Reviews Series / Sense 8

I like the cocks!

I like it when a tv show or movie shows you a character’s dick. I don’t actually get any kick out of it, understand, I just appreciate it when the directors expects me to be an adult who can handle the sight of a bit of man meat. We are going through a special time in television dramas, in which seemingly every big genre show has to include borderline pornographic displays of violence and nudity, and yet there is always this puerile hand wringing about depicting willys, as though that would be too gay or something. Sense8 is a show that will obligingly show you nudity and dicks. And also gaping vaginas with babies coming out of them. Brilliant!

Clearly inspired by Cloud Atlas’s take on the interpersonal, Sense8 is the Wachowski's story about eight people who share the ability to sense whatever one another is doing, even if they are on opposite sides of the earth. The show is happy to explore every possible implication of this super power, whether it is a woman feeling the rain of Berlin whilst sunbathing in Mumbai, or a male actor feeling someone else's period pains, or an accidental orgy felt over five continents. It’s refreshing to see a sci-fi concept be so thoroughly explored.

Plot wise, the whole thing is schlock. Besides the superpower conceit, you have evil billionaire conspiracies with mind controlling villains, you have guys carrying bazookas, and regular impromptu martial arts battles. On a technical level, the show is vibrant and nicely put together. Being the Wachowskis, there has to be some decent fight choreography in there too. The 8 characters are all interesting and distinct, and in a primarily character driven show, that’s important.

Ultimately, Sense8 is something of a slow burner that takes a little too long to get to the meat of the story, and when it gets there, it is still this patently absurd action/thriller romp. But it is very pretty, very interesting, and very unusual - which are three very good reasons to give this show a try.