Sense8: Demons

Episodes five and six feel like one story. While five was about connection and choice, episode six is about the repercussions of those choices.

Things start off rather sweet, with Will and Riley finally meeting in a bar. Actually two bars, one in London and one in Chicago. It is very meet-cute as they share a drink and talk about what is going on. Then Will has the great idea of entering his phone number into her phone and calling him. He even has Diego pick up, which confirms that this is not a hallucination, and that Riley has a strange accent that Diego thinks is hot.

The echo they heard was really interesting, because it means they were literally hearing the delay cell phones have between calls. It is generally only a few micro-seconds but when heard simultaneously it is obvious. So both Riley and Will know for sure that this is not just in their heads. Interestingly, Riley knows Angelica’s name and Will knows about Jonas. It’s little continuity details like that make these character interactions fun.

Unfortunately it isn’t all sugar and sweetness for Riley. When she returns home Nyx is waiting for her because Shugs gave her up. He looked a little ashamed, but of course a drug addict is about as trustworthy as his next fix. Nyx is no longer being nice to Riley, he does still seem to be attracted to her but that’s not going to stop him from getting back his money and drugs. Riley pleads with him, begs him to believe her when she tells him she gave away the money and dumped the drugs. Only it isn’t enough and he takes a plastic bag and tries to suffocate her.

Meanwhile Will is having a day. He meets Riley, gets called out by Diego who warns him to be careful and then starts a workout. Then he has a weird mind orgy with Lito, Hernando, Wolfgang and Nomi. Notably, Capheus and three of the women are not present for this. The sex is visually engaging, but eventually turns into a mass of jumbled limbs and frantic kissing, leaving both Will and Lito literally on the floor after having earth shattering orgasms. There is a small shot afterwards of Capheus watching Van Damme lift a bathtub and he clearly has those sexy vibes and looks vaguely uncomfortable.

So when Riley’s torture began, her terror and panic translates to Will, he starts to suffocate too and it feels very real as she gasps for air. He ends up in a bar fight with his fellow cops who are trying to figure out what is wrong with him, but thankfully Will takes over Riley and manages to get the upper hand on Nyx and his bodyguard, allowing her to escape. He’s now directly saved the lives of two of his fellow sensates so far.

Lito has a much better day as he goes to see a luchador fight with Dani and Hernando and they seem to be genuinely bonding. Dani seems to be seriously connecting to Hernando as he talks about the fight the same way he would describe a work of art, how the one fighter represents the demon, the fear we're afraid to face, at least until the other fighters dressed in white defeat it, otherwise they'll never know peace. I’m getting the distinct impression Hernando and Dani have more in common than Hernando and Lito.

Lito then has another fun scene with Sun as he is being interviewed and the reporter wants tidbits about his personal life, while Sun is being asked embarrassing sexual questions about her sex life by the prison medic who is leering at her with a really disgusting smirk on his face. It then crosses over with the reporter who clearly has a thing for Lito asking questions about his abilities as a great lover. It’s fun and uncomfortable and pits both characters together in another weird and mildly embarrassing way.

Capheus finally discovers what Silas wants and it is oddly wholesome. Silas has many enemies and needs someone to transport his daughter Amondi, who has leukemia, to get her stem cell therapy. While Silas is clearly a scary guy, the way he describes his daughter and talks about her is very real. The joy and genuine love on his face gives us the impression that he is a determined man, one capable of horrible things, but he's not a sociopathic monster.

The next day Capheus has to dump an entire busload, disappointing his partner because Silas chartered the entire bus for private use. Capheus then takes Amondi to her treatment in that huge, lurid bus. It is fun how they interact. He is such a sweet guy and she is a smart, witty child who has clearly never seen any of her father’s violent nature. I loved how Capheus reveals why he likes Van Damme, because the characters he plays represent someone trying to make the world a better and more just place.

Kala’s day starts when she wakes up and finds her entire family gathered around her bed having watched her carefully all night, which was hilarious. They were completely freaked by what happened at the wedding, which is understandable. Kala is clearly convinced that she has ruined her chances with Rajan and has another interesting conversation with Wolfgang while she tries to get dressed and finds his underwear instead of her own. He doesn’t think she wants to marry Rajan, but of course she protests, perhaps a bit too much.

With Wolfgang’s impression of her internal thoughts on the forefront of her mind, she goes down to meet Rajan. She sits down thinking he is going to dump her, but Rajan is head over heels for her and reframes her fainting as some kind of beautiful story they'll tell their kids about someday. It’s interesting how Rajan puts it, that she was overwhelmed by her love for him, when really she was staring at Wolfgang when she fainted. I really like how polite and accepting and so clearly in love with her Rajan, and how progressive he is, too. I loved his argument that it's unfair that her great grandmother couldn't be accepted for her cooking talents like her father has been with his restaurant when he uses her recipes.

Nomi doesn’t get a ton to do in this episode, but the way her apartment was tossed, their subsequent escape to Amanita’s mother’s place was harrowing. At least there is one good parental figure between them, with Amanita’s mother very welcoming and even accepting what is going on with Nomi. Nomi of course is concerned about losing herself, because the emotions bubbling up are seemingly random and connected to these other people. Will she lose a sense of self as this progresses, until they are just one brain with eight bodies? It’s a scary thought that hasn’t fully been explained. Although if Jonas and Angelica are a clue, then it seems as though they will remain individuals.

Sun probably has the worst day (save for Riley) as she has a very matter of fact news conference confessing to crimes she didn’t commit and then surrenders to the police. She is then arraigned and is not allowed bail. At least her father and brother look a little ashamed, which from the outside would be interpreted as shame over her actions. Her father more than her brother seems to have more guilt about this.

When she gets to processing, Sun has two minutes to strip and shower, goes through that uncomfortable medical examination and is then put in a cell to await transfer to the real prison. You can feel her sadness and humiliation through expression, while very internalized she has this need to express herself through the sensate connection so she seems to call upon Riley who has escaped to the sundial.

Their conversation is quiet and supportive. Riley shares some of her hash, and Sun explains that while she can taste it, the feeling is more akin to a memory than a real physical draw of smoke. I think in this case they visit because they're both suffering due to someone else's crime, but it isn’t about recrimination or accusation; they end up discussing their past. How Riley views herself as a hex, somehow responsible for her mother’s death. Sun feels the same, even though she lost her mother to cancer. Riley remarks that they are both safer now then they were before.

Bits:

Wolfgang has been naked for basically two episodes now.

Dani is taking pictures of Lito and Hernando having sex. That can’t be good.

Sun has a dream where she meets her mother and Angelica, who warn her that "they" will hurt her if they find out what she is: the future.

Quotes:

Kala: "You don't know what I want."
Wolfgang: "Don't I?"
Kala: "Okay, I don't know what is going on here, if – if I am totally losing my mind, or if one of the gods or goddesses is angry with me and has sent a demon. A dangerous pervert demon who never seems to have any clothes on."

Riley: "In Iceland, we have a saying. It's not the drugs that make a drug addict, it's the need to escape reality."
Sun: "I understand."
Riley: "Why are you here? If you don't mind me asking."
Sun: "I'm afraid I've just made the biggest mistake of my life."

Another strong episode with some brutal repercussions for Riley and Sun. The high concept of the show is finally starting to pay dividends, as our eight protagonists are starting to connect in deeper ways. We have two budding romances, some actual friendships starting to form and then Nomi who seems to be directly involved in whatever shadow organization is hunting them.

3 out of 4 Concerns, conversations and confinement

Samantha M. Quinn spends most of her time in front of a computer typing away at one thing or another; when she has free time, she enjoys pretty much anything science fiction or fantasy-related.

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