It's unclear what's more mysterious: the plot of Black Mirror episodes or the actual making of Black Mirror episodes. One such making-of mystery is currently unfolding after The Independent reports an official Netflix Twitter account accidentally tweeted details about the upcoming 5th season, including both its release date and a title of an episode. According to said tweet, the show will be dropping an episode titled "Bandersnatch" on December 28, but Refinery29 has reached out to Netflix for official confirmation.
While we may not have the tweet, the word "Bandersnatch" does give us a small clue to go by when it comes to what to expect from the show's return. It's less dystopian and more...fantasy. The "Bandersnatch" is a creature from Lewis Carroll's famous "Jabberwocky" poem.
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"Beware the Jabberwock, my son! / The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!" it reads. "Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun / The frumious Bandersnatch!"
The poem is issuing a warning about the creature, which is later described as a quick, mischievous character in Carroll's Through The Looking Glass after the White King says "[The White Queen] runs so fearfully quick. You might as well try to catch a Bandersnatch!"
In another poem, "The Hunting Of The Snark," Carroll describes the Bandersnatch as having "frumious jaws."
It's unclear if the title of the episode indicates we'll be seeing a Bandersnatch on our screens, or if the episode will tackle the world of Lewis Carroll in general, or perhaps the way the term "Bandersnatch" has permeated pop culture, showing up in Roger Zelazny's Sign of Chaos, an episode of Once Upon A Time, and even the letters of C.S. Lewis. documented in a biography of J.R.R. Tolkien.
If anything, at least this tease gives you the opportunity to put a "Bandersnatch" on your Christmas list. If all goes well, the question will be answered on December 28.