What's Going On?

[rionaleonhart]

The trouble with Sense8 is that there are too many characters. A full hour is a long running time for an episode, but it's still not enough to give even ten minutes to each storyline if you've got eight separate stories running at once. I have to wonder whether the number of main characters was chosen purely for the sake of the pun. It should be called Sense6.

The great thing about Sense8 is that 'characters feeling like they're slowly losing their minds' is something that always fascinates me in fiction, and it's the case with almost every character in Sense8. There are definite parallels to be drawn with the Bleeding Effect of Assassin's Creed, i.e. my absolute favourite concept in the Assassin's Creed series.

I also love seeing a group of disparate characters slowly getting to know each other after being thrown together by chance (it's something that crops up in the Dangan Ronpa games and a lot of RPGs), which makes this doubly great. I get so excited whenever the sensates(?) actually interact. I like them all (even Wolfgang, who probably took the longest to grow on me but got me in episode four) and, to be honest, I sort of 'ship them all as well. Eight-way long-distance telepathic relationships are probably fairly complicated to maintain, but I'm sure they'll manage somehow.

I've never had an OT8 before. It's fun! It'd probably be a nightmare to write fanfiction for, though. Not that I'm at the stage of writing fanfiction for it. I'm just musing.

There was one point in the third episode where I thought, Man, is this going to be one of those series where everything is bleak and awful and just keeps getting bleaker and more awful forever and everyone's helpless to stop it? Because I'm not sure I'm in the mood for that. And then Capheus stood up and went 'I'M GOING TO FIX THIS' and actually did fix it (with Sun's help). This is a show where good things can happen and most of the characters seem to be decent people, and I'm finding it oddly refreshing. I suppose the television dramas I usually get into can be a little miserable. Sense8 does have its fair share of misery, but I really like that the characters tend to go 'right, what can we do to make this situation less miserable?' and take action.

And then came the fourth episode, which made me smile so much. The world in general needs more sexy playful telepathic karaoke sessions.

I'm really curious about whether anyone in the cluster is going to recognise Lito. It's possible he's not that well known as an actor outside Mexico, but the reporter did say he'd been voted one of the sexiest men in the world.

So, yes, six episodes in I can say that Sense8 firmly has my attention! The concept is fascinating (and deeply weird), and I very much hope it spawns thousands of fascinating (and deeply weird) AUs in every fandom. If you have Netflix access and you're in the mood for something ridiculous, it might be worth taking a look! (Be aware that there's a fair bit of sexual content, just in case you'd rather people didn't walk in on you watching a screen filled with breasts.)

Comments

[adraekh.livejournal.com]

I actually just learned that this show existed on Thursday, when one of my friends promptly started talking about it nonstop for 45 minutes.

The premise sounds really interesting. I can't help but think it would be better executed through writing rather than through visual media, though (speaking as someone who has seen zero episodes, and probably won't watch it; it sounds far too depressing for me). The fanfiction will probably be marvelous for that very reason, I'm sure. XD

[rionaleonhart]

The premise is basically exactly what I want out of fiction. I'm not riveted by all of the subplots, but I'm so, so happy about the basic 'eight strangers are gradually drawn together whilst simultaneously feeling like they're losing their minds! also at one point half of them psychically bang in a hot tub' concept. It's interesting to see how the 'sharing each other's experiences' thing is represented on the screen, and it'd actually be quite tricky to reproduce in text; I'm curious about how the fanfiction will manage it.

[wolfy-writing.livejournal.com]

I can't remember if I've never heard of this show or if it's slipped my mind until now, but either way, WANT!

[rionaleonhart]

It's quite likely you've never heard of it; all the episodes were released simultaneously on the fifth of June, so it's only been around for a week! There are definitely aspects of it that might interest you.

[wolfy-writing.livejournal.com]

So far, what I'm hearing is:
- Something a lot like the bleeding effect
- Dark and traumatic things happen to characters
- Characters try to step up and do something about the badness, and at least sometimes it works
- Sexy playful telepathic karaoke. (Seriously, it would not have occurred to me to put those four words together, but someone did, and it sounds awesome!)

...yeah, there are definitely aspects that appeal.

[ruuger]

This is a show where good things can happen and most of the characters seem to be decent people, and I'm finding it oddly refreshing.

Yes! This is one of the things that I most liked about the show. It seems that these days everything on TV is the same cynical everyone-is-a-bastard, and it was so refreshing to get characters who are optimistic and take the world in a stride.

(one of my favourite moments was Daniela's unexpected reaction to finding out that her 'boyfriend' was gay :D)

[rionaleonhart]

There's definitely room for more of that on television! It's something that struck me about Community as well; it's a surprisingly warm and uncynical sitcom, and I think that's part of what makes it so watchable.

(The whole Lito-Hernando-Daniela dynamic is fascinating. She's perhaps a little overenthusiastic, but the narrative is far kinder to her than I expected.)

[suzie-shooter.livejournal.com]

Not that I'm at the stage of writing fanfiction for it.

...I give it a week, tops.

[mirabehn.livejournal.com]

I love it so much! (I think it's possibly an OT10 or OT11 for me, because there's no way I'd want Amanita and Hernando excluded (they're two of my favourite characters, and Hernando reminds me so much of mirrorshard :-) ), and Daniela definitely grows on me over the series.)

The reviews have been exceedingly mixed, but I think it's been viewed a *lot*, so hopefully there'll be no obstacles to a second series. :-)

[rionaleonhart]

I'd definitely be up for making it an OT10-or-11! Particularly involving Amanita, who is possibly the best girlfriend anyone has ever had. I also suspect she'd be very open to getting involved with this ridiculous clusterfuck (tee hee) of a relationship.

Fingers crossed for a second series!