Netflix is airing different versions of Black Mirror’s Bête Noire and people have proof

People on Twitter and Reddit are slowly realising that Netflix is showing different versions of Black Mirror’s Bête Noire to keep with the Mandela effect theme that runs through the tense second episode. Bête Noire, which translates to a person or thing that someone particularly dislikes, follows Siena Kelly’s Maria on her quest for culinary supremacy. Working in the research and development department at a chocolate-making company, big things are happening for Maria’s career until an old school friend called Verity – played by the eerily creepy Rosy McEwen – turns up at a focus group. She soon starts working at the company in the same department as Maria, who then thinks Verity might be messing with her.

An email she firmly remembers writing is suddenly changed, a fast food company her boyfriend used to work for seemingly has a different name, and an ongoing fight about plant-based milk gets explosive when CCTV shows Maria necking it in the office. In reality, it was Verity who was drinking it.

I won’t spoil the ending for you because it’s Black Mirror bonkers at its finest, but people on socials have suddenly realised that we were part of the story the whole time.

Credit: Reddit

Omg, is there more than one version of Black Mirror’s Bête Noire?

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After Verity begins making waves at the confectionary company, she gets into a heated debate with her coworkers over whether a popular fast food restaurant is called Bernie’s or Barnie’s. We viewers got a sneak peak at the restaurant right at the start of the episode as an employee hat belonging to Maria’s boyfriend could be seen on the kitchen counter. But here’s where things get creepy because different people are seeing different things on their Netflix screens.

So my friend and I were watching the new Black Mirror episode “Bête Noire” and we noticed that there was a stark difference between our episodes… even the viewers are getting gaslit at 16:40! #BlackMirrorS7 pic.twitter.com/G2Ne1SuvJV

— Vastolorde | AKIO 🫡💖🇺🇸 (@actualakio) April 10, 2025

“So my friend and I were watching the new Black Mirror episode ‘Bête Noire’ and we noticed that there was a stark difference between our episodes… even the viewers are getting gaslit at 16:40!” one person wrote on Twitter alongside two separate streams of the episode that clearly showed one person being shown Bernie’s and another Barnie’s.

In a piece for Cinemablend, writer Nick Venable admitted to beefing with his friend over the Bernie’s versus Barnie’s conundrum.

“I spent the next few minutes of this conversation wondering if she [his friend] was jokingly gaslighting me as a reference to everything Verity does to Maria in the ep. I eventually asked her directly if she was trying to make me question my sanity, which led to both of our minds being blown open, because WE WATCHED TWO DIFFERENT CUTS OF THE SAME EPISODE!” he penned.

EXCUSE ME??!!
I felt like Maria for a minute there because I KNOW it was Barnies first and changed to Bernies, then I come on here and see the opposite??!!! #BlackMirror #BêteNoire https://t.co/UKuHnn0unc pic.twitter.com/TRQGZtlE64

— Sisco is not okay (@RandomSisco) April 10, 2025

“So it wasn’t just a case of different website graphics and a single shot of a different hat. Both the early scene with the hat and the entire in-office argument about which name was right were filmed in two different ways. And those are just the two we know of!”

That leads us to the following questions: Did Netflix film two or more versions of the same episode? If so, how do they decide which version to show us when we click on the episode? Are there even more instances in the episode that we’ve missed? I have too many questions.

Netflix has been approached for comment on Bête Noire’s Bernie’s or Barnie’s question.

Black Mirror season seven is now streaming on Netflix. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes – like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.

Featured image by: Netflix