"Loch Henry" | |
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Black Mirror episode | |
Episode no. | Series 6 Episode 2 |
Directed by | Sam Miller |
Written by | Charlie Brooker |
Original air date | 15 June 2023 |
Running time | 54 minutes |
Guest appearances | |
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"Loch Henry" is the second episode of the sixth series of the anthology series Black Mirror. It was written by the series creator Charlie Brooker and directed by Sam Miller. Alongside the rest of the sixth series, it premiered on Netflix on 15 June 2023. The episode follows Davis (Samuel Blenkin) and Pia (Myha'la Herrold) as they make a true crime documentary in Davis's run-down hometown in Scotland.
Brooker reflected on the cinematic style of true crime documentaries and how he and his wife had considered traveling to Scotland after seeing its depiction in a documentary. "Loch Henry" was the first episode set in Scotland, as the setting of "Crocodile" was changed to Iceland; 18 locations in Scotland were used for filming. The episode criticises the effects of true crime media on victims. Pia's death can be seen as punishment for her flippant attitude towards other people's tragedies. The episode references other Black Mirror events through newspapers and other text; its themes were compared to "Joan Is Awful", which is also about streaming television.
The episode placed around the middle of critics' lists of Black Mirror installments by quality, though most reviews aggregated by Rotten Tomatoes were positive. Reviewers wrote negatively of the episode's moral but positively about the characters and acting. Critics were ambivalent towards the plot twist.