'Black Mirror' Season 6: 'Loch Henry,' explained.
We all know morbidly dark plot twists are a staple of the Black Mirror experience, but "Loch Henry" might have just taken the cake for the show's sickest twist yet.
The second episode of Season 6, "Loch Henry" follows Davis McCardle (Samuel Blenkin) and Pia (Myha'la Herrold), a young couple trying to break into the film industry. The episode kicks off with them visiting Davis' childhood hometown in Scotland with plans to make a documentary about egg theft (riveting, I know). Throughout their visit, Pia's dumbfounded that the town doesn't have more tourists because of its beautiful natural wonders. And this is where shit starts getting real.
While talking to Davis' friend, Stuart King (Daniel Portman), Pia learns that this small town has an incredibly grotesque history. Stuart and Davis reveal the story of notorious serial killer Iain Adair (Tom Crowhurst), who made media waves in the '90s after kidnapping and slaughtering a couple of honeymooners, Dawn and Simon Challis (played by Beth Robb Adams and Scott Mooney, respectively).
Davis' late father, Kenneth (Gregor Firth), was a police officer who started suspecting Adair's involvement in the kidnapping after hearing him drunkenly mumble the couple's names at the local pub. He went to Adair's home, where he was shot in the shoulder by Adair, who was on his last killing spree — shooting his parents, and then himself. The shootings led to Kenneth and the police breaking into Adair's home and finding the murderer's basement-turned-torture room, solidifying Adair's role in the kidnappings and possibly many more abductions and murders.
After hearing this fun little story, Pia suggests they ditch the eggs doc and pitch a true crime documentary about the case. It might help the town heal while also putting it on a map for tourists again, she says. But while making their movie, Pia and Davis find out truths that are darker than they could have ever imagined.
"Loch Henry"s plot twist explained.
Pia and Davis decide to use a VHS recorder to get that creepy Blair Witch effect for some of their documentary's footage. Luckily for them, Davis' mom, Janet (Monica Dolan), has an ample supply of VHS tapes of her favorite show, Bergerac, which they decide to record over. Unluckily for them, Janet's VHS tapes weren't just reruns.
As Pia reviews the tapes, the footage suddenly cuts to recordings filmed by Kenneth in Adair's torture dungeon. Surprise, surprise, Davis' parents were also serial killers! In the footage, Pia watches Davis' parents mock, torture, and kill Dawn and Simon Challis with Adair giggling in the background. To make matters even creepier, Janet's wearing a sexy nurse outfit, thigh-high boots, and a red mask, while holding a drill — you can guess what happens later.
Janet and Kenneth were working with Adair. The twisted trio were basically kidnapping and murdering people together. When Adair mumbled Dawn and Simon's names in the pub, Kenneth realized that he was a weak link that could out them. When he followed Adair back home, it was to actually kill him before he could reveal anything. Kenneth shot himself in the shoulder to deflect any suspicion of his involvement and put all the blame on Adair.
What were the clues hiding in the episode?
"Loch Henry"s plot twist may have been a surprise, but there are a lot of clues sprinkled throughout the episode. The most telling clue was Janet sharing that Kenneth used to love filming with his camera, and scoffing at the idea that he'd ever use his footage for broadcast ("Oh, can you imagine?"). I wonder why Janet, I really wonder why.
You'll also notice that the mask Janet wears in the tapes is hanging on a wall in her home throughout the episode. It's a trophy she's displaying, hinting that, although it might have been years since she's worn it, that side of Janet is still very much within her.
Another big clue is the fact that Bergerac is Janet's favorite show. The British TV series is a crime drama that follows a detective on his many, often disturbing, cases. Was she watching it for the crime-busting? Or was she watching it to revel in its cases and maybe even find some inspiration? I'd say it's the latter. Janet's fascination with a crime show was telling of her dangerous predilection, and the sheer amount of tapes she owned is a grim look into how much she, Kenneth, and Adair have done.
What does "Loch Henry"s ending say about true crime?
After Janet kills herself and leaves her murder memorabilia to Davis to use in his film, the episode jumps to the documentary's release by Streamberry, where it's winning numerous awards including a BAFTA. We also see Davis's hometown flocked by tourists who want to see the real deal for themselves. Some of them even wear red masks like Janet's.
Despite the documentary's wide success, Davis is obviously as depressed as ever — he won a BAFTA, but at what cost?
Now, is "Loch Henry" inspired by a real-life case? No, it is not. The episode is entirely fictional, but it is a stand-in for how true crime cases in our world are dealt with in the entertainment industry. Sure, Davis and Pia managed to uncover the truth, but it literally traumatized Davis for life and got Pia killed. (Lest I remind you, she died alone in a stream after slipping and hitting her head, because she was running away from Janet!).
The episode tackles how true crime shows reopen wounds for the victims of those crimes and their families, blurring ethical boundaries for the sake of sensational storytelling. "Loch Henry" illustrates the lived reality victims experience when they watch their trauma remade through scratchy VHS recordings and moody piano soundtracks to create a spectacle that finds its appeal through its nastiness. Who cares if your parents were serial killers and your girlfriend's dead, Davis? Your story makes for great content, and that's all that matters to "Streamberry."
And yes, the episode was a dig at Netflix.
How to watch: All seasons of Black Mirror are streaming on Netflix.