Like Firefly before it, Sense8 has become one of those shows bemoaned by sci-fi fans for ending too early. After two successful, yet expensive, seasons, Netflix canceled the complex, beautifully-filmed show. Because of this, fans never got to see their favorite storylines resolved. Though Netflix gave the show a finale movie to try to wrap things up, also much like Firefly, there was too much to cover. The series had a bunch of loose ends that didn’t get tied up into any sort of conclusion.
Here are 10 Storylines from Sense8 That Never Got Resolved.
The Fate of The Bak Family Company
A big conflict throughout Sense8 involved Sun Bak’s family and their company’s reputation. When the police catch her brother Joong-Ki for embezzling, Sun takes the fall for him. However, when Joong-Ki has a change of heart, he murders their dad and sends Sun to prison. The end of the series finds Sun confronting her brother for what he’d done and getting him to pay for his crimes. Though the Sun and Joong-Ki plotline gets resolution, there are still several questions hanging in the balance: their family company. What has happened during her brother’s run? Who will lead the company? If Sun’s jail time is a problem, then who? The Bak enterprise is still in grave danger with no known fate.
Capheus’ Political Career
A big part of the second season involved Capheus going from easy-going bus driver to serious politician. After the water crisis in his town, he’s desperate to make a difference. But when the show got cancelled, Capheus’ presidential campaign got sidelined by Whispers and other interpersonal resolutions.
Even though his storyline didn’t involve as much active danger or the fate of the other sensates, Capheus was using his abilities to try to make the world a better place. It’s tragic that fans will never see his political aspirations play out. Especially since some of the corruption in his home tied into the corruption at Rajan’s family business.
Lito’s Hollywood Transition
Living in homophobic Mexico, Lito always feared coming out to the public. Especially because his career as an actor hinged on them loving him. When he came out, his worst fears came true: no one would hire him, his career started to dry up, and he was suddenly an outcast.
In a bid to keep his career and embrace his sexuality, Lito got in contact with Hollywood executives and auditioned to play a gay man in a movie. After some networking and adventuring, Lito got the part. After all he’d been through, it seemed like the stepping stone towards a new life.
However, past getting the role, his new career in Hollywood never gets anymore screen time. Sure, Sense8 had a lot to cram into its final episodes. Despite that, it would have been nice to actually see Lito’s conclusion.
The Complex Kalajangang Triad
Throughout the series, the religious scientist Kala struggles between her feelings for fellow sensate Wolfgang, and the marriage she was pressured into. Over time, she learns to love aspects of both relationships. She loves the support Rajan gives her, but she also can’t ignore the passion she feels for Wolfgang.
In the series finale movie, she finally has to face this contradiction head on. The group has to find and save Wolfgang, and they pull Rajan into the mix. The interesting conclusion the show has to the love triangle though, is to make them a throuple instead of having Kala pick one guy.
Many fans praised this choice, however the relationships deserved to have more in-depth discussion and exploration of the triad instead of just giving it a “done” stamp.
The Lacuna
The Lacuna and the monk that came with them were always a fascinating, mystical group. Unfortunately, the cancellation torpedoed any continued air of mystery about them. In the finale, the group met The Lacuna and got some answers and information about Whispers. Though it’s great the August 8th cluster met them, that doesn’t give any resolution to who they are. They are a mysterious group of sensates that stay hidden from BPO and Whispers. There was no real explanation to what they are like and what they do in this world.
Sensate Science
Sense8 did a pretty good job of explaining how the rules of being a sensate worked. Amidst all the action and drama of the sho, though, the science of it all does still leave a lot without explanation. Giving birth to clusters is still vague at best. What makes a person a sensate remains relatively undefined. The way that other sensates connect to other people not in their cluster is arguably confusing.
It makes sense that the world-building behind the sci-fi concept is a little messy, since the show was suddenly cut short. However, it doesn’t replace all the scientific conclusions fans missed out on in learning more about sensate existence.
BPO Corruption
Near the end of Sense8, the cluster learns that BPO wasn’t always the looming, evil group out to kill sensates. Actually, scientists and sensates formed BPO as an organization to help understand and research them. Over time, corruption and greed infested and took over the company.
With the destruction of Whispers and some higher level BPO folks, the main heroes have taken a big step towards taking back the company for scientists and sensates. However, it’s hard to believe that they got rid of all the corruption in BPO. They may have turned the tide, but there’s no resolution to why this really happened and how to try to stop it from ever happening again.
The Rasal Family and The Religious Tension In Mumbai
A big part of Kala’s marriage frustrations stemmed from Rajan’s family policies. His father, influential in the political climate of Mumbai, was part of an anti-religious movement. However, Kala and her family are religious. This causes tensions, including an assassination attempt on her father-in-law.
The more Rajan sticks up for Kala, the more his family tries to mediate instead of pioneer the anti-religious end. This leads to them turning on other big governmental influencers. With the religious tensions and the corruption scandal, the Rasal family has some serious machinations going on in Mumbai.
Unfortunately, the writers never resolved those plots and dropped them in favor of heisting BPO for Wolfgang.
The State of Other Sensates
The biggest threat in the series is BPO and its aggressive obsession with snuffing out sensates. While fans follow the August 8th cluster, they find out there are so many more around the world.
Seeing as the show vaguely insinuates that a lot of clusters get hunted down by Whispers, the main cast don’t really know the state of other sensates. They don’t know if there are really so few or if many of them are simply in hiding. At the very least, they’re all pretty quiet. If there’s supposed to be a world filled with possible sensates, it’s devastating that there’s no resolution to what the rest of their worldly community looks like.
Riley and Will’s Future
If any couple had the most trouble with BPO, it was Riley Blue and Will Gorski. As the people who came in contact with Whispers in Season 1, Will and Riley went on the run to keep Will (and the cluster) safe from Whispers’ infiltration.
Now after BPO’s future is re-written and no one is after them, Will and Riley’s future is very uncertain. Will lost his job as a police officer and his dad passed away. Riley hasn’t been on the DJ scene in months, if not more than a year. Where all the other sensates have a general direction after the movie, these two are left vague. For all the trouble they went through, they deserve some sort of hopeful resolution to their story.