‘Disturbing’ Black Mirror season 7 episode ‘almost cancelled my wedding,’ says viewer: Is Netflix gaslighting its audience?

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The story revolves around Maria (played by Siena Kelly), who works as a lead food researcher. Life is easygoing, she’s the smartest in her workplace, has a loving boyfriend who loves wearing the red hat from his previous workplace. Yes, the hat that started the whole confusion in the first place. But Maria’s life changes when someone from her past, Verity Green (Rosy McEwen), shows up and joins the company. Maria is clearly not pleased, given that she has always found her a bit “off” since their school days. Though she initially told her boyfriend she never had a problem with Verity, she soon senses that her former classmate’s got this creepy power to subtly bend reality around her. And only Maria seems to notice it. You know when something definitely happened, but everyone keeps insisting it didn’t? That “Am I losing it?” feeling? That’s the core theme.

There’s an office room scene where Maria and her coworkers argue about the name of an old fried chicken restaurant her boyfriend worked at. Whether the restaurant was called “Barnies” or “Bernies.” Now, Netflix aired two versions of the story. In one version, the hat says “Bernies.” In the other version, it says “Barnies.” Depending on which version of the episode you got, the hat literally shows a different name.

“My fiancée was left thinking I was losing my marbles, and I just know Brooker is happily eating popcorn and revelling in the chaos he’s reigned upon unsuspecting viewers,” Jason wrote, adding how a part of him hated being gaslit but still praised the audacity. Even showrunner Brooker posted a cheeky video holding the infamous hat and said: “It’s a Barnie’s cap. Or is it a Bernie’s cap? That’s actually a key plot point in the episode

Also read: True story behind Netflix’s iHostage: The 2022 Apple Store robbery that inspired the Dutch thriller

Version 1 – The “Bernies” Hat

In this version, Maria recalls the hat from her boyfriend’s old job, and it says “Bernies.” Later, at work, everyone insists the place was called “Barnies.” Maria argues, “If it were Barnies, it would be spelt like ‘Barneys’ — with an ‘ey.’” She’s absolutely sure she’s right. But when they Google it? She’s wrong. It was apparently Barnies. 

Version 2– The “Barnies” Hat

Here, the hat says “Barnies.” But Maria insists it should be “Bernies.” She says, “Chickens live in barns, so it’s ‘Barnies.’” Her coworker replies, “Chickens live in coops.” And guess what? The internet tells her she’s wrong again. Turns out it’s “Bernies.” Or is it.

The internet kept discussing the real name, where, in fact, there is no real name.  And no matter which version you got, Netflix makes sure you’re convinced you saw the right one. This wasn’t a tech glitch or some editing goof. It’s a planned psychological experiment that goes with the episode’s theme. It makes us question what we saw, just like the character Maria.

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