I Hope Black Mirror’s Star Trek Parody Return Calls Out Toxic Fans Again

Black Mirror season 4’s fan-favorite episode, “USS Callister,” was a Star Trek parody that called out toxic fans, and its upcoming season 7 sequel should do the same. Since its inception, Star Trek has been a celebration of diversity and exploration, offering a glimpse at a hopeful future that might one day be possible. The Star Trek franchise has had passionate fans since Star Trek: The Original Series, and every subsequent Trek series has only expanded the fanbase. While most of the fans embrace the philosophy of “infinite diversity in infinite combinations” at the heart of Star Trek, some so-called fans seem to have missed the point of that message.

Netflix’s British anthology series, Black Mirror, uses science fiction, dark humor, and plot twists to hold up a mirror to contemporary society, often commenting on controversial topics. The Black Mirror season 4 premiere, “USS Callister,” takes on toxic masculinity within fandom culture. The story follows Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons), a video game programmer who spends most of his free time within a virtual world based on his favorite television series, Space Fleet. “USS Callister” became one of Black Mirror’s most popular episodes, winning four Emmy awards, and a sequel is planned for Black Mirror’s upcoming seventh season.

Black Mirror’s USS Callister Calls Out Toxic Fans, But Celebrates Star Trek

Robert Daly is the worst kind of fan, but the crew of the USS Callister come together to stop him.

While some may see Black Mirror’s “USS Callister” as a critique of Star Trek and its fans, the episode focuses on calling out a specific kind of toxic fan. Robert Daly does not just use his virtual reality program to escape, but instead uses it to take out his real-life frustrations on recreations of his coworkers. He steals his coworkers’ DNA, creating sentient digital clones of them without their consent. Daly then plays the part of Captain, using his position to bully, humiliate, and take advantage of his crew members. In doing so, Daly completely misses the point of a show like Star Trek.

Every good Star Trek Captain makes use of the knowledge and skills of their crew members and prioritizes the lives of their crew over themselves. Robert Daly has no regard for the thoughts or feelings of his crew members, treating the women particularly heinously, revealing his obvious misogyny. The newest crew member, Nanette Cole (Cristin Milioti), decides to fight back, leading the others in a revolt against their cruel creator. “USS Callister” has a more hopeful ending than many Black Mirror stories, as Nanette and the Callister crew end the episode with their freedom, ready to set out on a new adventure. Overall, “USS Callister” celebrates the hopeful outlook of Star Trek and the power that can come from working together.

Black Mirror Season 7’s USS Callister Return Can Call Out Toxic Fans Again

Modern Star Trek shows have received plenty of questionable critiques in recent years.

With its colorful look and retro style (and actor Jesse Plemons doing his best William Shatner impression), “USS Callister” seems to focus its critiques on Star Trek: The Original Series and its fan base. While the episode primarily criticizes the worst kinds of fans, it also calls out the sexism present in some early Star Trek episodes. After all, Star Trek is not above reproach, and there are legitimate criticisms to be made, but “USS Callister” acknowledges that the biggest problem is often fans like Robert Daly rather than anything present within the show itself. Since “USS Callister” aired in 2017, there have been seven more years of toxic Star Trek fan behavior that the “USS Callister” sequel could call out.

Star Trek: Discovery (which will come to an end with its upcoming fifth season), Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds have all faced criticism for including too many women characters, queer characters, or characters of color. So-called “fans” who hurl these kinds of attacks have, again, completely missed the point of Star Trek. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the only synopsis regarding the “USS Callister” sequel says: “Robert Daly is dead, but for the crew of the USS Callister, their problems are just beginning.” While it will certainly be fun to revisit Nanette and the Callister crew, Black Mirror wouldn’t be Black Mirror without biting social commentary, and they could use this sequel to expand their examination of toxic fandom.

Black Mirror’s USS Callister Director Is Reportedly Making A Star Trek Movie

Toby Haynes has been tapped to direct a prequel to J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009).

In January 2024, Paramount announced that they were developing a Star Trek movie set decades before J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009). While almost no information has been revealed about the plot or potential release date of this movie, it does have a director and a writer. Toby Haynes, who directed Black Mirror’s “USS Callister” is set to helm the new Trek film, and the project seems to be in good hands. Not only has Haynes directed five Doctor Who episodes and six episodes of Andor, he is also a self-proclaimed Star Trek fan.

In a 2018 interview with The Hollywood Reporter about “USS Callister,” Haynes said the episode came “from a place of love” and mentioned his love of Star Trek: The Original Series in particular. Seth Grahame-Smith, who penned the upcoming Beetlejuice sequel, has been tapped to write the screenplay for the Star Trek prequel film. J.J. Abrams is producing the film, which will presumably be set in the Kelvin timeline, but it remains to be seen what direction this Star Trek film will take.

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  Black Mirror

  Cast

  Bryce Dallas Howard
  , Hayley Atwell
  , Anthony Mackie

  Release Date

  
  December 4, 2011
  

  Streaming Service(s)

  Netflix

  Showrunner

  Charlie Brooker

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  Star Trek: The Original Series

  Cast

  William Shatner
  , Gene Roddenberry

  Release Date

  
  September 8, 1966
  

  Streaming Service(s)

  Paramount+

  Showrunner

  Gene Roddenberry