Sense8 Episode 2: "I Am Also a We"by Suzette ChanReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Network
Credits Grade: 6 Compared to the first episode of Sense8, the second is sparser and slower."I Am Also a We" features six storylines. That could be a busy agenda for other shows, but Sense8 takes its time. In this episode, major developments occur in Nomi and Will's stories. These storied worked very well because the danger they faced was imminent, and the obstacles speak to character. During San Francisco's gay pride parade, Nomi collapses after seeing the man who was with Angelica before she killed herself in the first episode. Nomi is subsequently diagnosed with Undifferentiated Frontal Lobe Syndrome. The symptoms happen to describe what Nomi is experiencing as a sensate, including an inability to separate fact from projection, leading to "the occlusion of [her] identity." The cure is a lobotomy. Amanita has no say in this because she is not recognized as next-of-kin. The biggest threat to Nomi's identity is not the tumour, but the medical establishment's narrow definition of "family" and her mother's gender essentialism. Meanwhile, Will risks his career by following up on his visions. His partner on the force is almost ready to dismiss Will's ideas until they notice an unexplained time jump of two hours in a CCTV footage of their investigation in the warehouse. Will is also concerned about losing his mind and losing his identity. (His father had turned to alcoholism after being shot on the job.) Things get complicated after Homeland Security tells the force that it's looking for Joseph, whom Will recognizes from his "hallucination." Joseph appears to Will twice: once in the flesh and once on the astral plane (for lack of a better word). Two stories are lightly visited. Riley, the London-based DJ, is still on running from murderers she had partied with. Wolfgang, the Berlin safecracker, is still in an existential crisis after his father's death and goes through the motions of life after pulling off a big job. More of the episode is spent on Lito and Kala's stories, which continue to be mired in cliche. On the bright side, there is an interesting twist to Lito's tale of a closeted Latin movie star, and Kala's arranged marriage story includes a Bollywood-style musical number. On the whole, the episode reminded me of decompressed comic book narratives: we are getting the boring bits that drama often leaves out. This works better in stories where details advance character, but less well in stories where the details dress up cliches. Written: June 20, 2015
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