"Sense8" Recap: "What Is Human?"

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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

I noticed an interesting contrast when it came to episodes nine and ten of Sense8. Episode nine, while beautiful and rich really seemed to focus on regret and reflection on the hardest parts of our characters' lives. That's not a bad thing by any means, it's just that episode ten turned out to be a story filled with stark contrast, a celebration of life if you will.  

Yes, "What is Human?" turned out to be an extremely, hyper positive and fun episode and as the series nears the end of season one, it was welcome and refreshing in a way. Of course we received more information about the Sensates courtesy of Jonas as he educated Will on the subtle genetic nuances of how they came to be and the fascinating fact that somewhere along the way mankind lost its ability to communicate with nature and the world the way the Sensates do. It wasn't a ton of information from Jonas, but it did show us all that a fascinating world and mythos is being born right before our eyes and I love it.

But the episode also served as redemption for what could be considered two of its weakest characters. To date Lito and Wolfgang haven't had a lot to do really and while Lito's story has slowly been gaining steam, Wolfgang's took off as he dealt with the man who shot his best friend in impressive fashion and with an assist from Lito. Of course the Sensates help one another so when Lito finally decides to set things right in his life, Wolfgang is there to help him rescue Daniela from the clutches of the psychotic Joaquin.  In fact that was the most satisfying storyline of the night, Lito's redemption. It was great to finally see him embrace who he is and what matters in life and the good vibes didn't end there. 

The celebration of life that I mentioned came at the end of the episode when Riley came to see her father play at the concert hall. All of the Sensates were able to enjoy the wonder of the music and the concert and all somehow were able to remember the moment of their birth as they did. That was something quite frankly I'd never seen in television before, and well it worked for this show.  But all good things must come to an end, and in the process of feeling this overwhelming emotion, Riley flashed back to the tragic moment she lost her husband and child, sending a torrent of blood down her face as she collapsed at the concert.

I get the feeling things are going to get ugly from here. After all, Riley is in Iceland, the land of BPO and Whispers. That means she is going to go to the hospital, tests will be done and they'll discover the changes in her brain like they did with Nomi and I'm sure the wrong kind of people are going to get involved quickly. That means it will be up to her cluster to save her life and save the day and I'm hoping her imminent capture will at last lead to some answers about Whispers and the purpose of his organization.  Either way, just like that, the stage is set for the season finale and at long last, the stakes are high. Until next time.

---