"The Eighth Sense": what is the series about and is it worth watching

On May 5, the second season of the series will be released from the creators of "The Matrix" of the Wachowski sisters. The fantastic drama "The Eighth Sense" tells about what it is like to be in someone else's shoes and how eight people can become one. The life hacker is figuring out whether to watch this controversial series.

What is the show about?

This is a story about eight heroes living far from each other. They are very different - by nationality, social status and sexual orientation - but they are linked by one evolutionary feature. Unexpectedly for themselves, they became sensei, that is, they acquired the ability to feel and participate at a distance in each other's life.

At first, the heroes only hear and see what is happening around the other senseite, but with each series, their abilities become more and more powerful. For example, they can briefly control another senseite's body from a distance.

At the same time, the life of each hero in itself is a drama. They all struggle with the circumstances surrounding people, themselves. Becoming sensei, the heroes received not only superpowers, but also problems: a mysterious corporation began to hunt for them. To survive the drama of everyone and cope with the common misfortune is the task that the senseites solve in front of the audience.

The series was released on Netflix on June 5, 2015. The first season consists of twelve 60-minute episodes. For Christmas, a special two-hour series was released with the telling title Happy Fucking New Year. The second season will have 10 episodes of the same duration.

Why is it called The Eighth Sense?

No, not because three more are added to the five basic feelings of the heroes. In the original, the name of the series Sense8 is a play on words and an allusion to both the eight main characters and the fact that they have passed to a new stage in the development of mankind and gained the ability to feel each other.

Who invented all this?

The idea for the series belongs to the Wachowski sisters, the creators of the films "The Matrix" and "Cloud Atlas", who implemented it together with screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski. Straczynski is known for his participation in the creation of many popular sci-fi films, including "Substitution" by Clint Eastwood and "World War Z".

Critics point out that the concept of the "Eighth Sense" resembles the "Cloud Atlas". This is a series about how the world works. More precisely, about how the Wachowski sisters see the structure of the world.

The actors did not disappoint?

There are no Hollywood stars in The Eighth Sense, but there are many familiar faces to the Russian audience. For example, English actress Tuppence Middleton is best known for her roles in The Imitation Game and The Long Fall, South Korean actress Bae Doo Na starred in Cloud Atlas, and American Brian J. Smith played the role of Lieutenant Matthew in Stargate Universe. ". One of the important roles went to the British actor, nominee for the "Amy" and "Golden Globe" awards Navin Andrews.

After the release of the series, transgender Jamie Clayton, who had previously worked as a presenter on American television, became known as an actress.

What will happen in the second season?

The heroes' ability to feel each other will increase and make them stronger in the fight against the mysterious corporation.

According to American publications, the second season of the series will begin with the following events: business woman and kickboxing star Sun Pak is still in prison; Kenyan bus driver Cafeus worries about drought; Police officer Will Gorsky manages to escape from the hunter Mr. Whispers.

Why watch the series?

If you've seen the first season, then for sure this question is not in front of you. If you haven't seen, then here are some reasons:

This is a fantastic series that touches on the acute problems of our time, which is interesting in itself.
It's beautifully filmed. Filming of the first and second seasons took place in more than a dozen locations on four continents. The show's budget was $ 9 million per episode.
The Eighth Sense has good ratings. On "Kinopoisk", the series received 8, 1 points out of 10 on the basis of more than 10 thousand ratings. On the Metacritic website, the drama also received mostly favorable reviews, receiving a rating of 63 out of 100.

Why shouldn't you look?

There are several reasons for this too. The Eighth Sense is not worth watching if you:

Don't like science fiction films with strong dramatic overtones.
Dissatisfied with the latest works by Wachowski - the films "Cloud Atlas" and "Jupiter Ascending".
They are not ready to dive into the world created by the directors and accept it as it is.
Do not tolerate explicit erotic scenes, including those involving homosexual couples and transgender people.

The strong bias towards the problems of LGBT life is one of the reasons for the controversial reviews for the first season from Russian viewers. In the second season, it is unlikely that anything will change.

Will I be better when I watch The Eighth Sense?

This is a story about issues of identity, religion, sexuality, gender and political views. But it is also a story about self-sacrifice, mutual assistance, kindness and faith in people. This was the first season, so will the second. The creators do not intend to deviate from their idea. Therefore, after watching The Eighth Sense, you will definitely become more tolerant and inspired to do good deeds.

Where and when can I watch the new season?

The production of the series is funded by Netflix. The premiere will take place there on May 5. A subscription to the service costs from $ 7.9 (about 450 rubles at the current exchange rate) per month. If you link your card, the first month of Netflix is free to use. All ten episodes in English will be available immediately after the premiere.