The Wachowskis may have taken two years, but the wait was worth it for their fast-paced season two of Netflix’s Sense8.
While the dialogue and plot start off preachy and stiff, the episodes ramp up into a nail-biting, action-packed, and at times inspiring binge watch.
Season two continues where the holiday special left off on the lives of eight sensates, humans from around the world mentally connected to each other. Where season one showed the characters getting comfortable with their powers and each other, the eight sensates are now used to their abilities, and their challenges ramp up o match as they face a world of sensates versus homo sapiens.
As in the first season, there is some heavy-handed preaching to the choir about terrorism and social justice issues, particularly while introducing the major plot and character threads of the season. However, the show is built around tackling contemporary (re: millennial) struggles, and on the most part takes a relatable perspective on them.
A major change comes to Kala Rasal, played by Tina Desai, who’s character was underutilized in the previous season. I often felt that her struggles of marrying someone she may or may not love were petty compared to the others being chased by various murderous organizations or being shunned from their entire society. Her story’s stakes and the impact and use of her medical skills both receive a much-deserved boost throughout the season.
The Wachowskis’ experience as writers/directors of The Matrix trilogy comes through in the mind-bending visuals of psychic fights and elaborate and bloody action scenes. Martial arts expert Sun Bak’s story, played by Donna Bae, is particularly spectacular, with artsy fights and chases inspired by classic kung-fu flicks, Kill Bill, and the aforementioned Matrix movies.
That’s not to say the other characters lack action in their stories; the show seems to have concentrated most of the sex into the 2016 holiday special and saved the action for the full season two.
There’s still plenty of naked sexy people doing things I’d be uncomfortable watching with my parents. This is still a show where people mentally share orgasms as well as skills to hack into the NSA.
All in all, once the characters get to their starting lines, this new season of Sense8 just as good, if not better, than the last. Hopefully, Netflix doesn’t pull a Sherlock again and make us wait another two years for season three.
