First, thank you, Thank you. Welcome to podcast joint host Hoho as he discusses the rinting Netflix original series Black Mirror. Now Here, he is thank you for broadcasting from the Cottage Studio. Welcome to Black Mirror Podcast. As always, I'm your host, ho Ho. Hey, y'all's doing it. I hope you're doing good. I really do. Today we are revisiting season five, episode one, titled Striking Vibers. Oh yeah, Now look,
first things first and second, say things second. We're gonna go ahead and get this right out of the way immediately, all right, So warning spoiler alert. We are we're going to be talking about the episodes, So if you have yet to see it, I highly recommend check it out. Even even if you've watched it before, watch it again. It's worth it. Boy howdy is it ever excellent episode. It's definitely one of them episodes that if you allow yourself to just kind of dive into it. Who man,
is one of them episodes? Boy howdy is it ever? Second? Thing, second, this episode is not for children, like, not even close, not even at all. I'm assuming you've watched the episode so you know it's it's not it's it's it's not made for kids. Okay, it's not. It's not made for children at all. So definitely, you know, listen to the episode, screen it before you allow the children to partake, you know, be the judge on that one. You know, I'm
going to keep the language as you know, PC as I can. Okay, But that's not the problem. The problem is just the subject matter in general. Okay. What we're going to be talking about is just not for kids, man, I'm telling you. I mean, come on, you've you've seen you've seen the episode. This is not for kids, you know, not even a little bit. I'm not going to lie now. Yeah. Yeah, it's just it's just not for kids. Okay. Now here's another thing too, Okay. I don't get political on this show, like
at all. You know, don't really do politics. And with the exception of talking about you know, more or less the eternal Soul on some episodes, like with San Junipero, when it is relevant because it comes up in the episode itself. I don't do religion either. That being said, I'm not talking and either one of those okay, not talking politics, not talking religion. But it's still an aspect of exploring the psyche. I guess you can say, you know, and it is going to be a topic that
has been politicized, but I'm not taking it political. Okay, you'll you'll understand. You'll understand. So let's just go ahead and I guess get into the episode. All right, this is an awesome episode, it really is. Okay, now, okay, So Striking Vipers is a next level video game, all right, very reminiscent of oh, let's say, like Mortal
Kombat. Okay, that's really what it reminds me of. I mean, you can even say a little bit of you know, like street Fighter, but the direction that the kind of take it in with, you know, the game graphics and whatnot. To me, it reminds me more of you know, uh, Mortal Kombat. I mean that's just to me. I guess character wise, you can you can really say street Fighter, but I mean it's just like the graphics wise, you know, the the fight,
the you know, the whatnot. I mean it's kind of reminiscent of you know, either way you look at it, all right, input your game, street Fighter, Mortal Kombat. You know, really it doesn't matter either way. It's it's very reminiscent of that now, the the game company, and I wondered about this, you know, not that well before I was watching the episode, and I was curious about something because I was really trying to see you know, the U you know, the the company that made
the game. You know, I was looking for that somewhere because what I was curious about. Now, do y'all's remember back to um, I'm what to say? It was season three. Let me let me scroll back to yes season three, episode two titled Playtest you know, where the guy whom is in a foreign country, he's you know, discovering himself what have you,
goes broke. I don't remember the particulars on that one, but he ends up going to a you know, a tech company where they are demoing games, and he is testing a game and he ends up dying because of it. And my question is because it's it kind of reminds me at least in some way, shape or form of that one. So I was kind of wondering if in this episode, since we have found out from the Black Museum that this is all taking place in the same you know universe, so
to speak, the Black Mirror universe. So it made me wonder if in fact, this is the same company, you know, the developers, the game developers from play test if that is the same people who did Striking Viper. So let's get into this though, because you know, like I said, I mean, this is you know, gaming at a whole new level. It really is. You know, it's not virtual reality, it's not
augmented reality. You know, if this is a lot like Uss Calister, where you put on that little doo hickey like right there on your temple and you are completely immersed into the game, you know, that uplink between your mind and the computer itself. Absolutely amazing gameplay to a whole another level. And why that's important is because in this game, you know, you're not you, okay, you are the character that you're playing, right, And one of the first days that we find out in this is that it is
completely immersive. Okay, all of your physical sensations translate from your digital game gamers self. You feel it, you know, like it's really going on. You know that sensory reception, receptors, whatever you want to say, it's it's there. You know, like WHOA totally totally cool And I thought, like, dude, next generation gameplay. So first things first before we get any further. I mean, dude, wouldn't this just be the way to go? Okay? I mean, wow, I've done some you know
video games, you know, with with VR. Okay, different games where you are you know, like like like Jump Scared type of stuff. Tell me, can you imagine playing some of those games, you know, like a horror game in like, you know, with this type of technology, wouldn't that be absolutely Like, dude, you want to talk about some next level gaming, you know, take it up a notch. You know. Let's say you're you know, like Call of Duty, you know, something
like that. Let's take it a different direction. Okay, I've got a you know, flight simulator, you know, doing that kind of stuff to where you are actually flying as you would be an airplane. Anything, any type of situation, combat situation, you know, hauling rubble, rubber dog, turns out of Tokyo or whatever the heck he says in Top Gun I don't remember, you know, but wouldn't that just be awesome? I mean, can you imagine? I mean, do you want to talk about getting
lost in a game? I mean, you know, I think that playing Assassin's Creed sometimes, like like dude, I've I've lost you know me, okay me, I'm I'm a d D. Guys, I ain't gonna lie to tell you. I'm a d D. All right, um diagnosed whenever I was in junior high. I am not medicated on it whatsoever. I just try my absolute best to deal with it and function as close to a normal adult as I possibly can. Sometimes I fail, sometimes I succeed. You know. That's just one of them things, you know. I'm follow
the dopamine. That's what we do, you know, add that's what we do. We follow the dopamine, you know. And I've lost time. I was I'm spending the night over buddies house one night, and I was playing, Oh what game was this? Im portal actually on the on the Xbox. Awesome game, you know, very very fun. It's a puzzle game. I couldn't tell you what time I started playing this game, but I M hyper hyper focus. I beat the game in a single sitting one
night. Thank god. It's not a a terribly hard game and doesn't take a terribly long time to play, because it was probably every bit of six hours that I sat there, if not just a little bit more playing that game trying to get it through it is like, you know, take that and to put it into you know, Assassin's screen, call a Duty, you know, Skyrim, you know, name your game that you would want that total immersive experience, and just do you want to talk about losing time,
losing hours, losing days? Man? I mean, I couldn't even imagine, you know. I mean, you'd have to have something on here to be like, dude, look, you've been in this thing for you know, three hours. You just got to you gotta take a break, you know. And you would hope that they would fill that kind of stuff in there, wasn't you. I mean I would I'd hope that they would definitely throw at least some kind of safeguards in there to keep people from just
going nuts, you know. I mean you'd have to have that, you know. But this sucker takes it, you know, this episode takes it there. But different, okay, different, all right, So let's let's set the stage a little bit. All right. You got a couple of friends. You know, they've been friends from what it looks like for quite a while. You know, friends in high school, friends in college,
whatever the case may be. They are friends okay, and they you know, one of the things that they have is friends is playing this game Strike Striking Vipers. That's what they do. They beat the crap out of each other in this game. And each one of them has a favorite character, you know, a character that they use and they are great at this character. And I understand that, dude, because I've got you know, I've played several Mortal Kombats, you know, throughout the years. One of them.
You know, there's a few characters that I just I got down. You know that you ain't. You ain't beating me, you know, and primarily too. You know. It's like if I got one, if if you can beat me with this one, you ain't beating me with the other one. If you can beat me with that one, you ain't beating me with the first, you know, one or the other I got you. I've got two characters, you know, two two guys that I've just completely
mastered. You ain't beating me. Now, you might be able to beat me, but with the people that I've played with, and and you know, just you ain't beating me. You know, I don't do that whole online thing. I ain't got enough for that crap. You know, them kids could wipe the floor with me. And that's just all theres too. You know, I'm good. I ain't that good. I'm just just throwing that out there, you know. But that's what they have. That's what
these two friends have is this game striking vipers. And then it goes to you know, you got the main guy and his you know, his wife. They've got a kid and you know they're working on having another kid. And you know it's it's you've got, you know, one guy that's kind of living the playboy life, and you've got another guy that's, you know, living the married life. You know, things didn't quite pan out quite the way he wanted it too, got a little bit of regrets going on.
Nothing real major. I mean it's not you know, life changing stuff. It's just you know, he's wanting a little something something, you know, nothing major. He just wanting a little something something, you know, something too. A firm whom he is, I guess I don't know. I mean I'm not explaining that one very good. So they get into this game. You know, well, okay, the playboy, you know,
the guy that's just living life, you know, stayed single. This whole entire time, well not stayed singing the whole entire time, but you know, it is single now, kids know nothing. And he gets his buddy that's married with a kid and and wife wanting to have another one. He gets him this game Striking Vipers X, I think is what it's called. I don't know, but it's the it's the it's it's the Mad Cow edition. Is the addition that that that the total immersive game play. It's that
version gets him that goes into the game. They're fighting around, they're duking it out, they're having fun. They got their characters they're utilizing him. One guy is a guy. The other guy is this hot Chinese chick. Now you know both of them. You know, they they're pretty good looking. I just ain't gonna ain't gonna lie. You know, both of them are I think their Asian. Yeah, I think they ain't their Asian, both of them. You know. So now this is this is where it
gets a little weird. You know. After round two, Um, well, they kind of take it from fighting to uh fighting, if you know what I mean, you know, not not to that kind of fighting. They take it to the other kind of fighting, you know, the kind of fighting that adults do in the privacy of their own bedroom. You know,
that's the kind of fighting they start doing. And it's like weird because you got, you know, one guy and then another guy, and neither one of them or of the homosexual persuasion, neither one of them are but in this game, they're exploring their options. Yeah, and this goes on, this goes on, and then you know, as as some of these things end up happening, and you know it, it uh, it becomes addictive and it starts interfering. You know, the married gayfer what the heck
is his name? Let me let me scroll on down to it, because you know, one of him is Carl, you know, the friend that you know, the the no attachments, ain't gotta you know, ain't gotta. Well he's got he's got a girlfriend, but nothing serious, you know, so Carl. And then the other guy's name, what's it? What's his name? Danny? That's it, that's it. The main guy who's married, his name is Danny. Now Danny, you know he's like, you know, no, I got a wife. I need to you know,
this is too close to cheating. I can't you know this ain't this ain't right? You know, he's having a moral dilemma going on, you know, And and Carl His is more like, like, dude, it ain't you know, this is unique, this is special. You know, I want to keep doing this because ain't nothing feel right now, you know. And this is after you know, doing this for a while. And with Danny, you know, the guy who's who's married with a kid another one coming on the way, you know, with him, it's like it's
it's you know, like I said, it's interfering with his life. It's interfering with his personal life. It's interfering with his relationship with his wife. And so he's got a real dilemma going on, you know. And Carl's just like, look, it's different. Why you letting us interfere. Shouldn't be letting us interfere. But because he's having such a weird experience with this, you know, Danny is like, dude, we can't be doing this.
So next thing, you know, they get into a fight. After the next year, okay, they have like was that like seven months maybe it was eleven months now, it was like seven months maybe between the last time they game played to Danny's next birthday and they have a knockout, drag out type of thing, you know, and it's like Carl says something to Danny that Carl probably shouldn't have said, you know, the whole I love you. And so Danny's like, all right, look, we got to
figure this out. Is this a U and me thing? Or is this a game play thing? Neither one of us is going to be able to sleep at night if we don't figure out what the heck's going on between the two of us. We gotta know, you know. So so they go to a dark alley in the middle of the night and they they they check, you know, they figure it out. Is this a you and me thing? Or is this a game play thing? Come to find out, it's a gameplay thing. But Carl doesn't want to let go of it.
Carl wants to continue to do it, and Danny really, you know, at this point, he sees the damage that is doing to his wife. He sees the damage is doing in that relationship, and he feels bad because he's going behind his wife's back to do this. He don't like it. Knocked down and drag out fight. The wife goes to bail out Danny, what's going on? You best tell me, and you best tell me now. So apparently Danny spills the beans. We don't actually see that, but
it's one of the things that is strongly implied. And then on, you know, a year later after that, they have tried and successfully had a second child, and it's it's Danny's birthday again, and instead of any extravagant gift, they exchange a small package. Danny gets his wife a small package. Danny's wife gets gives him a small package. And Danny's package that he got from his wife was the video game Striking Vipers. He come to find out that, you know, Danny and Carl both have that date, June
fourteenth, I think is what it was marked off on their calendar. That is their day or their night, I guess I should say. And then you see that Danny's wife's gift was basically an empty box. She put her wedding ring in it, and then she goes out to the bar to meet some strangers. She gets a hall pass, if you will. Interesting. Interesting, Now here's the thing. Okay, now look look, look loquick now we're going to get into some some stuff with this one. All right,
We're going to get into some stuff. Now. Look, all right, Normally I try to keep these episodes around thirty minutes. I ain't gonna guarantee nothing on this one because we got we still got some stuff to cover. This is where this is getting interesting, because we're getting into some psychological stuff with it. Okay, we're getting into a little bit more with this one. Okay, we're diving a little bit different of a direction than what than what I usually go with this. Okay, Now, look, I'm
secure in my manhood, you know my sexuality. I'm secure. I know who I am. I know what I want. I know. It's not a question, it's an answer. I know, I know where, I know where I stand on things. Okay, but let me tell you something that this now, hmm, this would be hard. I ain't gonna lie this. This would be hard because this isn't about just two people. This is about to avatars, right, you know, I mean it's not you physically, you know. I mean, yeah, you're getting all the physical
sensation of what's going on, but it's not your body. Okay. Okay, Now, look, buddy of mine and me, we went to you know, the one of the local Chinese restaurants in our hometown called QQ China. Amazing place. I love it. It's under different ownership right now. They do a fantastic job too, don't get me wrong. But you know we we were a QQ China all right, and at the end of our meal, we got the you know, the customary fortune cookie. All right. He opened up his, I opened up mine, and I'll be a
son of a gun. We got the same stink and fortune, all right, same fortune in our fortune cookie, not different. It was the same one. Now, y'alls have seen Freaky Friday, right, I not only have seen the you know, the remake with Lindsay lohand and oh what's her name, Jamie Lee Curtis, I've seen the original. Okay, good show, good movie, awesome movie. So I'm over at another buddy's house, and this is like two o'clock in the morning, right, two o'clock in
the morning. Maybe it was three, I don't remember. It was late or it was early, however the case may be. Whichever way you want to look at it. It was and I was talking with him, and you know, that movie popped into my head with talking to them about you know, us getting the same fortune now that that other guy that I was with was was Brandon hosted the Machine radio show, co owner of Weaponized Law Productions. Y'alls know who he is. I've talked about and before. Brandon
is the one that was with me. So I called him. You know, I'm talking and I'm like, you know, I'll talk with my other buddy, and I'm like, you know, I couldn't, you know, so freaky Friday. You know, our consciousness switches bodies. I couldn't do nothing with his wife. I just I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it. You know. It's like that's just not isn't This is not going to happen, you know. But however, you know, I you know, a little um self exploration. You know, we're going to go where
no man has gone before. You know. I was like, well, I'm not against that that prospect, you know, that's that's not I can do that, all right, you know. But but then I was like, wait a second. You know, that's that's that's not my equipment. You know that that's like borrowing another man's tools. You just don't do that in some cases. And I was kind of curious if this was one of
them cases. I mean, granted, you know, I'm the one with the sensory reception perception going on, you know, but is that you know, I don't know is this acceptable? So I called him up two three o'clock in the morning. I'm like hey. He goes, hey, I woke him up. I'm like, hey, I got I got an important questioned to ask you, and you know this, this can't wait. He goes, Okay, what's what's up? You know, welcome up a little bit. I go, okay, now, uh we went to QQ you
know yesterday. He's like a huh, we got the same fortune cookies. I'm following you, freaky Friday. You have my attention. And I go I couldn't do nothing with your wife, but self exploration? Is that? Is that acceptable? He goes, oh, heck yeah, I'll be beating yours like an obi money. I'm like, all right, cool. We hung up. We were on the same page. Okay, cool. You know, same type of thing goes here, you know, And I mean
think about this. It's like, you know, all the exploration you can have, you know, without the actual body aspect of it, you know, and with Carl's experience, this is this is the part that I got it. I got admit, this is the part that was like I wonder, you know, because all right, think about this, think about this. There was a movie I watched a while back ago. I couldn't tell
you what it was. I couldn't really tell you much of anything about it other than the fact was, you know, one of the things was and I know they actually explored this in Black Museum. You know, the guy that with the you know, getting the emotion and the physical contact from that implant that he had, you know that that was put in his head, you know, get getting that thing from it, all right, And he
used it in the bedroom in an intimacy, all right. He used it in the bedroom intimacy, getting the sensation not just from him and what he was feeling, but from her and what she was feeling at the same time. Now, the movie that I've seen took this in a very weird, morbid and dark place because this was a serial killer that you know, was was doing this, and um, well you can use your imagination. Okay, it was a bad deal, but it's still an aspect of it.
Gets thinking. You know, now this is where I'm getting into the the I mean, we we've gone right beyond you know, normal, this strange stuff, all right, I'm just just just strange stuff. But you know, here's the thing now, this is where I'm not bringing politics into it. This is a psychological type of a thing. This is a exploration kind of thing. Okay, this is where this gets interesting. So think about
it. Gender dysphoria, you follow me, Are you really trapped in the wrong body, whether it be a male trapped in a woman's body or vice versa, you know, whichever the case may be, this would be a means by which to explore your sexuality in one body or another and not have to worry about the physical damage and doing gender reassignment surgery. Is this a real thing or is this just a phase? You could answer that type of
a question safely without having an irreversible surgery. Beyond that, just a curiosity that a woman may have, wanting to feel what a man experiences and vicey verse. I mean that right there is just like, huh, have you ever wondered? You know, now, Carl, is like, I've never felt anything like this at all. It feels more, it feels different, It's unbelievable. Huh. Could huh and just you hm, dangerous, dangerous. I mean, like, you know, talk about getting lost in something.
You know, talk man, talk about getting lost and something. And that was a problem that Carl had. You know, Carl got lost in this. It became you know what he focused on. He couldn't think about nothing else. I mean, dude, whoa this episode? I'm telling you, this is one of them episodes. Like like dude, like I said, man, I know, I know who I am, I know what I want. But that type of a thing, well, that'd be interesting. I don't I don't know how I would do on trying to not just
explore period, you know. I mean, like, dude, morality aside, okay, that's that's the thing, you know. And and morality aside on this, okay, just the sheer joy of exploration, whatever that looks like to you. That's just her morality aside, religion aside of me. Because because mind you, this is this is video game stuff. I'm like, we've all played, you know, Mortal Kombat, We've all played Call of Duty, We've all played you know, uh, Grand Theft Auto.
I mean we've done stuff in that video game that you would never do in real life. You know, sant Andreas. You know you're going to the cop shop the shower room and get the double headed purple dildo and to start beating hookers with it. I mean, come on, it doesn't get any funner than that. But you ain't gonna do that in real life. Just
saying you ain't gonna you ain't gonna do that in real life. I'm just saying, you know, being able to express yourself in a controlled, safe environment, express yourself, explore you your sexuality, your you know, your creativity, you know, artistic whatever. I mean, like, just imagine the things that you can do it just whoa different you know, professions,
jobs, whatever, in the safety of your home. Still being able to experiencing it as though you're still there, and you know, a next level kind of a thing because you don't even have to be you when you're doing it. Holy cow, that's awesome. Are you kidding me? I can climb mouth to ever, so I can do it in Arnos Schwarzenegger's body whenever he was young and in charge, or you know, just whomever. Pick your celebrity, you know, I mean, dude, are you kidding me?
That'd be amazing, that'd be so cool, dude. Okay, you're interesting show. I mean, I'm telling you all right. So here's the questions. All right, here's my questions that I got to you. Here we go. You're ready, You're ready. Think about your favorite a video game, okay, and then bring that into the gameplay of Striking Vipers. You know, what would that game be? What would that gameplay be? You know, whether we're talking Mortal combat, whether we're talking a simulation type
of a game, name it be it, maybe we're talking movies. Who knows? Just did possibilities? Is that something that you think you would enjoy doing. Do you think you would have fun with it? Would you be able to put morality aside and explore whatever the game would have to offer? Do you think that would be something you could do. I'm like me, I mean, in all honesty, you know I would. I would love to say that. Oh yeah, I could absolutely do that, But like
you know, I gotta I gotta admit something. I don't know if I could. I'm just not that kind of guy, you know. I mean, it would be difficult. I'd have a hard time with it, but I don't I don't know if i'd be able to just let go? You know, would would that be something you'd be able to do? How much coach would it take for you to be able to do that? I'm like it took Danny a little bit of coaching. You know. Carl wasn't just able to jump right in there and and do a little something something. No,
it took a little bit. Would you be able to jump into it or not? Would you just be able to dive right into it and just, you know, let whatever happened happened. How do you think you'd handle that? Because I don't know, man, I gotta be honest, I don't know, you know, I just I don't know. I don't know. Morality aside, Oh, it'd be fun. I mean it would be it'd be fun, no restriction, no regret. I don't know. That's a hard one, man, I mean that's a hard one. I don't
know. Would that be something you think you'd be able to do? Let me know if you are over on Spriaker, let me know in the comments, because I am curious. I want to know how you feel about this technology. I want to know how you feel about this type of gameplay. Do you think you'd be able to cut loose. Do you think you can do it? What would be your ideal game? That's what I want to know. Your game, your scenario, what I mean, you know,
just whatever you know, let me you know. I mean, are you doing some type of you know, an elder scroll or an Assassin's creed? Dude, Assassin's creed. That would be so much fun. Oh dude, that would be fun. Anyway, you know, let me know if you're over there on spriaker, let me know, if you're over there on YouTube, let me know if you are on some of the other myriad podcast locations.
If you're over on Spotify or iHeartRadio or Google Podcast, Apple Podcast, if you're on any one of those locations, head on over to the show dot com. Get go, scroll on down to the homepage that contact me session let me know there. Of course, you can also email me ho Ho at the ho Ho show dot com and let me know because now I'm curious. I want to know. Huh. That's all I got for you guys today. Next episode, Now, no man, should I do Rachel,
Jack and Ashley two? Because I really was a good episode, it really was. But I'm also really excited to get into season six. I really am. That's five episodes. You know, I'm gonna go ahead and do it. I'm gonna ahead and do it. We are going to go ahead and do Rachel, Jack and Ashley two on the next episode that is season five, episode three, and then after that we're going into season six. Man. I'm excited because I not watched any of the episodes yet.
I am waiting because I want to finish this revisited before I get into it. All right, guys, that's all I got. Y'alls have yourself a great one and I will see you next time. Thank you for listening to the Black Mirror podcast. If you would like to join the conversation, you can comment on this episode a sprinker dot com or go to the hohoshow dot com, forward, slash form and the discussion board for this se