Every episode of the season has appeared at the top or bottom of someones list depending on the day.
Now, I will not be ranking anything today.
I will simply state that Hotel Reverie is objectively the seasons worst episode according to science.
Black Mirror / Netflix
But hear me out.
Also, the episode still contains the seasons best moment!
Hotel Reverie starts out with a strong concept.
Their entire purpose in life is to live out the plot points of the original movie.
Its a plausible sci-fi idea brimming with promise.
Since this is aBlack Mirrorepisode, things go immediately awry.
Heres where the problems begin, if you ignore the episodes plot holes.
(Like, why did Brandy never wonder why she was only scheduled for one day of filming?
And why didnt … OK, sorry, its just really hard to ignore the plot holes!
Thats where Hotel Reverie loses me.
Despite how much I love Issa Rae, shes just not giving here.
Theres no passion in her eyes and her romantic line readings land with thuds.
When the romantic climax rolls around and Im supposed to cry, I feel dead inside.
This is from someone who watches San Junipero at least once a year.
And yet … and yet!
Hotel Reverie still makes my eyes well up, but not where youd expect.
Within this void, she accesses all of the memories of the actress who played her.
For any queer people watching, its also possibly a metaphor for something even more powerful.
They will, of course, deal with these implications however they see fit.
But they must first accept them.
She simply has to accept it, warts and all.
Thats also a queer reality.
I still cant get over the plot holes, though.
