On 1 June 2017, Netflix announced that it had cancelled Sense8, the ground breaking original series from the Wachowskis. I wrote about why you put this series on your viewing schedule last month. I stand by that review.
But viewers shouldn’t despair at the cancellation because most (not all) of the major plot points were resolved in the second season.
Spoilers Below. You Have Been Warned.
At the end of the second season, seven of the 8 Sensates are together in London having captured both Whispers and Jonas. They’d hope to rescued Wolfgang who was being tortured by Whispers, but didn’t find him. This rescue event marks the first time that the Senates have physically met each other (other than Riley and Will). Prior to this moment they’d only been in each other’s heads – mentally linked.
Meanwhile, each of the Sensates had and overcame personal challenges in their separate and collective lives:
– Sun Bak escaped from prison, confronted her murderous brother, Joong-Ki, and will ultimately be exonerated by Detective Mun who survived being shot by Sun Bak’s brother. On a personal note, anytime Sun Bak, played by Doona Bae, is on-screen the storytelling jumps up ten fold and moves forward at a delightful clip.
– Nomi Marks finally got her father’s acceptance at the wedding of her sister. Nomi asked her girlfriend Amanita Caplan to marry her and she said yes.
– Kala Dandekar has separated from her husband at his request because he is a Government witness against his father. She and Wolfgang confess that they love each other which everyone knew but them.
– Wolfgang Bogdanow was captured and tortured by Whisper and Jonas after being betrayed by Lila, a member of another cluster. His whereabouts is unknown at the end of the series.
– Lito Rodriguez’ acting career in Mexico hit the skids after his appearance as the grand marshal of the Sao Paulo Pride Parade. However, he gets a major part in a Hollywood movie which could launch his career as an international movie star.
– Capheus Onyango, our bus driver, is running for political office against a political boss who will stop at nothing (including murder) to win. Onyango is popular with his people and found his stride in a stirring speech that remind us why we liked him.
– Riley Blue and Will Gorski have been an item since the beginning of the series. Will has been taking blocker drugs to keep Whispers from finding them. He also confirmed to himself that Whispers killed a little girl named Sara Patrell who was really important in the first episode. Will’s father died, but because he was avoiding Whispers, he wasn’t able to be at his side when he passed away, but Riley was and through Riley, Will and his dad reconciled. Will then turned the tables on Whispers by hunting him and capturing him and Jonas at the end.
Look, I’m disappointed that there won’t be a third season for Sense8, but what we got was good enough to smile at. Yes, it would have been great if we actually got to see Wolfgang be rescued and Whispers and and Jonas pay for their crimes, but we didn’t. However, it doesn’t take much imagination to see that Whispers will give up Wolfgang’s location and the Sensates will triumph in the end. Hand wave it if you must, but that is what was going to happen.
The story of eight mentally linked people across the globe was compelling. As a FYI, there is an excellent review from refinery29 of the second season that I strongly encourage you to read.
I’m glad that Netflix took a chance on Sense8, but more importantly, I’m glad I did too.