Black Mirror fans stunned Netflix allowed first episode of new series to be aired

Black Mirror is famous for making dramatised digs at various aspects of our modern lives, however, fans were surprised to see the series seemingly taking aim at Netflix in one of its newest episodes.

All six episodes of the speculative sci-fi seventh series landed on the streaming platform yesterday (10 April) with viewers rushing to get their fix of Charlie Brooker's disturbing dystopias.

Reviews have since begun to flood in across the internet, with the standout reaction being shared among viewers being, how on earth did Brooker and co manage to get the first episode approved by Netflix?

Here is a full rundown and reactions to series opener 'Common People' - moderate spoilers for the episode are below, so scroll away if you want to avoid.

The episode stars Rashida Jones and Chris O’Dowd who play Amanda and Mike, a couple who are struggling to conceive a child together.

Things get worse for the couple after Amanda develops a brain tumour. After the condition leaves her in a coma, Mike is informed by a representative of cutting edge tech start-up Rivermind that they can replace the tumour with a synthetic backup of the affected part of her brain.

The backed-up part of her brain is then connected to a digital cloud, with Amanda's access restricted by the monthly package she is subscribed to.

As a 'basic' member, she is forced to remain within a certain distance of Rivermind HQ and begins to have adverts aired through her brain without her even realising.

Unable to afford a premium subscription, Amanda becomes a walking advert - with bleak consequences (Netflix)

The only way for Amanda to stop being a walking advert is to upgrade to a more expensive subscription, which sounds awfully familiar to the membership tiers wheeled out by streaming platforms like Netflix and its competitors.

And of course, the irony wasn't lost on viewers.

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Sharing their reactions on social media, many viewers praised Brooker's bold decision to satirise subscription models used by the likes of Netflix, while others were shocked the streaming site would even give the go-ahead for the episode.

"Bold of Netflix to have this Common People episode of Black Mirror," wrote one user on X.

Viewers were quick to point out the chilling parallels between the episode and real life (Netflix)

"Why does Common People episode reminds of me of X, Netflix, or any other subscriptions," a second person wondered, while a third commented: "Netflix allowing common people to stream even though it’s an F U to them and the streaming industry…. love it."

However, others pointed out the fact that Netflix having an episode which pokes fun at a subscription method is arguably even more dystopian, with one person writing: "I just realised the irony of the episode Common People to be on a platform like Netflix, the very system model being criticised. That’s actually bleak af and makes it all the more terrifying."

A second added: "The call is coming from inside the house."

When asked if the episode was a ‘pot-shot’ at Netflix by Variety, Brooker responded: "Almost disappointingly, no. I’d like to be able to say we’re such rebels and we snuck this on. But no, it actually came about genuinely from various different angles.

"One was just listening to podcasts, observing how the posts naturally drift into sort of sales pitches. They have to do a sponsored bit and they almost do it without breaking their speech patterns. So there was a comic idea at the heart of that."

All seven seasons of Black Mirror are available to stream on Netflix now.

LADbible has contacted Netflix for comment.