“We started out at one point talking about how evolution involves creating ever greater circles of empathy: You belong to your family, then you belong to your tribe, then two tribes link up and now you have empathy for your people on this side of the river… on and on through villages, cities, states and nations… So what if a more literal form of empathy could be triggered in eight individuals around the planet…” J. Michael Straczynski, co-creator, Sense8.
The new Netflix series Sense8, from The Wachowskis and J. Michael Straczynski, tells the story of eight people who gradually realize that they’re part of a psychic “cluster.” Once the sensates discover their collective powers, they’re able to physically visit each other during moments of contemplation, revelation, or threat.
Each of the main characters in Sense8 lives within a culture that oppresses them in some way, challenges their integrity, shapes the options for their own survival and those they care for. Some of the eight are powerful, some are vulnerable, but all the characters have a realistic, sensitive dimension to them which keeps the increasingly bizarre narrative in check.
There’s a strong LGBT presence in the series, with some wonderfully erotic and honest sex scenes. It’s especially gratifying to see the siblings create a trans heroine, after Larry Wachowski announced her transition into Lana in 2012.
What makes the series most extraordinary for me is its representation of international cultures that aren’t normally portrayed in western media. Events take place in Nairobi, Berlin, Seoul, Mumbai, San Francisco, London, Mexico City, Chicago, with one truly heartbreaking episode atop a frozen Icelandic peak. 
One defining feature of the Wachowskis’ cinema (The Matrix trilogy, V For Vendetta, Jupiter Ascending) is their over-the-top violence mixed with an enigmatic spiritual, political and global sensibility. Their features are often mashups of cinematic tropes, and reference elements from anime, Hong Kong action films, Bollywood, sci-fi, and graphic novels.
The style of the show is its greatest asset. Sequences develop rhythmically, time slows into lush, dynamic moments, then someone pulls out a grenade launcher and the mood changes drastically. It’s hard to know how seriously to take something so ridiculous, but there’s a good sense of humor on display and at times a sensitive understanding of the struggles of people around the globe.
Sense8 portrays a beautiful planet of vibrant and disparate cultures, amazing cities and civilizations, spoiled by constant threats of violence, animus and tribalism. Gang threats are a recurring theme, with each character either intentionally or unwittingly encountering assassins of some sort. Very few of the characters have in-tact families, and relatives are also murdering each other. Even Shakespeare gets a reference in the Wachowskis’ blender-cinema.
Like Star Wars, the filmmakers’ love affair with violence and carnage is at odds with what seems to be a more conscientious message about our mutual connections and spiritual evolution. In Cloud Atlas, it seemed as if The Wachowskis were undergoing an evolution of their own, into more complex and mature filmmakers. Sense8 is a logical next step in that evolution, focusing mostly on character drama occasionally punctuated by bloodshed.
The majority of the series has serious undertones about our connections as humans, focusing mostly on the interaction of characters and their emotional lives. There are moments of intense heartbreak, celebratory joy, and compassionate, complex character development along with the martial arts and exploding brains.
Each of the eight sensates lives with some kind of violence or death that they’ve internalized, shaping their choices and behaviors. Many of the central characters are migrants, and their place as outsiders defines much about their lives. They’re thoughtful and well-defined personalities, and I suspect we’ll continue to learn startling facts about their pasts as the series continues.
I just started watching- only three episodes in…. It is an emotional rollercoaster for sure. Love it!
Great description! Have only treated myself to part of the first episode. Trying to wrap my head around Daryl Hannah’s character as pivotal to the unfolding events for the series. I hope the Wachowski sibs can maintain the velocity and intrigue with this venture, as they’ve done before with others. Five seasons signed on?! Wow! Looking forward to batch-watching every one!
What a great review. I actually caught episode 1 last night by the recommendation of this blog and found it equally fascinating. Thanks for sharing.
I just finished episode 12, like 20 minutes ago! UH…d a n g!!! This review is spot-on. I love the development each character goes thru. So deep and heart warming/breaking! The following seasons should be one hell of a roller coaster..
Have become hooked on Sense8. Not giving anything away because you’ve got to see it from the beginning to understand what is going on. But have to say one thing: When you get to the place where you get involved with the picture at the top of this review, hold on to your socks. It’s probably every human being’s most fantasized situation . . . And, Man, DOES IT EVER FUCKIN’ DELIVER. Read one comment from elsewhere on the internet: “It makes me want to become bi.” I just had to reply, “It just makes me want to be more human.”