Given the success of previous Black Mirror episodes about social dynamics, like season 3's "Nosedive" and season 2's "White Bear," the second installment of Black Mirror season 7, titled "Bête Noire," follows the show's formula nicely, and it felt like a return to form. An all British cast! British-specific swear words! Gasp!
"Bête Noire" opens with an exploration into Miso-flavored chocolate. Maria (Siena Kelly) is introduced to us right away as a visionary food-designer. She seems to have it all: a sweet but unintelligent boyfriend, the career of her dreams, and a chance to impress the CEO of her company. Enter Verity (Rosy McEwen).
Black Mirror season 7 episode 2 cast
- Siena Kelly as Maria, a well-respected chocolateer who is proud of her work and life. Kelly's performance was richly diverse and compelling. As we, the audience, were spun into confusion and gaslighting, Kelly's Maria gave us a grounding point; a source of companionship and trust.
- Rosy McEwen as Verity, Maria's old schoolmate who seems a little mysterious. McEwen's range is astonishing and this becomes apparent in the latter half of the episode - she has fantastic moments as Verity's true nature is revealed.
- Ben Bailey-Smith as Gabe, the manager of both Maria and Verity. Bailey-Smith, while giving a subtle performance, fulfills his role exactly as it needs to be fulfilled, and feels as likeable as possible despite the unusual situations in the episode.
Bête Noire recap
Maria does not like Verity. At first, it seems a little unclear as to why. Verity's actions are met with hostility and suspicion by Maria at every turn, who doesn't seem to understand how anyone could want to hire Verity because when they were at school together, "she was a little odd." Verity nonetheless joins the office via a vacancy Maria could've sworn wasn't real, and then, of course, things start getting weird.
It begins innocuously when Barnie's Chicken becomes Bernie's Chicken to all but Maria, who is mystified at how the chain her boyfriend worked at for a year has changed names seemingly overnight, with even Google telling her she was wrong. Then, a mix-up with an email about an ingredient, which Maria is certain she had written right (and the audience is given a close up of her being right) but appears to have been wrong.
What is going on then? There's a confrontation in which they discuss some rumors Verity was subject to at school. Maria claims innocence, and in response, Verity very clearly turns into the person Maria always knew her to be. The CCTV footage of the confrontation is doctored to show Maria as the aggressor, so she's fired and must now find out what is happening. She follows Verity home to find a large mansion.
Verity reveals her master plan to Maria. She knew it was Maria who bullied her at school and needed to get revenge via a remote that allows her to access a quantum computer to change every aspect of reality at will. Verity has already gone back in time to become an astronaut and the "ruler of the universe," and now she changes reality to have armed police in the room and Maria holding a knife. In a fight, Maria shoots Verity and takes her remote to change reality, at first only stopping the police from shooting her. Then, once she realizes what power she possesses, she declares herself the new "ruler of the universe."
Black Mirror is always political, even when it's about quantum physics
"Bête Noire" is, what with the overt themes of bullying, undoubtedly a story about the ways in which women exert control over one another. In school, it is Maria who bullies Verity, making up rumors and nicknames. In work, Verity uses similar techniques, using words and actions to discredit Maria instead of facing her openly. At one point toward the end, Maria and Verity physically fight using only hands flapping at each other. Even with all the mind games, they don't come to blows.
And Brooker kind of gets it right. Many people who have been to school as a woman with other women will understand what dynamics are at play here. His insight was impressive and highly interesting.
For a time, I wondered if revenge was the only item on the agenda. But as time went on, I realized that this was about race, too. At one point, both Gabe and Verity accuse Maria of shouting very loudly (a common racial stereotype used against Black women), while the audience can hear that nothing untoward is really going on at all. Verity weaponizes her appearance in the face of Maria's apparent insanity several times.
With Black Mirror, seeing is not believing, so I doubted whether Maria was being gaslit at all at some points. Brooker intends this, I think. Maria is discredited to the characters in part because of race and gender, as shown in the scenes with the apparent "aggression." It seems as though Brooker was playing on this. While the audience is meant to root for her, we also must examine our own biases (if we have them) in order to work out what's going on.
Some will undoubtedly view this episode as weaker because of its pace and the introduction of the technology only toward the end. But "Bête Noire" is a brilliant Black Mirror episode because it gives us so long to linger in the psychological. There is room for audiences to examine their own responses to what is going on, and even for those who like that sort of thing less, they can make guesses as to what is really going on tech-wise. Or, my advice to them is to use the quantum mechanics remote to change this into a different episode entirely!
Watch Black Mirror season 7 only on Netflix.