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Black Mirror Season 7, Episode 4, 'Plaything,' Ending Explained
Apr 14, 2025
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The following contains spoilers for Black Mirror Season 7, Episode 4, "Plaything," now streaming on Netflix.
One of the most engaging aspects of Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror is how it criticizes gaming. It has produced thought-provoking satire via episodes like "Playtest," which spoke to how terrifying virtual realities can be. It also crafted a dark story about toxic masculinity in "USS Callister," where Robert Daly trapped digital clones in a game and abused them. It even got a sequel in "USS Callister: Into Infinity."
Continuing the trend of the previous seasons, Black Mirror Season 7 has another dystopian tale involving gaming, but it's less immersive. The fourth Season 7 episode, "Plaything," deals with the impact of narratives on vulnerable people. In the process, Black Mirror creates a rousing finale that teases that someday there could be a different kind of apocalypse if digital creatures become super-sentient.
Black Mirror's 'Plaything' Creates a Self-Aware Video Game
Thronglets Are Sentient AI Creatures That Conflict Cameron Walker
In Black Mirror's "Plaything," the series reveals two timelines. One is in the past where the Black Mirror: Bandersnatch special occurred, while the other is in the present. The focal point is Cameron Walker (played in 1994 by Lewis Gribben and in 2025 by Peter Capaldi). Young Cameron was a gaming reviewer who was tasked with meeting celebrity and genius game designer, Colin Ritman (Will Poulter).
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