There is nothing like the Netflix original show “Sense 8”. The amount of thought and work that went into this show blows me away and makes me hopeful that others appreciate it as well. The show currently has two seasons, consisting of about eleven episodes that are an hour long each. And let me just say that this is one of those shows that requires full attention. None of that multitasking while watching bull shit, no. Everything that appears in front of the camera is there for a reason and has been given a significant amount of thought before making its debut.
With that being said it is one of those shows that takes a while to get into, not because of poor quality, but rather the plot reveals itself over time leaving you full of questions at first. In the first episode, you are thrown right into the action, so there is no summary or nice little run down of what's going on.
Once you have gotten into it though, you realize the genius behind this show. The plot in itself is something that I could have only dreamt about coming up with on my own, how they did it is beyond me.
The show consists of eight main characters all of whom connect with each other mentally, and each has an area of expertise. When one is in trouble, they all help that individual out, because although they are all separate people they are really one in the same. They each come from opposite corners of the world, with their own incredibly different background which is one of the reasons that I find the show so fascinating. You are able to see how a CEO in China connects with a DJ from Iceland and so forth. How people with so completely different realities, share a connection unlike you and your closest friends. The characters are not fake, but rather so real with their struggles and identities.
While the plot in itself is an incredible reason to watch the show, that’s not even my favorite part about it. The thing that makes me so thrilled to watch it, is the way that it portrays beauty and life. The series has a way of making you feel everything so intensely. When one of the characters is in a depression, you yourself question when happiness will creep upon you next. And I know that it's like that for a lot of shows, but this one is so completely different. You feel the emotions of the character’s seep into your veins, and change as every second progresses. And while I want so badly to know how something like this can be accomplished with a television series, I know I will never understand.
The emotions felt are only a small part of the magic though, as the filming shows the beauty of this world at its full capacity. When you see the clip of Sun (Chinese business woman) doing yoga on a rooftop after being caged in a prison, you feel the freedom in each step she takes as her bare skin soaks in the glory of the sun. Or when Lito Rodriguez (famous movie star) replies to questions about whether he is gay or not with an underlying question of who he is and who we are, you realize the weakness of labels against the complexity of human beings. I could go on for hours about times during the show when I have experienced the beauty of life while laying on my couch with a slice of cold pizza. But I would instead encourage you to go experience it for yourself.
I am an absolute sucker for beautifully composed pieces. It doesn’t even matter what the creators are talking about, writing about, or just trying to get across. I will watch, read, or listen to anything that has been composed with such a beauty. “Sense 8” is not for everyone, but for the few who appreciate such an intellectual beauty, this is for you. This show is more than a show. It is traveling around the world experiencing life in every possible form and feeling the most intense of emotions. I share this with you because I only want everyone to feel what I have felt over the course of the show. It is the work of art that is so hard to find.
