Cast: Doona Bae, Max Riemelt, Tina Desai, Tuppence Middleton, Brian J. Smith, Toby Onwumere, Jamie Clayton, Miguel Angel Silvestre, Naveen Andrews, Terrence Mann, Daryl Hannah, Freema Agyeman
Produced By: The Wachowskis and J. Michael Straczynski
Distributed By: Netflix
Genres: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Action
Netflix | IMDB | Wikipedia
Sense8 was an insanely beautiful, somewhat nonsensical show that ended far too soon. It is my favorite Netflix original and I was devastated when it was canceled. I signed the petitions. I wrote a whole piece. And when the finale actually aired, I devoured the whole thing twice in three days.
Unsurprisingly, the season finale was packed to the brim with story and plot. And equally as unsurprising was how many questions were left unanswered. To name a few:
- How did Hernando find out about Lito’s cluster hive?
- When did Dani and Hernando get to Paris?
- How did they get two squats in Paris?
- How many bullets did Wolfgang have during his escape?
- Was Detective Mun dancing with them during their Depeche Mode dance party on the train even though he’s not a sensate?
- How did they look into Whispers’ mind when he was in Naples if he was on blockers?
- Where did they get that red tourist van?
- What happened Lito, Dani, and Hernando go after they got in Bug’s van?
- Where did Sutra and Alfonso go?
- Is Aunt Kirsey hella dead?
- How did Sun keep her hair that short? And how did Riley keep her hair short and blonde while on the run?
Those are only a few of the questions I have. This two and a half hour movie finale has more plot holes than Swiss cheese.
AND IT DOESN’T MATTER.
Sense8 was a queer-heavy, diversity-clad bundle of joy that I will miss. The stories that won’t be told; opportunities that have been passed by. I can’t say I’m upset with Netflix; I understand the choice. But I will say that the season finale is a constant reminder of what could have been. There could have been episode arcs and full seasons dedicated to:
- Wolfgang’s mother
- Wolfgang’s escape
- Kala’s love triangle
- Lito’s US film break
- Sun’s family revenge and her burgeoning romance
- Capheus’s political career
- Wrapping up Whispers and Sarah Patrello
- The Cluster being framed for the Secretary’s murder
- Bodhi and The Lacuna
That barely scratches the surface.
Did I love the finale? YES. It was everything I hold dear about the show. Heists, fights, romance, love, the quiet moments, and those crazy sex scenes. It was everything it needed to be for a two hour plus episode.
The finale was brilliantly scripted, using callbacks and Chekov’s Gun to wrap up what they had to tell. No one can say that the Wachowskis don’t make a great movie. But it seemed even they knew that this finale was bittersweet.
Amanita and Nomi’s vows were stunning final words to wrap up the themes of a show that often left more unanswered questions than answered. At the end of the day, nothing is permanent. So trust your feelings and allow your life to evolve and flourish.
So here we are at the end.
Good-bye, cluster family. I shall miss you all for your light, your hope, your skills, and your lessons of love. And thank you, Lana Wachowski, for giving the world a show as beautiful as Sense8. You’ve reminded us all that a show focused on family doesn’t have to be sappy like an after-school special.
It can be sexy, and loud and stylish, and inclusive. A show can include characters from of the continents all over the world; brown folks and gay folks and sapiens alike. And most importantly, thank you for reminding us all to walk in different peoples’ shoes, because we all have something to learn from one another.
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