If you haven't watched Sense8 yet, you're seriously missing out.
1. Unique sci-fi plot
Sense8 follows eight strangers from around the world who are connected telepathically by their senses and must fight against those who see their gift as a threat. Threaded between a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat every episode are themes of grief, romance, sexuality, drugs and alcohol, prejudice, family division, and sacrifice. It’s a story that will leave you thinking and will force you to ask yourself deeply profound questions of what it means to be human.
2. Strong female roles
You will be hard pressed to find another show that features four diverse women in their lead cast who are as strong and well-written as Nomi Marks, Sun Bak, Kala Dandekar, and Riley Blue. None of these fantastic females fall into the traditional female stereotypes that are played out time and time again on television. They are more than objects, more than love interests for men - and they know this, they know their worth. It is so refreshing to see women who are intelligent, capable, determined, and refuse to pushed around.
3. Diversity
The lead cast comes from America, Spain, Germany, Kenya, India, Korea, and England, making Sense8 easily one of the most ethnically diverse shows on television. Even more unique, the show hires actors from the regions they film in to be extras and guest stars rather than bringing in outside actors. Each character is unique and they are written with so much intricacy and depth. No one is ever left one-dimensional. The show explores cultures and society in such an authentic and refreshing way that I have never seen done on TV.
4. LGBTQ+ representation
The show's creators, Lilly and Lana Wachowski, are two openly transgender sisters whose experiences with gender and sexuality have bled into their work. Two of Sense8’s main characters identify as LGBTQ+: Nomi Marks, a transgender woman living with her girlfriend in San Francisco, and Lito Rodriguez, a gay actor who struggles to keep his secret boyfriend hidden from the media. Other characters’ sexual identities are more blurred, but the show manages to beautifully intertwine LGBTQ+ representation without it being the sole defining factor of the characters. “There has never been a trans character in a movie or on a show before whose story did not revolve around transition,” transgender actress Jamie Clayton, who plays Nomi, said in a 2015 interview with Trish Bendix. “Nomi is the first. Her story has nothing to do with the fact that she’s trans. She just is.”
5. The music
I have found some of my favorite songs in the entire world thanks to Sense8. Music plays a pivotal role in so many moments on the show that will send shivers down your spine. With a karaoke session around the world between the sensates to the 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up?” and a tear-inducing performance of Beethoven’s "Piano Concerto No. 5," Sense8 really hits all the right notes with its soundtrack.
6. Cinematography
Sense8 is one of the most aesthetically pleasing shows you will ever feast your eyes on. Throwing out the ease of green screen technology, the crew travels to nine different locations around the world to film. Season one was filmed in Chicago, San Francisco, London, Berlin, Mumbai, Seoul, Mexico City, Nairobi, and Reykjavik. The show has the most beautiful panoramic shots of the landscapes they're in and it gives you a raw, authentic view into the lives of people in these different cultures.
7. Non-stop action
While the show emphasizes the exploration of human connections and relationships, it never becomes dull, repetitive, or a sappy love story. Though there are romantic relationships in the show, Sense8 focuses on the bigger idea of empathy and love among humanity as a whole. But of course, the more people you love means the more people you will fight to save. There is constant action in every episode that will leave you biting your nails and fearing for your favorite character's life. I personally am not big on a lot of constant action, but the sequences in Sense8 are so flawlessly done and riveting that I have no complaints whatsoever.
8. Holiday special!
While season two won’t be airing until May 5th next year, Sense8 has recently announced that there will be a special Christmas episode airing December 23rd on Netflix. So if you binge season one and feel like you have nothing to look forward to until May, have no fear! Plus, I’ve been waiting over a year for season two. You can do it.
