Maybe not 10/10 for this episode, but a definite 10/10 for this strong and empowering series. It doesn't necessarily make sense, but it makes you sense and feel a whole lot of other things.
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8
The previous review of Sense8’s new season got it right; I am in love. The second season of the Netflix drama is a work of art, something truly beautiful to behold. The humungous heart at its centre really does make you feel god about the world; it’s probably more astutely described as a playlist than a series. Just shuffle through until you find what you’re looking for, cos I promise you, whatever you want, you can find it here.
The humour kinda sorta sometimes works; it feels like Lana, Lilly and co. are not particularly working to their strengths when they go for laughs, but they are indulging themselves and their fans anyway. The actors definitely have the capacity, but the humour just doesn’t always hit the spot and feels unnatural. With such an amazing and well-scripted show, anything that is even slightly under par in the script gets noticed.
The last episode, however, mirrors the first, in that it was not the season’s peak. But, sticking with the iPod shuffle metaphor, the bangers are spread out but always present in some form or other. Every episode consistently engaged and wowed at various intervals, and the bits in between weren’t bad either.
The final episode focuses on the showdown in Seoul for Sun (Doona Bae) and her brother Joong-Ki (Ki Chan Lee), the aftermath, and a renewed threat from Mr Whispers (Terrence Mann). It was, don’t get me wrong, a great episode, but it felt a little bitty. It was pretty cool, but the fight scenes were not Sun’s or the series’ best, and after all that there was a sorta funny section, a happy bit, a sad bit, and then a bold and clever move from the sensates, all just setting up for the next season. The cliffhanger is almost too big of a cliff face to scale down in the possible two year absence between now and the next series. But if the series soars in the way it did from the jump from series 1 to series 2, maybe I’ll just sweat it out up on that ledge.
Sun, and the relationship between Wolfgang (Max Riemelt) and Kala (Tina Desai) were the focus of the last episode, and this certainly played to the series’ strengths. Sun’s amazing journey this series makes her one of the most thrilling characters to watch, while Wolfgang’s and Kala’s relationship is much more complex than a simple will they/won’t they marathon.
But let me just mention Will (Brian J. Smith) and Michael’s (Joe Pantoliano) father/son relationship. Although it didn’t feature in the final episode, their whole arc blew me away and had me blubbering like a baby, and it’s no real spoiler that in series 2 they have very limited screen time together. Kudos to Smith and Pantoliano.
Obviously there are bits that don’t quite add up, and a group of a 8 randomers that, despite having this superhuman sensate thing, were already more interesting and exciting people than most of us couch potatoes will ever be (god, imagine 8 normal people with normal lives becoming sensates and the resulting TV show- if anyone could bare to make one). But you’ve just got to embrace everything: eat up those visually scrumptious scenes, those butt-kicking action scenes, appreciate all that beautifully written dialogue, all those amazing locations, that ensemble cast, and just be happy and excited and (LGBT) proud to be human. For once.
You can stream all 11 episodes of Sense8 Series 2 on Netflix now. Watch a beautiful montage tour diary of this global phenomenon below.
