Why ‘Bête Noire’ Is the Weakest Link In ‘Black Mirror’ Season 7

Black Mirror is back, and Season 7 feels like a long-overdue return to the show’s dark, brilliant roots. Most of the new episodes deliver classic Black Mirror dread with sharp, relevant commentary—except episode two, “Bête Noire,” which trips hard at the finish line.

The episode follows Maria, a rising star at a fancy candy company, haunted by Verity, an old high school acquaintance with a grudge and some seriously reality-warping tech. Maria once started a petty rumor that ruined Verity’s life—and now Verity’s back with a device that rewrites reality in real time.

At first, it’s genius. It’s a clever play on the Mandela Effect, and I was sure the show was making a bold statement about the power of the internet—Verity manipulating search results, public memory, even brain implants. That kind of digital omnipotence felt both terrifying and plausible.

But then the twist drops: Verity’s remote isn’t hacking anything—it’s accessing alternate dimensions where her lies are true. What?? That twist, delivered with a shoulder-shrug and a literal “I don’t care if you understand,” kills the tension dead.

Season 7 is still the best Black Mirror we’ve had in years, and you should definitely check it out on Netflix—just be ready to forgive episode two’s twist, or at least pretend you watched it in a universe where it had a better ending.