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(fair warning: there are some spoilers here)
One of the criticisms leveled at the show Sense8 is that the pacing is slow and there are episodes where nothing happens to move the plot forward. What does happen in those episodes, however, is character development.
The speculative premise of the show is that a natural biological development of species, human included, is to be linked deeply to other members of our species. Given that premise, it seems to me that an argument can be made here for character development as plot. Getting to know these characters as they get to know each other—and through each other, more deeply know themselves—is the plot. Whatever action takes place around it, that is the essential motive force and structuring principle of the plot movement.
The mechanism of language use, wherein all these characters speak English, but are in actuality—in the un-sensate–filtered reality of this world—speaking their own languages brings us, the viewers, into this connection, underlining the idea that “getting to know you” is the main plot arc. The viewer becomes, essentially, the ninth member of the group, because we understand all these people—whatever language they might be speaking.
Delving into memories, connection, being in each other’s bodies and having access to feelings, skills, experiences—that is the plot arc of the whole first season. The business with Whispers and BPO are an outer exoskeleton of plot device that allow for the more adrenaline-fueled (and fantastic!) sequences of this progression to complete connection.
All of the sensates’ conversations with each other are as much a part of the plot motion as their rescues of one another. They are trading skills, knowledge, and understanding in both the ruminative conversations and the action sequences—all of these scenes are about them changing each other, causing actions they might not otherwise have taken. In the case of this story, character and relationship development is part of the story’s movement forward to the place where they cohabitate one another as a group mind with individual selves and lives.
It’s empathy as plot.
The only really null scenes, in terms of plot, are those in which the sensates engage in intellectual discussions with characters outside of their cluster, conversations about evolution, chromosomes, biology, art—like the conversation over a meal with Amanita’s mother, or some of Jonas’s conversations with Will. These scenes are philosophy as exposition and their function seems to be to build a scientific explanation for the rise of the speculative biological development that defines the Sense8 cluster phenomenon. I don’t mind them, but I’m not sure those scenes are necessary.
I’ve read a few reviews of the show that start out by hedging about how, yes, it’s about emotion and empathy, with an attitude of apology or slight disdain. It’s too bad that fiction and culture at large shy so hard from what’s at the heart of Sense8. As if it’s slightly shameful and un-intellectual to be caught cherishing such notions of connection. For me, the show’s use of empathy as plot is pretty brilliant and truly joyous.
*
One of the criticisms leveled at the show Sense8 is that the pacing is slow and there are episodes where nothing happens to move the plot forward. What does happen in those episodes, however, is character development.
The speculative premise of the show is that a natural biological development of species, human included, is to be linked deeply to other members of our species. Given that premise, it seems to me that an argument can be made here for character development as plot. Getting to know these characters as they get to know each other—and through each other, more deeply know themselves—is the plot. Whatever action takes place around it, that is the essential motive force and structuring principle of the plot movement.
The mechanism of language use, wherein all these characters speak English, but are in actuality—in the un-sensate–filtered reality of this world—speaking their own languages brings us, the viewers, into this connection, underlining the idea that “getting to know you” is the main plot arc. The viewer becomes, essentially, the ninth member of the group, because we understand all these people—whatever language they might be speaking.
Delving into memories, connection, being in each other’s bodies and having access to feelings, skills, experiences—that is the plot arc of the whole first season. The business with Whispers and BPO are an outer exoskeleton of plot device that allow for the more adrenaline-fueled (and fantastic!) sequences of this progression to complete connection.
All of the sensates’ conversations with each other are as much a part of the plot motion as their rescues of one another. They are trading skills, knowledge, and understanding in both the ruminative conversations and the action sequences—all of these scenes are about them changing each other, causing actions they might not otherwise have taken. In the case of this story, character and relationship development is part of the story’s movement forward to the place where they cohabitate one another as a group mind with individual selves and lives.
It’s empathy as plot.
The only really null scenes, in terms of plot, are those in which the sensates engage in intellectual discussions with characters outside of their cluster, conversations about evolution, chromosomes, biology, art—like the conversation over a meal with Amanita’s mother, or some of Jonas’s conversations with Will. These scenes are philosophy as exposition and their function seems to be to build a scientific explanation for the rise of the speculative biological development that defines the Sense8 cluster phenomenon. I don’t mind them, but I’m not sure those scenes are necessary.
I’ve read a few reviews of the show that start out by hedging about how, yes, it’s about emotion and empathy, with an attitude of apology or slight disdain. It’s too bad that fiction and culture at large shy so hard from what’s at the heart of Sense8. As if it’s slightly shameful and un-intellectual to be caught cherishing such notions of connection. For me, the show’s use of empathy as plot is pretty brilliant and truly joyous.
*
