Black Mirror season 7 episode 2 review: Bete Noire ending explained - was Maria right about Verity?

• Siena Kelly and Rosy McEwen star in Bete Noire.
• Black Mirror does psychological horror in this episode
• See my latest Black Mirror season 7 review.

Synopsis: A young woman is unnerved when an old acquaintance joins the company she works at - especially as there’s something odd about her that only she can see.

The seventh season of Black Mirror continues with an unnerving psychological thriller of an episode in Bete Noire - as the past comes to haunt a young woman. See how I have ranked every episode of the show.

Bete Noire quickly throws you off-balance, putting you in the mind of Maria (Siena Kelly) as her world is knocked off-kilter by the arrival of Verity (Rosy McEwen) - an old school classmate - at her place of work. There is an air of mystique that quickly envelopes the episode and puts you ill-at-ease.

The blaring organ music that swells at the start of each new day adds to the off-kilter sense to the episode. Channelling the musical vibe of old school horror films (or a church), that just gives you a feeling of apprehension - you know something is going to end badly, but you don’t know what.

A niche aside - but the daily title cards are shot in this glossy, stylised way, that wouldn’t be out of place in a so-called ‘elevated horror’ film like The Menu.

It is a slow burn of an episode as the tension starts to bubble away in the background - a recurring bit about almond milk being missing in the office. Things start to get more mysterious during an argument over a chicken restaurant - ‘Barnie’s’ or ‘Bernie’s’ - which gives this unusual feeling like reality itself is changing.

And it isn’t the first time this has happened in the episode, during the scene where Verity is introduced - a taste test of a new product. The group originally dislikes the product, but after Verity praises it, they suddenly start to rave about it.

The uneasy feeling starts to be ratcheted up even more during a taste test with the owner Mr Ditta. The wrong ingredient is used, an email has changed despite the fact we were clearly shown Maria writing the carrageenan and it now says non-pork gelatine - and Maria is told off by her boss Gabe (Ben Bailey Smith) for raising her voice, despite not shouting at all.

At this point, it certainly seems like Black Mirror wants you to believe that Verity is altering the fabric of reality somehow. But there is enough room for doubt to creep in.

More and more mysterious occurrences continue to pile-up and Maria’s world begins to unravel.

Sienna Kelly is tasked with carrying the episode on her back and she gamely does a fantastic job - never leaning into cliches in her performance. Rosy McEwen is utterly unnerving as the mysterious Verity.

Was Maria right about Verity in Bete Noire? Ending Explained

After Maria is let go from her job, she follows Verity to a massive mansion and breaks in. There is loud blaring music playing throughout and a huge serve-like room packed with computers.

She goes into her nemesis’ bedroom, discovering magazine covers with Verity’s face on and a photo of her as an astronaut before finding the pendant she is always wearing around her neck. Despite trying to hide under the bed, Maria is discovered and Verity reveals that she is using a quantum computer to change reality - and demonstrates its power.

Verity reveals that she is doing all of this to hurt Maria - saying ‘you know why’. She accuses Maria of starting the rumour about her and Mr Kendrick at school.

After Maria admits that it was a joke, Verity sinisterly ponders how Maria will “do it” - after being driven mad by the changing reality. She uses the remote to make armed police appear and Maria is about to be arrested when she steals a gun and shoots Verity in the face.

In the final moments of the episode, Maria manages to take control of the pendant and starts to change reality herself. Declaring ‘I am the empress of the universe’, she is suddenly dressed like royalty and surrounded by an adoring crowd.

It is the second episode in a row that doesn’t end with a huge game-changing twist, instead simply building on the story that came before.