2-10. If All the World's a Stage, Identity Is Nothing But a Costume.

Lito is startled at his transformation into his new role...

Running Time: Approx. 52 minutes. Written by: Lana Wachowski, J. Michael Straczynski. Directed by: Tom Tykwer.


THE PLOT:

Lito arrives in Hollywood for the audition Dani secured - and almost blows his chance by relying on too many acting tricks. Fortunately, director Kit Wrangler (Andy Dick) gives him another chance, which Lito is able to capitalize on with some assistance from Sun. But even after landing the part, Lito worries that he is a fraud and that the world will soon discover that he isn't really a good actor. He admits his fear to Hernando, who observes that "there is nothing more frightening than having a dream come true."

In Kenya, the election draws near. Capheus attends a rally for his supporters, and is stunned when he sees the sheer size of the crowd. He attempts to deliver a speech about unity and tolerance - Only for it to be interrupted by violent protesters paid by the opposition, complete with an attempt on Capheus' life.

Meanwhile, Whispers finds Will at his most vulnerable, and lives up to his name by giving quiet voice to all of Will's guilt and doubt. And in Seoul, Sun's infiltration of her brother's gala has been successful - leaving her to prepare to face her brother, and decide what she will do when they meet...


CHARACTERS:

I love that Lito doubts his own abilities as an actor. He earned fame in Mexican cinema through over-the-top action movies, not generally a repository of great acting. Though Hernando and Dani recognize how much he has brought to those roles, it likely weights on his mind that he has yet to try to carry the kind of material Burt Lancaster did in his beloved From Here to Eternity. Also, though he lands the part, he does so thanks to Sun's intervention - His first reading, which is all him, is a disaster. Almost certainly because of his anxiety and self-doubt, but it likely fuels his doubts that he was only able to secure a serious dramatic role through the help of one of his Cluster.

Capheus is also experiencing a seismic shift in his life, which is brought home at three key points in this episode. When he leaves for the rally, he starts to instruct the driver on the best route, only for one of the political operatives to cut him off. "You're not a bus driver anymore," the man tells him. At the rally, he is struck momentarily speechless by the size of the crowd, until Jela whispers his support in his ear: "Just drive the bus." After the rally is disrupted, Capheus experiences a moment of despair, certain that the violence will overshadow his intended message. His family and supporters assure him that the people at the rally heard him and understood his message, reassurance that seems to lend him strength and determination for the final leg of this journey.


THOUGHTS:

If All the World's a Stage, Identity Is Nothing But a Costume is a much quieter episode than I had expected. The BPO plot is barely touched on, and Sun's confrontation with her brother is clearly being held for the season ender. Instead, the episode focuses on Lito and Capheus, and the changes happening in their lives. Capheus' rally ends in one of those chaotic set pieces that this series, with its film-like production values, pulls off so well - But until that point, the episode is almost entirely character-centric.

I think it's also my favorite episode of the season.

Narrowing the focus to two strands results in a stronger connection with Lito and Capheus. There are minimal cutaways to the other characters, leaving our attention squarely on these two. As different as the stories are, they still complement each other in surprising ways. Both characters are told that their old lives are now behind them: Lito, when Kit dismisses his previous action films; Capheus, when the political operative tells him that he is no longer a bus driver. Both rely more on the support structures from their old lives than on the Cluster, as Hernando eases Lito's doubts and Jela and his mother ease Capheus'. As different as the settings and tones may be, the two strands thus feel very much of a piece with each other.

The other characters are not forgotten, however, even if they are largely confined to scenes that bookend the main part of the episode. Whispers' Iago-like approach to Will is particularly interesting. Not just because the villain pushes the most traditionally upright of the heroes into an ill-timed heroin indulgence (something foreshadowed a few episodes earlier, when Kala only narrowly diverted Will from the drugs) - But also because of Whispers' final words before he reaches for the heroin, as he tells Will that they are getting ever closer to each other. One of my biggest regrets about this series' premature cancellation is that I am certain Whispers has an interesting story all his own, one that I doubt the feature-length finale - burdened as it will be with resolving as many active plot threads as possible - will have time for.

Overall, while this series has almost always managed to envelop me in its world, this episode drew me in even more strongly than usual. Though it is often a challenge to individually score episodes of a series that is so heavily serialized, I still find myself awarding this particular installment full marks.

(Although I really could have passed on hearing about Kit's way of celebrating his Oscar win.  Definitely didn't need that mental image.  And from their expressions, Lito and Hernando would probably agree with me.)

Overall Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: What Family Actually Means
Next Episode: You Want a War?



Review Index

2-6. Isolated Above, Connected Below.

Lito delivers a speech, under the watchful eye

of an army of his own distorted reflections.

Running Time: Approx. 67 minutes. Written by: Lana Wachowski, J. Michael Straczynski. Directed by: Lana Wachowski.


THE PLOT:

Lito, Hernando, and Dani arrive in Sao Paolo, where Lito is startled to learn that he is expected to deliver an address to kick off the parade. He contemplates refusing to speak, but Dani urges him on, telling him how effective he is when he speaks from his heart. At the parade, Lito finds it in himself to deliver a heartfelt speech, earning an enthusiastic response from the enormous crowd, and he pulls Hernando to the stage for their first public kiss.

Now free of the various BOLOs and arrest warrants she's been evading, Nomi takes her sister up on the offer to act as Maid of Honor at her wedding - only to discover that Angelica's cabin, where she spent time with Jonas and her original cluster, is within easy driving distance. Meanwhile, Riley makes contact with two different sensates who attended her rave, neither of whom trust that she isn't a BPO spy. She works hard to gain the trust of a shrewd Scotsman who refers to himself only as "The Old Man of Hoy" (Sylvester McCoy), who has firsthand information about BPO and its founding...


CHARACTERS:

When Nomi learns that her parents have described her as a narcissist, she worries to Amanita that there might be truth to that. Narcissism seems an unduly harsh diagnosis - we've seen her show concern for others - but there certainly may be some self-absorption; note that she ignores a request her sister is about to make in order to track down Angelica's cabin (which, while valuable, does not at that moment seem urgent).

Riley appears on track to become this cluster's Angelica, and the episode ends with Will clearly worried about her following too closely in their "mother's" footsteps. Her intentions are nothing but good - But from what we've seen of the flashbacks, the same was true of Angelica. Riley does share a charming scene with The Old Man of Hoy near the episode's end, but she is perhaps a bit too quick to trust that he is only what he seems to be.

The episode's showstopping scene is Lito's speech at the Gay Pride Parade. This is one of those moments of pure cinema that reminds the viewer of the Wachowskis' background as directors of Event Pictures. Shot on location at the actual Sao Paolo Gay Pride Parade, we see Lito on stage, backed by a screen that reflects his image from multiple angles. When he speaks, the projected image lags, echoing his words even as he moves to the next statement. The effect is not unlike a speech given in a Hall of Mirrors.

The multiple reflections are appropriate, a visual manifestation of the pretenses Lito has maintained for his career. "All of my life, I've had to pretend to be something I wasn't... Admitting that I am different and refusing to pretend to be something I am not may cost me a career of pretending to be things that I am not." For the first time, he recognizes the absurdity of that, and it seems to free him as he repeatedly calls out, "I am a gay man!" before finally calling Hernando to share the stage with him. It's a stunning scene from start to finish, and Miguel Angel Silvestre is fantastic - not just when delivering the speech, but also in navigating the complex emotions leading into and out of it.


THOUGHTS:

I admit, when I first heard about a series from the Wachowskis and J. Michael Straczynski, I had some hesitation over how that collaboration would look, how those very different voices could possibly meld together. It turns out, they are perfect balances for one another. Sense8 marries the Wachowskis' boundless ambition and dynamic sense of the visual with Straczynski's narrative discipline. That discipline keeps the narrative grounded and moving forward, making sure it doesn't spin out of control like, say, Jupiter Ascending; the cinematic visuals and boundless ambition keep the show from becoming dry or stale, or from disappearing into the theatrical speeches JMS loves so much.

I love those speeches too, by the way, and the treatment of the monologues in this series vs. JMS' Babylon 5 makes for a fascinating contrast. In Babylon 5, a show whose grand ambitions belied its minimal budget, the monologues were very theatrical in nature. Sometimes donwright minimalist - On more than one occasion in that series, the speaker would talk against a plain background. In Sense8, the same sort of speech is treated cinematically, with no expense spared to complement the words with something visual that will enhance or contrast the words themselves. Both approaches are effective - I still love Babylon 5, and could happily pass time watching a video of G'Kar speeches. But it is intriguing to compare them, to see how one behaves much like a staged production while the other behaves as a blockbuster movie.

The Lito speech is the episode's emotional high point, but it's far from the only great moment. I thoroughly enjoyed Riley's interactions with the other sensates, who have survived largely through paranoia. Puck (Kick Gurry), the chemist who helped Riley analyze the blockers, is one of them; he points out that Riley's actions are exactly what he would expect of a BPO double agent (when he's not making sexual advances, at least). The sensates survive either by working with BPO or by hiding, with neither option offering a secure future.

Tuppence Middleton and Sylvester McCoy share an engaging screen chemistry, and their scenes together are terrific. Their longest interaction opens with some verbal fencing, as both have secured themselves in unidentifiable locations before speaking. The Old Man mocks the warehouse where she and Will are hiding as offering "all the amenities of a prison." When she visits him at his location, which is little more than a sealed box that he has a labeled a "speakeasy," she turns those words back on him by observing that his setup has "all the amenities of a coffin."

The episode ends with another strong set piece, as The Old Man of Hoy initiates a worldwide search for Whispers' location, brought to life in a succession of visuals that mirror the series' hypnotic credits sequence. He delivers the information as quickly and efficiently as performing a Google search.

The episode ends with the BPO plot moving forward another inch, and with the promise of potential progress but also potential danger if the next lead is followed. Which is to say, yet another episode ending that actively encourages the viewer to skip straight to the next installment... Of which there are sadly now only six remaining.


Overall Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: Fear Never Fixed Anything
Next Episode: I Have No Room in My Heart for Hate



Review Index

2-4. Polyphony.

Jonas has grave news for the cluster.

Running Time: Approx. 58 minutes. Written by: Lana Wachowski, J. Michael Straczynski. Directed by: James McTeigue.


THE PLOT:

Will's meeting with the BPO executive all too predictably turns out to be a trap. Fortunately, the cluster was prepared, and Will is able to escape. They are also now in possession of two resources they did not previously have: the knowledge that some of BPO's executives do not agree with the hunting of sensates, and the "blockers" used by Whispers to cut off the connection to other sensates. Riley has a contact who knows a chemical engineer, and he is able to study the pills - with Kala looking invisibly over his shoulder the entire time.

Kala and Capheus experience different types of unrest in their home countries. Kala is made the target of religious protesters' anger at her temple, which has now been transformed by new laws banning "idolatry." Capheus finds himself in the center of a protest about water prices, which have risen to a level that many people cannot afford. "Water is life," Capheus argues - and, when he is caught on camera defusing a potentially violent situation, he finds himself the subject of a local television interview.

In Mexico, Lito interviews the father of one of the members of Angelica's first cluster - a journalist who had interviewed Lito at the start of his career, and who disappeared in Chicago in pursuit of "the story of the century." Meanwhile, Sun's refuge comes to an abrupt end when the police knock on the door of the woman hiding her...


CHARACTERS:

One aspect of this series that I truly appreciate is that I actually believe in all of the relationships. That's quite rare - It is very common in films and television to have to nod your head and squint past screen couples who don't really fit together. All of the couples in this show work: Wolfgang and Kala, Will and Riley, Lito and Hernando, and Nomi and Amanita. Nomi and Amanita have been particularly strong this season, and this episode sees a highly effective moment with them at the center. As Amanita dodges over-persistent FBI agent Bendix on her motorcycle, Nomi is left to worry helplessly. Amanita's not a sensate, so Nomi can't simply look in on her - She's just left to wait and wonder, her anxiety further stoked as she experiences the potential for violence in the protests affecting Capheus and Kala. It's a startlingly suspenseful scene, and I found myself sharing in Nomi's relief when Amanita arrives safely.

Sun's friendship with Min-Jung is also well portrayed, and the two share a nice moment as the older woman reflects on Sun's character. She observes that for all of Sun's strength, she has a kind heart. "It was what made me like you the moment we met," she tells Sun. "Part of me wants you to find your brother and make him pay for what he has done... Whatever you do, child, do not let it be at the cost of your beautiful heart."


THOUGHTS:

After I finished this episode, a horrible thought occurred to me: I am now two-thirds of the way through this series. There are only eight installments remaining (admittedly, the last of those a very long installment, but still...). That is starting to make me quite sad. Not only do I love this series, but it is so clear that there is much more to explore with these characters and this concept, far more than can adequately be explored in seven episodes and a feature-length wrap-up.

The least of those is the BPO plot.  The conspiracy thriller story provides a narrative skeleton for this series, something to create incident and bring the characters together in focused moments - But as much as it makes for effective cliffhangers and set pieces, the real hook of the series for me lies with the characters and their individual stories. I like some better than others, of course - I will never care about Kala's husband and father-in-law no matter how much the show might want me to, and her scenes with the cluster are easily more enjoyable than the ones focused on her marriage - but all of the characters come across as credible. Even Sun, who is perhaps a little too capable at times, has an emotional vulnerability that offsets her "action hero" persona.

Speaking of action heroes... I rather like that Riley's friends joke about Lito's "cheesy" movies, much to his chagrin. First: Based on what we've seen of them, Lito's movies are cheesy, and there is merit in him recognizing that. It's also amusing when he self-deprecatingly echoes that criticism a few scenes later, to the father of the missing journalist. Which provides an opening for the older man to reject that dismissal, telling Lito: "You underestimate yourself."

The roles are being mixed more and more as the series goes on. Lito, who was the most disconnected from the cluster for most of the first season, has now become the go-to person whenever some convincing falsehoods are needed. But the last part of this episode sees him acting as an investigator, and - even accounting for prompts from the cluster - doing a genuinely competent job.

As per usual, the episode ends on a strong, in this case rather gruesome, note. But at this point, I'm dreading this series' ever-advancing end more than any of BPO's shenanigans.

Oh, a final note: I have so fully accepted Toby Onwumere's Capheus that I didn't even remember until after the episode's end that he wasn't the original actor.


Overall Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: Obligate Mutualisms
Next Episode: Fear Never Fixed Anything



Review Index

2-2. Who Am I?

Whispers closes in on Will... or does he?

Running Time: Approx. 55 minutes. Written by: Lana Wachowski, J. Michael Straczynski. Directed by: Lana Wachowski.


THE PLOT:

Lito's movie has its premiere. Since Lito's secret is now officially public knowledge, he decides to bring Hernando, as well as Dani. Some of the public is demonstrably supportive - But Lito observes that the movie's poster does all it can to downplay his presence, while a reporter eagerly ambushes him for his sexuality and for "lying to (his) fans." Capheus also deals with a potentially hostile journalist, who resents the "Van Damn" for glorifying "white courage," though she proves more persuadable.

Will is in decline, as the constant drugs that diminish Whispers' link take their toll on his health despite the group's best efforts. He continues to pursue the opportunities of that link, trying to glean information about his tormenter's identity and location, with Nomi and Amanita following up on every clue he finds. Whispers is fully aware of Will's attempts to monitor him, however, and prepares to turn the tables...


CHARACTERS:

As the series goes along, the sensates are working more and more as a unit. Early in the episode, Lito and Capheus find themselves simultaneously talking to journalists who are determined to make them look either hypocrital or foolish. Their replies intertwine, and bring in the others, basically smashing their experiences together into a single, heartfelt reply, that also gives the episode its title: "Who am I? Do you mean where I'm from? What I one day might become? What I do? What I've done? What I dream? ...I guess who I am is exactly the same as who you are. Not better than, not less than. Because there is no one who has been or will ever be exactly the same as either you or me." Rapid-fire editing has all eight speaking at various points, their words overlapping each other and in some cases anticipating each other, as quick cuts of some particularly memorable moments play over the speech. It's a breathtaking moment - and not the episode's only one.

The eight also work together to try to help Will. Kala's pharmaceutical expertise helps Riley maintain his health (or at least, slow down his decline) even as she keeps him drugged. Nomi and Amanita follow up on every clue Will gleans about Whispers, while Bug tries to hack into BPO's servers (thus far, without success). Meanwhile, Riley shows herself to be wilier than anticipated. A memorable scene sees Whispers laying out for Will just how in over his head he is, and just how close BPO are to tracking him down... Only for the very next scene to reveal that some of Whispers' moves have been anticipated.


THOUGHTS:

Lito observed back in Season One that he couldn't be both openly gay and a star of the kind of ultra-macho action movies that have been his trade. The scene at his movie premiere shows how prophetic that statement was. When the scene comes up in which he dramatically declares, "We will all be judged by the courage of our hearts!", followed by his melodramatic kiss of his leading lady, the audience... giggles. Not all of the audience, or even most (which is a nice touch), but enough to show that many of his accustomed viewers will no longer take him seriously in the roles he's been playing.

It isn't all doom and gloom - He clearly does well dealing with the journalist's attempted ambush, and we see some enthusiastic fans showing their acceptance of him on his way in. His career isn't likely to be over... But it will need to evolve, with him taking different types of roles - Which honestly, might prove more rewarding in the long run. I suspect that's where his career arc is heading, though time will tell if it's able to advance to that point given the show's pPreremature cancellation.

Lito doesn't appear to convince the journalist who confronted him, but Capheus fares a lot better. Not only does his sincerity transform Zakia (Mumbi Maina) from critic to supporter, she comes back later to invite him to lunch, leading to another heartfelt scene in which she is impressed by his optimism in the face of adversity. While I still occasionally find myself mentally inserting Aml Ameen into some of these moments, Toby Onwumere is growing on me; I'm confident in another episode or two, my brain will fully accept him as Capheus.

Will's strand is the dominant one of the episode, and his confrontations with Whispers stand alongside the interview scene as particularly memorable moments. Will might be constantly drugged up, and in visible physical decline, but he remains determined to find a way to turn the tables on his tormenter. There's a scene in which first Will, then Whispers, deconstruct what each man can deduce about the other's location based on the glimpses of their respective surroundings. Each man is intelligent, and each is given a moment in which he seems to have the upper hand... Only for that moment of strength to be taken away again.

I will also note that the more we see of Terrence Mann's Whispers, the more impressed I become with the performance. At this point, he's more than a mere creepy presence - He's emerging into a fascinating character in his own right.

The episode ends on a particularly strong note, making it an effort of willpower not to just move onto the next installment.  From the very beginning, this series has demonstrated its mastery of the art of the cliffhanger, and I imagine that many viewers just binged the season in a single weekend when it originally dropped.


Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Happy F*cking New Year
Next Episode: Obligate Mutualisms



Review Index

1-10. What Is Human?

"All that matters is that today, two stood against many..."

Running Time: Approx. 59 minutes. Written by: The Wachowskis, J. Michael Straczynski. Directed by: The Wachowskis.


THE PLOT:

It is the Fourth of July, and the eight sensates stand at individual moments of decision. Sun has a chance to end her imprisonment, but is told that her brother's sentence will be much harsher than hers. Steiner tells Wolfgang he will give him and Felix "a pass" as long as Wolfgang gives him the diamonds they stole, but it's already clear that he can't be trusted to keep to his word. Kala wrestles over whether to tell Rajan that his father's last wish before the assault was to cancel the wedding. Capheus watches old Jean Claude Van Damme films to try to build up courage after the threat made against his mother. And Lito gets some unexpected help in realizing that making a mistake doesn't matter - Provided you do what is necessary to fix it.

Meanwhile, Will receives a visit from Jonas, who tells him that Whispers is trying to use him to find the members of the cluster. He urges Will to "never look him in the eye - Never!" And in Iceland, Riley stays to watch her father's symphonic performance - a seemingly simple decision that has unexpected consequences.


CHARACTERS:

Will shares a wonderful little scene with his father (Joe Pantoliano), as they enjoy the Fourth of July fireworks from a boat on the water. Will's father talks about how he tried to follow in his electrician father's footsteps, only to find he had no aptitude or interest in the job.  He then tells Will how proud it made him when he became a cop as well. Capheus continues to have chemistry with anyone he shares screentime with, talking with a depressed Kala about how Van Damme gives him courage and about the violence of the world - a violence Kala has been sheltered from, until the assault on her not-quite father-in-law.

Lito and Wolfgang are the last pairing I would have expected, but they prove to be a delight and they fit well with each other's weaknesses. Wolfgang is the kind of implacable tough guy Lito plays on screen, while Lito has an ability to lie convincingly that is utterly foreign to the straightforward thief. The two scenes in which they come to each other's aid are both crowd-pleasing moments that work, because of how well the two characters end up fitting together.

In addition, with Lito aiding Wolfgang in his confrontation with Steiner's crew, they effectively make true the quote Wolfgang's friend loves from Conan the Barbarian: "All that matters is that today, two stood against many. Valor pleases you, so grant me this one request.  Grant me revenge!"  Sergei warned Wolfgang against seeking revenge - But with Steiner effectively forcing that choice onto him, Wolfgang seems to get quite a bit of pleasure from taking it.  Almost as much as we get from watching it...


THOUGHTS:

May I say how much I love this show? I'm trying to think of another series that can flip on a dime to musing about whether the Holocaust was "an aberration or a reflection of who we really are," to a touching father-daughter scene debating the value of hurtful truths vs. reassuring lies, to a crowd pleasing set piece featuring a hidden handgun and a rocket launcher. And that's before Lito gets into a fistfight and attempts to fend off his attacker by (badly) throwing potted plants at him.  Never mind the shared experience that is the last five or so minutes of this...

When I started What Is Human?, I did so under a natural assumption: The previous episode had been focused on advancing the characterizations, so this one - as we gear up for the season finish - would return to being plot-focused. Nope. For a second episode running, the focus is on the characters, and I couldn't be more delighted. These eight people are so engrossing in themselves, and their individual situations so interesting, that just watching them navigate (and help each other through) the messes of their own lives is addictive enough without any need for an external Big Secret Threat, so I'm happy to get one more episode focused just on that aspect before The Plot takes over.

Not that I'm not intrigued by the plot, and I fully expect to enjoy the season's final two episodes. But regardless of the payoff or lack thereof, the journey has definitely been worthwhile.

For most series I've reviewed, this episode would unquestionably be a "10." But I didn't like it quite as much as What's Going On? or Death Doesn't Let You Say Goodbye, and I have a feeling that this is a series where I should be very stingy with full marks, or else I'll end up awarding full marks too often. So instead I'll give this a still very strong...


Overall Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: Death Doesn't Let You Say Goodbye
Next Episode: Just Turn the Wheel and the Future Changes



Review Index

1-9. Death Doesn't Let You Say Goodbye.

Lito wrestles with his recent choices at an art gallery.

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


THE PLOT:

Riley makes contact with Yrsa (Lilja Þórisdóttir), the mysterious woman who told her not to come back to Iceland. Yrsa is another sensate, but she works for the Biologic Preservation Organization (BPO), doing what she can to help others to evade detection. Will is also investigating BPO, which has an office in Iceland. When Yrsa learns that Will is talking to Jonas, she breaks the connection.  She tells Riley that Jonas is a collaborator, that he and Angelica helped BPO to track down sensates. One thing both Yrsa and Jonas agree on: Riley needs to get out of Iceland as fast as possible.

Meanwhile, Wolfgang receives a visit from Sergei, asking him not to try to take revenge for the attack on Felix. Sun receives a visit from her father, who announces his intent to tell the truth to clear her name. Nomi hides in her old apartment, convinced she is safe after putting out a fake BOLO showing herself as last seen on a flight to Australia.

And in Mexico, Lito struggles with the loss of Hernando, coming to the realization - as Nomi says - that "there's a huge difference between what we work for and what we live for."


CHARACTERS:

If the previous episode was mostly about plot, then this episode is mostly about the characters. We learn a huge amount about Riley, who visits the graveside of her husband and her child, whose dates of birth and death are the same. Riley tells Yrsa that, when the accident happened, all she wanted was "to be dead, to be with them." Capheus visits Riley again, sharing some of his own backstory - That he had a younger sister, whom they had to give away as an infant to save her life. "I never saw her again," Capheus tells her. "I cried as if she had died. In a way, she did, but in another way she lived."

Lito finally gets a significant interaction with one of the others. When he visits the art gallery where he and Hernando had their first date, his emotional vulnerability calls out to Nomi. He relates some of the art anecdotes Hernando shared with him, and through his memories we see exactly why Hernando's passion for art drew Lito to him. Nomi recalls the swim team her father enrolled her in, back when she was "Michael," and how that ended with bullying from the other boys erupting into violence. Nomi tells Lito that this was the last time she attempted to "fit in," because she realized that she never would.


THOUGHTS:

The scene in the art gallery is very nearly the episode's best. It is emotional, superbly acted, and visceral as Nomi recalls her violent assault. I actually had to stop the episode after the scene for a few minutes before I could carry on with the episode.

But even it gets outdone by the ending scene.  The episode's final scene is just Lito alone, in his apartment, calling Hernando's voice mail over and over again while drinking himself silly and struggling with such basics as the operation of a bathtub.  Miguel Silvestre's acting is an absolute masterclass, as he goes from quiet, to histrionics, to panic, to self-pity, to resignation.  After being emotional, the scene actually becomes quite funny as Lito drinks straight from the blender and batters at the handles on the bathtub.  Then, after all the histrionics drop away, he is simply and sincerely emotional... Just in time to hear a "mailbox full" recording on the other end.  Lito is left on the rooftop with his blackest thoughts: I'm a fake.  I'm a liar.  All I know how to do is lie."

Between those two scenes and Capheus' wonderful interaction with Riley, Death Doesn't Let You Say Goodbye is the most purely emotional episode of the series so far, and I think I would rank it as my favorite installment to date.

It's also an inverse of the previous episode. I wrote of the last episode that it was almost entirely concerned with plot, but still managed to advance the characters. This episode is almost entirely concerned with characters, but still manages to advance the plot. We learn a lot more about BPO, and receive a startling revelation about Jonas and Angelica. We also learn that BPO has a facility in Iceland, which puts Riley in direct jeopardy. Given how close we're getting to the season's end, I'm guessing the setup for the finale is starting here.

Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: We Will All Be Judged by the Courage of Our Hearts
Next Episode: What Is Human?



Review Index

1-2. I Am Also a We.

Nomi and Amanita share a happy moment

 before everything goes wrong.

Running Time: Approx. 54 minutes. Written by: The Wachowskis, J. Michael Straczynski. Directed by: The Wachowskis.


THE PLOT:

In San Francisco, Nomi updates her blog, talking about her past life, raised by strictly religious parents:

"For a long time, I was afraid to be who I am. Because I was taught by my parents that there's something wrong with someone like me, something offensive... I was afraid of this parade, because I wanted so badly to be a part of it. So today, I'm marching for that part of me that was once too afraid to march, and for all the people who can't march, the people living lives like I did. Today, I march to remember that I'm not just a me - I'm also a we."

Nomi doesn't get very far on her Pride march, however. Her eyes meet those of a mysterious onlooker - Jonas. A second later, she passes out on the street.

She wakes in the hospital, with her mother (Sandra Fish) at her bedside, insistently calling her by her birth name - Michael. A surgeon, Dr. Metzger (Adam Shapiro), comes in to inform Nomi that she has been diagnosed with UFLS, Undifferentiated Frontal Lobe Syndrome, which means that her brain tissue is fusing together. He tells her she will experience increasing hallucinations and will be dead in six months unless they perform immediate surgery. But once Nomi is alone, Jonas "visits" her, telling her what she can already sense: Metzger is a liar, and she has to get out of this hospital as fast as she can.

In Mexico, Lito finds that Daniela (Eréndira Ibarra), the young actress he has been seeing for the sake of the press, is becoming seriously infatuated. He tries to dissuade her - But she shows up at his apartment, determined to spend the night. When she discovers his secret male lover, Hernando (Alfonso Herrera), she has a most unexpected reaction...

Meanwhile, in Chicago, Will discovers that camera recordings from the night of Angelica's death have been altered. Before he can follow up on that, however, a federal agent informs Will's precinct about a suspected terrorist: Jonas!


CHARACTERS:

The focus in this episode is on Will, Lito, and Nomi, with most of the others relegated to one or two scenes (in some cases, a wordless piece of a scene). This is a good choice, allowing us a chance to connect to those three characters without other plotlines getting in the way.

Will's interactions with Deshawn (William Burke), the boy he saved, show his innate decency, while also allowing him to reveal a bit about his past as a juvenile delinquent, rebelling against his career cop father (Joe Pantoliano). He also deals with fallout from saving Deshawn, as veteran officers at a cop bar shun him, and his father tells him that if Deshawn goes on to kill a police officer, then that's on Will.

The revelation that Lito is gay is... honestly no surprise at all, though his interactions with Dani are highly entertaining. Outside of the blog speech that gives this episode its title, Nomi actually gets the worst of the three spotlighted characters, being relegated to largely a victim role once she wakes in the hospital.


THOUGHTS:

The series' second episode is slower-paced, but it's also much more engaging. Because we aren't constantly being moved from one character and continent to another, there is a chance to genuinely connect with the episode's three focal characters. Will and Nomi brush up in different ways against the Big Secret Plot, but that is wisely not the focus. The mystery is teased in the gap in the police recording, and Dr. Metzger is balanced as both believably a medical professional but at the same time a sinister figure. But for the most part, the episode defers plot mechanics in favor of building the first episode's sketches into fully-rounded characters.

All three characters are likable, and some parallels are already emerging. Will is in the shadow of his father, just as we saw Wolfgang in the shadow of his own parent in the previous episode. Just as Wolfgang had an obviously terrible relationship with his father, we see Nomi's relationship with her mother - a mother who refuses to even acknowledge her by her current name, and who seems almost relieved to hear from Dr. Metzer that something is wrong with her child, as if clinging to the diagnosis as an explanation for sexual identity issues, and not just blackouts and hallucinations.

The three seem to exist in alternate genres. For this episode, Nomi is mostly in a family drama, attempting to stand up for her own identity even as circumstances pull her back to her estranged family. Will is in a paranoid conspiracy thriller, stumbling across altered evidence while being used to track down a falsely-dubbed "terrorist." Meanwhile, Lito is in a sex farce. The changes in tone complement each other, with Will's investigation keeping the thread of mystery alive, Nomi's family issues granting substance, and Lito's thread lightening the mood at the right moments.

Save for an end chase that leads into another effective cliffhanger, this is not a particularly exciting episode, and at this point I was starting to wonder if it should have been "Sense6" as neither the Kenyan bus driver nor the Korean businesswoman appeared to be receiving any script attention at all (that is very soon to change). But by rounding out three of the characters while still keeping the central mystery alive, I Am Also a We manages to engage emotionally in a way that the previous episode did not, marking a significant forward step.


Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Limbic Resonance
Next Episode: Smart Money Is on the Skinny Bitch



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