San Junipero, the triumphant surprise of Black Mirror‘s huge third season, was a big bloody shock for one simple reason: it didn’t end with a soul-shucking twist. Quite the opposite, really.
Instead of another disheartening / dystopic / depressing look at modern society through the lens of technology, creator Charlie Brooker decided to give the episode’s main characters a blessed break. Spoilers ahoy, but he saw it fit for the deceased Yorkie (Mackenzie Davis) and aging Kelly (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) to exist in perpetuity within a sun-kissed artificial reality.
Here’s a reminder of that stirringly beaut finale:
Now, Brooker has revealed that he and executive producer Annabel Jones are pondering a return to the California seaside for the show’s fourth season. That’s yet another blessed surprise for viewers pummelled by doom and digital gloom espoused by the rest of the show.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Brooker said they’ve contemplated a return to the land of eternal sunshine, but that potential visit may not take the form of a regular episode.
“I think we almost might do it in a completely different form if we were doing a straight sequel, if that makes sense,” Brooker said, adding it could even take the form of “an experience.”
Jones suggested San Junipero’s AR realm could be crafted “for real”, to which Brooker said they’d choose to explore the story beyond Yorkie and Kelly.
“That felt like such a story and we wouldn’t want to open it up again,” Brooker said.
Speaking about the leeway San Junipero lent the series, Jones mused the episode was an “experiment in whether we can keep that sensibility and have an upbeat ending, so it sort of increases the scope.”
Judging by the critical and fan response to the episode, it was a successful experiment indeed. Keep your eyes peeled for more of heaven on Earth, and read the full chat HERE.
