shapinglight | Sense8

Sense8

I am finding it so hard to post anything these days. I have no idea why.

So anyway, some stuff about the first seven episodes of Sense8 behind cut. Please no spoilers for anything later.

At first, I wasn't sure whether I was watching something amazing in Sense8, or just something very pretentious. In fact, I'm still not sure.

Seven episodes in, I do love it, though. I love all eight of the Sense8s (even Riley, though I find her the hardest to like) and am worried sick that one of them is going to die before the end. I really don't want that to happen, and my worry extends not just to the Sense8s but also their nearest and dearest - Neets, her mother, Diego, Hernando and Daniela, Capheus's mum, Riley's dad, Kala's dad etc. Also Jonas (though I'm pretty sure he's toast).

In fact, the only characters I'm not that bothered about dying are Kala's fiance (who is probably going to turn out to be well dodgy anyway), Sun's father and brother (both of them horrible), and Wolfgang's friend Felix (and it's a good thing I didn't care about him too much, since he he just got killed in episode 7).

Still scared there might be some sudden, nasty violence. The plastic bag scene with Riley in episode 6 was pretty horrible. I hope there won't be anything worse. :(

On the plus side, though, I love the diversity of the cast and settings (especially Nomi and Neets - Freema Agyeman looks amazing!), I love the high production values. Can't really speak to the plot yet, because I still don't have a clue what's going on.

Have Netflix decided yet whether they're making another series?

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I will look out for this series.

It may come out on DVD one day, maybe, but it's a Netflix original series so it won't be for a while.

I wasn't sure whether I was watching something amazing in Sense8, or just something very pretentious.
Hee, the same. Though I'm deciding more on the prenetious side now (seen 6 episodes so far).

There are some great moments that should made me love these series. Like the thing they did with the language - characters speak in English using the structure of their native languages.
But at the same time the language thing annoys me to no end, because they made all foreigners speak with the heavy accents. Funny heavy accents. Which implies that it's all filmed from American's POV.
And as long as the thought about American's POV creeps in, I start seeing confirmation of it in the narrative. Like - only three American characters are important for the main plotline. Or - only white characters are always featured in the episode. "Rest of the world" characters are just exotic addition - "look, we are multicultural, give us a cookie!"

Hmm, I think all the 8 are featured in all the episodes, aren't they? Also, I'm going to watch the whole series before deciding that only the American characters are important to the plot, because that's not really clear yet.

Even if it does turn out to be the case, though, I'm not going to knock the show too much. At least it's trying, which is more than you can say of many shows.

Sun Bak and Capheus weren't in the second episode. I remember it pretty well, because I was like: "Uh-oh, they added wounded black boy and their POC screentime quota run out."

Yeah, at least they tried, but trying feels a bit artificial. At times it feels like the only storyline authors are really interested in - Lana Wachowski's. Everything else is secondary.

And we, foreigners, don't think in the funny accents. We don't speak with the funny accents in our native languages.

I think this pet peeve is exactly what's poisoning for me everything else in these series. The notion that even open-minded Americans who honestly try to be inclusive and multicultural, still perceive us as funny foreign people with funny foreign accents... It's even more annoying than usual lack of trying.

Yeah, at least they tried, but trying feels a bit artificial. At times it feels like the only storyline authors are really interested in - Lana Wachowski's. Everything else is secondary.

No idea whether this is true or nor. Does Lana Wachowski have some particular agenda?

And we, foreigners, don't think in the funny accents. We don't speak with the funny accents in our native languages.

Well, of course not. On the other hand, we do have particular accents when we speak English, and since the actors involved actually come from non-English speaking countries, they speak English with an accent. I can only speak for the Indian characters really, but Indians do actually speak English with that accent.

It's even more annoying than usual lack of trying.

We're going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

Edited 2015-07-15 21:12 (UTC)

I think I finally realized what's another reason that makes these series so annoying for me.
The only characters whose storilines/personalities aren't based on national stereotypes are - tadaaaam - three Americans and London girl (though she is a bit of a Bjork-rip-off).

All others are just walking national cliches.
Funny Latino gay guy who lives in the world of Mexican TV melodrama.
Funny negro with ridiculously outdated Van Damm obsession.
(Half)Russin guy who is from Russian mafia, because all Russians are form Russian mafia.
Indian girl and her arranged marriage trope (ok, kudos for not picturing her fiancee and family as monsters, but still).
And Korean girl slash marital arts expert - wow, we never see that in other movies.

Okay, obviously this series has made you very angry and nothing I say is going to persuade you to like it, so I won't even try.

I will just say that I don't agree about the Indian girl. That's not a trope. That's real life.

I also don't agree that the Kenyan guy is depicted as a 'funny negro.'

Edited 2015-07-15 21:20 (UTC)

Sorry, I didn't mean to attack you. I actually didn't even intend to pour out such a massive dislike in the comments. It just happened...

There are a lots of things to like about Sense8. Series like that are very rare on TV.
I just really couldn't understand why I can't start liking it. But I shouldn't drop my vocal realization of "oh, that's why!" on you.

Well, you haven't finished the series yet. You may still change your mind. ;)

Myself, I'd rather watch something where I feel its heart is in the right place, even if the execution doesn't always work, than something that doesn't even try. YMMV, of course.

I'll probably give it a try some day, when things get better in RL, and I'm in the better mood and not so ready to get offended about the strangest things =)

Sure. And don't worry about letting fly. We like what we like.

But at the same time the language thing annoys me to no end, because they made all foreigners speak with the heavy accents.

That was my biggest annoyance with the series as well, but I suspect that it was for logictic reasons. Without the 'universal translator' solution, because of the international setting the majority of the show would have been in languages other than English, which would have made the show very hard to sell to American audiences (which is Netflix's main audience).

Also, the reason for the heavy accets is that they reportedly used mostly local actors who are speaking with their own accents. In fact, there are several instances in few later episodes where it's obvious that the actor has been redubbed to have less of an accent.

Yeah, I guess it was mostly because of the logistics and budget.

But, damn, it would be great if it was all dubbed in one "default" English accent, giving the feeling that there are no barriers between them. (And there could be a scene when, for instance, Capheus meets an American - not in the mental space, but in RL - and that American is the one speaking in funny accent.)

Edited 2015-07-15 20:46 (UTC)

If it helps (probably not) Americans do sound like they have a funny accent to me.

It was the same way for me, after the first few episode. In the end, my impression was totally different, because the plot which seems solid, but no amazing, became totally secondary to the characters for me, which I took some time to warm up to.

I love the international setting and I think they are using it in the plot as well. I think my favorites all over are still Lito, Hernado and Daniela.

I love the international setting and I think they are using it in the plot as well. I think my favorites all over are still Lito, Hernado and Daniela.

Same here, though I also love Nomi and Neets - and have a soft spot for Kala. She's so beautiful and sweet.

I also love Nomi and Neets. They are completely brilliant together. I also really like Sun and Capheus.

And I love, how they are connecting the stories between them. I really hope they get picked up for a season two dispite the huge production cost.

And I love, how they are connecting the stories between them. I really hope they get picked up for a season two dispite the huge production cost.

It is very much a slow build, which I like a lot.

I did come to love Sense8, though it took a few episodes for me to be sure about it. By the end of the season, my favorite moments were invariably those in which they learned to merge together and draw on each other's skills more seamlessly; that hits my teamwork button extra hard. What I like about Sense8 is that it's different, and I can't always predict where it's going to go. I can't often say that about a show. The pacing, for instance, is unusual; it builds slowly, and spends most of the first half dozen episodes purely on quiet character development rather than on plot. And in most of that time, nothing blows up or gets shot. That is not your usual sci fi fare. And I do love the effort to make the cast and the settings diverse, especially in the inclusion of a transwoman, which doesn't happen often enough.

I'm so glad you liked it, and for many of the reasons that I do. I love the slow build-up and the emphasis on character development. I think my favourite sequence so far has been the one where everyone was together listening to that song Riley was listening to on her headphones (can't remember the name of it).

especially in the inclusion of a transwoman, which doesn't happen often enough.

Agreed. Not sure I've ever seen a transwoman actually playing a transwoman before.

Laverne Cox on Orange is the New Black is a transwoman.

Ah. I've never seen that. It is on my list, when I have time.

can't remember the name of it That's "What's Up?" by 4 Non Blondes, though I think everyone calls it "What's Going On?"

Not sure I've ever seen a transwoman actually playing a transwoman before.

Offhand, I can only call to mind Laverne Cox in Orange Is the New Black.

Yeah, I haven't seen that show yet. It is on my list, though.

I very much like it, even if I wish they'd had an Icelandic actress play Riley (and why on earth is she named Riley? She's born and raised in Iceland by Icelandic parents, plus that name isn't even legal here. (Yes, we have name laws.)) especially since she really butchers the Icelandic lyrics to the songs she sings. Made me wonder if the same was true for the other supposed-to-be-non-American characters, I haven't checked if the actors are native or not.

I'm looking forward to seeing what will come out of this series if it gets another season because more than half of this one felt like an introduction to the characters. But I was impressed both by how diverse the cast and characters are and that they filmed so much on location. Even scenes that could easily be filmed in a studio wherever (usually Hollywood) were, for instance, obviously filmed in Iceland. (Or, if not, with ridiculous attention to details only known to natives to make it look like it was.)

I very much like it, even if I wish they'd had an Icelandic actress play Riley (and why on earth is she named Riley?

Yeah, that is all a bit odd, I agree. The actor playing her father appears to be Icelandic.

Aml Ameen who plays Capheus is actually British, of Jamaican and St Vincentian parentage. Bae Doona, who plays Sun, really is South Korean. Tina Desai who plays Kala is Indian, from Bangalore. Max Riemelt, who plays Wolfgang, is German - from East Germany like his character. Miguel Rambla, who plays Lito, is from Spain rather than Mexico. Brian Smith and Jamie Clayton, who play Will and Nomi respectively, are American.

So most of the actors are actually from the countries they're supposed to be from but three are not. I'm surprised they couldn't find an Icelandic actress (Tuppence Middleton being a Brit, obvs), I'm sure there must be lots of them.

But I was impressed both by how diverse the cast and characters are and that they filmed so much on location. Even scenes that could easily be filmed in a studio wherever (usually Hollywood) were, for instance, obviously filmed in Iceland. (Or, if not, with ridiculous attention to details only known to natives to make it look like it was.)

Yes, it must have cost them a pretty packet. I think it was worth it, though. It looks amazing.

Everyone else in the Icelandic part is Icelandic, that's why I found it so odd to make her stand out. We have plenty of great young actresses, even blond ones! The man who plays her father is actually a pretty well known (in Iceland) musician called KK.

It was really fun though watching the parts made in Iceland. I don't want to spoil you, only say that you will see more from here later on. :)

It was really fun though watching the parts made in Iceland. I don't want to spoil you, only say that you will see more from here later on. :)

I did wonder if the volcano in the credits was in Iceland. I love the credits, btw.

I also was wondering about how accurately they are depicting the countries I don't know so well.

Because eastern Germany is sort of weird. It is depicted as some sort of Russia/Germany. I guess you can find russian mob in Berlin and I guess there might be a tiny orthodox minority there, but it seems like a very off subcommunity to me.

Well, I can only vaguely comment on the Indian scenes really, and perhaps a bit on the Kenyan ones, as we have friends and relatives who still live there.

I need to read up about where the production was filmed, because if they actually filmed in Kibera, I'm very impressed indeed and hope the local people got something out of it.

I can't manage to post either. BUT - Hello!

:(

I love your posts. But :waves: anyway.

I've watched the first season and still have mixed feelings about the show, which you nicely summed up with " I wasn't sure whether I was watching something amazing in Sense8, or just something very pretentious."

Some of the violence and sex scenes feel a little gratuitous, I'm not averse to either if the story calls for it. I do adore the locations though & enjoy seeing such a multicultural cast. Wish there were more screen time for the POC characters, I'm biased as Sun is my very favourite with Kala next. Can't say much more as 'spoilers' but I would suggest if you've come this far then watch to the end.

No idea about season 2, but I'd hope perhaps the focus of the plot would shift to different continents with other Sensates taking more central roles.

Must say, I think Sun has had plenty of screen time. Couldn't really comment on how screen time has been divided between the characters. Kala's story has certainly been the slowest so far. All she's really done up to where I've watched is almost, but not quite, get married.

No idea about season 2, but I'd hope perhaps the focus of the plot would shift to different continents with other Sensates taking more central roles.

I'm doubtful about the plot/location shifting too much away from the US. The show is being made by and for Americans, ultimately (at least, I suppose it is).

I can understand the US bias. It's only reasonable seeing as Netflix are American. I just felt that Nomi and Will have had most focus of all up to where you are now.

Perhaps it felt like Sun didn't have much because I wanted to see more.

Well, I really loved all her scenes in the prison in the episode I just watched, especially the one where she's talking to her cellmates and ends up smiling when she realises that they've all, in their own way, rebelled against the patriarchy. ;)

Yes, that episode was very satisfying. I wanted to see more of her and not just her exceptional martial arts. Although that is fun to watch.

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