Saturday, January 30, 2016

Sense8, Season One, Episode Eight: We Will All Be Judged by the Courage of Our Hearts


In the aftermath of watching the coma patient killing himself, Nomi and Amanita sit watching the sunrise.  This is a moment of dissonance for Nomi because the sunrise is so beautiful yet she is very much haunted by what she experienced in Metzger's apartment the night before.  We move right to another moment of dissonance and this time, it's Kala crying at a movie in a theater while her entire family is crying.  Kala excuses herself to go to the washroom and it's there that she sees Wolfie. Clearly, Kala is feeling Wolfie's sadness.

Kala and Wolfie move to a hospital in Germany, where Wolfie is sitting by Felix's bedside.  Wolfie blames himself for what happened to Felix, saying that he wanted to prove something.  This is clearly a reference to Wolfie's daddy issues.  Wolfie talks about how he met Felix in detention.  Felix was a regular and for Wolfie it was his first time.  We learn that Wolfie and Felix used to cut school as kids to watch movies together.  As a Russian, Wolfie was the kid everyone hated but Felix always stood by his side.  Felix even protected Wolfie from his drunk and abusive father.  Wolfie calls Felix his brother "and not by something as accidental as blood but by something much stronger." While this conversation is about Wolfie and Felix, it also speaks to the relationship the Sense8s have to each other. It's something which they cannot define which connects them though they have no blood relationship and come from different places, just like Wolfie and Felix.

Lito awakes to a call from Daniela, who is calling to say that everything is okay now and that he doesn't have to worry.  It's telling that Hernando's concern is about whether or not Daniela is coming back and Lito wants assurances that the problem has been handled.  Hernando questions if Daniela agreed to stay with her abuser while Lito can only fixate on what he perceives to be good news.

Capheus pays a visit to Jela and is not given a warm greeting by Jela's wife.  When Jela complains that his marriage is strained because he is home, Capheus suggests that it's time for Jela to come back to work.  I suppose seeing a man's hands shopped off in front of you is reason enough to understand that it's time to leave before the same thing happens to you.  Capheus wants to do clean work. Jela's wife is excited to be rid of her husband when she learns the news.

Sun continues to struggle with sewing and so her helper turns to aid her.  Sun notes that the woman will never get to go outside if she continues to offer her aid. The bully attempts to take Sun's teachers finished work and is tripped by Sun.  Oh it looks like things are going to get rough in prison. Finally finished her sewing, Sun is let out into the yard where she sees her teacher painting a mural of happier times.  Sun is offered a paintbrush and is told that sometimes it feels good to remember.  Sun paints herself and her mother but its quickly ruined by the bully who is not happy about being tripped. The bully accuses Sun of thinking that she is better than she and quickly attacks.  Sun gets the upperhand and asks the women and her henchmen to stop fighting because she doesn't want to hurt them.  Sun is stabbed for her trouble but manages to take out the bully before the guards arrive and separate the women.  Sun is placed in solitary and a prisoner delivers her some food in thanks for what she did for her teacher.  Among the utensils, Sun finds a paintbrush.  Will this be a new form of expression for Sun?  In many ways she has been so crafted by her father.

Will is dressed and ready for work but finds himself in Riley's childhood home.  Riley gives him a tour, stopping to point out Gunnar's piano.  Will notes a picture of Riley's mother, Riley reveals that her mother passed away.  Gunnar delivers a coffee to Riley and Will learns that they take their coffee the same way.  Will questions why Riley stayed away so long given how nice her home and how nice Gunnar seems.  Riley isn't interested in answering and simply says that a lot of things are hard to talk about. Now it's Riley's turn to visit Will in his apartment and he invites her to come to Chicago, promising to show her around. Riley returns the favor offer to show Will around Reykjavik.  Will wants to see  Eyjafjallajökull in particular.  Riley is overwhelmed when she sees a train go by. Their mutual fascination with each other's homes turns to attraction and the two kiss. Unfortunately for Will, Diego walks in and to Diego, it looks like Will is just kissing air and not a person because he cannot see Riley. Will does not even try to make an excuse.

Kala sits with the wedding planners who believe that the horoscope for the new date is even better. The planners ask about holding the wedding at the temple of Ganesha and Manendra is clearly not impressed. It's not surprising given that he sees everything Indian as backward.

Shiro is feeling much better and is up on her feet cooking for Capheus. Shiro teases Capheus about being far too thin.  Shiro knows that something is wrong and Capheus explains that he won't be able to get the medicine anymore but Shiro simply says that troubles like this don't seem so bad over a full stomach.  Githu bursts in and interrupts the family moment. Githu explains that he had a sister and they were as close as Shiro and Capheus, that is until Silas killed her.  This is another example of the men in in Capheus's circle connecting to their humanity by the women in their lives.  When Githu points his gun at Shiro, Capheus stands in front of his mother.


Hernando and Lito are waiting for Daniela to arrive and Lito is anxiously pacing as Hernando sits calmly.  Daniela is wearing big sunglasses to cover black eye and Hernando hands over a bag of her things.  Hernando  sees the black eye when he removes Daniela's  sunglasses.  Hernando is insistent that Daniela cannot return to Joaquin.  Daniela however looks right at Lito and explains that agreeing to marry Joaquin is how she got him to agree to leave Hernando and Lito alone.  This is clearly a challenge aimed directly at Lito. It feels as though Daniela is making Lito responsible for her abuse.  Hernando is horrified and Daniela says that people make choices and life has a way of making people pay for them.  Daniela encourages Lito to keep making movies and promises Hernando that she will be fine. Daniela walks away leaving the two men alone.

Shiro is adamant that Capheus cannot turn over Amindo but Caphues is concerned about the safety of his mother.  I'm not surprised at Shiro's bravery in this moment given the bravery she has repeatedly shown.  This is part of why it bothers me that Capheus has so much of his identity wrapped up in Van Damn, who is merely an actor, while Shiro has shown bravery and loyalty in the face of great danger repeatedly. What has Van Damn done for him that Shiro hasn't?

Riley visits with her friend Sven.  When Riley admits to not driving anymore, Sven offers to chauffeur her around.

At the station, Will tells Diego about Nomi, when he sees the bolo for her.  They watch on the tape as Bolger gets out of bed and puts on a suit.  Will has run into BPO, which is the organization that paid Metzger and paid for the care of Bolger and made Jonas disappear.  Nomi has also found BPO and learns that they study the human genome in the search of mutations.  Nomi also learns that they are heavily funded.  Will appears near Nomi and they have a conversation about the fact that they have  to figure out what is going on.  Diego is confused because it looks like Will is speaking to himself. Will asks for information on Metzger's hard drive and Nomi reveals that Metzger has been flying around the world lobotomizing people.  Nomi pulls up a picture of Whispers and says that its the reflection that she saw in the mirror.  The doorbell rings and it's Whispers at the door.  Will recognizes the voice, even as Whispers tells Amanita's mother that Nomi has a terrible disease.  Will warns Nomi not to look at Metzger because this is how he hunts.  Whispers barges into the house as Amanita tells Nomi to get out the window while she stalls them.

When a federal agent bursts in, Amanita pretends to be changing her tampon. causing him to make a quick retreat. Nomi makes it into an alley but she is surrounded by cops.  Nomi asks for someone to please help her and Sun and Will both show up.  This is Will's first meeting with Sun. Will talks Sun through taking out the cops and Sun kicks some major ass.  Will then directs Nomi to throw the gun away and ride away on a bike.  Nomi is being chased by a cop car as Will enters his captain's office. Nomi manages to steal car but unfortunately, she doesn't know how to drive - enter Capheus. Thanks to Capheus's great moves behind the wheel, Nomi is able to escape the feds.  Will is informed by his captain that he is suspended without pay and is told to leave his badge.

Lito is back on set and he is shooting a scene and he says, "in the end we will all be judged by the content of our heart."  The director calls cut and notifies Lito that his friend is there to see him. From the tone of the word "friend" it's clear that the director knows that Hernando is more than a friend to Lito. When Lito meets with Hernando, he is still worried about blackmail. Hernando however makes it clear that while he loves Lito, he cannot be with someone who can allow someone else to be hurt to protect their career. Lito however says that Daniela did this to herself and thinks that Hernando is breaking up with him because of Daniela.  Hernando repeats the line from the movie before walking away.

At the temple of Ganesha, Kala gets a visit from Manendra and it seems that Manendra does not believe in Ganesha. Manendra wants Kala to call up his son and refuse to marry him.  Manendra believes that Kala fainted in order to stop her marriage to Rajan.  It seems that Manendra regrets giving his consent to the marriage in the first place. The two are not allowed to finish their conversation because Manendra is attacked by a group of people and is stabbed several times as a horrified Kala watches screaming.  Manendra falls down a flight of stairs and Kala rushes to his side screaming.