There’s a pivotal, joyous sequence in the Netflix series Sense8 that remains a beacon for fans of this radical show about the integrity and power of love in all its manifestations. In it, a group of individuals from around the world sing along to “What’s Up,” offkey and exuberant, as they embrace these strangers who now share space in their brains. It’s one of those musical sequences that instantly latches on to the most sentimental of us. To those of us whose grins split our faces as we watch a series capture the innate joy of being alive – of sharing a knowing look, a few wonky bars, with a loved one.
Sense8, created by Lana and Lilly Wachowski, is a miracle series. Building on their expansive, defiant oeuvre, the Netflix globetrotting drama follows eight key players and their relationships with one another, both symbiotic and otherwise. Between that core eight and how they related to one another, as well as those in their own individual lives (and, later, how even those intersected), the series continued to defy expectations. Now, ten years later, Sense8 continues to stand the test of time. With its early progressive nature, especially in a time when LGBTQ+ stories are as radically necessary as ever, the show has yet to lose its vitality despite having ended years ago.
Sense8 tracks eight strangers from around the globe who suddenly find themselves mentally connected and able to share in one another’s thoughts and actions. As they work to discover just how and why this connection happened, they learn more about a mysterious organization that is currently hunting them down. But even more integral to the series is how, the more they work together, the more they come to care for and love each other, with no other humans able to understand the aggressive intimacy of forced mental proximity.
Connection is key.
The most outstanding achievement the series makes isn’t so much its epic, interwoven stories of mystery and political intrigue. Instead, it’s the heart of the series that imparts such a profound, mind-altering effect. There’s a reason why the most noteworthy and memorable sequences are ones that play to the heart. From the beautifully edited, sweat-infused comraderies of late-night, drunken, and global karaoke singalongs to 4 Non-Blondes to the equally slick, psychically linked orgies that bring the group closer together, the connection is key to our humanity. It is that which gives life.
Sense8 transcends multiple limitations—budgetary and otherwise. The Wachowskis, as always, swing big, but their strengths lie in their ability to tap into the human condition. And the human condition is to desire to be loved and to love in return, in all of its many, messy, and memorable manifestations. The series embraces a rich tapestry of empathy in its purest, most direct forms. These characters grow and become better versions of themselves because of their shared experiences. The Wachowskis penchant for visual vibrancy is strengthened by a cast of characters who meet such heights with the layered compassion they develop. Each character is necessary as this found family emboldens one another to survive another day.
The series is frank and deliberate in its depiction of sexuality, especially as the cluster begins to share their experiences – that the series ends on yet another psychic orgy is one of the greatest delights, a euphoric middle finger to any and all who found the series to be too much. A joyous celebration of lust and love and how it bonds us, Sense8 speaks to unifying desires and the perseverance of being your most authentic self. When the characters of Sense8 have sex, they’re strengthened by their nudity, seen and longed for, and tapped intrinsically into the minds of those who desire them. These montages of sexual escapades beautifully demonstrate the fluidity of sexuality and how each character learns and grows over the course of the series.
Sense8 is unapologetically bold, visually and narratively.
Sense8 Season 2
Despite the frank depiction of pleasure, the Wachowskis refuse to try and please everyone. They are big, bold, and constantly swinging for the fences. Sense8 is a sigh of relief. It aims to honor the sci-fi that came before it while being inspired by the director’s own legacy, allowing for a more progressive slant on the genre.
Science fiction, from its inception, has been a genre that bears new beginnings. It’s a genre that’s meant to challenge the status quo and promise enlightenment and growth. It’s easy to lose yourself in the ease and tropes of sci-fi rather than challenge its shortcomings and elevate it. Sense8 does both by reminding us that the genre can be vacant and vapid, yet also highlighting those expansive, inclusive spaces.
Here’s a story that’s unapologetically queer, created by trans filmmakers with a trans actress and character at its center. A tale about polyamorous relationships and the radical defiance of those persecuted for who they chose to be and love. Sense8 understands that sci-fi isn’t just about the tech and the locations but about the people at its core and how they challenge our assessment of who and what is worthy of love, compassion, and the dignity of leading their own stories.
The show was, unsurprisingly (annoyingly), canceled too soon. But its legacy and message endures, circling back to that late-night song, achingly human due to the cast’s inherent chemistry and the belief in the message. This is how we grow. Not through forced relationships or hardship – but through the joy of coming together in a shared moment of bliss and escape, singing to the rafters out of tune and out of breath, caught in the gaze of someone who is beginning to figure you out. We are, after all, better together.
Sense8 is available now on Netflix.
Images courtesy of Netflix.
Based in New England, Allyson is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of InBetweenDrafts. Former Editor-in-Chief at TheYoungFolks, she is a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and the Boston Online Film Critics Association. Her writing has also appeared at CambridgeDay, ThePlaylist, Pajiba, VagueVisages, RogerEbert, TheBostonGlobe, Inverse, Bustle, her Substack, and every scrap of paper within her reach.
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