Warning! Spoiler for Black Mirror season 7, episode 3!

Black Mirror star Issa Rae revealed her take on the ending of "Hotel Reverie." The episode continues the series' focus on the dark side of developing technology, starring Rae as Brandy, an actor who stars in a remake of the titular Hotel Reverie. With the help of a program called "Re:Dream," Brandy is inserted directly into the original film to replace one of its actors. A technological mishap leaves Brandy stuck in the film, in which she develops a relationship with another star, Clara (Emma Corin). However, this Black Mirror season 7 episode has a tragic ending.

In a roundtable interview attended by ScreenRant, Rae divulges her thoughts on the ending of "Hotel Reverie," which sees Brandy return to the real world, leaving her on-screen lover behind in Hotel Reverie. Rae was asked if the Black Mirror season 7 episode's ending could be considered happy, but she rejects this interpretation, stating, "it's not a happy ending."

To me, personally, no. It's not a happy ending. It's sad; it's bittersweet. Yes, you get this connection, but for me, so much of falling in love with someone is sharing those memories together; being able to recall when it happened for me and when it happened for you.

It was such a special time, but even if they do reconnect, it's still so isolating for Brandy because you can't tell your friends without sounding bats--t crazy. "You guys will never believe what happened. Yeah, that's my girl." That's really sad to me, in a way. But I do think the beauty of it is Brandy understanding that the love that she felt was real and the experience she had was real, and understanding that she has a template or a mold for the connection that she can try to find in the real world.

I guess a piece of her is all her own, or this connection still is all her own. So, I'm mixed about it. I would have to watch it again, and maybe I might have a different perspective, but it felt happy-sad. Bittersweet.

What This Means For The Ending Of Hotel Reverie

Brandy & Clara's Ending Is Bittersweet

Brandy and Clara's relationship, though short-lived, is ionate. When Brandy and Clara are the only sentient beings in the Hotel Reverie remake, the two quickly develop a romance that bleeds into Brandy's real world. "Hotel Reverie" ends with Brandy, who has been safely removed from the movie, using a special phone to call Clara from the outside world. When Clara picks up the phone, she questions who is on the other side of the line, but then offers Brandy "all the time in the world" to explain who she is, remarking that she has a "kind voice."

As Rae describes it, the ending of Black Mirror's "Hotel Reverie" is "bittersweet' as it teases that Brandy and Clara's story may continue, but it will never be the same. Brandy exists in the real world, but Clara is trapped in Hotel Reverie, creating a sharp division between the two, even if they are able to speak on the phone. While Brandy re each moment of their time together, Clara's memory has been entirely wiped, which, as Rae explained, isolates Brandy. She is left only with the memories of her time, as it's unlikely that she will re-enter Hotel Reverie.

Our Take On Hotel Reverie's Ending

The Episode's Ending Is Heartwrenching

Though Brandy and Clara are able to digitally reunite through a phone call, their dynamic can never be the same as it was in the world of Hotel Reverie. They are now separated by screens, adding to the growing list of Black Mirror couples who experience a beautiful romance only to have technology impact it. This ending has less of a "twist" compared to other Black Mirror episodes, but is nonetheless devastating.

While the love story in "Hotel Reverie" calls to mind other romance-focused episodes like "San Junipero," Brandy and Clara do not end up together, which makes the episode impactful. "Hotel Reverie" asks the audience to consider the immense power of a short-lived romance and the heartwrenching, "bittersweet" feelings when that love comes to an end.