“The Wachowskis and J. Michael Straczynski have created a show that is both a globe-trotting thriller and a deeply intimate meditation on the nature of identity and empathy.”
Emily Nussbaum
The New Yorker

What if a single moment could connect eight strangers across the globe, letting them share thoughts, skills, and emotions? That is the hook of Sense8, a sprawling sci-fi drama from creators Lana and Lilly Wachowski and J. Michael Straczynski. The show follows eight ordinary people who suddenly become "sensates", mentally linked individuals who can experience each other's lives in real time. The ensemble cast includes Miguel Ángel Silvestre as a closeted Mexican actor, Max Riemelt as a German safecracker, Jamie Clayton as a transgender blogger, Bae Doona as a South Korean businesswoman, Brian J. Smith as a Chicago cop, and Tuppence Middleton as an Icelandic DJ. Netflix aired two seasons totaling 24 episodes between 2015 and 2018, earning strong reviews for its ambitious storytelling, emotional depth, and celebration of human connection. The show balances high-concept telepathy with intimate character drama, wrapped in a conspiracy thriller about a shadowy organization hunting sensates.
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On August 8th, eight strangers across the globe simultaneously experience a shared vision of a woman named Angelica Turing committing suicide. This psychic event "births" them as a new cluster of sensates, Homo sapiens who have evolved to be mentally and emotionally linked. They are: Will Gorski, a Chicago police officer haunted by an unsolved case; Riley Blue, an Icelandic DJ in London grieving a personal tragedy; Sun Bak, a South Korean businesswoman and secret underground kickboxing champion; Lito Rodriguez, a famous Mexican actor living a double life as a closeted gay man; Capheus Onyango, a Nairobi bus driver who idolizes Jean-Claude Van Damme and needs money for his mother's AIDS medication; Kala Dandekar, a devout Hindu pharmaceutical scientist in Mumbai engaged to a man she is not sure she loves; Wolfgang Bogdanow, a German safecracker and gangster in Berlin seeking freedom from his criminal family; and Nomi Marks, a transgender blogger and activist in San Francisco in a loving relationship with her girlfriend, Amanita.
The central premise is that these eight individuals can now visit each other's lives, sharing skills, emotions, and sensory experiences in real-time. A sensate in Chicago can suddenly speak German, fight like a Korean master, or feel the emotional weight of a Kenyan son's love for his mother. This connection is not just mental, it is a profound, empathetic bond that allows them to be in multiple places at once, experiencing the full spectrum of human existence. But their gift makes them targets. The shadowy Biologic Preservation Organization (BPO) hunts sensates, subjecting them to a process called "whispering" that can drive them insane or kill them. The cluster is guided by Jonas Maliki, an older sensate captured by BPO, and hunted by the malevolent Mr. Whispers, a powerful sensate working for the organization.
Season 1 is an origin story, introducing the eight characters and their individual struggles as their psychic connection begins to disrupt and then empower their lives. They face personal crises, a police shooting, a gang war, a corporate betrayal, a broken heart, a closeted relationship, a crisis of faith, a family feud, and a life-threatening surgery, while learning to use their shared abilities. Season 2 expands the mythology as the cluster goes from being hunted to fighting back. They uncover the history of sensates and BPO's ultimate goal, while each character faces escalating personal stakes. The season builds to a high-stakes operation that sets the stage for the series' final confrontation.
Sense8 | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix
Critical Consensus
Sense8 is a wildly ambitious, visually stunning, and emotionally resonant sci-fi epic that celebrates human connection. While its convoluted plot and slow pacing can be divisive, the show's bold, inclusive storytelling and powerful performances create a unique and deeply affecting viewing experience.
“The Wachowskis and J. Michael Straczynski have created a show that is both a globe-trotting thriller and a deeply intimate meditation on the nature of identity and empathy.”
Emily Nussbaum
The New Yorker
“Sense8 is a glorious, messy, ambitious, and deeply sincere mess of a show. It's a beautiful, baffling, and often thrilling experiment that feels like nothing else on television.”
Tim Goodman
The Hollywood Reporter
“It's a show that wears its heart on its sleeve, and its politics on its sleeve, and its sexuality on its sleeve. It's a lot of sleeves. But it's also a genuinely moving and inventive piece of science fiction.”
Sonia Saraiya
Variety
“The show is a mess, but it's a beautiful, ambitious, and emotionally honest mess. It's a show that believes in the power of love and connection so fervently that it's impossible not to be swept up in its sincerity.”
Todd VanDerWerff
Vox
“Sense8 is a sprawling, indulgent, and often breathtakingly beautiful piece of television that is as much a political statement as it is a sci-fi thriller. It's not for everyone, but for those it clicks with, it's a revelation.”
Caroline Framke
The A.V. Club
Directors
Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, James McTeigue, Dan Glass, Tom Tykwer
Writers
Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, J. Michael Straczynski
Composers
Johnny Klimek, Tom Tykwer
Cinematographers
John Toll, Daniele Massaccesi, Frank Griebe
Producers
Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, J. Michael Straczynski, Grant Hill, Marcus Loges, Roberto Malerba
GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series (2016)
Outstanding Drama Series: Won
GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series (2017)
Outstanding Drama Series: Won
GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series (2019)
Outstanding Drama Series: Won
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music (2016)
Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music: Nominated
Saturn Award for Best New Media Television Series (2016)
Best New Media Television Series: Nominated
BAFTA TV Craft Award for Best Editing (2016)
Best Editing: Nominated
Critics' Choice Television Award for Most Exciting New Series (2015)
Most Exciting New Series: Nominated
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