| "Striking Vipers" | |
|---|---|
| Black Mirror episode | |
 | |
| Episode no. | Series 5 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Owen Harris |
| Written by | Charlie Brooker |
| Original air date | 5 June 2019 |
| Running time | 61 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Striking Vipers" is the first episode of the fifth series of the anthology series Black Mirror. It was written by series creator Charlie Brooker and directed by Owen Harris. The episode was released on Netflix, along with the rest of series five, on 5 June 2019.
The episode follows two old friends, Danny Parker (Anthony Mackie) and Karl Houghton (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), reconnecting over a virtual reality fighting game. They begin having virtual sex in the game, which affects Danny's marriage with Theo (Nicole Beharie). The episode has an all-black main cast and was filmed in Brazil. Its storyline arose from an idea about a workplace affair in virtual reality where neither co-worker knew the other's identity.
Critics identified fluidity of sexuality and gender, infidelity, love and friendship as major themes; the episode raises questions about whether Danny and Karl are gay and whether their relationship is infidelity. Reviewers were divided over whether it addressed these themes in an interesting way, and some found it inferior to series three's "San Junipero", which also shows a queer relationship in virtual reality. The acting and directing was mostly praised, though some critics found the characterisation lacking.