I try to stay vigilant as far as staying aware, trying to stay woke, and keeping up with the deluge of bad news. But I also need to be mindful of the media consumption I undertake — sometimes, I just don’t have the heart space to take on darker fare. And there’s a lot of great, bleak television on these days that remain on my to-watch list because I don’t have the emotional space to watch it. Handmaid’s Tale is one of them (though yes, I promise I will watch it soon). And one of those shows for a long time was Black Mirror. I’ve heard it’s spectacular, yes, but that it was dark-dark-dark-so-much-darkness.
So when I heard that a standalone episode had not only taken on an optimistic angle but that it might be right up the Scale’s alley? This I had to see.
Before I continue, here come the disclaimers. In order for me to discuss the inner workings of the Emmy Award-winning episode “San Junipero”, there will be SPOILERS. And if this is your first time around these parts, it’s wise to check out the Unicorn Scale metric here to know what I’m going on and on about.
Got it? Bodacious.
“San Junipero” focuses on Yorkie (Mackenzie Davis), a shy young introvert, and Kelly (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), an outgoing party girl, who meet one night in a nightclub in Cape Town’s scenic and hedonistic suburb of San Junipero. While the two have a halting flirtation with each other, their connection soon morphs into a relationship that changes both of their lives forever.
What I Liked:
I loved how easily and comfortably Kelly talked about liking both men and women from a young age. And while it takes a while to realize what happened to her husband (and if Kelly is cheating on him with Yorkie, or Yorkie with Kelly on her fiance), it’s clear that she has a deep love for her former partner.
It’s also crucial to note Kelly is played by a woman of color — still a rarity in this day and age, even in science fiction. Not only that, but the twist in the conceit of the story saves Kelly from being a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, which is where I thought the plot was headed. But Kelly gets a full background story, dimension, and emotional depth which goes far beyond and cinematic trope would normally afford her.
I also appreciated that not only do our queer star-crossed lovers get to have their happy ending, but “San Junipero” cleverly subverts the #KillYourGays trope — if death is inevitable for all parties involved, isn’t planning your own demise the ultimate choice? Especially if you fully know one of the options on the other side? I thought it was a really neat hat trick.
Yes, this made my bi little heart happy.
What I Didn't Like:
That said ... If the setup of San Junipero is in 1987 and the older versions of Yorkie and Kelly are set in the not-too-distant future… why doesn’t anyone use the term “bi”? The term was around during the Reagan Administration, it’s present and accounted for now, and it’d certainly be around in the future. Sure, Kelly talks about her attraction to multiple people, but — it almost feels like writer/series creator Charlie Brooker is actively trying not to use the word. Sure, in the original drafts, Kelly and Yorkie were a hetero couple, but this seems like a leftover that should have gotten addressed.
The Rating:
I had heard for many years “San Junipero” was a good entry point for the series, and while it may be tonally lighter than the rest of the show, it certainly got me curious about the rest of the anthology. I fully admit that even though this was a love story that only clocked in at an hour running time, I got more fully invested with these characters than I did with most leads in straight rom-coms. Perhaps that’s because the story was anchored by a transcendent love story and powerful performances from Davis and Mbatha-Raw. But it really felt great to have a show have a succinct, queer love story with a happy ending, a bitchin' nostalgic soundtrack, and a fully realized bi character — all in just under an hour.
May it be one of many affirming bi love stories — within and without the science-fiction genre.
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