"Sense8" Recap: "Death Doesn't Let You Say Goodbye"

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

What a wild evolution Sense8 has gone through over the last couple of episodes that I've completely and utterly enjoyed. Gone are the boring moments of "Hey I can talk to someone else" followed by hints of something special. There is a plot now, there is a purpose and at last...depth. 

I've had my share of complaints about this show, and one of them I've overlooked up until this point. While the show has been filled with a unique concept and vibrant characters, those all important people have been missing depth. We have never really understood them or who they are, that is until the ninth episode, "Death Doesn't Let You Say Goodbye". 

But before we get into all of that, this episode did give us a little more insight into the Sensates and how the BPO ensures that they rarely survive or succeed in the world. The woman that "cursed" Riley away from Iceland revealed that the BPO loves to run genetic testing on potential Sensates, no doubt stopping them in their tracks before they can unify with others and create a cluster. But we also learned one potentially disturbing "fact." That Jonas and Angel used to work with Whispers to help bring down clusters. It's hard to say if that's truth or not, but it's definitely food for thought.  

But, as is often the case in this show, the bigger plot revolving around Whispers was not the focal point and this go round I didn't mind it because wow, we were treated to some of the finest performances in the show to date as we learned more about what some of these characters have been through to this point and how much it tears at them. Capheus, Riley, Nomi and Lito have all been through some seriously traumatizing times. Nomi and Capheus it seems have embraced their pain and moved forward in life with it while Riley and Lito let it haunt them. But all those wonderful moments, including some heartbreaking scenes with Lito at the end of the episode were absolutely beautiful. 

I really was blown away this episode with everything it brought to the table when it came to these characters and it was something the show needed desperately, to finally bring the characters to life in a way where we connected with them on some level and quite frankly it is my favorite episode to date. It also feels in a way like so many in the cluster are without purpose and direction because of their pain and whatever is yet to come will give them what they need. While in many ways this episode should serve as a transitional one, it really isn't. I feel like there was a purpose and reason to learning so much about everyone and that this was likely the calm before the storm as we head into the home stretch of the story as the end of season one draws near. Until next time. 

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