{"id":33721,"date":"2023-06-15T10:15:19","date_gmt":"2023-06-15T08:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1844927"},"modified":"2023-06-15T10:54:03","modified_gmt":"2023-06-15T08:54:03","slug":"black-mirror-demon-79-ending-explained-what-happened-to-nida","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/black-mirror-demon-79-ending-explained-what-happened-to-nida\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Mirror: Demon 79 ending explained \u2013 what happened to Nida?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Black Mirror’s first Red Mirror episode was quite something… <\/p>

By James Hibbs\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 15 June 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Warning: This article contains full spoilers for Black Mirror season 6 episode 5, Demon 79.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The highly anticipated sixth season of Black Mirror<\/a> is now here, and one of the most innovative episodes of all has got to be Demon 79, the last in the season of five episodes.<\/p>\n

The episode, described as being a Red Mirror presentation, is a departure from the rest of the series, as it doesn\u2019t feature any prominent usage of tech \u2013 instead it takes things in a supernatural, horror-tinged<\/a> direction.<\/p>\n

The episode stars Anjana Vasan and Paapa Essiedu<\/a> and is the only one this season for which Charlie Brooker has a co-writer, sharing duties with Loki<\/a> and Ms Marvel<\/a> scribe Bisha K Ali (who also executive produced on Joan Is Awful).<\/p>\n

Despite all these points of differentiation, the story is still deliciously twisted in a way that can only be found in a Black Mirror episode. But how does it all play out and how does it come to a close?<\/p>\n

Read on for everything you need to know about the ending of Demon 79.<\/p>\n

What is Demon 79 about?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\""Anjana\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Anjana Vasan as Nida in Black Mirror<\/span><\/figcaption> Netflix<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Demon 79 follows Nida, a mild mannered shop assistant who, in 1979, is suffering from an environment of stirred up racial hatred and micro-aggressions from colleagues.<\/p>\n

Her mother has died, leaving her living alone in a small flat. Throughout her days, as she suffers from prejudice and sexual harassment, she imagines murdering those around her in brutal ways.<\/p>\n

Then, one day at work she finds, alongside a group of newspaper clippings describing a spate of murders in advance of May Day, a talisman with the classic White Bear symbol on it (one Black Mirror has returned to time and again.<\/p>\n

She gets some of her own blood on the talisman, marking it and thus releasing a demon, called Gaap. Gaap takes on the form of Bobby Farrell from punk\/disco group\u00a0Boney M, as it\u2019s an appearance Nida finds appealing.<\/p>\n

Gaap tells Nida that she must now kill three people within the next three days, or else the world will end through nuclear war.<\/p>\n

Nida therefore reluctantly sets about on a killing spree, hoping to save the world from impending doom but choosing her victims carefully, so as only to kill those who themselves have done wrong.<\/p>\n

Why is it a Red Mirror episode?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\""Red\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Red Mirror<\/span><\/figcaption> Netflix\/YouTube<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

At the start of the episode, and indeed in the trailer for Black Mirror season 6, Demon 79 is described as being presented by \u201cRed Mirror\u201d, an apparent new label marking this episode out from others.<\/p>\n

Charlie Brooker has explained that this is because of the slight shift in focus \u2013 where previous episodes have always centred on tech, this one has no notable technology at its centre-point.<\/p>\n

Brooker said: \u201cDemon 79 opens with a \u2018Red Mirror presents\u2019 title sequence, marking it out as \u2018different-from-yet-adjacent-to\u2019 Black Mirror. This is because, typically, Black Mirror has focused on tech dystopias or media satire, whereas this story has a stronger supernatural element, harking back to 1970s horror. The episode is almost unclassifiable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is Gaap real?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\""Paapa\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Paapa Essiedu as Gaap in Black Mirror<\/span><\/figcaption> Nick Wall\/Netflix<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

It certainly seems so, but there is still a question throughout as to whether Gaap is real or just a figment of Nida\u2019s imagination and a sign of her deteriorating mental health.<\/p>\n

At the end of the episode the talisman appears to become a domino, with the suggestion being that it was always so, and the whole thing had been in Nida\u2019s head.<\/p>\n

However, the conclusion of the episode appears to make things certain once and for all, that Gaap truly is a demon and, without Nida\u2019s help, the apocalypse is nigh\u2026<\/p>\n

What happens to Nida at the end?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\""Anjana\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Anjana Vasan as Nida in Black Mirror<\/span><\/figcaption> Nick Wall\/Netflix<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Near to the end of the episode, Nida is trying to decide her next victim when she starts thinking about Michael Smart, a Conservative parliamentary candidate in the area, as a potential contender.<\/p>\n

She asks Gaap to show her Smart\u2019s future, which he reluctantly does \u2013 Smart will go on to be removed from the Conservative party for being too hard-line, set up his own party, and eventually become a fascistic Prime Minister of the UK (including, it would appear, introducing the Metalhead robot dogs into society).<\/p>\n

Gaap says that those in Hell are fans of Smart\u2019s \u201cwork\u201d and won\u2019t be happy with him as Nida\u2019s choice. However, he does still fit within the rule, so Nida decides to go for it. Nida and Gaap have a falling out, prompting Gaap to leave.<\/p>\n

However, a police officer is hot on her tail. Nida knocks Smart off the road in her car, but he survives. As she approaches him with her hammer, ready to kill, the police officer stops her and arrests her.<\/p>

A devastated Nida tells them everything as she nervously watches the clock, waiting for the impending apocalypse. At first, after midnight, it seems as though nothing has happened and the whole experience was in her mind. Then, the nuclear bombs start to fall.<\/p>\n

Just before she implodes, Gaap returns, telling Nida he is being banished to a realm of eternal nothingness for his failure in his first ever mission. He asks her to join him, an offer Nida accepts, and the pair walk hand in hand to their own damnation, as the world ceases to exist.<\/p>\n

Caught up on Black Mirror season 6? Read our episode breakdowns below:<\/strong><\/p>\n