Reviews

It's such a relief to see Brit playing the lead character rather than the clichéd "bad guy". I, for one, was never convinced by the idea that the universe would somehow be exclusively populated by Californians.

Okay... so it's not "deep" or hardcore sci-fi, and some of the characters are a little 2-dimensional; but it seems to have potential to improve here, and it's just plain enjoyable nonetheless. Thankfully they haven't made the cardinal sin of just ignoring the laws of physics for the sake of a storyline (yes Fringe, I'm looking at *you*), and the level of comedy seems well balanced.

Definite overtones of Firefly, also maybe a bit of SG1 and possibly even shades of Farscape (without the aliens). I'm curious to see where it goes.

So I can see why many would say the first episodes are slow. By the same reckoning, I'd venture that the entire season is slow... and it's all the better for being so.

The first season is just setup. You're gradually introduced to the characters, to their loves, their hopes, their fears, their dreams. Not something that can be rushed if it's to be done properly. It then introduces us to some of the back-story and mythos of the sensates - we learn these things just as the characters do. The "enemy" is then introduced and it finally culminates in a triumphant demonstration of what can be achieved when they work together.

The whole series is set up to take you on a story, to make you feel part of it. If there's a particular group of people you don't want to see on screen then it's easy to brush aside as having a Gay agenda, a Transsexual agenda, an African agenda, an east-Asian agenda, a Hindu agenda, etc. etc. If you're not prejudiced then if has a refreshingly wide cast of characters - wide enough that you're guaranteed to feel empathy for at least one person who is vastly different from you. Each and every one of us could imagine being one of the 8, and the truly immersive cinematography really does help here.

So much on television these days features shallow cardboard-cutout characters, hurriedly padded out with a lame back-story and only there to pad out the one-liner jokes and action sequences. Sens8 is emphatically NOT such a series.

Now I know who these people are, I just want to see more... To see what they'll do now they've come to terms with their world and their abilities. I fully expect to see a great many surprises and twists in their journey, and eagerly await them all.