Black Mirror Season 7: Bête Noire ending explained

‘Bête Noire’ is a Black Mirror Season 7 episode which puts a very modern spin on themes of bullying and gaslighting – here’s how that story plays out, as well as the ending explained.

Black Mirror is Charlie Brooker’s Netflix sensation that has kept viewers both shocked and enthralled since launching in 2011.

Each Black Mirror season consists of what’s essentially mini sci-fi movies that combine futuristic technology with social commentary, and often end with a sting in their tale.

Season 7 features nods to the show’s past, via Bandersnatch spinoff Plaything, and a direct USS Callister sequel titled Into Infinity. But Episode 2 is a standalone story about the sins of one character’s past coming back to haunt them in the present. SPOILERS ahead…

What is Bête Noire about?

‘Bête Noire’ concerns a chocolatier whose world is turned upside down by a person from her past using multiverse technology to destroy her life.

Maria (Sienna Kelly) is the chocolatier in question, who works in ‘Research and Development,’ where she creates new flavors. Early in proceedings, she’s watching over a focus group for a new miso-infused chocolate bar when Verity (Rosy McEwen) appears.

Maria remembers her as the school geek who had zero social skills, and instead spent her time scribbling diagrams of things she wanted to build. Maria also recalls rumors that Verity had sexual relations with a teacher, that earned her the nickname “Milkmaid.”

The pair reconnect, and Verity quickly lands a job at the same company, in spite of the fact that they aren’t hiring. Which is when Maria’s life starts spinning out of control.

The Mandela Effect made real

Netflix

It starts with her getting the name of a fast food chain wrong, even though Maria knows she’s right. Then she gets recipe instructions wrong, even though, again, Maria knows she sent the correct ingredients.

There’s also some business with Almond Milk, with Maria claiming she didn’t drink the carton in question because of her nut allergy. “Nutallergy?” asks her bemused boss, who has never heard that particular combination of words. Then when Maria googles the phrase, there appears to be no such thing as a nut allergy.

It’s like the ‘Mandela Effect’ made real, whereby a group of people collectively misremember something from their past. Though in this instance, it’s only Maria whose world is changing. And it seems to happen when Verity holds the pendant around her neck…

Black Mirror Season 7 Episode 2 ending explained

Maria follows Verity home, breaks into her house, and sees strange photos that suggest she’s been an astronaut and a world-class athlete.

Verity finds her snooping around, and in classic Bond villain-style, explains exactly what’s been going on, with the pendant a remote control that connects to a quantum compiler.

She reveals that the device “returns our corporal frequencies to one of the parallel realities where whatever I’ve said has always been true. There’s infinite timelines, and I just pick the one where you’re the only one who knows what’s going on.”

To prove her point, Verity presses on the pendant – which can only be accessed via her own fingerprint – and changes Maria’s clothes, language, and location. Then Verity reveals the “why” of it all, and it turns out Maria was the classmate who started the Milkmaid rumor, and Verity is therefore out for revenge.

“I’m doing this to hurt you,” she admits. “That’s the main thing.”

Netflix

During the episode, we also learn this isn’t her first rodeo, with Verity taking five weeks to drive another of her school bullies to suicide. But with Maria it’s taken just five days to send her off the rails.

Maria isn’t going down without a fight however, and the pair go at it, until Verity again presses the pendant, and police arrive and arrest Maria for attempted murder. Verity smiles at Maria, and in response, Maria grabs a cop’s gun and shoots her in the head.

A shootout follows, during which Maria uses Verity’s lifeless hand to unlock the pendant. “She shot herself,” Maria claims. “It wasn’t me. You saw the whole thing.”

The cops agree, and Maria orders them to worship her, “Because I am the empress of the universe.” The episode then ends with a shot of the universe hailing Empress Maria.

Season 7 of Black Mirror is now streaming on Netflix. For more on the show, here’s why Severance fans should watch this specific episode, plus news of Black Mirror sending TCKR Systems’ Nubbin to influencers on TikTok.