one of the reports references Prime Minister Callow - the PM who had sex with a pig in season 1 episode 'The National Anthem'. #AshleyOWembley, #StJunipersStrike and #SeaOfTranquilityReboot are all trending on the topics bar.
- On Chris' Hitcher app screen, there's a reference to Victoria Skillane from 'White Bear', a reference to season 3 episode 'Men Against Fire' with the name Raiman, a shoutout to the Bandersnatch theatre, a reference to Fences' Pizza from 'Crocodile' and a mention of Redfield aka Cooper Redfield from 'Playtest.'
- The System appears on the trending topics list of the receptionist's Smithereen profile at the same time that the kidnapping is taking place. The System is of course the alternate reality dating programme that features in 'Hang The DJ'. There's also Hot Shots, Clayton Lee and Granular - which are all references from seasons past.
Season 5, episode 3: Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too
- Rachel and Jack attend Ritman High School. Ritman is the surname of Colin from Bandersnatch, played by Will Poulter.
- Saint Juniper's ICU appears in the episode - a reference to 'San Junipero'.
- There's an advert for the grain memory device in season 1 episode 'The Entire History of You'.
- During an entertainment news bulletin announcing the hospitalisation of Ashley O, The Sea of Tranquility that has been mentioned in 'The National Anthem' and 'Nosedive', is spoken about and is finally revealed that it's an anime show. In 'Nosedive', the cosplayers are dressed as characters from the show.
- In the same news bulletin announcing Ashley O's coma, the news ticker at the bottom of the screen reads: "Architect arrested on multiple murder charges" - which could be a reference to Mia in season 4's 'Crocodile'.
- The bulletin also calls back to season 4's 'Black Museum', as the tickers reveals that a "museum owner's body was found in smoking ruins". It's totally a reference to Rolo Haynes. How many other museum owners do you know who got smoked in an electric chair by Letitia Wright?
- There's also a reference to season 5's 'Smithereens', when Ashley's aunt Catherine and Rachel are seen using the social media network.
