Binge on This - Sense8: The Most Colorful Ensemble Cast
Don't you just love shows where instead of having just one main protagonist, there is a group of characters who receive about the same amount of airtime? I personally prefer this arrangement, since I can get to know each character, which makes the interaction between them so much more interesting. Of course, in the most ideal situation, these characters will all have their own unique personality traits, as well as their social, economic, professional, spiritual, and cultural background.
Embracing this concept of an ensemble cast, Sense8 takes it to another level, where its eight protagonists are literally from eight different places around the world. And they couldn't be any more different from each other, in just about any possible way. The only thing that unites them is a psychic connection they share. The two-season show was released on Netflix between 2015 and 2018.
Eight Personalities, Eight Ways of Seeing the World
The characters of Sense8 seem to have been written precisely to include a wide array of global diversity. They include a businesswoman and kickboxer from Korea, a safe cracker from a Russian mobster background living in Berlin, a secretly gay actor from upper-scale Mexico City, a scientist and devote Hindu from Mumbai, a bus driver from Nairobi, a trans woman hacker from San Francisco, a policeman from Chicago, and a London-based DJ from Iceland.
All of these characters already have an incredible a very colorful background, even looking at each on their own. The problems they struggle with, the daily joys they appreciate, and the lifestyles they live, are all quite different in their own ways. Once they start interacting with each other, these differences appear to be even bigger. At the same time, however, their psychic connection also enables them to communicate so closely that they get to speak each other's languages.
As the plot is unveiled, it is only one other person each character discovers a connection with. Gradually, they are joined by others, before all eight are connected. This gradual progression explores a great deal of cultural traits, which could lead to potential clashes between them. However, in the end the commonalities of being human always win, resolving these cultural differences either in banality, or better, some good humored jokes. This way the series seems a lot more like a comedy than drama, generating a pleasant "we-are-the-world" feeling in the viewers.
Too Short, Too Expensive, Too Much Sex
As amazing as this series promises to be, which even more amazingly it manages to deliver on, it didn't last for more than two seasons. The reasons are quite understandable: the huge cast, and much more so the on-location filming in multiple countries deemed to be unsustainable for the size of its fan-base. Another drawback were the numerous love scenes. Don't get me wrong, I don't think there were more than in your average TV series. However, due to the psychic connection between the eight characters, they tended to include many, or even all of them. And this led to Aml Ameen, the actor playing the role of the African driver, to quit after the first season, being replaced with Toby Onwumere. While I didn't mind the sex, I was a bit disappointed by this change in faces.
Still, the existing two seasons are full of examples of human compassion, beautiful shots from around the world, and the surprising and almost surreal interaction of diverse people, making it even more worthwhile to watch. If you haven't seen Sense8 and have gotten curious, here is a trailer for the first season:
Take a Look at the Previous Posts in my Binge On This Series:
StartUp: Not For Learning About Crypto!
Chernobyl: An Apocalyptic Documentary
The Handmaid's Tale: A Not Too-Far-Off Dystopia
Twin Peaks: The Return - The Series Closing After 25 Years
Silicon Valley: Humor from the World of Tech and Money
Dark: Intense Time-Travel for Germanophiles
Twin Peaks: The Show That Changed Everything
The Man In the High Castle: What if the Nazis Had Won?
Lost: Mystery With Addictive Potential
Babylon Berlin: Sociopolitical Tremmors in the Weimar Republic
Rome: A Realistic Sandal Series
Carnivàle: A Throw-back to the Thirties
Weeds: The Hillarious Alternative to Breaking Bad
Mr. Robot: Hackers, Freedom, and Mental Issues
Das Boot: A Real German WWII Series
Black Sails: Pirate Lore Galore
Twelve Monkeys: Time Travel and Pandemic
The DocsMX 2020 Film Festival
I do :) I love if there is a group of protagonists, as you say, they can bring different background, different points of view and then all be connected. Nice. But, lately, read one two years back (can not be pretty sure if maybe more? ) I haven't followed any series. When I read your reviews, there is sometimes an interest that seems to awake a little bit, but still nothing happened :D
Will continue to read your posts :)
No worries, that's how things go: You are just more interested in other things. I know, it's similar with me. When I'm out and about, enjoying nature and building amazing things, watching TV shows is also the last thing on my mind. But whenever I'm in the city, like these days, it's pretty much a daily thing. So no reason to be ashamed. And even you might feel like watching a series again one day, and until then they won't run away. Haha, and in case you're not sure which one to watch, you can take a look at my Binge on This posts! 😜
Yes, this is how it is, when another activities are on, no time for TV or shows. And anyway, we kinda turned off the tv as we felt it is futile in our lives. The only thing I miss are some series, like you are describing now, so as I said, I will continue to read your posts hehhehe, and maybe one day it will change and I choose from your selection and reviews :)
Thats an awesome piece of film review.I like the Idea of many protagonist having the same airtime in a cinema entitles the watchers to fully capture the identity of each of the characters.Its really so true.
That's right. In fact, I'd even say the typical story with only one main character is a bit one-sided in comparison.
Isn't it that show by the Watchawoski sisters who made The Matrix? I've wanted to see this but never gotten around to it.
From your article, that long-lost interest just had a poke in the rib. Thank you.
That's right, I should have mentioned that it was written and directed by the Wachowskis. And it's true, even if you don't know them, you'll see this series has the Wachowski name written all over it! Kinda fun if you're into it.