Sense8: Show Synopsis and Introduction

“I will burn this building down before I let anyone touch that beautiful brain.”

–Almenita

Sense8 is an American science fiction drama web television series created, written and executive-produced by Lilly and Lana Wachowski and J. Michael Straczynski. The first season, became available for streaming on Netflix on June 5, 2015, and has been met with generally favorable critical reception. It is notable for its presentation of LGBT characters and themes, winning the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series.

The plot revolves around eight strangers from different parts of the world who suddenly become mentally and emotionally linked.

The show aims to explore subjects that its creators feel have historically not been emphasized in most science fiction shows to date, such as politics, identity, sexuality, AIDS, and gender.

Capheus

A matutu drive in Nairobi trying to earn money to buy AIDS medicine for his mother. Capheus gets tied up in gang activity when his services are recruited by a powerful and corrupt business man.

SUN

Daughter of a powerful Seoul businessman and a burgeoning star in the underground kickboxing world, Sun is unjustly imprisoned when she takes the fall for her brother’s illegal business practices.

KALA

A university-educated pharmacist and devout Hindu in Mumbai living with her adoring family.

Kala is engaged to marry a man she doesn’t love because she believes it will please her father.

WOLFGANG

A Berlin locksmith and safe-cracker who participates in organized crime. Severely abused as a child, Wolfgang gets revenge on his biological family by stealing jobs with his childhood best friend.

The Cast Will

A Chicago police officer haunted by an unsolved murder from his childhood. Will’s role reflects that of a typical cis-gendered man hero complex, often stealing the spotlight with his plot line given a large amount of screen time.

LITO

A closeted actor of Basque background, famous throughtout Mexico, whom risks losing the love of his life by letting fears of coming out jeopardizing his career rule his life choices.

RILEY

An Icelandic DJ living in London escaping a troubled past, while getting caught in the aftermath of a murder. RiIey’s role is that of a more typical damsel in distress role, often needing to be rescued by Will and the others.

NOMI

A trans woman hacktivist and blogger, fighting for her life against her cruel,unaccepting of her identity, mother and maliscious doctor whom has alterior motives for Nomi’s healthcare and well being.

Neutralize sensates "Angel" Turing, aka “Whispers”: a sensate from an older cluster (which included Jonas) who becomes the "mother" of the new sensates' cluster as she activates their psychic connection.

the cluster Clusters, are groups of sensates. The cluster at the heart of Sense8 has 8 members (though clusters can be as small as 2, or as big as 12). Members of a cluster are born on the same day, and it is implied that they are also born at the same time.

Angelica

Once established, the bond between sensates builds up over time, to the point where members of the cluster can share and visit each other easily and understand each other despite speaking different languages.

“the mother”

“I feel like I’m losing my mind”

Will CHICAGO NOMI SAN FRANCISCO “There’s a difference between what we work for & what we live for”

“All beauty is temporary”

LITO MEXICO CITY

Around the World

“Death doesn’t let you say good bye”

“To stop feeling emotions, to stop wanting to feel them, is to feel… death”

RILEY LONdON/REYKJAVIK

SUN SEOUL “Some things in our lives are inevitable”

WOLFGANG BERLIN

“I would say the word miracle sounds particularly appropriate”

KALA mumbai

“I learned life and death are always so mixed up together”

Capheus nairobi A sensate from a different cluster helping the newly-born cluster of sensates.

Jonas “the guide”

Capheus

KALA

His support network: Best friend and partner in crime within his "Van Damn" bus service, &mother, whom is ill– but still tries to care for Capheus by cooking and showering him with love.

Her support network: Supportive and affection parents, as well as a best friend named Devi. They love Kala, and would do anything for her.

SUN

WOLFGANG

Her support network: Her kickboxing trainer, whom believes in her and wants her to succeed. She also has a loving dog, which she has to leave behind when she goes to prison for her brother’s indiscretions

His support network: His best friend and partner in crime, Felix.

They have been friends since childhood, and are like family to one another, always there for each other.

Who’s On Their Side Some Sensates have an strong home base, and extensive support network. Others, have no one, or disfuctional families that are unsupportive even abusive and borderline evil. Yet, despite this, these Sensates with the greatest adversities exemplify the greatest strength.

Will

RILEY

His support network: Diego, his police partner. He thinks Will is kind of crazy, delusional, and constantly getting himself in trouble– but despite this, he’s got his back and is willing to go out on a limb for him.

Her support network: Her father, her friend Shrugs, and Yrsa, a sensate from an older cluster. Riley’s family and friends love her, and want her to return to Iceland rather than return to London.

LITO

NOMI

His support network: Hernando, his secret lover, and friend Daniela, whom is a fellow actor. Daniela becomes part of their ‘family’ when she discovers Lito’s secret.

Her support network: Almenita, Nomi's girlfriend, who does not question Nomi for a second, and fights for her to the ends of the earth. Also, her old friend, Bug, and old hacktivist friend.

Situational Struggles revolving around place and physical circumstance.

Internal Struggles Individual emotional and/or psychological struggles of the heart & brain.

Capheus

KALA

His struggle: Super gangs and gang lords. Capheus stands up for himself against a local gang, and in turn, gets recruited by an even more corrupt crime overlord. Sun saves the day many times.

Her struggle: Entering a loveless arranged marriage she believes will make her father happy, and coming to terms with and accepting her feelings for Wolfgang, her fellow sensate.

SUN

WOLFGANG

Her struggle: Her manipulative brother, and absent father.

They let the corruption ofher brother volunteer herself to a jail term she’s not responsible for.

His struggle: Steiner, a jealous and villaneous mobster, is committed to destroying him after Wolfgang sabotages a robbery he had in store for himself.

Who/What They’re Against The adversities each Sensate faces are as diverse as their lives. Struggles of identity that begin to affect loved ones, and struggles of circumstance, both out of their control and self-inflicted.

Will

RILEY

His struggle: His alcoholic father, an ex-cop, whom is currently helpless and co-dependent. His co-workers also think his a little bit dilusional, as he suffers nad tries to work through a past trauma.

Her struggle: Gets tied up in a murder involving drugs and stolen money. She also believes she’s ‘cursed’ and that if she returns to Iceland, her family will get hurt.

LITO

NOMI

His struggle : In order to protect his friend Daniela, he must reveal his sexual identity, which he fears will jeapordize his career. If he does not, he loses his lover and beloved partner.

Her struggle : Her mother, whom is unaccepting of her identity and Dr. Metzger, Nomi's supposed doctor who works for Whispers.

Capheus

KALA

Capheus is generous and compassionate, and a kind heart and a compassionate ear. He truly is there for Riley in the depths of her grief. He also is excellent driving support.

Kala and Wolfgang are often in each other’s worlds as visitors. She is a listening ear for his struggles and troubles, and a source of love.

SUN

WOLFGANG

Sun is often channeling her kick ass fighting abilities to other Sensates. She does not let her time in her cell go to waste. She also is a great listener, and empathetic.

Wolfgang is quite occupied with his own drama, but is keen to visit Kala and give her his opinions about entering a loveless marriage.

How Many Sensates Do They Help?

There are Sensates, that while dealing with their own challenges, still find a way to be of aid to the others. While others, have struggles that only seem to accumulate, and are constantly needing the aid of the other Sensates.

Will

RILEY

Will is especially in tune with Riley and is often coming to her aid. He also experiences and almost out of body experience, and helps Nomi escape an invasive surgery.

While Will is in Riley’s world, she helps him feel wanted and feeds his ‘hero’ complex to some extent–which has been a point of contention and controvery in the show’s critique.

LITO

NOMI

Lito is also quite tied up in the unfolding of his own challenges, but uses his acting abilities to get Wolfgang out of a life threatning and quite impossible bind.

Nomi is extremely bright, and uses her intellect and intelligence to track down the intent behind the hunt. She also offers loving support to Lito.

Capheus

KALA

Sun helps Capheus defeat the gang on multiple occasions, and he’s visited by Sun and Riley on other occasions, where they have good discussions and share their troubles.

Kala’s conflicts are just arrising, but when needed, Wolfgang is there for her and offers emotional support.

SUN

WOLFGANG

Sun is often alone, and the one helping with her fighting skills. Her and Riley have one of the first Sensate connetions in the first episode.

Lito helps Wolfgang get out of a life threatening situation, and Kala, is his heart confidant and a source of emotional support.

How Many Sensates Help Them?

Who gets the most help and who needs the most help? The scales are not always balanced.

Critics and fans of the show hope that Season 2 will reveal a more balanced and fair distribution of screen time for poc characters like Sun, and Capheus, whom face some of the greatest challenges, as well as Kala.

Will

RILEY

Will plays more the rescuer than the rescued, until Whisper invades his brain, and Riley has to step in to save his life.

Often the most helpless, though having the largest support network in her life outside of the Sensates, Riley is often getting help from Will and the others.

LITO

NOMI

Nomi offers her emotional support while Lito is going through a break up with Hernando, and struggling to have the courage to come out.

Though definitely not helpless, Nomi becomes the most vulnerable when Whispers captures her via Dr. Metzger, thus she attracts the most help needed from the group.

Will and Riley have an immediate connection. The more they interact, the more it becomes apparent their connection could be romantic. A strong critique of the Sense8 Season 1 is how much in the spotlight the cis-gendered white characters have received.

Struggling with how he presents himself publicly, Nomi plays a vital role in Lito finding the courage to express his identity.

In a crucial moment of lonelyness and despair, Nomi offers her emotional support and helps Lito overcome his fears.

Wolfgang and Kala’s connection is instant, and has tones of flirtation. They are both challenging of each other’s life choices and actions, and help each other look closer at their own feelings. Wolfgang tries to protect Kala by telling her he’s no good for her, afraid his lifestyle is too violent for her.

Both facing the greatest physical challenges, Sun comes to Capheus’ rescue.

While the POC characters receive minimal limelight, fans hope that this will change in Season 2, and that Sun, Capehus and Kala will receive equal screen time to unfold their storylines more in depth.

Primary Allies

“The real violence, the violence I realized was unforgivable, is the violence that we do to ourselves, when we’re too afraid to be who we really are.”

–Nomi

“In the end, we will all be judged by the courage of our hearts.”

–Hernando

Visiting Each Others’ Worlds

In the beginning, the sensates are unsure what is occuring to them.

They begin to experience what could be compared to ‘out of body’ experiences. They are at first subtle. Will experiences the music Riley is spinning, Kala hears the rain in Wolfgang’s Germany while it’s a sunny day in Mumbai.

As their consciousness develops, and they begin to understand and grasp what is happening on a deeper level, each sensate begins to come to terms with this new eperience and develop relationships with one another on different levels.

As you can see in the following chart, with each character represented by a different color line, the sensates begin to enter each other’s world’s with varying frequency. Some characters are in constant flux, while other’s, may have lesser need to seek help from the other cluster members when the conflict in their immediate world is low.

Visits by Episode

Will Riley visits Will He hears her spin music in his head.

RILEY LITO SUN

Cluster Experience The cluster is born, and Angelica dies.

Capheus NOMI KALA WOLFGANG Full cluster experience

An introduction During this first two episodes, we get to know the characters’ individual story lines, as they slowly start to become aware of each others’ existences and lives.

Riley visits Will She sees Chicago and is amazed to be in America. They return to Angelica’s suicide.

Lito visits Sun They talk about her commiting herself.

Sun visit Capheus And helps him fight off the gang lords with her martial arts abilities.

Riley visits Capheus And experiences his neighborhood, Capheus visits her apartment.

Will visits Nomi Will experiences being tied up as Nomi, and gains greater awareness of the others.

Wolfgang visits Kala The shock stops her wedding, as she faints (he’s naked).

3 4 5 Kala visits Wolgang They sing karaoke together, and have ‘ a moment’.

Will visits Riley He experiences being suffocated.

Riley visits Will They have a beer together.

Will

Will visits Riley At home in Iceland.

RILEY

Capheus visits Riley On her airplane ride home, and he is amazed to see clouds.

LITO Riley visits Sun In her jail cell.

SUN Capheus Cluster Experience Sexual orgy occurs.

NOMI

Will visits Nomi And warns her of Whisper’s visit.

KALA

6 7 89 Wolfgang visits Kala In her bedroom.

WOLFGANG

Kala visits Wolfgang They almost kiss in the rain.

Kala visits Wolfgang And Felix in the hospital.

.

Riley visits Will And they kiss.

Lito, Will, Nomi Sun Help Rylie escape her situation.

Capheus visits Riley At her child’s grave.

Nomi visits Lito Helps him find the courage to get Hernando back..

Wolfgang visits Lito And helps him fight.

Cluster Experience Season ends with the cluster together and Rylie safe.

Sun visits Capheus And helps him fight the gang.

Capheus visits Nomi Helps her escape.

Will visits Nomi They plot Rylie’s escape.

Cluster Experience Experience Rylie’s concert.

10 11 12 Lito visits Wolfgang And helps him fight.

Kala visits Wolfgan And helps him escape.

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