Upamanyu Biswas
Episode 2 of ‘Black Mirror’ season 7 dives into the inner workings of a major food brand known as Ditta, whose offices become plagued with an internal conspiracy as the lead food developer, Maria, grows paranoid of the latest recruit, Verity Greene. While Maria has an uber-successful career within the company, her life becomes increasingly unstable as weird occurrences start haunting her day-to-day tasks, compelling her to think that it is the handiwork of Verity. The episode also brings another food-based company into the mix – a fast-food chain named Barnie’s Chicken. The protagonist faces a mental crisis when she learns that Barnie’s is no longer what it used to be, and the change has happened overnight. As a result, both organizations play a pivotal role in the narrative and contribute to Maria’s slow descent into hell.
Ditta is a Fictional Food Company at the Heart of the Story
While ‘Black Mirror’ uncovers a variety of sci-fi-inspired stories that feel eerily reminiscent of real-life situations, much of the narratives in each episode are fictional in conception, including the places and characters depicted. The same applies to Ditta, the food company where Maria works as a chief developer of new food products. It is a fictional brand brought to life by the creative team with a huge bearing on the central drama of the second episode. Maria’s life is turned upside down when an old acquaintance from her schooldays, Verity Greene, decides to apply for a job at the company. However, following her appointment, the protagonist becomes concerned that not everything is as it seems with the woman, especially when weird encounters start ramping up everywhere.
Later in the narrative, we are introduced to the CEO/owner of the food company, Mr. Ditta, whose arrival at the complex is a momentous occasion for everyone involved. Maria is also excited because it allows her the chance to showcase her new products to the boss. Unfortunately, Verity misplaces some of the ingredients, leading to a huge mix-up during the event. The company’s internal dynamics become integral to the cat-and-mouse game unfurling between Maria and Verity. The more they engage in a battle of wits and paranoia, the more others get dragged into it, including their work colleagues. At the same time, the protagonist starts slipping down the estimation of her colleagues, making everyone question whether she is fit to continue her role. Thus, despite its fictional roots, Ditta serves an important narrative role.
Barnie’s Chicken Adds to Maria’s Paranoia Spiral
One of the intriguing aspects of episode 2 is how Maria’s grip on reality starts wavering the more she worries about Verity. However, it stems from a variety of encounters that throw her off her scent, such as things changing overnight. A case like this unravels when Maria gets involved in an office argument about a fast food chain where her boyfriend worked for a period. The other colleagues believe it is called one thing, but Maria thinks it is another. The company in question is Barnie’s Chicken, a fictional fast food chain that seemingly changes its name overnight to Bernie’s Chicken. While it may not exist in reality, a chicken restaurant named Bernie’s Chicken does exist in reality. However, it is situated in South Carolina, which differentiates it from the primary setting of the story – London, England.
The protagonist is bamboozled when she learns that the company is called Bernie’s, not Barnie’s. She is sure that it is the latter, yet everyone around her assures her that it has always been Barnie’s. As such, the organization plays a very specific role within the narrative – feeding into Maria’s growing sense of wariness and alarm that something is off. As these weird incidents keep ramping up, she only becomes more unstable, leading to people ostracizing her and turning on her. It is likely that the creative team deliberately crafted the company and its logo as a way to heighten the off-kilter factor and make everyone question Maria’s sense of right and wrong. It creates a more engaging tale with hidden clues in the setup. To that end, it is a valuable addition to the narrative, even if it is drawn from the imagination of the writers.
Read More: Black Mirror Season 7 Episode 2 Bête Noire Ending Explained: How Does Verity Change Reality?
