Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut

Episode 11

On April 12th, 1961, in our world, the Soviet Union's Yuri Gagarin became the first person to successfully launch into outer space and orbit the earth. On April 12th, 1961 in the world of Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut, the Zirnitra Union's Lev Leps became the second person to achieve such a feat in his universe, but was recognized as the first. History, as it so often goes, is written by the winners, but in the world of propaganda, even those winners regularly find the need to rewrite how they won. This successful space mission we watch Lev achieve was his dream, something he and Irina had worked together towards. But in the moment, with the circumstances surrounding it we're aware of, and getting a glimpse of what comes next for everyone, the show successfully rings it in as the complicated, bittersweet event it can only be at this moment in its fictionalized history.

Probably the biggest surprise in Vampire Cosmonaut's depiction of the momentous mission is in how it allows the technicality of everything to proceed without anything actually going wrong. There's an early health scare for the Chief, but even he's recovered off-camera by the time the blast-off actually happens, and Lev manages to resist the intensity of the launch to avoid disconnecting or passing out temporarily the way Irina did in her run. All the previous possibilities of things that could go wrong that were foreshadowed end up passing by to palpable relief on the part of both the characters and the viewers. There's no sabotage or mechanical failure induced in the mission. Mikhail genuinely gets over his jealousy at Lev's selection and makes no efforts to undermine him at the last minute. The most major sidetrack to the whole affair ends up being Lev needing to stop and take a leak beforehand, an amusing acknowledgement of the kinds of minor oddities that must crop up when a human element is made so integral to something with the complexities of space travel.

No, despite the fact that the fictionalized context of this partially-historical drama means that Vampire Cosmonaut could exploit mechanical uncertainty for effect if it wanted to, the hard parts are instead all internal to the people involved. That focus lets the show hone in on the fast-moving intensity of the situation that drives up the emotions. Lev quickly realizes that Irina wasn't being truthful with him about her ultimate role and destination within the organization, but also understands that he won't be able to do anything for her unless he's able to go into space and come back alive. His inspiration to try to pay her the same kind of acknowledgement she did for him on her trip is one that makes sense from his point of view, as he remembers and expresses her descriptions of space hoping that Irina will hear that and understand who he's specifically talking to.

But Vampire Cosmonaut, absent the complexities of any mechanical sabotage and undermining, opts to recognize that everyone's viewpoints of events are going to be different. Having Irina initially react with heartbroken frustration at hearing Lev use her words while broadcasting from space can be seen as something of a bold choice. After all, her initial call-out to him was shown to be a unifying, personal moment in the secret triumph of her test-flight. Irina's reaction here then, more than any of the other environmental framing, drives home the difference in context with this case: Citizens of the Union are celebrating in the street, calling Lev's name in triumph, interpreting the words of Irina he's broadcasting as his will for the sake of them. It's crushingly unfair to someone like Irina, who's not only been denied the chance to stand in the metaphorical light of the victory she was instrumental in accomplishing, but her vampire condition means she can't even stand in the literal sunlight with everyone else basking in the warmth of her beloved's latest accomplishment. Things like the music and procedural presentation of Vampire Cosmonaut have always articulated effected dissonance for much of its content, but it takes things to a whole new level with its depiction of this moment: A genuine human triumph being earnestly celebrated by people, with the music rolling on and the crowd cheering in Lev's name, while Anya holds Irina in the dark and comforts her as she sobs.

Vampire Cosmonaut's experienced implementation of dry irony continues on afterwards to set up the kind of storytelling that will presumably take us to the finale of this season. The fact is, after the success of his flight, Lev has arguably had his humanity as revoked as Irina's was before. He's a public figure now, a prop for an apparently-brewing revolution, and he can scarcely choose where to go and what to do in his life in the near future. There's a lingering question of the selection of Lev as the test pilot in the first place. We already know from backstory exposition that the guy is willing to aggressively stand up against authority if he genuinely believes them to be in the wrong, so was Halrova's choosing of him seemingly based on his willingness to go with the commanding flow misguided? Likely we'll find out next week, but for now the tension is rooted in both us and Lev wondering what the ultimate goal here even is. It's more than he could stand even apart from trying to get to see Irina again. But the show also trusts us to know that we didn't come all this way for nothing. Anya's still the MVP of motivating this relationship (I love the way she activates at the very end of this episode here) and she makes the point: "Giving up doesn't suit the person who opened up the path to space". Irina and Lev were able to successfully orbit the earth because of each other. Personhood and agency isn't assigned purely by a military or government body to propagandize its own achievements, and for all the complicated emotional despairings the successes of this episode are based on, they leave us believing that the pair can still hold onto hope for one another.

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Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut is currently streaming on Funimation.

Chris is a freelance writer who appreciates anime, action figures, and additional ancillary artistry. He can be found staying up way too late posting screencaps on his Twitter.