Continuing the season’s quieter, more reflective tone, this fifth instalment of Black Mirror is one of its most emotionally grounded yet. Rather than explore the horrors of invention, it turns inward—using technology as a gentle but unflinching tool for emotional excavation. With themes of memory, regret, and reconciliation at its core, the episode questions how the stories we cling to can protect us—or quietly destroy us over time.

Plot Overview

“Eulogy” follows Phillip, a reclusive man who is contacted by a high-tech memorial company called Eulogy following the death of his ex-girlfriend, Carol. The company offers an immersive remembrance experience, requesting Phillip’s memories of Carol to help construct a personalised tribute. Initially hesitant, Phillip agrees and is guided through the process by an AI assistant known as the Guide, who helps him revisit old photographs and stored memories. However, Phillip struggles to recall Carol’s face—having deliberately defaced her images in the past due to lingering resentment and unresolved pain.

As Phillip dives deeper into his recollections, the Guide begins to question the accuracy of his memories. He initially remembers Carol as having abandoned him after a rejected proposal, but the truth slowly unfolds: Carol was pregnant and had intended to tell him. The episode’s emotional twist comes when it’s revealed that the Guide’s persona is based on Kelly—Carol’s daughter—whom Phillip never knew existed. Confronted with this truth, Phillip finds a long-lost letter from Carol expressing her desire to reconnect. Overcome with guilt and grief, he finally remembers her face and attends her funeral, where he witnesses Kelly performing a cello piece—offering him a moment of emotional resolution and long-overdue closure.

Themes and Commentary

Throughout the episode, “Eulogy” offers a quiet yet powerful meditation on memory, regret, and perception, reminding us that our personal narratives are often incomplete and sometimes deeply flawed.

While we all have villains in our stories, “Eulogy” urges us to reconsider those narratives through a wider, more objective lens—because the hurt and betrayal we carry may not reflect the full truth. Phillip feels abandoned, convinced that Carol heartlessly walked out on him. But he fails to acknowledge his own shortcomings: flirting with other women, eventually cheating, stifling Carol’s musical aspirations, and misinterpreting her hesitation to accept his marriage proposal as rejection. Had Phillip viewed these memories with more clarity and compassion, he might have understood Carol’s pain and perhaps avoided a life marked by bitterness, isolation, and regret.

Easter Eggs and References

Packed with subtle nods and layered details, “Eulogy” offers several connections to the wider Black Mirror universe, rewarding eager-eyed, long-term fans: 

• Memory Exploration Device: Phillip’s technology for reliving his memories resembles a device that has circulated broadly on Black Mirror. From the Season One episode “The Entire History of You” to the Season Four and Season Seven episodes “USS Callister” and “USS Callister: Into Infinity,” this device has become a recurring motif for the show.

Final Thoughts

“Eulogy” is a quiet, haunting reflection on memory, regret, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. Forgoing grand spectacle in favour of emotional intimacy, the episode is anchored by a subtle, affecting performance and a script that carefully unpacks how time, guilt, and denial can distort the truth. 

Explore The Series So Far…

• Episode 1: “Common People”
• Episode 2: “Bête Noire”
• Episode 3: “Hotel Reverie”
• Episode 4: “Plaything”