When reality begins to catch up to dystopian fiction, such speculative stories lose their edge over time. The same can be said about the latest entries in Charlie Brooker's "Black Mirror," a show once hailed as bleakly provocative in the best sense of the term. It's possible our current reality is so hopelessly strange that the show's cautionary, pessimistic stories can't help but feel hollow in comparison.

All the same, "Black Mirror" has consistently told timely, thought-provoking tales about technological excess, absurdist metropolises, and the steady erasure of everything that makes us human. The series brings a distinct vibe to mainstream television, one where we hunger for stories that push the limits of the genre while compelling us to slow down and think. There's a conscious desire for episodes that take wild swings, especially ones that combine the chilling coldness of technology with the warmth of human connection (which...