[flea]

Great news.

[worry]

Yah, can't wait to watch SENSE9!

[Abyss]

Ep 8... That bike chase... Fuck!

[Abyss]

Finally finally finished SENSE8 season one.
There was a lot to like about this series... it floundered in a few places, but overall it was 'human epic' sf, nicely done and very nicely presented.


Let's get the flounders out of the way first...

Gratuitous lesbian sex... look, ok, i get it, you need something to keep the teenage boys interested between fight scenes... but there were entire episodes where Noomi's entire plotline consisted of her and her girlfriend banging, and that was just lame if not condescending as fuck to the audience and disrespectful to an otherwise interesting character.

Kala's entire plotline... look, the Indian Wedding Story thing was cute for about as long as it took for a spontaneous dance number to break out, but it didn't need nearly as much time as it got, and the religious conflict plotline with her father-inlaw was so half-assed as to border on nonsense(8)ical. There were hints of a larger plotline with the pharmaceutical company that went nowhere and wasted more time. Also, up until the very last episode, Kala was by far the most useless member of the sense8 and it showed despite the occassional efforts to make her seem like their 'heart' or something. That said, i can forgive a lot for her molotov-curry-cocktail saving Wolfie's ass in the finale, because that was awesome. And i did enjoy her interactions with Capheus where both actors nailed the sense of wonder at what they were doing.

Whispers... i liked the idea of a natural predator that hunts sense8s, but the plotline was so vague and all over the place.... dont look in his eyes, he possesses people, he's a gov conspiracy... that it was hard to give him much credit as the Big Bad. And the little twist at the end where he looked in Will's eye's was phenomenally contrived, even if it did prompt Riley to snap out of it.

Lito's plotline ran way too long and was way too predictable.


Now the good...

Great cast who really sold their roles. I can't say anyone didn't nail their part. Kudos to casting and the Warchoskies for getting the most out of their cast.

Lito made a fairly predictable plotline wholly enjoyable, his supporting cast were great. He had some of the funniest moments in the series and also i want his entire wardrobe.

Will totally sold his cop role and could play for laughs.

Wolfgang started as one thing and gradually showed us more very nicely.

Capheus... i was so sceptical about his storyline but it worked so very nicely, even if i didn't by to crime lord's heel/face turn at the end.

Noomi manages to run a fun hacker plotline, a wholly interesting transgender story, and a love story all together. She was the star of more than one episode (THAT BIKE CHASE!).

Riley wasn't nearly the victim i thought she would be. Her plotlien was surprisingly compelling, if predictable. Her dad was way way too cute.

Kala... see above. Made my teeth itch for most of the season but salvaged mostly.

Sun.... SUN KICKED SO SO MUCH ASS HOLY FUCK. And her family corporate plotline was WHATEVER SHE KICKED SO MUCH ASS.


Naveen Andrews is always a pleasure to watch and i enjoyed how he seemed to be playing all sides. Daryl Hannah was wasted and looked it.

Overall, great Netflix this. Am totally in for season 2.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 20 October 2015 - 02:49 PM, said:

Gratuitous lesbian sex... look, ok, i get it, you need something to keep the teenage boys interested between fight scenes... but there were entire episodes where Noomi's entire plotline consisted of her and her girlfriend banging, and that was just lame if not condescending as fuck to the audience and disrespectful to an otherwise interesting character.

Actually, the lesbian sex scenes (and remember that Nomi is both a transgendered character AND actor) are almost certainly that of Lana Wachowski (also transgendered) who is a big fan of showcasing sex on screen as a way to de-taboo-ify it, and do so with a progressive non-hetero view to boot.

She has spoken about it since her and her brother made BOUND. It's not just about lesbian sex, but sex in general. That's why Lito and Hernando's scenes are just as graphic and numerous.

And Amanita's plotline is FAR more than you've professed. She's the emotional heart at the center of all this. She questions NOTHING. Nomi tells her she can hear other people and converse with them...Amanita doesn't blink she accepts. Her partner is basically imprisoned in a hospital and Amanita doesn't REST until she finds a way to free her. Nomi references and dips into her old hacker life and asks to go do basically highly illegal things...Amanita once again doesn't blink and steps up to help. People start to get killed, and she doesn't freak out, she doubles the fuck down and badasses her way through the events of the latter episodes in full partner hacker mode.

Nomi and Amanita's relationship is arguably the TRUEST love story in the whole show. There is no reason to not display the sexual aspect of that love, when they display the rest of it.

But yeah, it's unfair to say "but there were entire episodes where Noomi's entire plotline consisted of her and her girlfriend banging". That's not true at all. I challenge you to find me an episode where that is the case.

[QuickTidal]

Briar King, on 20 October 2015 - 05:46 PM, said:

What? I loved Kala! I agree that dance shit was crazy stupid and was just long. I couldn't watch next ep for like 3 days cause it just stumped all my interest and a needed a cool down.

Agreed. I loved Kala as well. Her plotline was very interesting culturally, and then to have it juxtaposed with a severe German cultural one...well that just made it pop.

[worry]

I liked Kala too. I do kinda agree that the religio-political element was underwritten (you get pretty much just enough to connect the dots, but at least it spans several episodes...lotsa truly bad shows would have done it all in one episode), but I enjoyed everything else about it. There's a daydream quality to it, and the fact that it's pretty low stakes for most of the season is good contrast with the rest. Maybe it's the low stakes that bored you? I just think she was given the room to find the romance in their situation (I mean that in the non-literal, non-Wolfy sense) while everyone was dealing with some pretty chaotic stuff.

[A Demon Llama!]

The show isn't bad but the problem is that as a stand alone season it actually doesn't tell anything very interesting. Its obviously relying on the following seasons for it to get anywhere and is setting everything up right now.

[Abyss]

Amanita was amazing and I loved her and Nomi's subplots for the most part - their run as detectives was sort of silly- but...

QuickTidal, on 20 October 2015 - 03:02 PM, said:

....nd it's unfair to say "but there were entire episodes where Noomi's entire plotline consisted of her and her girlfriend banging". That's not true at all. I challenge you to find me an episode where that is the case.

... Go rewatch the episode that ended with the fireworks display.

[Abyss]

worry, on 20 October 2015 - 10:46 PM, said:

I liked Kala too. I do kinda agree that the religio-political element was underwritten (you get pretty much just enough to connect the dots, but at least it spans several episodes...lotsa truly bad shows would have done it all in one episode), but I enjoyed everything else about it. There's a daydream quality to it, and the fact that it's pretty low stakes for most of the season is good contrast with the rest. Maybe it's the low stakes that bored you? I just think she was given the room to find the romance in their situation (I mean that in the non-literal, non-Wolfy sense) while everyone was dealing with some pretty chaotic stuff.

It was mostly her not love being reiterated. The audience got the point, didn't need to be beaten over the head with it.
I did enjoy her interaction with the rest of the cast tho.

[worry]

Ah I hear you. I just didn't mind it, and even kinda liked that it was a struggle because the fiance wasn't a bad guy. I do think it's kinda funny that with all the crazy stuff that was happening all season, THIS is one of the stories that didn't get resolved and will presumably follow into Season 2 (and beyond?!?).

[worry]

I wasn't worried. Netflix is generous to a fault with its shows. Like, it gave Lilyhammer and Hemlock Grove multi-season runs and besides paid critic I've heard of exactly 0 people who've watched either one. And the Wachowskis might be Netflix's highest profile team-up, if you don't count the Marvel machine (even though as I understand it, corporations are people, my friend).

[QuickTidal]

Lots of info on Season 2, including Aml Ameen (Capehus) leaving the production (apparently he had creative differences with what was being asked of him and didn't want to compromise the production or his own goals in his career) and his replacement. And Lilly Wachowski taking time off for S2 [she recently came out as transgender and is taking time her herself as a result] while her sister Lana take the reins with Straczinski. Sounds like a humdinger of a season in the works!

[Abyss]

So SO psyched for this. Wish I had time to rewatch S1.

Love the notion that they are hunting Whispers.

Will be interesting to see how the new actor settles in as Capheus. Not surprised they recast, the concept doesn't really allow for writing out characters suddenly.

[QuickTidal]

Comes back Dec 23rd for a Christmas special, and ten new eps in may!!!

[Vengeance]

death rattle, on 21 October 2015 - 03:48 AM, said:

I wasn't worried. Netflix is generous to a fault with its shows. Like, it gave Lilyhammer and Hemlock Grove multi-season runs and besides paid critic I've heard of exactly 0 people who've watched either one. And the Wachowskis might be Netflix's highest profile team-up, if you don't count the Marvel machine (even though as I understand it, corporations are people, my friend).

I watched the first season of both. Lilyhammer was better. But both were kind of bla

[Abyss]

I enjoyed most of it.


SPOILERS


SPOILERS

SPOILERS FOR SENSE8 S2 CHRISTMAS PREMIERE EP


SPOILERS

The interactions between the 8 are beginning to blend nicely and also vary more than in s1. Little things like Lito thanking Wolfie for picking the lock, Kala never having seen snow before, or Sun listening in on Capheus discussing her were just really nice human touches. The fight scenes were awesome... Sun bailed Wolfie out which answers that question everyone was wondering about.
Other elements felt like they were being stretched for fill... the party scene ran too long, the orgy went from clever artsy to gratuitous, Kala's entire marriage plot makes my teeth itch ( the sex scene with Wolfie was v funny, the penis injury was just stupid), a lot of Riley and Will's plot felt like the had to show us what they were up do but didn't want to actually advance very much.
The supporting cast are pretty great, Lito's mom was awesome, Amanita's dads too, Felix is having way too much fun, Hernandez and Daniela bounce off each other and Lito wonderfully. Everything happening to and around Capheus is a fun watch... no issues with the new actor, I think he'll be great.... new barber... heh.
I haven't quite made up my mind about Mr Whispers as a bad guy, nor whether there's a point to Daryl Hannah still being in this other than that she is Daryl Hannah.

All in all solid semi return for the series. I'll be looking fwd to S2 even more now.

[Stormcat]

The Christmas special was so good and emotional. I am going to binge watch season 2 this weekend.

[Abyss]

S2, ep3... the fight in the prisoner basement.
Holy.

Fuck.
Holy fucking fuck.
That was... that... the fuck did I just watch the best fight scene ever three times....

THAT WAS INSANE.
...watching it again, rtf now.

[QuickTidal]

Finally the wife and I got a chance to start binging S2, and thought we are only 4 eps into it (post-Xmas ep) we are LOVING it. So amazing. Abyss is right, that prison fight scene was insane.

Goddamn, I love the hell out of this show!