Why Hotel Reverie’s Ending Will Haunt You in Ways You Never Expected

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Caution: This article reveals significant plot points from the Black Mirror Season 7 episode “Hotel Reverie.” For those who haven’t seen it yet, we strongly advise you to revisit it with your Netflix account first, before continuing reading.

For over a decade, the series Black Mirror has captivated viewers with its bleak television episodes, offering numerous memorable narratives that explore the dangers of technology, and conclusions that leave us all stunned and unable to forget them quickly. It seems this tradition continues with the seventh season, which recently made its debut on the 2025 TV calendar. Although I haven’t yet delved into each of the six new tales, such as “Common People” or “USS Callister: Into Infinity” (I plan to do so soon), I have taken a look at “Hotel Reverie,” an engaging and lengthy story about an actress remaking a classic black-and-white movie.

Over time, I’ve seen many outstanding Black Mirror episodes, but none have had an ending as chilling and emotionally wrenching as “Hotel Reverie”. It’s a topic I simply can’t keep quiet about…

So, What Happens At The End Of Hotel Reverie?

In the episode, viewers learn that it revolves around Brandy Friday, portrayed by Issa Rae, who finds herself in a predicament when she lands a job at an AI firm and a film studio to reimagine the black-and-white movie, “Hotel Reverie.” Assigned the gender-swapped role of the male lead, Brandy finds herself caught within the digital realm (while mere hours pass for those outside, it feels like weeks for her). During this time, she develops a passionate romance with the digital resurrection of the film’s primary character, Clara Ryce-Lechere, who was originally played by the late Dorothy Chambers, portrayed by Emma Corrin in the story.

After several missteps and incorrect scenes, the show starts to unravel and diverge from the original movie’s plot, with Clara meeting an untimely end rather than making it through until the closing credits. Brandy is rescued from the program before she becomes irrevocably ensnared within it, receiving a unique phone from a representative of Redream (played by Kimmy, or Awkwafine). This device allows her to reestablish contact with Dorothy, or a digital representation of the deceased actress.

Brandy Getting To Reconnect With The AI Version Of Dorothy Was Romantic, But It’s Like Talking To A Digital Ghost

Admittedly, the scene of Brandy speaking to Dorothy via the old rotary phone carried a touch of romance and provided some sense of resolution (and perhaps a hint of things to come). However, I can’t help but find it chilling and heart-wrenching. It felt as if she was conversing with a spectral entity in cyberspace, yet there was an additional layer of sadness to the entire situation.

The initial scene of the 2025 Netflix series reveals that the true Dorothy experienced a heart-wrenching fate years ago, swallowed up by Hollywood and discarded. However, it’s not Brandy interacting with or developing feelings for Dorothy herself, but rather an artificially intelligent replica, serving as a digital companion designed to meet emotional (and possibly physical) requirements. It seems this portrayal might be symbolic…

And In A Way, That’s More Haunting And Heartbreaking Than Being Trapped In A Computer Program

In simpler terms, although being stuck in a digital version of a black-and-white film would undoubtedly be unfortunate, Brandy’s future with Dorothy seems increasingly sad and poignant. In the series Hotel Reverie, the actress had the ability to physically interact with her lover; now, they can only communicate via phone, and even then, it’s like speaking to another digital spirit who has no recollection of their past or shared moments together.

However, it’s the thought-provoking and melancholic finale that adds an enjoyable layer of depth to “Hotel Reverie”. Brandy managed to make it through, but upon her return, she found herself in a world that had dramatically changed from the one she knew just a few hours back.

With Netflix now offering the full Season 7 of “Black Mirror”, I’m left with no choice but to catch up on the final five episodes of this thought-provoking series, hoping they will resonate with me as profoundly as before.

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2025-04-12 03:07