Bête Noire

Bête Noire
Episode information
Season	7
Episode	2
Air date	April 10, 2025
Length	50:54
Writer	Charlie Brooker
Director	Toby Haynes
Episode guide
Previous	Common People
Next	Hotel Reverie

Bête Noire is the second episode of season seven of Black Mirror. It was written by Charlie Brooker and originally aired on April 10, 2025.

Short Summary

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.

Cast

• Siena Kelly as Maria Skinner
• Rosy McEwen as Verity Greene
• Michael Workéyè as Kae
• Hannah Griffiths as Luise
• Ben Ashenden as Nick
• Amber Grappy as Yudy
• Elena Sanz as Camille
• Alice Brittain as Group Member #2
• Kieran Smith as Group Member #1
• Reba Ayi-Sobsa as Group Member #3
• Ben Bailey Smith as Gabe
• Ravi Aujla as Mr. Ditta
• Jonny Lavelle as Security Guard
• Andy Apollo as AFO Bilton
• Kwame Agyei as AFO West

Notes and Trivia

• When initially watching the episode, Kae's cap reads "Bernie's." However, upon rewatch or rewinding the episode, the cap will read "Barnie's," a nod to Verity changing the company's name.

References to other Black Mirror episodes

• A UKN report covering the suicide of Natalie Caine is playing in the background at the start of the episode.
• The fast food restaurant Barnies has featured in several episodes: It was Kenny's workplace in Shut Up and Dance. When Maria googles the company name, an image of the Buster Burger from Joan Is Awful is seen.
• An app for Sonicle (from Joan Is Awful) is seen on Maria's work computer.
• Maria looks through old school photos on her Persona profile. A search entry for social media site Smithereen is also briefly seen, as well as one for UKN.
• The 7G carrier on Maria's phone is TCKR, much like in Common People.
• An award on someone's desk in the Ditta UK offices has what appears to be a silhouette of Waldo's head.
• Although not seen, the sounds from the VR headset Kae wears indicates he is playing a variant of the Thronglets game introduced in Plaything.
• Before being hired at Ditta, Verity Greene works for a travel agency named WayHaven, possibly a associated business of Wayhaven Hotels first featured in Shut Up and Dance.
• Maria's workplace Ditta is shown to be situated opposite a building owned by Tuckersoft.
• The manufacturer shown on the organic milk carton is Raiman, the character from Men Against Fire. Several Raiman milk products have featured in the series, such as USS Callister.
• Directory signage for the Ditta offices lists rooms called the White Bear Office on the third floor and a Playtest Suite on the second floor.
• A copy of the Bandersnatch book is seen on a bookshelf in Verity Greene's bedroom.
• Several of the grand structures that appear in the end scene are shaped like the White Bear/Bandersnatch symbol.