December is a month meant to be enjoyed with friends, lovers and family. Christmas, in particular, is a time to connect with loved ones. No matter the distance, we’ll always feel closer and enjoy togetherness. Like the song says, “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” and, don’t worry, because Black Mirror will ensure that you enjoy a magnificent holiday with your loved ones. Of course, not everyone will be happy.

Especially when it revolves around the ever-expanding technology that surrounds us daily.

In this special holiday episode, “White Christmas”, two strangers wake up at a snowy outpost in the middle of nowhere. Potter (Rafe Spall) is confused by his surroundings as well as the man who is making dinner. Matt (Jon Hamm) introduces himself and enthusiastically reminds him that today is Christmas. As lonely as they are, they decide to tell three stories as their holiday gift. Be warned, these stories might at first be joyous, but they lead to terrifying conclusions.

In the first tale, Matt is an assistant matchmaker helping a young man named Harry (Rasmus Hardiker) to catch his dream girlfriend at a holiday work party. As Matt guides Harry with an implanted chip in his eye, a male support network helps on the sideline. Finally seeing his dream girl, the shy Jennifer (Natalia Tena), Harry embarks on an awkward conversation with her which proves to be successful. However, Harry struggles to maintain connection with Matt and his support group and Jennifer catches out, transforming their date into a tragic evening.

In the second tale, Greta (Oona Chaplin) undergoes surgery to extract her implanted digital consciousness into a small device called Cookie. As the digital Greta awakens, she is terrified and confused by the new life she finds herself in. Fortunately, Matt comes to the rescue as a consultant and guides Digital Greta in her new job…which is to control the home Real Greta and help her organize her day. A simple job that transforms the digital Greta into a slave with no hope of escape.

In the third and final tale, Potter tells a story about his troublesome relationship with his girlfriend Beth (Janet Montgomery). Their relationship is strained when Beth’s pregnancy forces a fight between the two over having children. Beth’s anxiety forces her to digitally disconnect with Potter, preventing him from speaking or seeing her again due to tech implants in their brains. As Potter suffers from being unable to speak with Beth, he becomes a stalker until a terrible truth about her pregnancy sparks a family tragedy.

As these stories conclude, Potter realizes that his world is different for a reason and that the everything is tied to a terrifying conclusion regarding digital privacy, transparency, relationship troubles, betrayal, and crime and punishment. The Cookie device ties the episode together, exerting control over the life of its users…but it also becomes a tool of punishment, altering the digital user’s perception of time so it appears to move slower than in the real world.

The technology surrounding simulated realities is a common theme in Black Mirror. It’s fully explored in “San Junipero”, “USS Callister”, “Black Museum”, and “Striking Vipers”. Trust is the human component that complicates not just the technology but also every human relationship in the episodes. It’s a simple tool that can both unite and disconnect us and is placed in our hands, even though it won’t last when we die. The bond is like a Christmas gift, filled with the promise of joy…until it’s unwrapped to reveal a nasty picture of our society. On the other hand, this technology has its benefits in combating criminality and ensuring the safety of its citizens; even though there are exceptions.

Christmas is supposed to be a holiday that unites us in harmony, but the Christmas spirit is lost in the world of Black Mirror, where mismanagement of technology runs rampant. Once again, tragedy fuels the episode as it reflects on futuristic societies and proves that not even a spiritual holiday can save digital souls.

At its core, “White Christmas” encompasses this idea as it present us an empty holiday. A holiday where we can be alone forever…listening to “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday.”