Black Mirror: Striking Vipers

Black Mirror:  Striking Vipers

While I am not the biggest fan of some of the Black Mirror episodes, but this season has been very enjoyable for me.  Striking Vipers is an interesting take on modern social norms via the video game world.  It is something that we would have never dealt with in the 70s or 80s.  It is the online gaming world where we can mask ourselves into genders.   

Striking Vipers is a fun and strange episode with some good acting all around.  As an episode, it is an amazingly good-looking episode with some cool VG worlds.  It brings up gender roles and sexual preference in an interesting way and it doesn’t feel like is preaching to the watchers.  Plus, it feels believable that games will get to the point portrayed in the episode.   

-Tekken and Street Fighter:  The game Striking Vipers is clearly a cross between Tekken and Street Fighter.  It honestly looks like a true video game.  Even the live action stuff looks like a game.   

-The Falcon vs. Black Mantra (and Mantis):  Yes, the DC and Marvel universes merge.  Anthony Mackie and  Yahya Abdul-Mateen are the main actors.  Pom Klementieff is playing a Chung-Li look-a-like. She plays the Chung-Li type of character.   Again, the casting is remarkable.   

-Open relationships are okay:  The resolution to the story has a comprise between two characters and that this might be the way for certain people to save their marriages.   

Striking Vipers is an interesting episode visually and story-wise.  Covering things in a technology-based manner is very fun to watch.  In many ways, this episode involving the Star Trek clone.  This episode doesn’t try to be too preachy and tells a damn story.   Not too shabby given I geneally hate watching relationship-based stories.  

Grade: B+