The Nexus of Art and Science

Black Mirror's "San Junipero"

Black Mirror (2011- present) is a live action science fiction anthology series. Each episode is set in an alternative present or near future, and explores the ways in which new technology may have unforeseen consequences within society; the episodes are usually dark and ironic in nature.

“San Junipero” (2016) is the 11th episode in the Black Mirror series. It follows a shy young woman named Yorkie in a beach resort town San Junipero, set in 1987. She meets another young more outgoing woman, Kelly, at a nightclub. Every Saturday night the two women meet up and eventually fall in love with each other. It is revealed that San Junipero is actually a simulated reality created for elderly people and the deceased. The elderly people can “visit” San Junipero for a set time each week for 1) escapism/therapy, and 2) a trial-run to see if they want their consciousness to live there permanently after death. In San Junipero they live as younger versions of themselves, without worry of death nor pain. Elderly Kelly visits Yorkie in real life, and discovers that Yorkie is on life support and has been paralyzed for 40 years; she suffered a serious car crash after her parents rejected her for being gay. Yorkie wishes to be euthanized so she can live in San Junipero forever, but she needs to marry someone to do so (as her religious family won’t allow her to be euthanized). Kelly marries her, and eventually Kelly decides to join Yorkie and live with her in San Junipero permanently.

Multiple physics principles are used in this episode, such as the Action/Reaction principle, Inertia, and Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. These principles help explore a lot of political, social, and moral taboos such as simulations, an afterlife (or lack-thereof), the distinction between mind/body/soul, and the overarching possibility of “San Junipero” becoming a reality in the near future.

One physics principle that is highlighted in this episode is the Action/Reaction principle. As a part of Newton’s third law, action and reaction means that when a force is applied to an object, an equal force is also applied in the opposite direction. In one part of “San Junipero”, Yorkie and Kelly get into an argument in a public bathroom. Yorkie storms out, and Kelly being very angry and frustrated, punches her reflection in the mirror. The camera shows the mirror shattering, and then it slowly pans down to Kelly’s knuckles. It should show her knuckles bloody and bruised, but instead they are unscathed; the camera pans back up again and the mirror is now completely fixed. This scene is shown before it is understood that San Junipero is a simulated reality, so this feels creepy and confusing to the audience. The characters seem to be in a fantastical world that defies the laws of physics.

In a similar fashion, the Inertia principle is exemplified. Newton’s first law, inertia, states that an object at rest or in motion remains that way with same speed and same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. Later on in the episode, after Kelly and Yorkie get married, they have another heated argument. Kelly recklessly drives away and purposefully hits a barrier. The impact stops the car, but she crashes through the windshield and is flung a few yards forward. Similar to the mirror situation, Kelly should be seriously injured, if not dead; however, no one can really die or feel pain in this simulated reality, so again Kelly remains unscathed. For the most part, San Junipero seems like a perfect paradise. However, it’s also highlighted how artificial this simulated reality is, and for characters like Kelly it can be very frustrating and confining; there’s the reminder that the simulation will always be slightly off from our own reality.

Earlier in “San Junipero”, leading up to Kelly and Yorkie’s argument in the bathroom, Kelly ditched Yorkie and Yorkie searches for her. She asks Kelly’s friend where she might be, and he tells her to check other timelines. Then it shows a sequence over a period of three weeks of Yorkie in the same nightclub but different eras (1970’s, 1990’s, and 2000’s). Yorkie finally finds Kelly in the 2000’s timeline, thus leading up to the confrontation and consequential argument. Again, this is before it’s revealed that San Junipero is not real, so the audience is left very confused; are these characters in a weird alternate universe where time travel is possible and also easily accessible? This relates to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. His theory is broken down into two parts, special and general relativity, and basically states that space and time are relative rather than absolute concepts. If space and time are not absolute, can our concept of linear time be explored and could time travel truly be possible in the future? It’s difficult to answer, but provides an interesting thought to the audience as they explore this bizarre and unrestricted universe of San Junipero.

“San Junipero” takes a deep dive into the political, social, and moral implications that come with simulated reality and futuristic technology in general. For most of the episode it seems like it’s set in 1987, but is actually set in an undetermined but near future. In the past few years, the popularity of virtual reality has been on a rise. For the most part virtual reality has been explored through video games, creating a more exciting and immersive experience. However, soon virtual reality will become more accessible and normalized in our society, and will move beyond just video games and entertainment purposes. It’s quite possible that virtual reality and simulations could reach the standard shown in “San Junipero”. 

This leads to the debate: has technology gone/is technology going too far?Technology has already become a big and essential part of and society. Many people heavily depend on their phones, computers, etc. to get through the day. In some ways, technology can become more invasive as it becomes more elaborate and modernized. For example, the Siri app on iPhones or the Amazon Echo device always listening to what people are saying around them. There is also a chance that technological implants may become offered for more streamlined accessibility (such as having the technology of an Apple Watch but physically in your arm, or the technology of Google Glasses accessible through your own eyeballs).

A big discussion brought up in this episode is the existence of an afterlife, and the ability to control one’s destiny after death. In the argument after Kelly and Yorkie get married, Yorkie tries to persuade Kelly to join her in San Junipero permanently. Kelly resists, and reveals that she was married for 49 years to her deceased husband. They had a daughter together, who died before the husband. When Kelly’s partner was on his deathbed, he was given the option of San Junipero but refused; his deceased daughter wasn’t given the choice to live in this afterlife paradise, so he felt it wouldn’t be fair of him to take it. Kelly tells Yorkie, “And I wish I could believe he’s with her now, that they’re together, but I don’t. I believe they’re nowhere. Just like you said. Gone.”

Kelly doesn’t believe in a true afterlife, and the only afterlife is this artificial construction. This is a bit controversial, especially religiously, as many people believe that there is a heaven, reincarnation, or at least any sort of future after death. If it is possible to artificially create a future after death, would it be morally right to accept the offer? Similarly, this poses the question if it’s morally right to control our own destinies/ “play God”. 

In the closing shot of the episode, the camera shows the whole library of people’s consciousnesses stored in these simulated realities. This also begs the question: is there a differentiation between our consciousness and our soul? And what would happen if there was a technological error and all the machines were turned off, forever losing all of these stored consciousnesses? This episode gives the audience a plethora of topics to self reflect on.

In conclusion, Black Mirror’s “San Junipero” explores the possibility of a future with simulated realities, and what this future would encompass. With technology rapidly advancing, there is no doubt that technology will have a significant impact on society, whether negative or positive. However, we will always the choice to accept or reject this technology in our lives.