Nonsensical: Sense8 Season 2

Sense8 season two is montage-powered dribble that only seems to highlight the self-indulgent world of the Wachowskis’. It’s a show with an unrealistic view of love, long and fruitless scenes, on-the-nose dialogue, and constant video montage (the wrong kind of show, don’t tell).

What I already knew from watching Wachowski films is that their idea of a perfect world is a 1990’s rave-culture utopia where there’s someone for everyone, there’s an abundance of mediocre electronic music, Neil-Breen-style hacking, and a dance party is always right around the corner. This world is no different.

I appreciate Sense8’s exploration of sexual identity via social commentary, heavy-handed as it might be in both seasons. It’s unfortunate that these themes are always saturated in melodrama, passive protagonists, and cheesy dialogue though. It takes away from the real struggle of people that are incredibly underrepresented in-the-real-world.

Their co-writer, J. Michael Straczynski, has had a more promising writing career if you overlook World War Z and a couple others, and I’ll always hold a place in my heart for Babylon 5. Without seeing his drafts it’s impossible to tell his contribution aside from a few Babylon type one-liners. Regardless, I can’t blame these writing faux pas on the Wachowski sisters alone.

Honestly, I just can’t imagine what editing Sense8 scripts would be like. If so many pointless scenes make in on-screen, I can’t fathom what they cut. In fact, so little happens in season two storywise that the finale feels like a midway point (or end of Act II) opposed to a story arc. Don’t even get me started on the “Happy Fucking New Year” special: An hour of montage without anything resembling a story.

Like many, I agree that the Wachowskis did well with The Matrix and V for Vendetta, though they were both taken (one stolen) from comic books. I was honestly hoping that after Jupiter Ascending stole a couple hours of my life that they might have one solid show in them. Season one was watchable, though not without issue. In the case of season two, there’s just no excuse for such terrible writing.

If this blurb seems harsh to the Wachowskis and Straczynski, I challenge you to try my Sense8 drinking game.

The rules are as follows.

Take a drink when:

Someone says, “I love you” or “I love you too.”
At the beginning and end of each montage.
Each time someone explains how they’re feeling.
Each time there’s a boring shot of all the Sense8’s walking together.
Each time there’s a sex scene.

However, drink responsibly, so probably it’s better not to play it all.