2-12. Amor Vincit Omnia

One last ride for the Cluster...

Running Time: Approx. 151 minutes. Written by: Lana Wachowski, David Mitchell, Aleksander Hemon. Directed by: Lana Wachowski.


THE PLOT:

Wolfgang is now a prisoner of BPO - But Will organized the other sensates into responding forcefully, infiltrating BPO and taking Whispers and Jonas hostage. Now hiding with their prisoners in Paris, the group is organizing an exchange. They know BPO will double-cross them as soon as the exchange is complete, and have a plan to complete the trade and escape.

That plan is threatened by several outside parties. River El-Saadawi (Amira Ghazalla), daughter of BPO co-founder Ruth El-Saadawi, reaches out to the group to tell them that Whispers is the sole pilot for BPO's drone program, and urges them to kill Whispers even at the cost of Wolfgang's life. Other sensate clusters, under the guidance of a woman known only as "The Mother" (Urusla Jones), take direct action to interfere with the exchange.

Meanwhile, BPO turns up the pressure by instigating a purge of known sensates worldwide. Jonas takes advantage of the confusion to escape, leaving Will's cluster to wonder whose side he might be on. And into the chaos strides Lila Facchini (Valeria Bilello), the sensate assassin who turned Wolfgang over to BPO. She appears to be working for them - But she has an agenda all her own, one that will soon put them on a collision course with the mysterious BPO Chairman (Stephen Boxer).


CHARACTERS:

It's the nature of the beast that a movie will have a narrower focus than an ongoing series. I figured relatively early in the series' run that the finale would inevitably center around the BPO arc, meaning that the regulars least involved in the BPO arc - Capheus, Sun, and Lito - end up getting less to do than the other five. Sun at least gets a few good action scenes and a love interest, but Capheus is reduced to little more than the team's designated driver, while Lito is basically comedy relief. Lito's significant others actually get stronger material than him; Hernando's extensive art knowledge helps the group to infiltrate Lila's fortress-like estate, while Dani gets an early confrontation with Whispers that is an absolute showstopper.

For the rest, it's largely business as usual. Will drives the plot, but aside from some interest/jealousy over some of Riley's past contacts, he doesn't get much in the way of character material. Nomi and Amanita provide a few emotional scenes - though for arguably the first time in the series, some of their dialogue (notably an early conversation about Amanita's fantasies about Paris) feels forced and stilted. Wolfgang and Kala probably get the best overall material, each repeatedly showing devotion to the other, and the resolution to the Wolfgang/Kala/Rajan triangle is unexpected but fitting for this series.

Oh, and Bug, whose role has continued to expand throughout the series, gets even more to do here. He proves to be a delight throughout the film, with just enough moments of insight sprinkled between the comedy to keep him from descending into being purely a "joke" character.


A BRIEF REFLECTION ON WHAT WAS LOST:

The BPO plotline itself feels reduced and simplified. Whispers had shown signs of being a potentially fascinating character - Sense8's equivalent of Babylon 5's Bester, a thoroughgoing villain who nevertheless saw himself as serving a greater good. Here, he's just a baddie, whose relatively brief bits of dialogue amount to sadistic threats. He isn't even the main bad guy, being quite literally reduced to a plot device: spending the first half of the episode as our heroes' prisoner before spending the second half as someone else's prisoner.

Then there is the matter of the mysterious BPO Chairman. The Chairman was mentioned multiple times in Season Two, so was always going to emerge as a major villain. I have difficulty believing, however, that had the series played out as originally intended, he would have been such a 2-dimensional figure, an impotent clone of Star Wars' Emperor Palpatine.

Ultimately, as I watched the movie, I felt that something was missing from both characters and the dialogue, and I think that something has a name: J. Michael Straczynski, who co-created the series and co-wrote all the episodes prior to this one. Straczynski has a particular creative voice, often expressed through monologues that are slightly heightened and theatrical but that are nonetheless spellbinding. The absence of that voice leaves a tangible void in this finale - Not in the big action set pieces, but in the quieter character moments. A layer is missing to the dialogue, and I am fairly certain that missing layer is best explained by his absence.


WHAT WAS GOOD, AND EVEN GREAT:

Most of my complaints amount to acknowledging the inevitable: some characters draw the short straw, ongoing plotlines are substantially simplified, and some of the exchanges lack the resonance of the series proper, with dialogue more focused on advancing plot than character. All of these largely fall into the category of "given," since this movie is tasked with closing out a series that was roughly intended to run for three more seasons; per original intent, the last regular episode wouldn't even have been considered the halfway mark!

Accepting those limitations, the movie does a solid job of closing out the BPO storyline in a manner that is largely consistent with what has been learned over the course of the series. I can speculate about where I think the plot might have gone had the series continued... But taking what was made purely on its own terms, the main ongoing plot of the series reaches a satisfying conclusion - with the door left just enough ajar to allow for future seasons or movies, should Netflix prove willing.

The major set pieces, from the botched exchange to the final pursuit of Lila, are uniformly outstanding, conveying intensity and excitement. I'm of two minds regarding a moment in which one of the regulars appears to be killed, only to survive with no apparent ill effects... But another part of me is just as happy for Sense8, a series that has largely embraced compassion and hope as its guiding principles, to embrace a celebratory atmosphere in its finale. Besides, "wringing emotion out of major character death in finale" has become a cliche in itself, so I was not too sad to see it subverted.

There's an epilogue that runs a little long, and a closing sex scene that - unlike most similar scenes in the series - seems to exist as much to make sure there is a sex scene as to serve any particular character or narrative purpose (though I did find the final shot to be an amusing swipe at those who expressed outrage at the series' very first sexual encounter). Overall, however, Amor Vincit Omnia does an admirable job of wrapping up a complex series. It will never rank among my favorite episodes, simply because of the built-in limitations of the situation. But given what it had to do, it is more successful than it had any right to be and represents a satisfying end to an outstanding series.

Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: You Want a War?



Review Index

2-8. All I Want Right Now Is One More Bullet.

Wolfgang gets caught in an assassin's trap.

Running Time: Approx. 57 minutes. Written by: Lana Wachowski, J. Michael Straczynski. Directed by: Dan Glass.


THE PLOT:

Jonas is alive.

Though the group was certain they had witnessed his death, he reveals that he was saved through the intervention of BPO's Chairman. He is still BPO's prisoner, forced to work with them, but he is alive - and Whispers' position may not be quite so secure as he had believed.

Meanwhile, having been dropped by his agent, Lito decides that his career is over and wallows in self-pity and comfort food. But his skills may soon be needed. Sun's brother is soon to attend a function, and Nomi and Amanita have found a way to smuggle Sun in with the help. The catch? She will have to pose as a bartender, which will only be possible if she borrows the skills Lito learned on the set of a previous movie.

Capheus is drawing attention in his bid for public office, but is also drawing a backlash from his opponent, seeking to paint the upstart bus driver as a "thug" who extorts protection money from his neighbors. As Capheus absorbs this, he receives a visit at gunpoint by the leader of the Superpower Gang, who lets him know in no uncertain terms that his life is in danger - but that he also has support in some unexpected places.

Finally, in Berlin, Wolfgang realizes that Lila, the sensate assassin, is planning to play him off against gang leader Sebastian Fuchs (Lars Eidinger) - all to further her dream of transforming Berlin into a haven for sensates. She hopes to enlist Wolfgang to her cause - But will settle for eliminating him to remove the threat he poses!


CHARACTERS:

Nomi is rather adorable in this episode, from accidentally waking Sun and begging her not to hit her to admitting that time zones confuse her to her clutziness in high heels. When Amanita tries to relax her nerves, correctly diagnosing that she's worried about seeing her parents again, Nomi observes that Amanita knows her in ways her Cluster never will.  Speaking of Amanita, at this point she could be considered an honorary member of the Cluster.  When Nomi knocks herself out of action near the end, Amanita effectively fills her role via FaceTime (with an assist from Bug), which ends up working seamlessly.

Lito's self-pity is amusing, and Miguel Angel Silvestre continues to show a genuine knack for comedy. The scene in which he curls up on Sun's bed, clutching a stuffed animal and crying, is genuinely funny, with Sun alternating between exasperation and compassion in her response to him. At the end of the scene, after Sun has spelled out exactly how much worse her situation is than Lito's, he passes her the stuffed animal and grabs another one for himself.

My favorite part of the episode is, of course, the standoff between Wolfgang and Lila at the end. But there's a great character moment before the shooting starts, when Lila tries to persuade him to become a "king" for Berlin. He dismisses that as fantasy, telling her Berliners always ultimately reject would-be kings. When she tells him that he's not like other people, he dismisses her by replying, "You are." The great thing about a character who says little - When he talks, his words are never wasted.


THOUGHTS:

When Jonas returned at the very end of the previous episode, my first thought was that he was another kind of "meat puppet" for Whispers to use to try to ensnare the Cluster. When he coldly referred to Will as "Officer Gorski" at the start of this episode, I was certain my suspicions were about to be confirmed.

Instead, we discover that he is another kind of puppet - kept alive for the benefit of "The Chairman" (whom I do hope we meet before the series ends), as a potential check on Whispers. Later in the episode, Will gets a glimpse of Whispers, hiding with his family in a hotel room. His wife and daughter are losing patience with the disruptions to their lives, and he is losing patience with them, shouting that all he is doing is to "protect this family!" Will realizes that Whispers is just as much a prisoner of circumstance as he is, or as Jonas is.

These revelations are intriguing, likely setting up major plot developments for the finale. The episode also sets up other strands. Kala's husband comes home bleeding, then later takes an angry midnight phone call, both of which he lies about (and not very well, so at least Kala can take comfort in knowing that Rajan is a lousy liar). In the midst of Lito's epic self-pity, Dani and Hernando observe that his Sao Paolo speech has generated a lot of buzz, and that his situation is actually much better than he thinks; it's just that Lito is unable to see this in the midst of his wallowing. And of course, we set up the inevitable conversation between Sun and her brother.  With only a handful of episodes left, I actively hope they don't set up anything else - These strands and the BPO arc are already quite a lot to resolve in the four remaining installments.

In short, this is a transitional episode, carefully moving pieces into place. The kinetic action climax aside, this installment exists to get the characters ready for the season's final Act.  The script offers some amusing bits of comedy alongside several good character exchanges. But transitional episodes never are the ones that leave you breathless, and despite the fantastic final scene, this episode is no exception. It does its job well - But when I think back on this series after completing it, I doubt there is much my mind will cling to from this particular piece.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode; I Have No Room in My Heart for Hate
Next Episode: What Family Actually Means



Review Index

1-11. Just Turn the Wheel and the Future Changes.

Capheus' desperate bid to reclaim his future.

Running Time: Approx. 45 minutes. Written by: The Wachowskis, J. Michael Straczynski. Directed by: Tom Tykwer.


THE PLOT:

After her blackout at her father's performance, Riley finds herself in a hospital ICU. Yrsa visits her to call her a fool and tell her that she is going to die in this hospital. Meanwhile, Will, Nomi, Amanita, and their hacker friend Bug use their skills to buy time for Riley while they figure out what they will do next.

In Kenya, the day has come - The day Capheus has been ordered to bring Silas' daughter to the Superpower Gang. Having built up his courage by watching Van Damme movies, Capheus delivers the girl not to the gang, but to his friend Jela to protect, with instructions for Jela if he fails to return. Capheus clings to a vain hope that he might yet reason with the gang's leader, but the situation quickly explodes into violence - with Capheus relying on Sun's martial arts skills and Will's police training to keep himself alive, before in the end relying on his own strength and driving skill.

Meawhile, Wolfgang hatches a plan to save Felix from his uncle's wrath, while Sun learns that her last hope of freedom is gone...


CHARACTERS:

The benefit of the slow burn approach this series has taken is that, when an action-heavy episode arrives, even the most over-the-top sequences feel like a reasonable progression of the character's journey. This was true of Wolfgang's rocket launcher pyrotechnics in the previous episode, and it's true of the violent martial arts sequence-turned-car chase that forms the centerpiece of this episode. The sequence itself would be quite at home in a big summer action film - But the time we have spent following Capheus' journey to this point (and following Will and Sun, who aid him) lends the proceedings a certain weight. All the actors are excellent, but special mention should be made for Aml Ameen. He anchors this plot thread, and invests so much honest determination in his character that even when his bus is playing chicken with a villain on a motorcycle, it doesn't feel silly - Or at least, we're too invested in his emotions and well-being to laugh even when it does feel silly.

In the other threads, we see Will mentally perched at Riley's bedside as she lies in the ICU. We sense, as Jonas does, that his only thought is reaching her physically as fast as possible - a determination that could be too easily manipulated by Whispers. Bug proves that his friendship with Nomi is genuine when he delivers the very hacking equipment he sold her earlier, stolen straight from police custody. Wolfgang is pure cold calculation as he prepares to use violence to save his friend, while the normally reserved Sun finally explodes with rage at her situation.


THOUGHTS:

Running a mere 45 minutes, Just Turn the Wheel and the Future Changes is the shortest episode of the season. The reason for that is simple; this episode is the most direct, lean, and fast-paced of the season to this point. After a few quick scenes setting up the state of the ongoing arc, the focus settles on Capheus and his plan to reclaim his life from both Silas and the Superpower Gang. From the moment he drives his bus to the warehouse that is the gang's headquarters, the remainder is basically a straight adrenaline shot.

The episode is directed by Tom Tykwer, who collaborated with the Wachowskis on the (in my opinion) unfairly maligned Cloud Atlas. Though not exactly an action film, that movie did feature a few breathless action set pieces, and that same energy is in evidence during the central part of this episode, the tension and excitement punctuated by moments of startling violence. I also very much appreciate that, while Sun and Will provide their skills to help Capheus survive a seemingly hopeless scenario, the final moments of the action see Capheus relying solely on his own strength and skill set.

Most of the other strands are there only long enough to advance those bits of plot, but I did enjoy Bug's reappearance. Michael X. Sommers' performance is a great deal of fun, the character being convincingly sleazy enough to be instantly identifiable as a criminal, and yet likable enough that you can actually believe Nomi's fondness for him. His dubbing Amanita and Nomi "angels" after Charlie's Angels is an amusing running gag at this point, though it may have the potential to become wearisome if it persists.

I love the way the episode ends. Capheus has taken his decisive action, and Wolfgang is about to move forward to his own showdown. But after all the action and violence, and the looming threat of Whispers and his manipulations, we don't end on any of that. Instead, we cut to Sun, talking with Kala from her cell. Her voice is cold, her eyes angry as she puts words to her newfound determination to escape her apparently inescapable fate:

"This is what life is. Fear, rage, desire, love. To stop feeling emotions, to stop wanting to feel them, is to feel death... I take everything I am feeling, everything that matters to me. I push all of it into my fist, and I fight for it."

When the episode cuts to black a second after that declaration, it's honestly a surprise that it ends there - But I can't think of a better place to leave off before the finale.


Overall Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode; What Is Human?
Next Episode: I Can't Leave Her



Review Index

1-7. W. W. N. Double-D?

Capheus cheers up Riley.

Running Time: Approx. 55 minutes. Written by: The Wachowskis, J. Michael Straczynski. Directed by: James McTeigue.


THE PLOT:

Nomi makes contact with Bug (Michael X. Sommers), an old hacker friend for whom she once took the fall. He is able to provide equipment that allows them to track down Dr. Metzger and clone his phone. Nomi copies his contacts and emails, but decides that isn't enough - She needs to get into his apartment. "If these people know who I am, then we need to start figuring out who they are!"

Meanwhile, Will makes real progress in his investigation of the night of Angelica's death. Sun begins her sentence, and discovers that one of her new friends, Soo-Jin (Sara Sohn), is being bullied by another prisoner. Lito, Hernando, and Dani return from a night out to find Joaquim waiting for them - and though drunk, Joaquin leaves with information that could destroy their arrangement. Riley returns to Iceland, to the home of her father (Kristján Kristjánsson). Kala and Wolfgang continue to visit each other, and Wolfgang resolves to take a trip to India as soon as possible.

But that may not be soon enough, as Wolfgang's recent burglary begins closing in on him...


CHARACTERS:

Nomi and Amanita are tremendous fun to watch in this episode. Jamie Clayton and Freema Agyeman share a natural onscreen chemistry, which makes them very appealing as a couple, and a Nancy Drew comparison drew a genuine laugh from me - followed by rapid unease, as it became clear that these two are in very far over their heads.

Capheus and Riley share a nice moment on a plane, as he cheers her up with his wonder at flying "above the clouds." We also see Riley's genuine bond with her father, as she enjoys listening to him play the piano or chatting with him while eating pancakes. Her face darkens noticeably, however, when he mentions a "Sven" who is looking forward to seeing her again.

We once again see the softer side of Silas, who is the perfect father as he surprises his little girl with a birthday party. He tells Capheus that his love for his daughter is not a weakness, but a strength. But don't get too comfortable... Because this is instantly followed up by an explicit reminder of how dangerous and ruthless Silas is, a demonstration that leaves Capheus suitably shaken.


THOUGHTS:

For most of its running time, W. W. N. Double-D? feels more sprightly and light-hearted than previous entries. Capheus cheers up Riley, Sun's cellmates turn out to be friendly instead of the collection of prison gang clichés we are led to expect, and Nomi and Amanita make for an engaging pair of investigators.

That tone is maintained long enough to lull is into a sense of security... Just in time to take that false security and beat us over the head with it. Silas' moment of shocking violence kicks off a series of reversals: From Capheus' appalled expression at the end of that scene, to Wolfgang discovering that he is now definitely in danger, to the end shock that greets Nomi and Amanita's investigations into Dr. Metzger. The tone goes very dark, very fast - And each shock manages to outdo the one before it.

There is a definite sense of threads starting to come together. Nomi and Amanita discover that Metzger plans a trip to Chicago - where Will is starting to make headway in uncovering The Evil Conspiracy. Both Will and Nomi see the mysterious "Whispers" (Terrence Mann) - one through a visit, the other in a photograph. Though not all the strands are connected yet (Lito has yet to significantly brush up against any of the other seven, for example), it is feeling more and more like a story that's coming gradually together.


Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Demons
Next Episode: We Will All Be Judged by the Courage of Our Hearts




Review Index