‘Black Mirror’ Season 7 Episode 1: ‘Common People’ – Recap and Ending Explained

The latest chapter of ‘Black Mirror’ has landed, and it’s as dark and twisted as we’d expect from Charlie Brooker’s mind. Season 7 starts with ‘Common People,’ an episode that dives into the messy intersection of love, desperation, and cutting-edge tech. We’re thrown into the lives of a couple facing a nightmare scenario, where a life-saving solution comes with strings attached. It’s classic ‘Black Mirror’—hope dangled in front of you, only to be yanked away by a brutal reality check.

Rashida Jones and Chris O’Dowd lead the charge as Amanda and Mike, a pair whose dreams get crushed under the weight of a dystopian catch-22. Tracee Ellis Ross pops up too, playing a slick sales rep with a smile that hides some ugly truths. The episode’s got that near-future vibe we love, where the tech feels just close enough to today to make you squirm. It’s a slow burn that builds to a punch in the gut, and I’m here to break it down for you.

Recap of ‘Common People’

Amanda’s a schoolteacher who seems to have it all together—happy marriage, plans for a kid, the works. Then she collapses at work, hit with a brain tumor that’s a death sentence without drastic measures. Enter Mike, her devoted husband, who’s willing to do anything to keep her breathing. The doctor points him to Rivermind, a shiny new tech that can back up Amanda’s brain to a cloud server and keep her mind running, even as her body fails. It’s a lifeline, but it’s not cheap—or simple.

The catch comes fast. The surgery’s free, but there’s a monthly fee to keep Amanda’s brain online—$300 to start, which sounds doable until life starts piling on. She’s stuck in a coverage zone like a phone on a bad plan, and the company uses her downtime to power their servers, leaving her exhausted.

Then the ads kick in—imagine teaching a class and suddenly pitching fast food out of nowhere. Mike scrambles to pay for upgrades to ease her suffering, even turning to a shady platform called DumDummies, where he hurts himself on camera for cash. A year later, they’re broke, selling their baby crib, and Mike’s missing teeth from his side gig. It’s a downward spiral that’s tough to watch.

Ending Explained

By the end, Amanda and Mike are shells of who they were. It’s their anniversary, and Mike splurges on a half-hour of Rivermind Lux, a premium tier that gives Amanda a fleeting taste of peace. She looks at the sky, calm for once, and tells him, ‘I think it’s time.’ Mike’s wrecked but agrees, promising to do it when she’s ‘not there.’ She lies down, the timer ticks out on their basic plan, and Mike smothers her with a pillow. It’s her choice—she’s done being a puppet for a soulless system.

But it doesn’t stop there. Mike grabs a box cutter and heads to another room, computer still on, hinting he’s about to livestream his own end. Is he warning the world about Rivermind’s trap? Or just cashing out with one last shock? It’s bleak either way—‘Black Mirror’ doesn’t pull punches, and this ending sticks with you.

Why ‘Common People’ Hits Hard

This episode isn’t just a tech horror story—it’s a knife to the heart about love and sacrifice. Amanda and Mike start with dreams of a family, but Rivermind turns their bond into a transaction. The satire’s sharp too—subscription models are everywhere now, but tying one to life itself? That’s next-level grim. Rashida Jones nails the exhaustion of being a human server rack, while Chris O’Dowd’s desperation makes you feel every blow.

What gets me is how real it feels. We’re already hooked on monthly fees for everything—streaming, apps, you name it. ‘Common People’ takes that to a brutal extreme, showing a world where even survival’s on a payment plan. It’s not the flashiest ‘Black Mirror’ episode, but it’s one of the most human. You’re left wondering how far you’d go for someone you love—and what happens when the system bets you’ll break.