Is ‘Sense8’ The Next Big Thing On Netflix Or Just A Confusing Mess?
Sense8 arrived rather quietly to Netflix. There wasn’t the fanfare around shows such Daredevil, Orange is the New Black, and House of Cards, which is strange because Sense8 comes from a creative base that bought us The Matrix trilogy and V For Vendetta, so dramatic is something they should know well.
Check out the official synopsis for Sense8 below.
“One gunshot, one death, one moment out of time that irrevocably links eight minds in disparate parts of the world, putting them in each other’s lives, each other’s secrets, and in terrible danger. Ordinary people suddenly reborn as Sensates.”
Sense8 premiered on Netflix on June 5, 2015, under their normal program format with all 12 episodes being made available at once. Netflix bills Sense8 as sci-fi and fantasy that is filled with dark, emotional suspense. But is Sense8 the next best thing to come out of Netflix or not? Well, the reviews are in, and here is the general consensus.
EW was a bit hesitant to say they absolutely loved it. However, they also didn’t say they absolutely hate Sense8 either. However, they did decide on the fact Sense8 appears to be a slow burner. The first few episodes of Sense8 appeared disjointed to them, telling the story of eight individuals yet not explaining how they were connected. Slowly information is revealed and there is a sense of the show starting to knit together better after that. They ended by saying they liked the way Sense8 is about “the optimism and celebration of the human spirit.”
The Wall Street Journal also agrees with EW in that the first few episodes of Sense8 are confusing, but, according to the creators, Andy and Lana Wachowski and J. Michael Straczynski, that is all a part of the their plan. They wanted viewers to be just as confused as the characters in Sense8.
Vulture decided to do their recaps on Sense8 in blocks of three episodes at a time. Can you notice a theme here? Yes, once again, Vulture has agreed with the others. Sense8 is confusing for the first three episodes, and as a result of this recapped this TV series differently to the normal episode-by-episode format. Vulture also found Sense8 worked best when “its characters hint at impending conflicts.”
Indie Wire was more aggressive in their dislike for Sense8 than some of the other reviewers. While they too saw potential, they also felt the show missed the mark in places, calling the show “baffling” and “deliberately complicated.”
However, they did also seem to want the show to succeed by stating, “If you value originality in your entertainment, it’s hard to not root for Sense8.”
Overall, it seems if you want to get hooked on Sense8, you need to be prepared to suffer through the confusion of the first three episodes. But if you do, Sense8 just might be the very next Netflix hit you have been looking for.
Have you watched, or are you planning to watch Sense8? Let us know by commenting below!
[Image credit: Netflix / Murray Close]
