Straczynski/Wachowski Sense8 on Netflix

[red snow]

It's basically Cloud Atlas meet Heroes.

That explains a lot! Great analogy. I'm finishing off Vikings before giving it a try but "cloud atlast meets Heroes" paints a picture of trying really hard and failing but admiring the attempt.

[Mexal]

That explains a lot! Great analogy. I'm finishing off Vikings before giving it a try but "cloud atlast meets Heroes" paints a picture of trying really hard and failing but admiring the attempt.

It's a slow burn for sure. With the entire show taking place from the POV of the characters themselves, you have to care about them and their stories to enjoy the show because 7 episodes in, you still have no real visibility of the antagonist of the show and it's more about the slow burn of the characters discovering what is happening to them and going through their individual stories. I care so I enjoy it immensely but I can see others hating it.

[AverageGuy]

Is this any good?

It's ok. I'd give the second season a try based on what happens at the end of the season.

[ithanos]

The Heroes comparison is very apt. The character reveals have that feel that Heroes Season1 had, the good season, before it turned to shit.

After the first couple eps my interest in the characters were in this order;

Riley, Will, Nomi...Lito, Sun....Capheus/Wolfgang/Kala

Then by the end I knew them all well but my investment was in this order;

Capheus/Wolfgang/Lito/Sun... Nomi/Will... Kala/Riley

"Jean Claude be with you"

[Reposado]

The Heroes comparison is very apt. The character reveals have that feel that Heroes Season1 had, the good season, before it turned to shit.

After the first couple eps my interest in the characters were in this order;

Riley, Will, Nomi...Lito, Sun....Capheus/Wolfgang/Kala

Then by the end I knew them all well but my investment was in this order;

Capheus/Wolfgang/Lito/Sun... Nomi/Will... Kala/Riley

"Jean Claude be with you"

at the same time, this selection of characters is not in the same stratosphere of heroes season 1

personally, i liked lito and kala the most with capheus behind them. and wolf gang can just leave the show at any time

[Arkash]

This is a show that gained a lot to be binge-watched (watched it in 3 days).

It's all slow build-up and oniric moments, so once you're in the mood, it's one hell of a ride to stick with it and stay in the atmosphere.

But... well, one whole year to season 2...

[Zorral]

Managed to finally get through 4 episodes. Even after 4 episodes there's no there there. Only endless series of pretty pictures and pretty people talking and walking, or sleeping, or drinking or eating or lounging, interspersed with a bit of violence.

[the hound of sansa]

Just finished it.
I liked all the characters.
Especially the connection between Wolfgang and Kala.Probably why Wolfie is my favourite of the lot. He is a Demon :)
Riley was mostly meh, until they showed her backstory.
Groski is the typical american good guy cop, but he is likable.
Everytime Sun got to kick ass , she was terrific!
Capheus was the sweetest and kindest of them all.
And surprisingly Lito's story , although disconnected from everyone else's was the most interesting.
For Nomi i have mixed feelings. Because early on when she was in the hospital i felt for her. But then she just kind of bored me.

[Kalbear]

What an interesting show.

It is profoundly different than most big shows now. Throughout the show you get the empathy angle loud and clear, and it comes across everywhere - but you also get something lacking in most tv - optimism. Peoples lives suck in many dreary ways, and there are some amazingly bad things that happen - but people are profoundly optimistic. Capheus was the best of the lot, and he to me represents best what the show is about - about hopes, dreaming of better things, being honorable at great personal cost, caring about family and friends and seeing the wonder in the everyday.

This show begs the question of what would happen if everyone was as caring as catelyn stark and as honorable as Ned stark. It doesn't always work, and it's very much a "look at me" kind of show, but it's beautiful and sweet and happy in a way that very little is these days.

[Mexal]

I finished this yesterday and I'm of two minds. On the one hand, I loved the human stories and could watch a show entirely of Lito, Capheus, Wolfgang and Sun. On the other hand, I still have absolutely no idea what Whisper's goal is, why I should care that he's evil or why he's evil at all in the first place. The last few episodes where each character had something to offer to get out of situations was awesome, but the reasons why it was even taken place were so lost on me that it was hard for me to muster up the requisite fear to care about the end result, especially as it happened to characters that I didn't necessarily care as deeply about (Will/Riley). I figure this will expand in season 2, but I did think it was a bit of a missed opportunity to provide some semblance of a motive for the overarching plot in season 1.

All in all, I can see why this show is so polarizing. If you can't connect to the stories the characters are going through, you'll find this show maddeningly boring. Luckily, I did connect, as did my gf, and we love the ride.

[Pliskin]

On the other hand, I still have absolutely no idea what Whisper's goal is, why I should care that he's evil or why he's evil at all in the first place.

Well, the guy is

kidnapping people and brainwashing them to make an army of zombies he alone can control.

Isn't that evil enough for you? Or are you too in team White Walkers after season 5? :P

[AndrewJ]

What an interesting show.

It is profoundly different than most big shows now. Throughout the show you get the empathy angle loud and clear, and it comes across everywhere - but you also get something lacking in most tv - optimism. Peoples lives suck in many dreary ways, and there are some amazingly bad things that happen - but people are profoundly optimistic. Capheus was the best of the lot,

I have a feeling today is going to be a great day. :)

About Kala... (spoilers for the first 8 eps)

She annoys me a little. And I feel for her fiance more than I do for her. He seems like a really nice, genuine, decent guy who is doing everything completely right. But... I guess he's just not hot enough for her and she is tempted to ditch him for the hunky blonde stranger she's barely even spoken to.

I get the chemistry thing. But if the chemistry isn't there, I think you need to consider it before you agree to marry the other person, not after. (Yes, I do feel for her a little - with the whole family/cultural expectations thing - but I sympathise far more for him).

I guess the interesting thing about the show is that they did make him such a decent guy. Other shows would have made him an arse-whole who she is forced to marry due to family expectations. Making it a difficult choice is far more interesting - and I hope they don't drop the ball to reveal he really is behind a secret evil plan to tear down her temple and intends to keep her bare-foot, pregnant and obedient after the wedding.

My wife and I binged eps 1-8 yesterday (Sunday) and will no doubt finish it up over the next couple of evenings. Very enjoyable, so far.

[Spockydog]

Watched the final two episodes of this tonight. Absolutely loved it. This series has been a real treat. Yeah, it might have been a little slow to get going, but all that character and relationship building really paid off for what was a breathtaking finale.

The locations, the photography and the cinematic direction have all been amazing. And extra marks for the best ever use of Sigur Ros in film and TV.

Can't wait for season 2.

[Seventh Pup]

What the fuck am I watching!?

Out of curiosity did you finish it?

[Jace, Extat]

I have been physically unable to continue.

[Seventh Pup]

It's really hard to get into. I can totally understand how you could see it as impossible to continue. However if you do push through the finale 3 episodes are pretty great. Perhaps just skip to those?

[Seventh Pup]

It's a slow burn for sure. With the entire show taking place from the POV of the characters themselves, you have to care about them and their stories to enjoy the show because 7 episodes in, you still have no real visibility of the antagonist of the show and it's more about the slow burn of the characters discovering what is happening to them and going through their individual stories. I care so I enjoy it immensely but I can see others hating it.

For me this was the problem with Nomi in the beginning of the season.

She was the damsel in distress, but with no visible antagonist, and sense you just met her, it's hard to care, or at least care as much as you are supposed to.

I do think we are going to see some of the lost children come back into play

Calpheus' sister, and I can't help thinking that some how Luna might not be dead.

I do hope it gets a second season because I really do care about most of these characters now.

[drawkcabi]

Just finished season 1 this morning. Is there definitely going to be a season 2? I hope so.

So, like just about everyone else I had some issues getting into this show at first. I watched the first episode found the characters too many and information spread too thin to cling onto anything that made me want to keep watching. I watched this episode a couple weeks ago and then went on to other things. A couple nights ago I decided to give it another try.

I watched episode 2 and it interested me just barely enough to go onto episode 3. I think it's the last 10 minutes of episode 3that the show really began to take off for me.

I binge watched the rest of the episodes in 2 nights. JMS is hit and miss with his stuff, but as I went along in this series I was surprised by how many times my adrenaline got pumping at certain scenes and there were these great "Fuck yeah!!!" moments. It reminded me of my reactions to episodes of Babylon 5. JMS is hit and miss with his stuff, but I think his storytelling has a way of getting me pumped better than any other show writer.

My favorite parts had to be whenever one character got into trouble, I started chanting "Sun! Sun! Sun!" and then she'd show up and just deal out a major ass kicking each time. So great! Then by the end when each character were using their talents to best help the cluster, that was great too. But the badass Sun moments remain my favorite.

I love Capheus, the wonder he had for the environment he was in whenever he was visiting another sensate. The times he powered up to Van Damme though with the help of Sun or even Will were the best.

Wolfgang was pretty meh up until episode 10 for me. When he went after his cousin, that's when his character turned around and became very interesting. I didn't like Daniela at first. I found her too pushy and just wanted Lito to het rid of her, but as more of her character developed I really began to feel for her.

Will by himself was a bit dull, but whenever he's helping one of his cluster he becomes interesting. The romantic in me got kind of attached to his relationship with Riley.

I think I was most invested in Nomi's story first, always waiting for the POV to switch back to hers when she was being held in the hospital. After her escape the stories of the other characters started to be more interesting to me so they all sort of evened out and I was mostly involved with no matter who's POV was being covered at a particular moment.

[Mexal]

Just finished season 1 this morning. Is there definitely going to be a season 2? I hope so.

No word yet but given the reaction after people have finished the series vs the reaction from people early on (check out Sepinwall's almost revision of his earlier review after he finished it), I have to imagine it'll get a 2nd season. I mean, if Marco Polo can be greenlit for season 2, then this definitely should. Not only is it beautiful to look at it, it's incredibly unique and has been pushed into hyper drive now that the sensates are starting to understand the threat to them is real. Those set pieces at the end where the sensates utilized their skills to get through situations was one of the coolest pieces of storytelling I can remember.

Only one who doesn't really have any skills is Riley and I think we'll find out she's similar to Angelica.

Also, I'm getting the impression that Whispers is the "father" of Angelica, given his comments of "you're coming home".

[SpaceChampion]

On Rotten Tomatoes it's got an audience rating of 91% (from 1351 users), critic rating of 69% (from 35 critics). Quite a difference!