How ‘Black Mirror’ Season 7 Uses the Mandela Effect to Mess with Your Mind!

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In the second episode of Season 7 of “Black Mirror,” titled “Bête Noire,” writer Charlie Booker and director Toby Haynes cleverly delved into the concept of the Mandela Effect, twisting it to confuse viewers. As the story progresses, it’s revealed that one character is manipulating their environment, altering the memories of others for a vengeful purpose, thereby distorting reality.

In this show, viewers may encounter two different versions of “Bête Noire” at random. The version each viewer sees influences the psychological aspect of the story, causing them to perceive events differently. This is called the Mandela Effect, a creative device designed to test viewers’ memory and challenge their ability to recall what they’ve seen as the episode progresses.

Bête Noire’s Twisty Premise, Explained

In the English candy factory Ditta, an unusual event referred to as “Bête Noire” unfolds. In a twist reminiscent of the TV series ‘Black Mirror’, we follow Maria (played by Siena Kelly), the head candymaker, who turned to creating alternative sweets due to a childhood nut allergy. The episode opens in Maria and her boyfriend Kae’s (Michael Workeye) kitchen, where a hat from a fast-food company is displayed on the counter. This hat belongs to Kae, and depending on which version you see, it either says “Bernie’s” or “Barnie’s”, both featuring a chicken logo. In this writer’s observation, they saw “Bernie’s”.

In a casual setting, the text could be rephrased as:

Maria introduces her new colleague Verity Greene (Rosy McEwen) to her workmates. Maria mentions that she knew Verity from high school, back when everyone teased and gossiped about her because she was a socially awkward misfit. As Maria works on a new candy bar formula, she asks Verity to include “Carrageenan,” an ingredient derived from non-fat seaweed.

However, Verity disregards the instruction and employs a beef-based element instead, which conflicts with Ravi Aujla’s Hindu beliefs as the business owner (Ditta) and puts Maria’s job at risk.

In a heated exchange with Gabe (Ben Bailey Smith), Maria alleges that Verity has disregarded her directive about using Carrageenan. Verity counters by stating she was never instructed to utilize the ingredient, and presents an email as evidence that Maria specified non-pork gelatin instead. This predicament leaves Maria questioning her sanity, and the discussion of Bernie’s/Barnie’s Chicken only adds to her growing bewilderment.

How Bête Noire Adopts the Mandela Effect

To clarify, the Mandela Effect refers to a situation where individuals recall something differently from how it actually exists, often due to our fallible memories. A discussion about the Mandela Effect arises at the Ditta office when Maria’s colleague brings up the local fast-food chain, Barney’s Chicken. Upon hearing “Barnie’s,” Maria promptly corrects her peers and asserts that the restaurant is named Bernie’s Chicken, not Barnie’s.

In a disagreement, Maria’s coworkers Nick (Ben Ashenden), Verity, and others suggest that the restaurant chain goes by Barnie’s. This sets Maria off, as she points out that her colleague Kae has worked there for a year and continues to wear the company hat. If an alternate version of this episode is presented, the office argument would be reversed, as hinted at in a promotional video clip.

Based on whether the hat shown on the kitchen counter in the opening scene is Bernie’s or Barnie’s, viewers may either trust or question what Maria says at this stage. Those observing Bernie’s hat will support Maria, while those seeing Barnie’s printed on the hat might doubt her.

Viewers Are Freaking Out Over Bête Noire’s Ruse

Online, fans have voiced their broad perplexity, particularly during virtual watch events. A Reddit post tackles this issue, with a spectator commenting:

I’m astonished! My friend and I synchronize our Netflix streaming from afar using a PlayStation Party. We press play simultaneously (3, 2, 1, go), and somehow we end up watching different variations of the same episode – I got Barnie and she got Bernie. Can you believe it? How on earth do they manage that?

Another fan broke down the key dialog differences in each version, adding:

At the moment, I have both the Barney’s and Bernie’s versions active – one on my laptop and the other on my PlayStation 5. Whenever the hat symbol appears, it switches between the contrasting versions. Notably, during the debate scene in Ditta’s office, there are distinctly different dialogues for each version, as anticipated.

A third party chimed in to discuss how the two versions stirred a passionate debate, stating:

My buddy and I were having a movie night on Discord, but things escalated quickly as we found ourselves in a passionate disagreement. To settle the dispute, we went back a bit and took screenshots as evidence. As for the characters we claimed, I ended up with Bernie’s, while he got Barnie’s.

The psychological twists in “Bête Noire” may offer repeat viewing, but they don’t deliver on the promise of its engaging plot or thought-provoking premise. In other words, the illusory Mandela Effect depicted was intentionally created for dramatic effect, not as a genuine supernatural occurrence.

According to Charlie Brooker’s open statement, the key factor that influences one’s interpretation of the episode is whether one noticed Bernie’s or Barnie’s on the hat in the initial scene, long before Verity enters and starts influencing the characters. This detail subtly affects how viewers perceive the episode, as it intentionally plays with our minds. The ending might not meet expectations, but understanding the connection between “Bête Noire” and the larger Black Mirror universe depends on one’s memory of these early details.

How Bête Noire Uses Memory To Connect to Black Mirror

The show titled “Bête Noire” brings to mind several episodes of the series Black Mirror, encouraging viewers to link the stories through their memories. For instance, Barnie’s Chicken, which appears as Kenny’s (Alex Lawther) workplace in Season 3, Episode 3, “Shut Up and Dance,” is noticeably prominent. Intriguingly, this suggests that the true name of the restaurant could indeed be Barnie’s. A careful examination of Verity’s LinkedIn profile within “Bête Noire” reveals a past employment history with WayHaven Travel, a hotel chain that was also present in “Shut Up and Dance.

In addition to nods to a nearly decade-old incident, numerous Easter eggs prompt viewers to recall earlier episodes. Outside Ditta’s office building stands a Tuckersoft sign on a neighboring skyscraper. Tuckersoft is the fictional production company behind “Bandersnatch,” the interactive Black Mirror episode that also plays with one’s perception.

The creators cleverly use various indirect cues, like the phrase “Nutty Bliss” on a candy bar poster behind Verity in her office while she laughs hysterically, to subtly reflect the action psychologically. In every instance, they challenge the viewers’ perception in a manner that echoes Maria’s mental state. Furthermore, Kae’s last name, Workeye, serves as a covert hint for viewers to be more vigilant when searching for the subtle background details.

Delving into another engaging episode of this captivating series, I found myself intrigued by the cleverly woven references that harkened back to previous seasons. The introduction of Ditta’s candy, Honey Hugs, a product casually mentioned in Season 7’s premiere, “Common People,” was a delightful surprise.

Stepping out of the Ditta building, I couldn’t help but notice a poster for Gemini Orbits. This artifact connected to the ill-fated space vessel we saw in Season 6, Episode 3, “Beyond the Sea.”

The scene where Verity sips Raiman Organic Almond Milk served as a nostalgic callback to Season 4, Episode 1, “USS Callister,” and hinted at the upcoming sequel, “USS Callister: Into Infinity.” These thoughtful nods to the show’s past not only enhance the viewing experience but also pique our anticipation for what’s to come.

At every step, this episode delights in playing tricks on the audience and questioning their understanding, all to emphasize the thrilling psychological twists that define this anthology. Regrettably, the artificial Mandela Effect would have been more impactful if the episode had concluded more convincingly. In truth, “Bête Noire” serves as a test for viewers’ memory of past episodes within the Black Mirror series.

Black Mirror is available to stream on Netflix

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2025-05-01 02:04