
If given the chance to live forever, would you? What if you were trapped within a virtual reality in a computer? In this riveting episode of “Black Mirror”, the historical and cultural connections that relate to the reinvented time period of the 1980s, integrate a new controversial technological advance that has changed the face of the afterlife. The introduction of technology has shaped how the various character interact and live their lives and how modern technology is literally entrapping us forever.  Within this time episode, the moral worth of love is challenged by the creation of a new afterlife, San Junipero. San Junipero is a virtual “Heaven on Earth,” a vision of technology’s future and a representation of the controversial divide and interaction between modern sexuality, religion and technology during this time period. 

 This episode focuses on two women, Kelly and Yorkie, who have various life experiences but end up having similar internal debates over making the transition to the afterlife of San Junipero. San Junipero is a computer-created afterlife where elderly people can upload their consciousness to — for five hours a week while they’re still alive, and permanently after death. Kelly has outlived her husband and has had battled cancer prognoses but her death is undetermined. Kelly and her husband were married for 49 years when he passed away and refused to upload his consciousness to Junipero. Like many, her husband believed that death was a vital part of life and afterlife should not be predefined. The religious aspects of afterlife reveal that “continued existence often takes place in a spiritual realm, and in other popular views, the individual may be reborn into this world and begin the life cycle over again, likely with no memory of what they have done in the past.” The afterlife can take place in reincarnation, limbo, purgatory, heaven or hell and in this episode, within the realm of Junipero.  A well known western, Christian religious view of afterlife states  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) The view that Jesus Christ will have eternal life, or not move on to Heaven because of his past sins shows the various portrayals of afterlife in religion and specifically within the Bible in reference to Jesus Christ. 

Yorkie has determined her death will come after she finally marries her fiancé and he signs the papers to allow her to “pass over,” to cease living and become a permanent resident of San Junipero. Yorkie is a quadriplegic who was in a tragic accident and has been immobile since the age of 21, which has created a miserable life narrative in which she hopes to end soon. Within this context, San Junipero has aided in the decision for Yorkie to commit assisted suicide and end her battle with her physical disability and immobility. Ethically the debate over choosing when you can die is critical in Kelly’s internal conflict of whether or not she believes in choosing this afterlife or dying naturally. 

Kelly and Yorkie meet in San Junipero and fall in love which creates more of an internal debate if Kelly wants to make the preeminent transition to this afterlife. San Junipero becomes a space for these women to experiment with their sexuality and thrive in state of romance and ironically Kelly gives Yorkie something to live for and Yorkie gives Kelly something to die for. This technological advance allows a state of heavenly living but there seems to be a nostalgia for the earlier simplification of technology.  Kelly argues that her family members died simply without the complication or option to live “blissfully” in a state of technologically suspended death which is why she feels she should do the same. 

The accepted reality of the afterlife is unseen and based on faith and on the idealist views of Heaven versus Hell. San Junipero rejects the norms associated with afterlife and introduces a virtual reality space where people can choose to euthanize and live virtually forever. This concept raises the questions of how do people choose which era to live in and why?  Is it ethical to choose when to make the transition to afterlife? How is technology hindering the future of relationships and modern “romance?” San Junipero represents the optimistic outlook on technology functioning within societies and the integration of technology into every aspect of our life, including our death. Wes proves that eternity can give way to obsession very quickly and the characters within this episode become trapped between reality and the virtual reality that they have created and experienced. Ultimately, Kelly returns to her assisted-living home, where she decides to pass over to San Junipero forever. Her grave shows that she died at age 73 but in San Junipero, however, she and Yorkie are forever in their 20s, forever in love, and forever in 1987. The creation of this virtual afterlife has created an escape for those such as Kelly and Yorkie who are looking for a way out of the real narrative that is hindering them from being together. San Junipero serves as a representation for the integration of modern technology into society and how predetermined afterlife can shape the way we function in various spaces and time periods. How many chances do you get to preview your own afterlife? So many things could wrong in that process. There could be a power outage and/or someone could hack the system. How would you choose what to do? There could be a sense of guilt when you emerge yourself into the afterlife of San Junipero. For example, Kelly’s husband chose the religious afterlife because he believed he would see his daughter who passed away some day.  Either trust your faith and know your conscious is right, or take the risk and emerge yourself into this technological afterlife.   
