Sense8

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Jun 5, 2015
Season #: 2, 1
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 873 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 705 out of 873
  2. Mixed: 56 out of 873
  3. Negative: 112 out of 873

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  1. Clarity321
    Jun 26, 2015
    0
    I liked the premise of the show but was quickly turned off by the lesbian porn scene in episode 1 featuring a dripping d***o. The surprise sex scene ruined an otherwise great series. Netflix should be more careful about mixing obscene material with programs that would otherwise work for most viewers.
  2. ejarn
    Jun 6, 2015
    1
    Dear Sense8 Writers:

    The energy used in an attempt to be socially relevant should have been spent on character development and plot coherence. The constant moralizing about gender and sexuality does not come across as cutting-edge social commentary, but as hackneyed, narcissistic moral preening. Can someone please find me a lesbian couple whose pillow talk includes the phrase, "happy    Dear Sense8 Writers:

    The energy used in an attempt to be socially relevant should have been spent on character development and plot coherence. The constant moralizing about gender and sexuality does not come across as cutting-edge social commentary, but as hackneyed, narcissistic moral preening. Can someone please find me a lesbian couple whose pillow talk includes the phrase, "happy pride." Does no one proof this drivel before it goes into production? The only explanation for the average score on metacritic is that, apparently, many mainstream reviewers resonate with some of this pretentiousness.    … Expand
  3. CartoonHead
    Jun 6, 2015
    0
    I could only stand the first episode, and that was straining me to my limited. Starts off well enough, after 30 minutes though it is painfully obvious it was going to be chock full of 'thoughtful and ambient' musical interludes and sweeping camera work.

    Can't really add anything else apart from saying it is style over substance and people who say they like it are like the fools in the    I could only stand the first episode, and that was straining me to my limited. Starts off well enough, after 30 minutes though it is painfully obvious it was going to be chock full of 'thoughtful and ambient' musical interludes and sweeping camera work.

    Can't really add anything else apart from saying it is style over substance and people who say they like it are like the fools in the story of the Emperors new clothes. Boring tripe.    … Expand
  4. Idiota150
    Jun 7, 2015
    0
    After first episode, just complete and utter uninterest. I don't care if it might get mildy interesting after 5 hours, I won't waste my time on this pretentious garbage.
  5. eagleeyeviking
    Dec 22, 2019
    3
    By substituting plot coherence and character development with inconsistent, unrelated individual stories, Sense8 is tedious, boring, and full of nonsense.
  6. Llame
    May 6, 2017
    3
    The series is very preachy and overloaded with useless explicit scenes that doesn't drive forward the plot or character development for "shock value".
  7. JERupp
    Jun 9, 2016
    1
    Even as a pretty far-left-leaning liberal, I found this show to be extremely preachy. A great deal of the characters fall victim to overacting, with barely relevant and often shoe-horned conversations that look about as organic as a cereal commercial. The tiny backstories couldn't possibly be more cliched, and the sub-plots are worse than what you would see in a Saturday morning cartoon.Even as a pretty far-left-leaning liberal, I found this show to be extremely preachy. A great deal of the characters fall victim to overacting, with barely relevant and often shoe-horned conversations that look about as organic as a cereal commercial. The tiny backstories couldn't possibly be more cliched, and the sub-plots are worse than what you would see in a Saturday morning cartoon.

    All-in-all, I was disappointed in this show, not to mention the earnest acceptance of its terrible-ness by people more interested in the agenda than a show worth watching. I've seen more entertaining political attack ads.    … Expand
  8. Athena1
    Oct 13, 2017
    0
    How to do bomb something with SUCH POTENTIAL so badly?? I have never written a review before, but for this i felt it necessary to give some honest feedback. The Sense8 plot was very compelling; i was hopeful and excited by the prospect of a show exploring psychic phenomena and the concept of telepathy and unity/hive consciousness. The reviews were positive, and seeing that it wasHow to do bomb something with SUCH POTENTIAL so badly?? I have never written a review before, but for this i felt it necessary to give some honest feedback. The Sense8 plot was very compelling; i was hopeful and excited by the prospect of a show exploring psychic phenomena and the concept of telepathy and unity/hive consciousness. The reviews were positive, and seeing that it was written and directed by same people that made The Matrix i thought, "surely these guys can't **** it up; surely they will it justice. I couldn't have been more wrong. They **** all over this unexplored and fascinating topic with a LGBT agenda that was out of place, so forced, so over the top and in your face that at times you forget what the show is really about. And if it wasn't some super pro-gay agenda then they were wasting time with side-stories that have no relevance to the main storyline and were so boring at that, like a bad rash distracting you from something real and compelling. They watered down the Sense8 concept with juvenile comedy and nauseatingly feel-good moments that were as sappy as they were unbelievable. The goofball sitcom side-stories and unrelenting pro-gay agenda did not fit with the serious story line. They could have flushed out the main story so much more, there was so much unexplored territory; instead they wasted hours on nonsense. Instead of more time spent with the 8 main characters and their situation, and how Sense8 works or how "clusters" are born etc., they wasted countless scenes on their individual (completely uninteresting) lives with their families, lovers, jobs, etc. Such a waste of a great concept. Disappointing.… Expand
  9. enwhysee64
    Jun 26, 2015
    1
    Yes , i really needed that view of the wet with KY strap on **** hitting the floor to advance the story line. Its as if this show was made for teen boys so they could get excited. Cheap way to get ratings.
  10. ogower
    Jun 19, 2015
    3
    First off, I was really pleased to see Brian J. Smith back. I loved him in SGU and he is great in this. However, I haven't warmed to this series. I found too much going on, with the series desperately trying to be so much and so 'right on' that for me, it didn't impact me as a story or as science fiction. I found myself watching each episode in small chunks as it didn't inspire me andFirst off, I was really pleased to see Brian J. Smith back. I loved him in SGU and he is great in this. However, I haven't warmed to this series. I found too much going on, with the series desperately trying to be so much and so 'right on' that for me, it didn't impact me as a story or as science fiction. I found myself watching each episode in small chunks as it didn't inspire me and although this might be something that I need to stick with, according to others, a great show shouldn't take this long to engage.… Expand
  11. drlowdon
    Sep 4, 2015
    3
    About half-way through episode four, upon realising that I still had no interest in what was happening on screen, I decided to give up on Sense8. People have told me that it gets better later in the series but if I’m still bored 3½ hours into a 12 hour season I really don’t care if it does. Throughout the episodes I watched we constantly jump around between a handful of characters andAbout half-way through episode four, upon realising that I still had no interest in what was happening on screen, I decided to give up on Sense8. People have told me that it gets better later in the series but if I’m still bored 3½ hours into a 12 hour season I really don’t care if it does. Throughout the episodes I watched we constantly jump around between a handful of characters and plots with virtually nothing too link them thus far. This in itself wouldn’t be an issue (after all Game of Thrones does a similar thing) if any of these individual stories were actually interesting or encouraged us to become invested in the developments but, whether it be the story of the Indian lady getting married or the homosexual actor hiding his sexuality, they all move at a snail’s pace with dull scenes consisting of dialogue that seems to ramble on about nothing in particular for far too long.

    My advice, don’t waste your time when there is far more interesting television available on Netflix and other streaming sites.    … Expand
  12. azeng
    Jun 10, 2015
    1
    Absolutely terrible. The Wachowski's once again deliver another ham fisted propaganda piece disguised as sci-fi. If you agree with their premise, you may overlook the bad acting, terrible dialogue, uninspiring camera work, and utterly predictable characters like a lot of people did with V for Vendetta. If not, well, you are stuck with the above, but with the added promise of some gay softAbsolutely terrible. The Wachowski's once again deliver another ham fisted propaganda piece disguised as sci-fi. If you agree with their premise, you may overlook the bad acting, terrible dialogue, uninspiring camera work, and utterly predictable characters like a lot of people did with V for Vendetta. If not, well, you are stuck with the above, but with the added promise of some gay soft core added in for fun. I recommend avoiding.… Expand
  13. ebouche3
    Aug 9, 2015
    2
    I consider myself to be a democratic socialist in the political spectrum and a pure libertarian on social issues so, to be clear, this is not an indictment on activism for the myriad of gender and sexual identities. That being said, this television show felt like a Wachowski brother/sister pulpit on transgender issues in the first two episodes.

    To be clear, I am very supportive of the    I consider myself to be a democratic socialist in the political spectrum and a pure libertarian on social issues so, to be clear, this is not an indictment on activism for the myriad of gender and sexual identities. That being said, this television show felt like a Wachowski brother/sister pulpit on transgender issues in the first two episodes.

    To be clear, I am very supportive of the agenda politically, but it felt ham-fisted and contained an enormous monologue that did not further the plot. If somehow a person achieves a superpower, I assure you that that person is probably not sitting around worrying about how to write a blog post about a pride parade, but either believing they are going crazy or freaking out elsewhere.

    The show is loaded with loaded cultural stereotypes, including such favorites as:

    arranged marriages in India,
    American jackbooted thugs in the security services,
    ignoring of women in Korean business culture,
    drugs in electronic music,
    unredeemable black youths vs. white police in American urban areas,
    effeminate, yet masculine, latino gay men (and an abusive Latino ex-boyfriend who just can't let go!)
    tribalism in East Africa, and, last but not least,
    Eastern European criminals

    I'm not trying to sound so plot-heavy, but there innumerably scenes that don't further any agenda. The show is belabored, but not in a way that appears purposeful. They appear to be hitting on what I like to call the HBO/AMC agenda: add a lot of sundry trauma to every character's past, make sure that characters' lives do not improve for a lengthy period of time, but, Sense8 differs in one way, every character's decision is black or white, which makes the moralizing that much more obnoxious, since it lacks depth.

    Also, while I cannot speak for other viewers, I could not care any less about any of the main characters. The most compelling was the policeman, who is the only actor I had recognized from before.

    God, spare me another moment of this show by bringing me a new Hannibal or Arrested Development.

    Also, what show needs 2+ minutes of a theme intro...    … Expand
  14. EdenEve
    Aug 11, 2015
    2
    I really, REALLY tried to get into this but after 3 hours of watching it just felt like it was all style and no substance. Visually slick, but the slow pace of plot and character development couldn't keep me watching.
  15. JupiterOne
    Sep 18, 2015
    1
    So really comes in "Sense8" not much over. Everything seemed overloaded. It seems you want to with hook or by crook, make epic television. This fails thoroughly.
    Gays, lesbians, Bollywood, a cute Negro, Spain is cluttered with ornamentation, a multifaceted loose German etc. Nothing but superficial clichés! Tragic clown. Are the Wachowskis Cosmopolitan, or want to be them of desperately?    So really comes in "Sense8" not much over. Everything seemed overloaded. It seems you want to with hook or by crook, make epic television. This fails thoroughly.
    Gays, lesbians, Bollywood, a cute Negro, Spain is cluttered with ornamentation, a multifaceted loose German etc. Nothing but superficial clichés! Tragic clown. Are the Wachowskis Cosmopolitan, or want to be them of desperately? It looks more like intentionally, rather than clever. Convulsively.
    Much has and looks unfinished. Spasmodic pieced together. Almost ridiculously naive and absurd. Other simply unclear. But one thing is clear: The Wachowskis are atmospherically neither Kubric, neither Lynch and no Fassbinder. And Sense8 no meat, no fish. Only a warm broth. Instead they tinker in border areas and it puts as much philosophy behind it like a potato recipe.    … Expand
  16. edicius4
    Jun 10, 2015
    2
    I feel like I'm watching Cloud Atlas as a less interesting TV Show.

    The story was nothing but a diatribe about new age spiritualism, much as the second and third Matrix movies were. It became a heavy handed pro-Buddhist, pro-LGBT, anti-conservatism. And I am not a conservative. But I want to watch something for it story, not to see to be told how smart and deep the writers and    I feel like I'm watching Cloud Atlas as a less interesting TV Show.

    The story was nothing but a diatribe about new age spiritualism, much as the second and third Matrix movies were. It became a heavy handed pro-Buddhist, pro-LGBT, anti-conservatism. And I am not a conservative. But I want to watch something for it story, not to see to be told how smart and deep the writers and directors are.

    And the close-up on the **** shinning and dripping in female vaginal liquids, after a graphic sex scene of the two lesbians, was unnecessary and disgusting. And I have nothing against gays.

    But would you show a close up of a used condom filled with semen after a man had sex? No you would not.

    Ignoring the preachy heavy handed and often didactic dialogue that just had to explain every philosophy and even what sen-sates are...it still had a boring and uninteresting story.

    How original; people from different background and places brought together by events in the story... like that trope hasn't been beat to death yet.    … Expand
  17. DakotaFred
    Jun 11, 2015
    1
    Meh. Started off kind of interesting, but after watching half of the first season I find it becoming a little boring and predictable as the story unfolds. Add to that the constant and completely unnecessary OTT gay sex and nudity... it all feels lacking and cheaply cliche to me. This recent trend of shows hammering away at viewers with the typical nude-gay-shock desensitization tactics isMeh. Started off kind of interesting, but after watching half of the first season I find it becoming a little boring and predictable as the story unfolds. Add to that the constant and completely unnecessary OTT gay sex and nudity... it all feels lacking and cheaply cliche to me. This recent trend of shows hammering away at viewers with the typical nude-gay-shock desensitization tactics is getting really friggin old fast. Netflix, you can do much much better.… Expand
  18. rdelee123
    Jun 9, 2015
    1
    fail... the characters I liked had lack of dimensions. Centralized on a few, minor characters, such as Sun, used as utility, like muscle or fighting. Lack of development for the more interesting characters, like Sun, Lito, and Capheus to name a few. Come on, Netflix. I hope that that was just a preamble. Why does Nomy have to cry all the time, or be put in that situation? Other thanfail... the characters I liked had lack of dimensions. Centralized on a few, minor characters, such as Sun, used as utility, like muscle or fighting. Lack of development for the more interesting characters, like Sun, Lito, and Capheus to name a few. Come on, Netflix. I hope that that was just a preamble. Why does Nomy have to cry all the time, or be put in that situation? Other than sensationalist plots that seem to be the focus, be they from sexual or highly unlikely scenarios, like lobotomies being performed in San Fran. in anti-homosexual clinics (?), and ethnocentric love-pairings, what else is there?

    God, such a missed opportunity.    … Expand
  19. crabapple
    Jun 19, 2015
    0
    Well shot with crap storytelling. Became a painful chore to watch at episode 3. It was not interesting and felt like they were just trying to fill the hours instead of focusing on plot and story. Each episode has at best 10 minutes of plot. More about characters breaking traditional social norms than sci-fi. Brings absolutely nothing new to the table. Was not entertained.
  20. Glen
    Jun 10, 2015
    1
    Senseless on many levels. Like so many previous Wachowski misfires, the narrative refuses to make sense, and it is obsessively larded with strong physical sex, both straight and LGBT. I quit after episode 2.
  21. marco34la
    Jun 10, 2015
    1
    This was the most disappointing series ever. The trailer made it look so suspenseful and exciting, yet it's a slow-moving bore. If you were a fan of LOST, you will remember how there were flashback stories for each character, filling in pieces of their history which helped us see who they were before they got to the island and or how they got to the island. Sense8 is basically 8 storiesThis was the most disappointing series ever. The trailer made it look so suspenseful and exciting, yet it's a slow-moving bore. If you were a fan of LOST, you will remember how there were flashback stories for each character, filling in pieces of their history which helped us see who they were before they got to the island and or how they got to the island. Sense8 is basically 8 stories cut together in each episode and sometimes they overlap. The trailers suggest OVERLAP... is the main feature, yet the series neglects to overlap enough to make the stories compelling enough. I struggled through 8 1/2 episodes, waiting, hoping, praying, that things would pay off and kick-in to gear, but it just didn't happen. Such a waste of time.… Expand
  22. chrisvb
    Jun 6, 2015
    2
    I'm not a huge fan. I liked most of the characters, but about half way through the second episode it just fell apart. It's a shame too because after the first episode I really thought this would be a great show.
  23. SheikhSteve
    Sep 22, 2015
    0
    I am sorry, I really wanted to enjoy this program, but I had to stop watching it as it just seems to be a LGBT mouthpiece and it really spoils the show. Stop ramming it down our throats and make a show that is representative of the population, instead of promoting your own agenda.
  24. geno95
    Jun 11, 2015
    1
    What a load of rubbish this is,ive watched 5 eps now and its still going nowhere,you need to grip yr viewers from the start,not bore them,loved the matrix,give this a miss,yrll feel yr life has been robbed of 5hrs plus,rubbish.
  25. Bo33y
    Jun 6, 2015
    3
    Typical Flix has great idea's reading better on paper.

    Ordinary people with extraordinary personalities, in extraordinary locations, compenstating for the lack of SYFI. Granted showing many mixed cultures, themes, however some of these are incredibly convoluted within a lot of ficton. Annoyingly the lack of SYFI, because any emphasis is focusing entirely on the characters, not much of    Typical Flix has great idea's reading better on paper.

    Ordinary people with extraordinary personalities, in extraordinary locations, compenstating for the lack of SYFI. Granted showing many mixed cultures, themes, however some of these are incredibly convoluted within a lot of ficton. Annoyingly the lack of SYFI, because any emphasis is focusing entirely on the characters, not much of a problem if there was more of a story behind driving them. rather than any hipster trends.

    Can pratically see season two, there are 8 lets kill a few, focusing on the other elements which haven't been given much thought, the pursuers, compensating, for all those 5 minutes of action found in each episode with the incredibly bad soundtracks played during that pacing.

    In truth I watched 1 and half episodes before fastfowarding watched parts of later episodes and the ending, it was naff

    The day Matrix + Babylon 5 equals "Touch" is the day I Firestarter

    Avoid    … Expand
  26. ignore78
    Jun 18, 2015
    3
    This was not good. Its slow and boring. The end sucked big time. The mexican story and the lesbian couple story was the most interesting. They played best. everyone else was mediocre.
  27. Catbird
    Jun 8, 2015
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was excited by the potential of the series and thought it might be similar in quality to the House of Cards. It was the pointless, tasteless, naked lesbian love scene (one reviewer says "transsexual", but how is anyone to know for sure?) and the indelicate disposal of the colorful strap-on-penis device that chilled my enthusiasm. We won't be able to continue with this thing. Sorry. The pay-off, whatever it may be, just could never be worth the moral cost of the optics. I am very disappointed with Netflix over squandering the opportunity of Sense8.… Expand
  28. KimSilverman
    Jan 4, 2017
    0
    I thought and hoped I would enjoy this. But I didn't get more than 15 minutes into episode 1, and I could not tolerate any more. All the scenes were too disjoint and difficult to follow. The editing and cutting was too fast, so that I did not get sufficient time to digest what I was seeing. This was perhaps supposed to make me think that the show is tasteful or artistic or tense orI thought and hoped I would enjoy this. But I didn't get more than 15 minutes into episode 1, and I could not tolerate any more. All the scenes were too disjoint and difficult to follow. The editing and cutting was too fast, so that I did not get sufficient time to digest what I was seeing. This was perhaps supposed to make me think that the show is tasteful or artistic or tense or bold or engaging or mysterious or something. But the self-congratulatory incoherence went on for so long that it was simply annoying. My guess is that this show is designed for an audience that has no attention span, no focus, no ability or desire to attend to something and digest it. I am disappointed to see so many positive reviews, because that seems to suggest there are many viewers who fit that description. If you are an educated and thinking person then I recommend you do not bother watching this show.… Expand
  29. Carole2
    May 16, 2017
    0
    Easily one of the most racist shows I've seen in a long time. It does such a great job at racial microaggression that if one were not paying attention, one might be fed endless negative stereotypes about black people without even being aware of it. Racist piece of ...
  30. ukusa
    Jun 20, 2018
    0
    Boring characters, bad writers....Nothing special.... I liken it to moving wallpaper.
  31. ossieschwul
    Jan 23, 2018
    1
    This is schlock. If you want to see LGBT issues handled with subtlety, complexity, and finesse, watch Max Riemelt in ‘Free Fall’. He’s a fine actor, and he’s wasted as a just one more cartoon cut-out in Sense 8. Or observe how gay issues are dealt with in the Israeli production ‘Out in the Dark’. That’s another good film that approaches LGBT issues with intellect and respect for theThis is schlock. If you want to see LGBT issues handled with subtlety, complexity, and finesse, watch Max Riemelt in ‘Free Fall’. He’s a fine actor, and he’s wasted as a just one more cartoon cut-out in Sense 8. Or observe how gay issues are dealt with in the Israeli production ‘Out in the Dark’. That’s another good film that approaches LGBT issues with intellect and respect for the viewer. Sense 8, however, is one of the clumsiest propaganda films that I have ever seen. Rather than generating sympathy for the LGBT community, I am convinced that the gay-bashing Westboro Baptist Church must have corroborated on this film. The clichés and heavy-handed condescension are utterly alienating. It will generate nothing but contempt for the LGBT community. It has the subtlety of Hitler’s blitzkrieg into Poland. And the ‘multi-cultural diversity’ is equally contrived and phony. I watched with the constant fear that the oh-so-perfectly-multi-cultural-multi-racial cast might suddenly come together and start singing “We Are the World”. There are a lot of good films and TV series that handle gay issues with grace, sophistication, and intelligence. This propaganda epic is more like a sledgehammer beating you over the head until your migraine makes you suicidal. I’ll take Leni Riefenstahl any day of the week over this inept polemic. Oh, and is there a science fiction plot in there somewhere? Really? I keep missing it. I can’t wait for ‘Free Fall 2’ to come out. Max Riemelt is too good for this maladroit indoctrination banality. I didn’t enjoy Sense Hate. That's all it will promote.… Expand
  32. Torc
    Jun 20, 2018
    3
    Would love to have rated it a 10, but since they pulled a Fox Firefly bonehead move and cancelled it, I have to say no.

    At the true end of season 2, Episode 11, there are a ton subplots going on. It ends in a big cliffhanger, and then they cancelled the show. They did a good job throwing us a bone with a 2 1/2 hour "wrapup" episode (the newly released episode 12), but it's still    Would love to have rated it a 10, but since they pulled a Fox Firefly bonehead move and cancelled it, I have to say no.

    At the true end of season 2, Episode 11, there are a ton subplots going on. It ends in a big cliffhanger, and then they cancelled the show.

    They did a good job throwing us a bone with a 2 1/2 hour "wrapup" episode (the newly released episode 12), but it's still rushed and only half satisfying. They basically had to cut all the subplots and just shoot for finishing up and making us feel nice.

    It did feel nice to have closure, but since this would have been one of the best shows ever made (most expensive as well, the reason they cancelled it), and it's now downgraded to an amazing show with half an ending, I can't really recommend it anymore.

    Too bad, Netflix would have had a powerhouse with this, now they just have a reason to point at Executives and tell them they are idiots.

    Firefly 2.0.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Most Discussed TV Season of 2015
47
#47 Most Shared TV Season of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
64

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 24
  3. Negative: 1 out of 24
  1. The Atlantic
    Reviewed by: David Sims
    May 9, 2017
    80
    It can lead to indulgent storytelling, but in the case of a series like Sense8, real artistry, too.
    Read full review
  2. Vox.com
    Reviewed by: Emily VanDerWerff
    Jun 11, 2015
    70
    Sense8 is a show forever trapped between two things--its core artistic impulses and its need to over-explain everything that happens within its confines. That makes it at once beautiful and maddening, either a complete travesty or a whacked-out masterpiece--and sometimes both in the same scene.
    Read full review
  3. Reason.com
    Reviewed by: Glenn Garvin
    Jun 5, 2015
    70
    The ultimate paradox of Sense8 is that it can give away so little about its ultimate destination in three hours of screen time, and still be seductive enough to make hour four an attractive proposition.
    Read full review
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