Sense8 – Picture: Netflix
It’s finally happened folks, there’s nowhere to go and nothing to do but Netflix and chill but the circumstance outside our doors are actually far more dangerous than a nightmare inspiring episode of Black Mirror or any other critically acclaimed show that inadvertently seems to have predicted the volatile times we’re living in. So what should you watch? More of the same? There’s no shortage of award-winning, hard-hitting TV shows on Netflix to binge but it may prove difficult to find content that doesn’t intensify an already stressed state of mind and instill some sense of hope or faith in humanity.
In these uncertain times when the words ” What’s Going ON?” has taken a whole new meaning, perhaps the time is right to remember what connection truly means with the only Netflix show that appears to have been tailor-made to be that warm fuzzy group hug we so desperately need in these crazy times we’re living in.
With a call to action from cast members Jamie Clayton and Tuppence Middleton earlier this month, the Sense8 Fandom kick-starts a Sense8 Rewatch on March 28th to fight those lockdown blues and restore a sense of renewed hope for a better tomorrow. So why exactly is Sense8 the perfect show to rewatch when the world’s unraveling?
1. It’s a Trip
Been staring at the same four walls all day long with quick trips to the supermarket providing the only “outside time” for weeks? Shot in more than sixteen countries, you can walk the streets of Mumbai, Berlin and Nairobi; take part in a Pride Parade in sunny San Francisco and a hit up a gentleman’s club in Seoul, South Korea in just one episode. Let’s not forget the Christmas special which features the stunning landscapes of Positano, Italy and stunning Naples which makes more than a cameo appearance in the series finale. So forget your passports and let Sense8 take you on a whirlwind trip around the world. It’s not unsafe to travel when Academy Award-winning cinematographer John Toll is flying you around.
2. It’s About All of Us
Tired of seeing the trials and tribulations of a single affluent high school, small-town America or rich straight America on screen? Tune into Sense8 where representing all the colours of the rainbow is not restricted to token black, Hispanic and Asian characters or bury your gays tropes. As perhaps the only Netflix show to encompass eight leads from highly diverse cultures and sexual orientations, Sense8 truly represents every walk of life in a symphonic narrative that does not shy away from exploring a more complex world than the whitewashed sameness of modern TV. Where else but in Sense8 can you see the character arcs of a transgendered hacker, a closeted Mexican movie star, an Indian polyamorist and a slum dwelling Van Damme fan in one cohesive storyline?
3. It’s Action-Packed
With the directors of the Matrix Trilogy and the mastermind behind V for Vendetta calling the shots, can anyone seriously doubt the epicness of the action in Sense8? From recreating famous Matrix moments and thrilling car chases to Wolfgang’s now-infamous grenade shot with Sun and Will tag kicking baddies to kingdom come, there’s plenty of action to keep you at the edge of your seats.
4. It’s Hilarious
It’s not all just Matrix level action either. Sense8’s laugh out loud sense of humor is well-loved among fans not only for the hilarious moments of physical comedy woven into moments of high tension but also the innuendo that’s always simmering underneath the colorful conversations. If Kala and Rajan’s honeymoon antics don’t make you giggle I have two words for you – PMSing Lito.
5. It Makes You Cry For All the Right Reasons
While all shows have those moments that choke you up, Sense8 is the only one where you cry because it feels so good. Although all the tears you shed during a rewatch won’t all be happy tears, 90% of it will be because there are so many cathartic, emotional scenes that speak to the core of who we are as humans and our struggles that it feels like a great release every single time.
6. Did We Mention the Sex Appeal?
As one of the most celebrated aspects of the show, Sense8’s sexiness cannot be overstated. Viewers who tuned in back in 2015 may have been bewildered to find the explicit and artistically shot lovemaking orgies in a Netflix original but as one of the sexiest shows on the platform, we expect nothing less from the show that taught us just how steamy cluster love can get.
7. It’s about Connection
One thing Sense8 has come to symbolize is the power of human connection. In spite of geographical, racial, ethnic and cultural divides, the extending hand of love and brotherhood far outweighs the perils the Sensates face on a daily basis. This is perhaps the most potent reason of all why Sense8 is so needed to remind us of our collective strength and the ties that bind even in the hardest of times.
8. It’s the Perfect Pick-Me-Up
Catastrophic, cliff-hanger ends and open-ended episodes may be all the rage in modern TV but the good guys always win out over the bad guys in Sense8. In a time when happy endings are regarded cliché and unrealistic, Sense8 is there to remind us that all of us are worth fighting for and that fighting the good fight requires nothing but the best in every one of us.
Sense8’s own Bug, Michael X. Sommers had this message for fans – “My thoughts are with all the clusters out there and we will get through this and we will get through it like always by clustering together, even if that has to be virtual togetherness, virtual clusters for a time. Just like BUG. Follow THE BUG! Love, Michael”
So take a break from the 24-hour news cycles and panic drenched conversations in chat rooms to watch Sense8 on March 28th and relive the epicness and reignite the passion to climb that great big hill of hope one more time.
Netflix Synopsis: "In the sweeping series finale, passions run high as the Sensates and their closest allies fight to save the cluster and stop their enemies for good."
