“San Junipero” is one of the most iconic ‘Black Mirror‘ episodes to date with fans and critics loving everything about it. However, series creator Charlie Brooker has shared that the original concept was vastly different from what ended up being released. Not only that, but he also has shared that HBO’s ‘Westworld’ is to blame as to why the episode had ended up being completely rewritten. Fans are likely thankful for this change as the episode was one of the best that the show has had to offer.
For those who are wondering what the darker take on the concept originally was and why it was changed due to ‘Westworld’ you can read on from what Brooker had to share about it from the book ‘Inside Black Mirror’:
“I’d been obsessed with doing a story about the afterlife. I wanted to do a sort of supernatural story and was thinking of spooky, creepy story ideas. So, weirdly, ‘San Junipero’ had started in a sort of horror-movie world.
Something else that we’d discussed was a way of expanding the world of [season 2 episode] ‘Be Right Back.’ We couldn’t do this now because of Westworld, but we had the idea of a theme park you went to that was essentially Heaven.
All your dead relatives and friends would be there, and you’d pay to go and visit them. So that thought stayed around for a while – this notion of Heaven that you go to as a holiday.”
That would have given the entire plot a completely different feel and direction from what we ended up seeing on ‘Black Mirror.’ Producer Annabel Jones also added:
“We always have a scientific explanation for things, even if it’s bollocks! We introduced the idea of digital consciousness in ‘White Christmas,’ but hadn’t really explored the moral or emotional implications. There was so much untapped potential.”
I’m glad that they did see the potential and found a way to expand upon it. While I like the idea of a ‘Westworld’-themed episode of ‘Black Mirror,’ it is hard to argue that things didn’t work out for the best.
Do you love ‘San Junipero’ just the way it was? Would you be interested in seeing the original concept which strayed a little too close to ‘Westworld’? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Source: Digital Spy
