Bête Noire

In Bête Noire, the second episode of Black Mirror Season 7, the narrative delves into the unsettling intersection of technology, memory, and personal trauma. The story follows Maria, a high-ranking executive at a confectionery company, whose life is disrupted by the reappearance of Verity, a former schoolmate. Verity's arrival coincides with a series of inexplicable alterations in Maria's reality, leading her to question the nature of her experiences and memories.

As the plot unfolds, it is revealed that Verity possesses a device-a pendant connected to a "quantum compiler"-that allows her to manipulate reality, effectively rewriting the world around her. This power enables Verity to exact revenge for past grievances, blurring the lines between victim and perpetrator. Maria's struggle to reclaim her sense of self and reality becomes a poignant exploration of the impact of unresolved trauma and the ethical implications of wielding such transformative technology

Bête Noire challenges viewers to consider the consequences of altering reality to serve personal narratives. It raises critical questions about the morality of using technology to reshape the world according to individual desires, especially when such actions infringe upon the autonomy and experiences of others. The episode serves as a cautionary tale about the seductive nature of control and the potential for technology to exacerbate, rather than heal, psychological wound

If given the power to rewrite reality, would you use it to heal your past-or to make others suffer for it?

This was almost a complete rip-off of the classic Twilight Zone episode Wordplay, where the meanings of everyday words suddenly change, one at a time, but the main character is the only one who notices.

But, as I watched it, I realized they did such a great job creating a truly modern version of that classic episode.

Siena Kelly and Rosy McEwen both gave top notch acting performances. Totally believable, completely got me into this remake/reimagining. The first little thing that changed had me jumping back in the episode to check and realizing I didn't even notice that little detail.

But, then at the very end, the last minute or two, they just completely botched it. This episode was destined to be a modern classic rivaling the original Twilight episode, then they just cut to the end and threw in a completely predictable ending with zero imagination. Like all that incredibly creative story and build-up, just to say, "Yes, human beings really are just plain stupid." Oh, OK.

This episode still rates a 7/10, even with the incredibly disappointing ending, that's how good 99% of the episode was. Easily a 9/10 or even possibly a 10/10 episode, just completely screwed by impatience, poor writing, or a wish to screw with the audience, give us the middle finger.

Too bad, but still enjoyable...

The episode does have a slower start but once it picks up the pace the plot starts to unfold brilliantly. Siena Kelly's dynamite performance of a person fighting for her sanity is just so good and its so fun to watch the pure hatred Rosy McEwen character has for her every time they share the scene together.

Sometimes it seemed like I was watching a real life workplace drama and the tension was high in every scene, every moment of despair, jealousy and malice just superbly acted.

Giving a title to each day of the week in the episode and then complementing it with a bizarre, horror movie like sound piece really solidified the main characters rapid descent into madness and was a nice touch.

The twist in the episode was really well done, felt fresh and unique, I really enjoyed this and hopefully more episodes in this season are like the first two.

I'm gonna go a bit clairvoyant here and say that you rewound or will rewind back to near the beginning once you hit roughly sixteen minutes and forty five seconds..

Am I correct? Then be sure to hit the thumbs up lol.

A good episode, and seemed so much like real life in parts, for someone who suffers from a severe condition. I genuinely think you need to be in an extremely happy mood before you start this season, only 2 episode in and it's a bit depressing or is it? Lol.

Really had 'Inside No 9' vibes, so obviously that made me like it even more.

Amazing as always, I don't know how Charlie Brooker keeps being so consistent with each series. Brilliant plot, acting and premise. Again adding to the masterpiece that is Black Mirror!!

There was a real sense of anticipation as I watched this episode-it builds nicely, with believable characters set in a competitive work environment that feels grounded and relatable. While it does lack a bit of subtlety in how the antagonist is introduced, and the plot moves at a rapid pace, there are still enough "ooh" moments to keep you engaged along the way.

Unfortunately, the final act completely unravels. The ending feels rushed, undercooked, and veers dangerously into something almost Benny Hill-esque-if that's even a thing! It was such a jarring tonal shift after the promising set-up.

That said, the acting throughout is solid, and the performances deserved a more thoughtful resolution. It's hard not to wonder if the whole thing was hurried out to meet a deadline, because the climax feels like it skipped a few drafts. A strong start, but ultimately a frustrating finish that left me disappointed.