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The story takes the idea of the seven-year (ish) itch and turns it on its ear by opening the door for a pair of semi-estranged college buddies, Danny and Karl, played by Mackie and Abdul-Mateen II, to engage in a sexual relationship via a hyper-advanced virtual reality fighting simulator (think Street Fighter in real life), in which the lines of identity (both personal and sexual) are blurred by the men inhabiting their respective avatars, played by Klementieff and Ludi Lin ( Power Rangers). Though ultimately not as emotionally satisfying as ‘Junipero’ or even the similarly upbeat ‘Hang the DJ,’ ‘Vipers’ is more provocative, in a way that will launch a thousand think pieces and social media conversations. That is certainly the case in ‘Striking Vipers,’ which feels of a piece with ‘San Junipero’ in its exploration of an unlikely romance between two people facilitated by a powerful, potentially all-consuming technology.
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It also frees the series from the somewhat suffocating confines of its usual tech-based morality tales, offering audiences a slightly more emotionally complex tale that aims to examine technology’s influence from a decidedly more humanistic perspective. This change-up is a welcome bit of fresh air, as Black Mirror can sometimes feel stifled by its overtly bleak, finger-wagging, technophobia. More: NOS4A2 Review: A Plodding Adaptation That Forgets The Horror While on the surface it may seem as though series creator and writer Charlie Brooker is attempting to relive past glories, the manner in which these less conventional Black Mirror episodes unfold suggests it may simply be a case of a show maturing out of its more cynical tendencies, at least for the time being. Instead, the new season is mostly comprised of lighter fare, with both ‘Striking Vipers’ and ‘Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too’ feeling conspicuously reminiscent of both the show’s recent Emmy-winning episodes.
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There’s no ‘Crocodile’ or ‘Metalhead’ or ‘Men Against Fire’ this time around. With its three offerings, ‘Smithereens,’ ‘Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too,’ and ‘Striking Vipers,’ Black Mirror season 5 is noticeably devoid of the usual dystopian story typically offered at some point in each series. 2), Miley Cyrus, Topher Grace ( The Hot Zone), Andrew Scott ( Fleabag), and more, all playing various incarnations of those influenced - positively and negatively - by technology. Season 5 opts for just three episodes directed by James Hawkes, Owen Harris, and Anne Sewitsky, respectively, but brings in plenty of recognizable faces with Anthony Mackie ( Avengers: Endgame), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II ( Aquaman), Pom Klementieff (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.
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The new season is a bit shorter than seasons 3 and 4, both of which offered six episodes with recognizable casts that came from a variety of directors, like David Slade, Joe Wright, Dan Trachtenberg and more. In the wake of the Emmy-winning ‘San Junipero’ and ‘USS Callister’ it’s no real surprise to see Black Mirror following up with lighter, marginally more hopeful installments in season 5.