'Black Mirror' Just Gave Us Its Most Sinister Villain Ever

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Black Mirror Season 7.Black Mirror is known for its twisted sense of morality, often the idea of a classic villain is shelved for a more self-reflective approach. However, that doesn’t mean the anthology doesn’t create incredibly rich antagonists, and in “Bête Noire,” the second episode of the freshly released Season 7, the show has given us its most interesting and sinister villain yet. Verity (Rosy McEwen) shares a rare trait among Black Mirror antagonists in that she isn’t the audience's focal perspective, as we are watching the story through Maria (Siena Kelly). This means the viewer isn’t given insight into her psyche until the closing moments, and her actions, partnered with her personality shifts, are disorientating and haunting. It is only through McEwen’s performance that “Bête Noire” pulls off the sense of reality shifting, as she feels unshakable in a tornado of disorientation. Verity’s presence makes it impossible for the audience to feel settled, which is the foundation of a great Black Mirror villain.