Inside Black Mirror Season 7, Eulogy: Charlie Booker & Paul Giamatti on Memory, Technology, and Regret

Black Mirror continues to explore the darkest and most profound corners of human connection and technology in its seventh, but not final, season, Eulogy, stands out as a stark exploration of memory, regret and grief. Creator Charlie Booker and actor Paul Giamatti who plays Philip dive deep into the episode’s themes, character, and production.

The story begins with a surprising telephone call from The Guide (Patsy Ferran) advising Philip that Carol (Hazel Monaghan), a woman he loved many years prior, but was engaged and pregnant at the time, has sadly passed. Surprising, he’s invited to give a eulogy at her funeral, but his distant and traumatized memory of Carol, has faded. Perhaps some photos will jog his memory? The guide invites him to physically “enter” the handful of photos he has of their time together to help reconstruct those memories and deliver the perfect eulogy.

The Origin of Eulogy: A Story About Memory and Nostalgia

Charlie Booker reveals the creative spark behind Eulogy, co-written with playwright Ella Road. “We settled on memory and nostalgia — how old photographs can evoke relationships and emotions. In the days before smartphones, you might only have a handful of analog photos from an entire decade, imperfect and blurry, yet so meaningful.”

He describes how the episode’s concept evolved from a more traditional narrative, like A Christmas Carol, to a detective story. “Once we decided the photographs would remain static — frozen in time — it changed everything. It became a story about someone trying to piece together fragments from the past, a ‘detective story’ of memory, and that’s when it really felt like a true Black Mirror episode.”

Playing Philip: Paul Giamatti on Regret, Isolation, and Preparing for the Role

For Paul Giamatti, embodying Philip, a man confronting his past through technology, was a unique character study. He shares his preparation process for the role: “With a script this well written, I just kept reading it over and over. It fed me so much — regret, guilt, self-loathing — all those universal human feelings. I was filled with those things.”

Giamatti reflects on the deeply relatable aspect of regret. “People who say they have no regrets freak me out. They’re either saints or serial killers. I’m definitely not a serial killer.”

On Philip’s initial mistrust of the technology, Giamatti explains: “Philip lives a fairly analog life, simple, isolated and stuck in the past. When Patsy [his guide] first appears, he’s disdainful and doesn’t really understand the technology. But as the episode goes on, he warms to it, even becomes seduced by this new way of reliving memories.”

Philip (or Philly as Carol affectionately called him) works through the gaps in his memory. Carol had a good reason for rejecting his marriage proposal. Her reasons were explained in a letter Philip wouldn’t read until he was inside the photo.

“I would have listened. I would have stayed,” he tearfully interjects. But now she’s deceased and he can’t change that.

One of the episode’s striking visuals is the use of actual frozen people — dancers and mimes — to represent moments trapped in photos. Giamatti reveals: “None of that is CGI. Those people were just frozen in place. It was eerie and evocative. You could almost reach out and touch them.”

“It’s all in the writing. The script tells me what to do — like hearing the clanging dishes in the kitchen — it’s like a temperature chart. You just heat it up or turn it down.”

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Personal Reflections on Photography and Memory

The episode’s theme struck a personal chord for both Booker and Giamatti. Booker shared how it changed his view on old photographs. “I lost my father recently and had to curate old photos for his eulogy. Those imperfect, blurry analog photos are so evocative. They feel more real than the thousands of digital images we take now.”

Giamatti, who lost his sister before filming, says: “She kept all the family photos — I didn’t. But now I’m engaging with those images more and realizing how precious they are.”

Phil (Paul Giamatti) inside the photo. Photo by Nick Wall/ Netflix

Patsy Ferran, playing the AI guide who helps Philip navigate and reconstruct his memories was essential. Booker described the casting and working relationship: “She’s a genius — quicksilver, nuanced. She balances being artificial and human so well. Paul was alone in many scenes, but Patsy’s presence made it feel like real connection.”

Looking Back on Seven Seasons: Hope Amidst Nihilism

Reflecting on how Black Mirror has evolved since its 2011 debut, Booker notes a shift over the seasons: “When we started, the show was nihilistic, punch-you-in-the-balls dark. Now, with kids and stakes in the future, there’s more reflection and hope, even if we still deliver brutal punches.”

He stresses the importance of maintaining hope even in the current political and social landscape. “We can’t just give up on the future because of the news. We owe it to our kids to keep trying.”

For Giamatti, participating in Black Mirror was a thrill. “I’m a huge admirer of the show and these creators. It’s science fiction on the next level — the best you can do. I’m really proud of what we achieved.”

Final Thoughts 

Eulogy stands out as a deeply human story set against speculative tech, examining how memory shapes identity and the lingering shadows of regret. Booker sums it up perfectly: “The episode is about skipping the intro — the small moments we often overlook in life and technology. It’s about reflection, loss, and the desire to understand our past before we say goodbye.”

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by Staff Writer

From our in-house editorial team.