@sense8
After much uproar on social media, the Netflix special Sense8 has dawned the small screen again with a 2-hour special. The feature-length film production guises itself as the last episode in season 2 with the expressed purpose of adding closure to the series.
Citing low viewership on June 1, 2017, Netflix canceled the series which led to countless petitions and other digital forms of venting by fans to continue the show. The outrage sparked discourse amongst the different communities of Science Fiction, daytime TV drama, Netflix series binge-watchers and the LGBTQ to name a few. All of the combined efforts of the aforementioned groups attributed to the finale being produced by Netflix
The success of the show has been the ability to wow the audience with concepts that are new through creative filming, coupled with a dramatic and intriguing science fiction backdrop tantalizing to the senses. The directors Lana and Lilly Wachowski (Formerly The Wachowski Brothers – The Matrix Series) stand on an LGBTQ platform that allows them to speak their truth through the series as they lived through the process of becoming transgendered females.
@wonderbisexual
The name of the show plays on the word sensate which implies a feeling by one or more of the senses or to sense something in a physical way. It brings together its main characters; Capheus- A bus driver from Nairobi, Sun Bak a Chinese businesswoman and underground kickboxer, Nomi Marks a San Francisco-living transgendered hacker and activist, Kala Dandekar a pharmacist in the city of Mumbai, Riley Blue an Icelandic DJ, Wolfgang Bogdanow a German thief and professional locksmith, Lito Rodrigeuz a Mexican professional actor/superstar and Will Gorski a Chicago based Police Officer. The eight find themselves attached proverbially at the hip as they experience each other’s emotions, thoughts and physical interactions with others.
It allows the group (called a cluster) to bond in ways that they have never known another individual and brings some to even closer relationships within the cluster. The group are hunted by an organization called BPO (The Biologic Preservation Organization) spearheaded by a high-ranking individual known as “Whispers”. Whispers’ character is for the most part monotone and destructive, he continues to play mind games and physical games of torture on anyone that stands in his way.
The cluster is aided by family and friends that endow the story with a gratuitous amount of luster. The supporting casts background in relation to the main characters are very well fleshed out as the show never loses interests of the audience when anyone is on screen.
Addressing issues such as social intolerance, xenophobia, and corporate corruption are presented at the forefront of the series, and audiences are kept engaged by the compulsiveness to see more of the storyline unfold. The show does not take the tongue in cheek approach as it gets its point across shooting in controversial settings such as the Gay Pride Parade, addressing the issues of homophobia.
What draws audiences in more to the show is the multitude of locations that are used to shoot the show, which are as diverse as the characters. There are wide opening shots that introduce each new city and bridge the gap at times between changing character perspectives. The establishing shots permit audiences to travel metaphysically with the characters creating a deeper level of immersion into the storyline.
The penultimate episode of Season 2 found the protagonists (The Sense 8’s) in possession of the antagonist Whispers, who endeavors to infiltrate and dismantle the group. B.P.O has captured Wolfgang and the organization is seeking to use his connection to capture the other members of his cluster. The finale brings about various new faces and surprising older ones to bring the story full circle. When coupled with the dynamics of the new landscaping and the characters being in the same place for the first time gives one theatrical thrill after the next.
The actors are invested in their roles and have come to understand who they exemplify in these roles. In interviews post filming of the finale many of performers, (in particular Jamie Clayton that portrays Nomi) explain that their roles are not only to talk about their character’s story, but the stories of all those individuals that they represent either in part or as a whole. The actor’s commitment has hit a cord with every fan of the series and ignites the embers of others in the potential viewership demographic.
Movie Aggregate Rotten Tomatoes has rated the series at an 84 percent with the audience score weighing in at 92 percent whereas the finale has scored 92 percent with critics and 87 from audiences as of June 19.
The finale not only ties off loose ends left in place by the last episode but it brings Sense8’s ultimate message full circle, but not in a preachy way. It summates itself with the message of new beginnings in the face of harsh adversity and teaches more than tolerance but understanding to views other than those personally held.
Sense8 Series Finale receives a 5 out 5 paws.
