Rejoice, Sense8 fans! After two years without a full new season of the Netflix drama, fans have finally been rewarded with 10 brand new episodes of Lana Wachowski’s latest brain child. Although we’ve had tonnes of new pop cultural meditations on sexuality since season 1 debuted in May 2015, the arrival of Sense8 season 2 proves the series still reigns supreme in that arena.
The sensates who make up the metaphysical sci-fi series already fall along the vast spectrum of sexuality and gender identity. Lito Rodriguez (Miguel Ángel Silvestre) is a gay man. Nomi Marks (Jamie Clayton) is a transgender woman, played by a transgender actress. There is a polysexual orgy. But, it’s a very shippable moment involving someone outside of the sensate cluster that makes the show’s inclusive point in season 2.
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In premiere "Who Am I?" sensate Capheus (the newly recast Toby Onwumere) meets his new love interest, Zakia. Everything is all heart eyes and first dates until Capheus goes to meet his possible new girlfriend at her job. Zakia is a TV journalist and her co-workers know a shocking amount about her personal life. As Capheus puts in a request to see Zakia, three men call him over by mocking his clothing. We’re off to a great start.
Soon enough, Goon 1 starts gossiping about Zakia by using an awful analogy to hint she’s a lesbian. "A bit of a sordid tale here, but when Zakia was studying in London, a story broke out that she preferred lunch boxes to baguettes," he says and then points to his pal. As if they’ve practiced this before, Goon 2 quickly adds his own disgusting tidbit, saying "She’d rather slurp on a mango than chomp on a banana." Since Capheus still isn’t picking up on all the homophobia, Goon 3 says, "You know she prefers pussies to puppies."
As a cherry on this trash sundae, Goon 1 declares, "Dude, she liked girls… If you’ve got a dick in those pants, you’ve got no chance, bro."
Not only are all of these comments generally offensive, they’re also terrible metaphors. Thankfully, a progressive show like Sense8 isn’t endorsing such horrible, closed-minded behaviour. They’re mocking it. That’s why the resolution is so ‘ship-worthy.
In next episode "Fear Never Fixed Anything" Zakia goes to talk to Capheus as he’s driving his bus. "Yes, I loved a woman. It’s true. I’ve also loved men," she admits in front of a bus full of strangers. "I fall in love with a person, not their genitals. Which may sound weird to you." Of course this doesn’t sound weird to Capheus — he has a mental and emotional link to seven other people around the globe.
As the beaming bus onlookers all but play "Kiss The Girl" from The Little Mermaid, Capheus kisses bisexual (or possibly pansexual?) Zakia, proving it's her spirit that matters, not whom she's loved or what she identifies as. Zakia may not be a sensate, but she's walking, talking proof of why Sense8 is so special.