So often it’s technology and the misuse of it that is at the centre of a Black Mirror story. A cautionary tale about how humanity is creating its own problems because of its insistence on creating technology that invades our everyday lives. Yet it’s often the episodes that don’t put the technology front and centre that are regarded among the shows best, where the technology is simply there to give the characters an extra layer of depth. It’s also rare to see a Black Mirror episode with a positive outlook and following the universal acclaim of Season Three’s ‘San Junipero’ episode, it was only going to be a matter of time until the show known for its doom and gloom shook that off for an intense analysis of complex human relationships once more.
On his thirty-eighth birthday Danny (Anthony Mackie) is visited by his long-time best friend, Karl (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who gifts him a copy of the new Striking Vipers videogame, the latest instalment in the franchise they used to play together when they were roommates. For a number of years Danny’s marriage has lost its passion and spontaneity as he and his wife Theo (Nicole Beharie) have been trying and failing for baby number two. To escape from the monotonous night-time ritual of perfunctory sex with his wife, Danny and Karl meet online to play Striking Vipers. A virtual reality fighting game, Striking Vipers totally immerses the player in the world and recreates every sensation. As the men brawl using their avatars Lance (Ludi Lin) and Roxette (Pom Klementieff), they begin to feel a sexual attraction to each other. Meeting in the game in the dead of night, the two men begin a sexual affair, all whilst Danny questions his commitment to Theo and his sexuality.
On his thirty-eighth birthday Danny (Anthony Mackie) is visited by his long-time best friend, Karl (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who gifts him a copy of the new Striking Vipers videogame, the latest instalment in the franchise they used to play together when they were roommates. For a number of years Danny’s marriage has lost its passion and spontaneity as he and his wife Theo (Nicole Beharie) have been trying and failing for baby number two. To escape from the monotonous night-time ritual of perfunctory sex with his wife, Danny and Karl meet online to play Striking Vipers. A virtual reality fighting game, Striking Vipers totally immerses the player in the world and recreates every sensation. As the men brawl using their avatars Lance (Ludi Lin) and Roxette (Pom Klementieff), they begin to feel a sexual attraction to each other. Meeting in the game in the dead of night, the two men begin a sexual affair, all whilst Danny questions his commitment to Theo and his sexuality.
There are a lot of parallels that can be drawn between Striking Vipers and San Junipero as both stories are about LGBTQ relationships taking place within the confines of a virtual world. But they do tackle the subject in vastly different ways. Whilst I won’t deny that San Junipero is the superior episode because of its far greater emotional draw, Striking Vipers is incredibly compelling and does a great job of putting gender, sexuality, and monogamy under the microscope.
Early on in the episode it addresses the often-shallow friendships men tend to have with one another, and Theo actively encourages Danny to spend more time with Karl and open up to him more. Danny and Karl’s relationship is typical male best friend banter, but as time has gone on, they find themselves able to open up to each other less and less because of the distance that has inherently come between them as a natural part of growing older.
Striking Vipers, the game, represents a way for these men to revert back to their younger selves, open up to each other, and find a release from their everyday lives, exactly as Theo encourages. But then comes the sexual tension, with all passion having left Danny’s relationship, and Karl unable to connect with his younger girlfriend due to their age difference. The two men, naturally, seek physical and emotional gratification from each other. The reasons as to why, what this means for their sexuality, perception of their gender, and whether it is considered true infidelity is then all brought into question.
Danny plays as a male fighter, Lance; and Karl plays as a female fighter, Roxette. Initially these choices stem from a preferred playstyle rooting back to their younger days. But for the modern game where they embody their characters in the virtual world, it raises a lot of questions. But without giving too much away the episode begins to peel back the layers and boils it down to a central question, are Danny and Karl attracted to each other, or is it just the fantasy?
I also love the way that the episode addresses non-monogamous relationships. Having an episode of a high-profile show like Black Mirror not only centre around an LGBTQ relationship, but also bring into focus non-monogamy is a massive step forward for people in non-traditional relationships. It feels like a breath of fresh air to not have the same old tired relationship tropes paraded around like the jealous wife, the neglectful husband, and other equally cliché archetypes.
Striking Vipers may lack the emotional punch of San Junipero, but it also takes a radically different approach to a similar theme. It’s a real deep dive into how modern relationships work, and why the traditional heterosexual monogamous relationship simply doesn’t work for everyone. It’s absolutely got the Black Mirror stylings, but just without it being sinister. Striking Vipers is within my top five Black Mirror episodes because of these reasons, and I really recommend checking it out.
Early on in the episode it addresses the often-shallow friendships men tend to have with one another, and Theo actively encourages Danny to spend more time with Karl and open up to him more. Danny and Karl’s relationship is typical male best friend banter, but as time has gone on, they find themselves able to open up to each other less and less because of the distance that has inherently come between them as a natural part of growing older.
Striking Vipers, the game, represents a way for these men to revert back to their younger selves, open up to each other, and find a release from their everyday lives, exactly as Theo encourages. But then comes the sexual tension, with all passion having left Danny’s relationship, and Karl unable to connect with his younger girlfriend due to their age difference. The two men, naturally, seek physical and emotional gratification from each other. The reasons as to why, what this means for their sexuality, perception of their gender, and whether it is considered true infidelity is then all brought into question.
Danny plays as a male fighter, Lance; and Karl plays as a female fighter, Roxette. Initially these choices stem from a preferred playstyle rooting back to their younger days. But for the modern game where they embody their characters in the virtual world, it raises a lot of questions. But without giving too much away the episode begins to peel back the layers and boils it down to a central question, are Danny and Karl attracted to each other, or is it just the fantasy?
I also love the way that the episode addresses non-monogamous relationships. Having an episode of a high-profile show like Black Mirror not only centre around an LGBTQ relationship, but also bring into focus non-monogamy is a massive step forward for people in non-traditional relationships. It feels like a breath of fresh air to not have the same old tired relationship tropes paraded around like the jealous wife, the neglectful husband, and other equally cliché archetypes.
Striking Vipers may lack the emotional punch of San Junipero, but it also takes a radically different approach to a similar theme. It’s a real deep dive into how modern relationships work, and why the traditional heterosexual monogamous relationship simply doesn’t work for everyone. It’s absolutely got the Black Mirror stylings, but just without it being sinister. Striking Vipers is within my top five Black Mirror episodes because of these reasons, and I really recommend checking it out.