Like a warm cup of hot chocolate, the Sense8 Christmas special arrived to us all and provided a fun, but not all that necessary trip back with our sensates. After finishing the episode, I can recognize that this is very much an episode dedicated both to fan service and creative necessity, but I didn’t really care cause when this show succeeds it does so because of the strength of the character interactions.
What I mean by the above sentence is that this Christmas special gave the creators the perfect opportunity to figure out, in a short time span, how to advance the characters towards where they need to be in the second season, while also giving us a shorter wait till the new episodes finally drop. However, much of this episode felt like it was teasing bits and pieces of the various storylines and in these teases, it often felt a bit too forced. Particularly Lito’s storyline which, as is hinted in the trailers, shows him being forced to deal with the leaked pictures of him and Lito. It felt a bit too preachy and overdramatic at times, and though I was happy with the resolution, particularly given the appearance of a new character, I hope they can find the balance between cracking the whip on homophobic attitudes and cultures and having a nuanced personal discussion (the names during the car scene was laughable).
Kala on the other hand seems to have settled into an interesting place within the universe given how she’s now living her life, and her interactions with Wolfgang provide some much needed levity the episode needs. Wolfgang’s storyline might prove to be the most interesting in the coming season given the power vacuum left by his actions at the end of last season and the ramifications it’s already having on his life. Like many people I was wondering how the new Cepheus,Toby Onwumere, would fare (his intro is great) and while he does an admirable job, I do kind of see why Aml Ameen might have left the show cause that character doesn’t have much to do in his current setting.
The true emotional center of the episode were the twin pillars of strength Will and Sun, but for different reasons. Watching Will struggle with Whispers and getting a mini preview of their battles to come was the tense crux of the episode. Brian J. Smith gets some really fun acting showcases, vacillating between drugged out emotional state and showing us hints of the cop we know and love. Sun, played by my queen Doona Bae, is such a revelation of a character even as she’s stuck in jail. Whether kicking ass or sharing a new backstory, we keep discovering new layers to her, something I wish the other characters had a bit more of.
One final note is that the teamwork in this episode was aces, but I do think they need to finest the scenes with all of them fighting and or moving in the same space. It felt a bit less fluid than last season where every action seemed motivated.
Overall, I’d give this special a B-, not wholly necessary but fun nonetheless.
ALSO
SPOILER ALERT
YAAAAAASSSSSSS NEW ORGY!
God bless this show.