Abstract

The Black Mirror episode “San Junipero” (Harris 2016) considers the possibility of technology’s triumph over human mortality. Unlike other episodes in the Black Mirror series, some critics find “San Junipero” uplifting. The executive producer Annabel Jones, however, remarks that although the ending of “San Junipero” is positively upbeat, “it’s not exactly a happy ever after. It’s more about being happy for now, and seeing how this goes” (2018: 190). Adopting Stephen Mulhall’s “film as philosophizing” thesis (2008), this chapter shows how the Black Mirror series contributes to philosophical debates over immortality and mind-uploading technology. In particular, “San Junipero” provides a thought experiment that enriches current philosophical reflection on the desirability of immortality. Inspired by other episodes in the series—namely, “White Christmas” (Tibbets 2014), “Black Museum” (McCarthy 2017), and “USS Callister” (Haynes 2017)—we use maximin decision-making to construct a dilemma against choosing immortality via mind-uploading technology. In doing so, we reveal the gloomy view of the technology implicit in the Black Mirror universe.