'Bandersnatch' was the first of its kind when the interactive Black Mirror episode hit Netflix shortly after Christmas in 2018, but a recent decision by a streaming service has left many fans of the show devastated.
Netflix is home to many of the biggest TV shows in the world, and while they might cancel some of your favorites, there's always going to be something new to binge watch on the streaming platform.
Among those is the futuristic dystopian world of Black Mirror, which only recently released its seventh season and remains as popular as ever for those looking for an often horrifying view of what's to come in the world of technology.
Fans point to many of their favorite moments across the show's 33 main episodes, but a 'Christmas special' of sorts in 2018 is often revered as iconic by large parts of the fanbase for it's unique format.
Advert
Taking place more as an interactive film as opposed to a TV episode, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch allows its viewers to make decisions for the main character in an innovative move that captured the attention of many.
With anywhere between 5 and 12 potential endings for viewers to reach, many dedicated themselves to finding all of the paths and choosing every different decision to make sure that they'd seen everything.
However, if you've not already mastered Bandersnatch then you're unfortunately out of luck, as Netflix has shocking removed the interactive film from its streaming library with no sign that it'll ever return, as reported by the Independent.
Advert
Netflix is always chopping and changing its lineup of films and TV shows, and you're always at risk of something you're in the middle of disappearing from the service, but this particular decision is viewed as especially concerning considering Bandersnatch's unique nature.
Netflix was the only place to watch - and interact with - Bandersnatch, so with it gone from the service there's no way for people to revisit the film or even experience it for the first time if they're new to the world of Black Mirror.
Leaving alongside Bandersnatch is a special episode from fellow Netflix original show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, titled 'Kimmy vs the Reverend'. This similarly featured interactive decision-making tech that allowed viewers to decide what happened throughout, and the simultaneous cutting of both is worrying for their future.
Users on Reddit have responded with furor to the news, with one comment declaring that it is "absolutely INSANE to get rid of their OWN SHOWS that they made and fully own," as another wonders: "Where else will it go? It's a Netflix original! Not even those are safe??"
Advert
One comment uses this set of event to prove that "this is why physical media is superior," and it's hard not to think the same when you Netflix hold the power to simply pull stuff from their library without any protest.
What's particularly bizarre when it comes to Bandersnatch is that the aforementioned new season of Black Mirror includes an explicit follow-up episode that features two of the main characters from the interactive film.
The new episode isn't decision driven like Bandersnatch, but relies on the context that you gain from participating in the now-removed interactive film, so new viewers of Black Mirror will rightfully wonder why an important part of the show's history has seemingly been scrubbed from the streaming service for no clear reason.