Sense8 Review: What Is Human? (Season 1 Ep. 10)

Compared to last week’s snoozy hour of self-reflection, this week’s episode “What Is Human?” is packed full of action, drama, and very important information.

Jonas, our resident exposition mouthpiece, returns to give us some more information on just why BPO is out hunting sensates around the world. After all, if you’re going to lobotomize an entire species just for existing, you better have a damn good reason, right? Wrong.

BPO doesn’t have a reason so much as a definition.

They are human. Humans kill.

As far as big reveals go, this is a pretty poor one. I’d hoped that the monster under the bed of Sense8 would be a bit more complex than a group of in-the-know humans maiming and murdering sensates out of fear of the unknown. There are still two episodes left in the season to flesh out our villains a little more, so let’s all cross our fingers that BPO gets a better source of motivation than “pure evil.”

On the other hand, Jonas’ explanation did strike a nerve with Will.

It’s easy for a sensate, someone who is so perfectly connected to so many other people, to abhor violence and death. Murder seems so much more horrific when you can actually feel the other person dying.

Jonas: Killing is easy when you can feel nothing.

Positioning Jonas’ speech about murderous humans right next to the scene of Wolfgang going on a murder spree was pretty telling about Jonas’ all-knowing act. Human are the killers, huh? Jonas might not be working for the bad guys entirely, but his word is definitely not to be trusted.

Speaking of which, excuse me while I say FINALLY!

FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY LITO GETS IN ON THE ACTION!

For the most part, Lito has been painfully absent from anything having to do with sensates. He’s had a few encounters and even fewer conversations, but for the most part, he’s been isolated in his own little telenovella. I was actually beginning to wonder if he even knew he was experiencing psychic connections.

This week – without much preamble – Lito dives headfirst into the sensate business, helping Wolfgang out with a little acting in his tight situation.

Can I also say that I love that Lito asks permission before taking over for Wolfgang?

Everyone else is just taking control of each others’ bodies left and right, but Lito is all “May I? Do you mind?”

Adorable.

Wolfgang pays him back in kind, when Lito needs a little bit of muscle to save Dani from her abusive fiancee. Let’s hope that’s the last we see of Joaquim for a good long while.

Lito: Lying is easy. It’s what I do.
Wolfgang: Fighting is easy. It’s what I do.

Elsewhere, Will and Riley share another adorable moment. These two are really competing for most precious psychic couple of the year, aren’t they? Admittedly, not a huge pool of contestants to contend with, but still.

Their cuteness is overshadowed by the very unfortunate accident Riley has later during her dad’s concert.

I don’t blame her, I’d pass out too if I were forced to watch seven straight minutes of graphic birthing scenes. Oh, wait. I was. Sorry Wachowskis, but that crossed the line between artistic and gross. I’m all about glorifying the female body and the miracle of birth, but I also have a serious aversion to all things placenta.

Too far. Just… too far.

Now Riley is in terrible danger from BPO, as she will surely be taking a trip to the hospital after that fall of hers. And we all know that hospitals are bad-news-bears for sensates!

We’re ramping up to the finale two episodes of the first season, and I can already tell that shit is about to get real.

Other Thoughts:

• So… was Will just making out with air again in public?
• Lito, Hernando, and Dani are never allowed to break up again.
• That fireworks scene though.
• Did Lito just come out?

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Sense8 is available for streaming on Netflix.