What I’m Watching: Sense8

Sense8: Season 2, Episode 8 “What Family Actually Means” (B+)

In the time between when I watched the previous episode and this one, this show, which was cancelled after ending on a previous cliffhanger that I’ll soon encounter when I finish this season, has been revived for a closing two-hour special to wrap up all the plotlines (or at least a few of them). I’ve never known exactly where this show was headed – or even if the creative forces behind it knew – but the point of it seems to be to showcase people who have to overcome a great deal of adversity to be accepted for who they are. Nomi and Lito being recognized and accepted despite the different lifestyles they lead are obviously the most blatant examples, while Sun has her own literal uphill battle to fight and Kala struggles to fit in when she yearns for something more than she has. Capheus has always been pretty happy and exuded a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world, and now he’s moved up to something that I don’t think he ever expected. Seeing him in a suit is a strange thing, but there’s no denying the power of his speech and the relatability of what he said. While he’s playing someone else, Lito is engaged in a performance of his own, doing what he has to do to become accepted in a mainstream Hollywood. And, all of a sudden, in this show’s somewhat schizophrenic way, everyone is uniting to help Sun to take down her brother, fighting with something stronger than just a bit of fancy bartending.