Mini-Review #1 - Black Mirror's "San Junipero" Makes Me Want to Die

Black Mirror: S3E4 "San Junipero"

     No matter what age you are, I feel like death is always a weird thing to think about. Although it's typically reserved for the elderly, death is an all-encompassing and unavoidable part of life than can really affect anyone at any given moment. As a teenager, it's easy for me to forget this; I typically only associate death with old people, and (although this may seem heartless) I don't usually feel that sad when the elderly die-- I always assume that they had lived fulfilling lives which simply had to come to a natural conclusion. As a result, I've built this disconnect between myself and people beyond their golden years; it's fine that they die because that's just what old people do.

Death is just one of...The Facts of Life

     I don't think this revelation is entirely my own fault. I have very rarely seen old people humanized in media, and whenever I see older characters they're typically depicted as beyond their prime and simply surviving through the sad remaining wisps of their lives until their time comes. Old people are almost always shown in these bleak, feeble scenarios and rarely seen as, well, people. Thankfully, "San Junipero" breaks this mold.

Like how in Titanic, Rose acts like she hasn't enjoyed (or even experienced) a single day of her life since the Titanic sank. She also dies. Like old people do.

     Yorkie and Kelly are introduced as these bubbling, bright young adults in the 80s, living in the idealistic prime of their lives and seeking the opportunities that their time in the party city of San Junipero can bring them. Kelly is thriving, carefree and willing to take risks and experiment. Yorkie, while shy, still has a glimmer of young optimism in her, and their romance follows many of the "young and in love" tropes that are pumped into the veins of innumerable teen movies. These two characters are shining in their youth and are trying their hardest to bask in the moments of pure euphoria that being young can bring.

Funky, embarrassing dancing is one of the joys of youth

      When the curtain is finally pulled back and Yorkie and Kelly are seen in their present day, it hits like a truck. For once, the elderly aren't seen as the husks of their vibrant, happier selves; They are these people, and while their bodies may be failing them (especially in the case of Yorkie), their hearts are still as full of hope as their were back in the actual 1980s. The juxtaposition between the happy, jovial lives of the two in San Junipero and the cold emptiness of their realities works perfectly, and as the burdens of reality settle in it becomes clear how important the escape of San Junipero is to the well-being of these characters.

Everything in the real world is bright like a hospital, and feels incredibly melancholy, contrasting the freedom of San Junipero. Good stuff

     For Yorkie, San Junipero is where she can be free. While Yorkie is paralyzed and demonized by her family in the real world, she is liberated in the simulated reality of San Junipero. For Kelly, San Junipero is the one place where she isn't isolated after the death of her family, and although she is filled with guilt over the loss of her loved ones, San Junipero is cathartic and teaches Kelly to find new love. Both of these stories are very driven by emotion and appeal to human nature in a way that's rare to see in stories in general, much less in stories about older characters.

Because believe it or not, old people come from young people.

     For me, "San Junipero" is a reminder about the humanity of all people, and marks the only time that I've been legitimately happy to see characters die. As someone who doesn't believe in heaven, the existence of a scientific (well, Sci-Fi) afterlife means this is the first time I've actually bought into the "they're in a better place" narrative that constantly gets pushed onto dead characters. Yorkie and Kelly are in a better place, and it makes me really glad to see characters get a legitimate happy ending after suffering for so long. Although I alluded in the title to the fact that I would happily die if it meant I would end up in San Junipero, I think the true sweetness of this simulated heaven only works for people who have already lived, loved and lost. San Junipero wouldn't be happy for me because unlike Yorkie and Kelly I still have a future in this life to look forward to, and I physically couldn't appreciate being young forever when I've only ever been young.

*wild applause*

     "San Junipero" raises questions about mortality, humanity, and relationships in a way that I would highly recommend to anyone who hasn't seen it. While focusing on death, "San Junipero" demonstrates the value of life and reminds young-uns like myself about the hopeful spirit inside people of all ages. Although it is Black Mirror and it's technically about technology, it's hopeful message about the human experience is really what makes this episode special, solidifying it one of the best in the series.

Lesson learned: San Junipero isn't out there, so live your best life while you still have the chance.

Also the ending is perfect. Prove me wrong.