Sense8: Art Is Like Religion
June 17, 2015 2:59 PM - Season 1, Episode 5 - Subscribe

Sun considers a difficult decision she has to make. Lito gets PMS (courtesy of Sun). Capheus ends up more embroiled with Nairobi's criminal underclass. Kala's wedding is interrupted.

Trying to catch us up to the AV Club's recaps at least!
posted by yasaman (16 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Ok, so I know mileage varied on this joke, but I found the whole thing with Lito getting vicarious PMS to be HILARIOUS. It worked for me because for Sun, it was business as usual. She was a little more emotional, and clearly at least a little physically uncomfortable, but she was otherwise going about her day normally, like countless women who keep on keeping on through their periods. Meanwhile, Lito, who was not prepared for this at all, was LOSING. HIS. SHIT. I cackled a lot at the contrast, and the jokey implication that men are weak when it comes to periods. But it also worked great on a character level to contrast the very emotive, high strung Lito with the more closed off, restrained Sun. It was like Lito was acting as Sun's release valve, expressing the emotions she was feeling but keeping a lid on.
posted by yasaman at 4:04 PM on June 17, 2015 [15 favorites]


The more I watch of this show the more I like it. I have the whole season but I'm trying to pace my viewing to draw it out some. It had a very slow start; the first 3 or so episodes were just a bunch of unrelated storylines that showed no signs of converging. But now that they're popping into each others' heads, it's picking up steam fast. I'm totally sold.
posted by scalefree at 7:49 PM on June 17, 2015 [1 favorite]


Yes, the whole Lito/Sun connection is just something all together too adorable. Especially the hunched shoulder shuffle and their E.T. finger touch.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 9:02 PM on June 17, 2015 [2 favorites]


I was iffy on the Lito and Sun bit, just because "LOL Ladies have PERIODS" jokes always fall flat with me. It was one of the better done ones, but....yeah.

I'm interested in where they're going to go with Kala and Wolfgang. I mean, there's "we share things and it's different" and then there's naked German man suddenly appearing only to you during your wedding and yeah, the Internet might have had a lot of information, but that first time you see a not-your-family naked man, it has an impact, and I liked that they really showed that.

(A little less liking of the sudden penis shot, but I don't know why I was surprised by that.)
posted by Katemonkey at 5:28 AM on June 18, 2015


This was such a fun episode - the increasing connections as the sensates start to really feel and talk with one another, Lito's hilariously meta action scene, the naked truth Wolfgang at Kala's wedding...it's all so much fucking fun. I understand menstrual moodiness humor has a terrible history but it does seem hard to avoid in this situation, and was handled pretty well, I thought.

I liked this bit from EW'S recap:

They’re starting to embrace their powers and explore what they mean. It's a welcome change of pace; so many pieces of fiction about humans gaining supernatural powers spend a lot of time showing the characters at first resisting their new powers, or angrily struggling to understand what’s happened to them. The Wachowskis have no time for that, instead barreling forward, the sensates showing wonderment, not skepticism, with their newfound visiting abilities.

Yep. At its best this is such a great, joyful series.
posted by mediareport at 8:23 AM on June 18, 2015 [3 favorites]


To expand on that, I really like how unfazed by it all some of the sensates are in this one; Capheus and Riley in particular seem to take it all in stride (if for different reasons; Riley seems too damaged to care, mostly, while Capheus seems to be enjoying the moments of bizarre connection immensely). Wolfgang too.
posted by mediareport at 8:41 AM on June 18, 2015 [1 favorite]


Finally less hero cop. As the representative of white guys in this crew he is mad lame. He's like that dude with curly Kenny G hair in Color Me Badd
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:02 PM on June 18, 2015


Definitely a lot of stereotypes going into various sequences and plot lines. It's broad I guess is what I'm saying. "Hey popo get out of here we are dangeris gangers and watch I'm drinking a 40". Hmm.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:04 PM on June 18, 2015


Still going to watch all of it don't get me wrong. Sayonara sleep!
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:04 PM on June 18, 2015


As much as I liked this episode I was tapping my foot at times going, cmonnnn figure it OUT! Maybe I should be watching more at a time. On some level this new breed of show must be produced with the idea that people will see the whole thing in a weekend, no?

I can see rewatching the entire series anyways. Even bad dialog is somehow better the second time around. Stupid lines like I know kung fu take on new resonances, become interesting in new and stupid ways.

Also, bad dialog can sound so good if it's something you want / need to hear. Like, wasn't feelin the (probably legit) AV Club burn on the Nomi / Amanita lines in this episode because I love their chemistry so much it doesn't even matter what they're saying. Also, I thought it was sweet... awww! Man. Either I need to cultivate some detached cynicism about media, or just admit I really enjoy broad strokes, bad dialog, and heavy handed emotional cues. I can live with that.
posted by Lorin at 9:04 PM on June 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


Yeah I was a bit disappointed at the beginning of the episode, as the I thought the whole hi-larious WHAT IF MEN GOT PERIODS! schtick was uncharacteristically silly for the show, more akin to Home Improvement or a bad Mel Gibson movie.
Also I have aways loathed that 4 Non Blondes song.
Aside from that, great episode. Loved when Capheus tried to go all Van Damme and fell on his ass. The penis shot made me laugh. Cheered at the Nomi escape. I thought for sure someone was going to stop the cab just when they thought they were clear. Glad that didn't happen.
So excited for it to really get going now.
posted by chococat at 12:19 PM on June 24, 2015


I liked the "You're not crying the way I'M NOT SCREAMING!" line.
posted by A dead Quaker at 6:13 AM on July 3, 2015 [3 favorites]


While there is generally a lot of joy, holy crap, this one made my heart hurt in the last few minutes. Kala going through with a wedding she's not sure she wants, and Sun seeming to be on her way to sacrifice herself for her d-bag brother and father.
posted by ktkt at 1:19 AM on July 5, 2015


Not to mention Nomi's friend's place ransacked.
posted by ktkt at 1:33 AM on July 5, 2015


I think the most brilliant single moment in this entire season is the white dog. Watching Sun walk the dog and suddenly realizing why.

Even though she seems very likely to make that decision, the little ambush of that reveal is perfection.
posted by kalapierson at 12:28 AM on November 17, 2015


I cackled a lot at the contrast, and the jokey implication that men are weak when it comes to periods.

Oh man, thank you for reframing it for me, because initially I thought the joke was "lol periods make women crazy amirite", like he was somehow taking her period from her and showing what it was. I love much, much more the idea that he just can't handle the normal level.
posted by corb at 1:40 PM on October 19, 2016


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