Is the HOTEL REVERIE episode of BLACK MIRROR Season 7 better than the iconic queer SAN JUNIPERO episode? Well, maybe not for everyone, but it might become a favorite for some. Find out more about the two LGBTQ love story episodes of Black Mirror here!

We’re comparing San Junipero and Hotel Reverie – the two iconic Black Mirror episodes with unforgettable WLW love stories. Let’s explore why Kelly and Yorkie are beloved, how Brandy and Dorothy redefine queer intimacy, and which episode truly wins.

“Love is Love” has always been the mantra in the popular sci-fi anthology on Netflix. So far, we have two episodes in the genre-hybrid anthology with love stories featuring two women who fall in love with each other. That was never a given, but the San Junipero episode of Season 3 immediately won over viewers.

In fact, it became one of the highest-rated episodes of the anthology ever!

Also, it’s one of the very few episodes to actually have a happy ending. Can you believe it? A show that usually has dystopian stories and dark endings suddenly features a lesbian love story, and it ends happily?! I have always loved Black Mirror, but even I never expected that.

🌈 San Junipero vs. Hotel Reverie: Which Black Mirror Episode Has the Best Lesbian Love Story?

Few shows balance dark tech futures with emotional, deeply human stories like Black Mirror. And when it comes to queer love stories, two episodes stand out as cultural milestones: the retro, radiant San Junipero and the haunting, past-meets-present Hotel Reverie.

But which one delivers the best lesbian romance that the series — or even genre television — has ever seen?

If you’ve been Googling questions like:

  • What made San Junipero one of the most beloved WLW stories ever on TV?

  • Why is Hotel Reverie a new classic Black Mirror episode?

  • Which Black Mirror episode has the best lesbian love story?

  • Is the best Black Mirror queer ship Kelly and Yorkie or Brandy and Dorothy?

Then this breakdown is for you.

Let’s begin with a recap of the two queer Black Mirror episodes

Before we get too far, let’s do a quick recap of the two episodes. And yes, we might get a little spoiler-ish, but not too much.

🌀 Episode Recap: San Junipero (Season 3, Episode 4)

The San Junipero episode of Black Mirror was set in a virtual 1980s-inspired beach town where time is fluid and emotions are real. San Junipero is the name of the town, which is where Yorkie and Kelly first meet. You can also choose another time or go into particular corners of this world, but that’s not the focus.

Instead, it tells the story of Yorkie and Kelly – two women who fall in love in this simulated world. This world has been created to help care for the elderly and terminally ill. Giving them a world where they are still young and able-bodied. In the real world offline, both women are elderly and each has their own health issues.

While Yorkie is shy and new to this world, Kelly is confident, flirtatious, and also quite resistant to commitment. As their bond deepens, both are forced to face past regrets and questions of immortality. Ultimately, they do choose love – and eternity – together.

This is U-hauling to a happy ending in the extreme… and I love it. San Junipero and Imagine Me & You are my two WLW happy places.

🎭 Who Stars in San Junipero?

  • Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars as Kelly: The magnetic, emotionally guarded woman with a tragic past. Gugu Mbatha-Raw brings warmth, nuance, and strength to the role, making Kelly instantly iconic.

  • Mackenzie Davis stars as Yorkie: She’s a sweet, socially awkward woman exploring her first taste of freedom and love. Mackenzie Davis’s performance captures the quiet bravery of self-discovery.

🏆 San Junipero won two Emmys for “Outstanding TV Movie” and “Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series” for creator Charlie Brooker. It remains a fan-favorite for its rare blend of queer joy and sci-fi depth.

Black Mirror San Junipero

🏨 Episode Recap: Hotel Reverie (Season 7, Episode 3)

Brandy Friday has grown tired of playing the roles Hollywood wants to see her in. She would much rather try something else. Like a role where she gets the girl as portrayed by her favorite actress, Dorothy Chambers. Unfortunately for Brandy, Dorothy died before she was even born, so she can only see her on the screen.

This changes when a new technology enables present-day actors to be inserted into an old movie. Like “Hotel Reverie”, which was the one that made Dorothy Chambers an icon before her untimely death shortly after making the movie. The technology is pretty much identical to the one used for the San Junipero episode, so we’re off to a good start.

Also, to create the ideal conditions for the Hotel Reverie world in the system, footage from behind the scenes and other input (anything and everything available from print, radio, or on camera) has been included. The result is that the character from the original movie, Clara, has been combined with the actress portraying her: Dorothy Chambers.

Inside the World of Hotel Reverie

Brandy missed part of her “onboarding” package and has no idea she will be placed inside the movie, standing directly across from Clara/Dorothy. Surely, she expected a green screen solution rather than one where it feels like she is physically there. Exactly like we first witnessed with the San Junipero world.

After being placed inside the world of Hotel Reverie, there is an issue with the software. In our world, the problem is solved within an hour. Inside “Hotel Reverie”, Brandy and Clara/Dorothy spend days and weeks together. Falling in love and getting to know one another.

Also, Clara discovers that she’s Dorothy and is reminded that she fell in love with a female make-up artist while making the movie originally. Once the software starts working again, the character of Clara gets back on script while Brandy remembers everything that happened.

Brandy discovers she could stay in the world of Hotel Reverie with Clara/Dorothy. Sadly, Clara (unknowingly) makes a choice that makes this impossible. It’s not the happy ending we all wanted, but the two never lived in the same timeline, so it seemed doomed from the onset.

Back in our world, Brandy is feeling sad and lost as the updated version of Hotel Reverie becomes a success. A package arrives with an old telephone that enables her to call Dorothy Chambers. This enables the two women to continue talking to one another across time, but this is all they will ever be able to have.

Side note: The fictional Dorothy Chambers character feels like a lot of Hollywood leading ladies rolled up into one. There are obvious Marilyn Monroe elements, along with iconic ladies from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Those who were rumored to love other leading ladies more than their leading men.

🎭 Who Stars in Hotel Reverie?

  • Issa Rae stars as Brandy: Though she is a very successful actor, she’s dreaming of escaping her pigeonhole roles. She wants to try something different. Without realizing it, she is suddenly acting directly across from her idol and crush. Issa Rae ultimately delivers a vulnerable and emotionally raw performance that anchors the story in authenticity.

  • Emma Corrin stars as Clara/Dorothy: Clara is a character in an iconic Hollywood movie (think Ingrid Bergman’s Ilsa in Casablanca), but this gets mixed in with the person portraying her, the actress Dorothy Chambers. Emma Corrin is equal parts charming and unpredictable as the iconic leading lady Dorothy, portraying Clara. The combination of these two results in someone who dares to be bold and honest.

🤖 While Hotel Reverie is darker than San Junipero, it offers a brutally honest look at modern queer intimacy in the age of tech manipulation.

Black Mirror Season 7: Hotel Reverie

🌟 Why San Junipero Is Still the Most Beloved WLW Story on TV

While Hotel Reverie has a lot going for it – not least Issa Rae and Emma Corrin in the two lead roles – it cannot top the San Junipero episode for me. With that iconic world of San Junipero, nothing could hurt our two ladies in love. In the world of Hotel Reverie, they seemed doomed to be apart.

How can San Junipero not be the best WLW episode when we get all this:

  • One of the few happy endings for lesbian couples in speculative fiction.

  • Allowing queer characters to be flawed, joyful, and fully human — not just symbols.

  • Chemistry between Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Mackenzie Davis that feels timeless.

  • Emotional stakes that feel huge, but still we’re rewarded with love without tragedy.

Of course, Charlie Brooker could create a follow-up episode where he mixes the worlds of San Junipero and Hotel Reverie. Enabling Brandy to be with Dorothy. A woman born in a time when she could not act on what was in her heart. One whose life was cut short and is certainly deserving of another chance at love.

With Season 7 of Black Mirror, creator Charlie Brooker just made a sequel episode to an episode from Season 4, so you never know what might happen. In the end, there’s room in the Black Mirror universe for both stories to shine – and room for more to come.

One is a beacon of love, the other a cautionary tale about how far technology can reach into our hearts.

So, if you’re in the mood for hope, healing, and a romance that defies time and space, Kelly and Yorkie in San Junipero are the undeniable champs. If you prefer messy love that seems impossible but manages to defy the odds for a while, then Brandy and Dorothy in Hotel Reverie bring a complex, unforgettable WLW love story.