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. eva3si0n
    Jun 2, 2017
    8
    Sense8 differs from the majority of modern series in the plot. Here not 1 and not 2 active actions in a plot, and whole 8! Each character is well registered by screenwriters, at everyone the world and the life. The tie is untwisted very slowly, only to the middle of the first season. To understand motives of the main antagonist it turns out only closer to the season final. But WhispersSense8 differs from the majority of modern series in the plot. Here not 1 and not 2 active actions in a plot, and whole 8! Each character is well registered by screenwriters, at everyone the world and the life. The tie is untwisted very slowly, only to the middle of the first season. To understand motives of the main antagonist it turns out only closer to the season final. But Whispers simply cool antagonist. And as for LGBT content, there is a lot of it, very much there is even a lot of.… Expand
  2. scottNatlanta
    Mar 24, 2017
    9
    At first it was a little confusing. I think a little more back story would have helped, but as you moved forward into more episodes you really started to root for some of the characters. You could see that people from different parts of the world in so many different circumstances had something to add to each other that seemed to make them more "whole". I found the further along theAt first it was a little confusing. I think a little more back story would have helped, but as you moved forward into more episodes you really started to root for some of the characters. You could see that people from different parts of the world in so many different circumstances had something to add to each other that seemed to make them more "whole". I found the further along the episodes went the more compelling it became. I am looking forward to seeing the rest of season 2.… Expand
  3. Kaija207
    May 6, 2017
    10
    Love this series! Already can't wait for the next season. I never write reviews but had to for this series. First of all it is hard to find anything these days that isn't somewhat predictable. Sense8 is not predictable at all. You do have to pay attention especially in the beginning. I love the fact that this crosses so many walks of life. There are so many high impact scenes that ILove this series! Already can't wait for the next season. I never write reviews but had to for this series. First of all it is hard to find anything these days that isn't somewhat predictable. Sense8 is not predictable at all. You do have to pay attention especially in the beginning. I love the fact that this crosses so many walks of life. There are so many high impact scenes that I find myself on the verge of tears often. (I know, sappy). But it shows the impact that the series has. There is something here for everyone especially the open minded...… Expand
  4. XSydburn04
    Jun 6, 2015
    10
    This show deserves some love. It is not your typical TV show. The story is confusing from the first 3 episodes but it will grow on you as you continue. The comedy bits are funny without exaggerating. Here's hoping for season 2. Great acting from the whole cast. Lito and Sun are my favorites. Keep 'em coming!
  5. 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
  6. LinkIntoThePast
    Jun 7, 2015
    10
    I just finished watching all 12 episodes. I had absolutely no problem following the plot.

    Episodes 1 through 3 focus on character development, but still move the plot along. I really enjoyed watching Sense8. I rated it 10 / 10 on IMDb. Once the character development is completed the story builds to a breakneck pace towards the end of episode 12. The viewing time is closer to 10    I just finished watching all 12 episodes. I had absolutely no problem following the plot.

    Episodes 1 through 3 focus on character development, but still move the plot along.

    I really enjoyed watching Sense8. I rated it 10 / 10 on IMDb. Once the character development is completed the story builds to a breakneck pace towards the end of episode 12.

    The viewing time is closer to 10 hours and 30 minutes. The average length of an episode is around 50 to 52 minutes. Sense8 is more like a 10 1/2 hour film than a television series.

    Writing, directing, acting, production design, editing, sound editing, music arrangement and music editing are all excellent.    … Expand
  7. 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
  8. MrRan
    Jun 5, 2015
    5
    OMG ... what is this show.. The very 10 minutes were so good, I was hooked... then, every second after that was straight awful. God awful.. There was no focus.
  9. 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
  10. amerced17
    Jun 9, 2015
    10
    I am very surprised whit this show is super great absolutely love it I have never watched 12 episodes in 2 day I started watching it and I couldn't put it down can wait for season 2 they should make 24 episodes plzz love the characters I liteally want more espisod im not say much just watch it you wont be disapoointed some pople I f you don't like the show you cant please everybody!
  11. 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.
  12. Maladroit
    Jun 7, 2015
    5
    Dreadfully slow, with sprints of incoherent storytelling. We have the Mexico storyline, poorly acted and out of place and then the San Francisco one that just heightens what is left of any potential for the show. It is well filmed and given the locations makes it more intriguing, but not by much.
  13. 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.
  14. RandleR
    Jun 6, 2015
    9
    Having watched to Episode 5 so far I love the way this is unfolding as the characters become aware of their connections. Patience is a virtue with this series , it gets better with each episode
  15. ericdanes2012
    Jun 8, 2015
    10
    One of (many) things I HATE about network dramas is how cookie-cutter they are and how more often than not, they're these formulaic monsters where the plot changes from week-to-week, but ultimately, the plot ends by the 55-minute mark.

    I like series that are in novel format and I love stories with many diverse characters. Ever since I first read Stephen King's The Stand and It, I love    One of (many) things I HATE about network dramas is how cookie-cutter they are and how more often than not, they're these formulaic monsters where the plot changes from week-to-week, but ultimately, the plot ends by the 55-minute mark.

    I like series that are in novel format and I love stories with many diverse characters. Ever since I first read Stephen King's The Stand and It, I love stories with a large set of characters.

    Sense8 is unlike everything else and I love that.    … Expand
  16. beht
    Jun 9, 2015
    10
    This show caught me somewhat by surprise. It's pretty well useless to try to slap a genre onto it, and this is a good thing. The first episode was just nearly impossible to understand, and the second didn't elucidate much either. But then I realized after awhile that the characters and situations and sheer scope of this series drew me in with an incredibly emotional pull. Unique is a weakThis show caught me somewhat by surprise. It's pretty well useless to try to slap a genre onto it, and this is a good thing. The first episode was just nearly impossible to understand, and the second didn't elucidate much either. But then I realized after awhile that the characters and situations and sheer scope of this series drew me in with an incredibly emotional pull. Unique is a weak word to use to describe what's on offer here. You soon realize that it's not the narrative complexity that makes this show so fascinating, but the emotional complexity that makes it one of the most beautiful 12 episodes of anything I've ever seen.… Expand
  17. JuanAcevedo
    Jun 7, 2015
    10
    I have seen the whole first season by now and I believe it is absolutely brilliant. The scenography is completely amazing, the characters are perfectly construed and the plot is genius.
  18. QuidditchX
    Jun 8, 2015
    9
    My initial reaction for three episodes was WTF? But by the end of the season, I was kind of in awe of the whole thing-- it's ambitious and really made use of its central conceit. Treat the entire first season as an entire movie-- the first few episodes are just set-up.
  19. acg3884
    Jun 9, 2015
    10
    Such a new and novel concept for sci-fi fans. It took a couple of episodes to understand what was happening but once you grasp a hold of what the writers are trying to do it becomes a wonderful show to watch. By the end of season 1 you're absolutely hooked, the last episode shows you what the previous 11 episodes have been building up to. Not much of a spoiler, but episode 12 is awesome!Such a new and novel concept for sci-fi fans. It took a couple of episodes to understand what was happening but once you grasp a hold of what the writers are trying to do it becomes a wonderful show to watch. By the end of season 1 you're absolutely hooked, the last episode shows you what the previous 11 episodes have been building up to. Not much of a spoiler, but episode 12 is awesome! If netflix renews season 2 the writers can take this show absolutely anywhere they want to. Very much looking forward to the follow-up season. I've been looking for another sic-fi show to get hooked on for a while now, and this is the one.… Expand
  20. Magicleviathan
    Jun 9, 2015
    10
    Sense8 is one of the most amazing shows i have ever seen with a diverse set of characters that have different beliefs, religions, ethnicity and LGBT. They also all have amazing personality's i fell in love with them right away. the story is amazing, interesting and exciting i just cant stop watching sadly i have seen all of the first season and cant wait for the second.
  21. abigailw
    Jun 9, 2015
    10
    Sense8 is a hot sexy mess of a show. It’s got german safe-cracking, san-fran pride-parades, telepathic kick-boxing, a mexican gay telenovela, daily life in african slums, chicago crime-investigating cops, transgender hackers, bollywood dance-numbers, and psychic orgies. Yeah. Psychic orgies. And live births on screen.

    It’s also the closest thing to a movie/television adaptation of    Sense8 is a hot sexy mess of a show. It’s got german safe-cracking, san-fran pride-parades, telepathic kick-boxing, a mexican gay telenovela, daily life in african slums, chicago crime-investigating cops, transgender hackers, bollywood dance-numbers, and psychic orgies. Yeah. Psychic orgies. And live births on screen.

    It’s also the closest thing to a movie/television adaptation of Octavia Butler’s Patternist series that's been made. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Octavia Butler, she’s the only African American woman to have won the Hugo and Nebula awards for science fiction writing. As you might imagine, Octavia Butler had unique sensibilities about what a compelling science fiction story would entail; and one of the hallmarks of her storytelling is the theme of telepathy and telepaths, and her interest in issues of race and gender, which were all developed in her Seed to Harvest series. The first season of Sense8 is, very roughly speaking, a modern adaptation of Mind of My Mind, and with the Babylon 5 creator and Matrix directors at the helm, it’s obvious that this could easily be a 5+ season long arc, and go as epic as covering the entire Seed to Harvest storyline. And that’s what makes Sense8 groundbreaking sci-fi: it’s easily the best portrayal of telepaths in a sci-fi series ever made.

    The first season is 12 hours long, with the first four hours devoted to our telepaths slowly getting up inside each others heads; the second four hours being something of a psychic orgy as they figure out how to communicate with each other; and the last four hours is an operatic birth of telepathically choreographed action. And the telepathic choreography they pull off is *tight*.

    Sense8 is very possibly the culmination of the Wachowski’s career so far; and it’s great to see them take all the best parts from Bound, Matrix, and Cloud Atlas and incorporate it in this new series. The first season is definitely filmed with bing viewing and passive-viewing in mind. It’s Cloud Atlas meets Lost meets Heroes; with a 21st century sex-ed course mixed in; and dialed up to a 13 out of 10.

    Netflix and streaming television is arguably a better medium for the Wachowskis, and maybe they should have moved over to television awhile ago. Somewhere along the way, it occurred to someone that maybe instead of spending $100M trying to recreate 2 hours of special effects as good as the Matrix, maybe they should just spend $100M on an entire season and make 12 hours of television. And whoever made that decision should get a gold star or something.

    Be warned: the series starts out slow. By the Wachowski’s standards, excruciatingly slow. Yet intimately so. It’s obvious that they’re getting a chance to tell intimate stories, and do the kind of character development they’ve not had the opportunity to do before. If Cloud Atlas was a warm-up exercise; Sense8 is a 12 hour long sequel. Some people might be terrified of the prospect of sitting through a 12 hour long sequel to Cloud Atlas. But fans of shows like Lost and Heroes will feel totally at home.

    By comparison, Lost went through 24 episodes before they even introduced the Dharma Initiative; and went through 96 episodes before they explained what the Incident was in it’s penultimate Season 5. So, by comparison, that Sense8 only takes 4 hours to start getting into it’s action groove is entirely reasonable. Especially when the action sequences include bullet-time effects and special effect sequences inspired by the Matrix.

    Sense8 takes a smart editing technique from Cloud Atlas, in that each of it’s character’s story arc is a mini-genre. So, you’re very much getting 8 different mini-movies, interwoven with each other. The Wachowskis are pushing a new approach to storytelling using a new medium. The result of which is that the mini-movies in Sense8 provide something for everyone.

    Also, Sense8 has got some of the best portrayals of LGBT characters ever done in a sci-fi series; and is radically inclusive in terms of gender and race. It's entire premise is set up as a way to discuss issues around race, sex, gender, privacy, power, and social justice.

    Personally, after watching the entire first season, I'd go so far as to say that it's the Wachowski's best work since the Matrix. It's a different medium, and a different kind of story telling, so try watching it with an open mind. There are moments when it gets hokey and hippie-dippie with the "we're all connected" new-age vibe. But those are themes the Wachowski's have been exploring in almost all their movies, so it should come as no surprise.

    Oh, and did I mention the psychic orgies and telepathic kickboxing?    … Expand
  22. javidial
    Jun 10, 2015
    10
    I absolutely enjoyed watching the whole series in 5 days. I can understand that the show sometimes go a bit slow, but because you have the whole season to watch and it gets better and better, I think the show is visually beautiful, sexy. And the way the edit the show is very clever.
  23. 0405182a
    Jun 10, 2015
    10
    This show, for me is officially the best show I've ever seen! If you stick with it you will fall in love with it. Hope to god they make a season 2! It is Original, and very stylish! The action scenes are so will choreographed, and the introduction to the characters and the development of each character is amazing. Well done Netflix.
  24. 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
  25. zaziuma
    Jun 10, 2015
    8
    I went into this not knowing what to expect, but I came out of it surprisingly pleased. The show provides you with interesting characters, each with their own storyline, and all of them at decent to great. There are some unique things the series can do with the premise of characters being able to take over the others, sadly the first season doesn't provide that much of that, but when itI went into this not knowing what to expect, but I came out of it surprisingly pleased. The show provides you with interesting characters, each with their own storyline, and all of them at decent to great. There are some unique things the series can do with the premise of characters being able to take over the others, sadly the first season doesn't provide that much of that, but when it does, it really show the strength of the show.

    One thing I do wish they expanded more on than they did was the main story, as they kind of left that out of most of the episodes, only rarely coming back to it, but in the last few episodes they picked up on that much more, and they also finally got characters to meet up in real life (I wonder how interacting with people will work, they should expand on that in the future seasons!)

    There are some issues though, the main one being that at times, I find myself not interested in some of the stories and would rather focus on others, but the show at the very least doesn't focus too long on one story, so that is not too much of an issue most of the time, and it will generally throw something at you which makes you sit up in your chair again and go "oh crap!" It may also be a bit too slow for some people, there's a lot of talking, yet not much action, and since it's suppose to be part drama part sci-fi, you would expect more action. That being said, it once again does have great action scenes when they do happen, which do use the various characters, so that's nice.

    Overall, the first season is great, and hopefully they keep this up, I can't wait to see what will happen in the future, and Netflix has once again shown what great original content that they can produce.    … Expand
  26. Carmichael
    Jun 15, 2015
    10
    This show is amazing. It's true that the story unfolds slowly and you have to invest time in the beginning. But the reward is worth it. I've fallen in love with the characters!
    I would recommend everybody to give it a shot :)
  27. eljayson
    Jun 10, 2015
    8
    I loved this show, I care for each character and the concept is amazing, the production value and the amazing interaction in all these countries was also great. Also for the first time each country was treated with awe and respect something rarely seen in US shows. I applaud this effort by The Wachowskis, can't wait for Season 2.
  28. MovieGal2016
    Jun 16, 2015
    10
    Groundbreaking - gorgeous - interesting!! I loved this show. I'll admit that the first couple of episodes start out a bit slowly but the series is absolutely worth the patience required to stay with those opening episodes. Best television out there. Characters multidimensional and plot intriguing. Thank you Netflix for this great show! Way to go!
  29. Vadeinspace
    Aug 6, 2015
    10
    Absolutely astonishing. The fact that a multicultural, action packed, jauntily controversial and easily relatable show that appeals to almost every demographic out there, still manages to assemble acting, script, screenplay, atmosphere AND pace so good it almost makes you rip your eyes out wondering how the heck it isn't renewed yet. This series a breath of fresh air, I have neverAbsolutely astonishing. The fact that a multicultural, action packed, jauntily controversial and easily relatable show that appeals to almost every demographic out there, still manages to assemble acting, script, screenplay, atmosphere AND pace so good it almost makes you rip your eyes out wondering how the heck it isn't renewed yet. This series a breath of fresh air, I have never experienced such an articulate story with so many main appealing characters, without losing touch with every single one of them.
    I mean, every actor is hand picked and perfect for their role, proof of it is that you could write a series on each of them alone, and it would still sound good.
    My sincere congratulations to all the people involved.    … Expand
  30. Rex_richards
    Jun 13, 2015
    10
    Looks amazing. Very naughty with lots of rude bits and nudity. Very much written for adults, inasmuch as written with real maturity and subtle knowledge of the human condition. Kind of like a much much much better version of the leftovers with a 'evil sinister force' thing going on.
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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.
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  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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