Sense8 Episode 4: What's Going On?

Welcome back to Sense8. Last time, Sun helped Capheus fight off a group of street thugs using her martial arts skills, Nomi’s impending lobotomy had been delayed thanks to the efforts of Amanita, Will tried to seek out Jonas for answers but was stonewalled by the FBI and Lito learned that having Daniela around carried with it it’s own unique danger in the form of her violent ex.

To open episode four, we check in on Wolfgang, who was noticeably absent from the previous episode. Felix is telling Wolfgang how the diamond heist they just pulled off is going to change their lives as they wait for their buyer at a holocaust memorial. The buyer, an old Jewish man is interested in the diamonds, but would like to inspect the goods first.

In India, Kala and Rajan are working out some of the details of their wedding. Rajan wants the ceremony to include an exchange of rings, something not done in Hindu culture. Now, I can see Rajan’s point here. He believes, since married men in India do not wear rings, there is nothing to symbolize their commitment and he wants the world to know that he is bound to Kala for life. It’s actually a pretty nice sounding sentiment, but remember, Kala is a devout Hindu and a traditionalist, so you can imagine that this only fills her with more doubt.

In Korea, Sun is covering up her bruises from last night’s fight with some makeup as she flash’s back to her mother. Young Sun says that she believes her father hates her because he never came to any of her matches but always came to her brother’s. Sun’s mother says repeats her request to take care of her brother, because she will not be around to do so.

In Berlin, the buyer accepts Wolfgang’s offer, but is reluctant as he knows who the stones used to belong to. Wolfgang and Felix don’t care however, and are content to celebrate their generous payday.

In Nairobi, Capheus’ mother has learned what her son has been through in order to get her medicine and blames herself for his hardships. She says that if she wasn’t such a “bad person” she’d stop taking her medicine and let Capheus get on with his life. Capheus reassures her that the whole reason they came to Nairobi in the first place was they can make money, be happy, and most importantly be healthy, and that he won’t give up on his mother. He departs, stating that he has a feeling that today is going to be a really good day. And indeed, news of Capheus’s victory over the Superpower Gang has spread and as a result, business is booming for his Matutu, which he has affectionately named “The Van Damme.” Things are so great for them in fact, that Capheus’s friend and business partner Jela can barely contain his excitement, even as the bus is so full that he has to hang out the door and get whipped in the face by trees. However, things take a bad turn when the bus is stopped by the cops and Capheus is marched into the woods.

We rejoin Lito, who’s noticeably freaked out by his experience with Joaquin, a natural reaction when a guy who looks like he just stepped off the set of From Dusk ‘til Dawn the Series gives you pointers on how to realistically cut a man’s throat. However, Daniela seems far more preoccupied with Hernando’s excellent cooking than the knife wielding maniac who’s stalking her and her co-star.

Back in Berlin, Wolfgang and Felix are going shoe shopping, sort of a tradition Felix has any time something good happens in his life. Wolfgang is distracted however, when he sees mud on his socks.

Back in Nairobi, Capheus is being marched through the mud by the armed officers, emerging on the other side of the woods to find a car with a scary looking man in a nice suit waiting for him.

Back in Mumbai, Kala runs into some holy men who recognize her from the Temple of Ganesha. They say that Rajan and his father are trying to strip the country of its traditions, the exchange of rings being the first step. Kala doesn’t quite know how to respond. On one hand, she is proud of her heritage and culture, but these men are clearly reaching extreme and possibly irrational conclusions and are praying to see them destroyed.

Back in Nairobi, the man in the car introduces himself as Silas Kabaka, to which Capheus replies “I know who you are” in a tone one might use when saying the same thing to Victor Von Doom. Kabaka says that Capheus has done him a great service whether he realizes it or not. See, the Superpower gang used to work for Kabaka, but recently got in it their heads that they didn’t need him anymore. Capheus’s victory over them destroyed their reputation and got them off Kabaka’s back, and to show his gratitude, Kabaka offers Capheus a job. Capheus politely refuses, but Kabaka has done his homework, and knows about Capheus’s mother. When Kabaka offers to provide the medicine his mother needs, Capheus asks what he would have to do for it. For now, all Capheus needs to do is make a simple delivery. Reluctantly, Capheus accepts.

In Korea, Sun finally confronts her father who’s been avoiding her for days. To emphasize her resentment, after her father expresses his distaste for Sun’s smoking habit, she blows smoke right in his face. Sun finally gets to her point however, when she reveals that her brother has been embezzling money from the company, and that the auditors already know.

We finally rejoin Nomi who’s tolerance for Dr. Metzger’s BS has finally reached its limit as she berates him for how she’s been treated and calls him out on his deceptions. Desperate, Metzger says that surgery will begin immediately.

Back with Sun, she goes to find her brother at an underground sex club. After kicking the bouncer around for a bit, she searches the club for her brother, which is cut together with Will being taken to see Jonas, Will noticing little things from the club as he walks through the halls. Sun finally finds her brother and having no patience for his drunken antics, she gets him to come with her. I really like this scene. Sun, who is ordinarily put-upon by her family, is now seen as an authority figure to her little brother. She comes off as both confident and intimidating, made all the more affective now that we know that she could easily overpower everyone in the room.

Back with Will, one of his old cops friends greets him. As they talk will slips into Korean, confusing the officer. Will asks to see Jonas, calling in a personal favor, but once again, his request is denied. Fortunately, Jonas contacts will anyway. To his surprise, the two are able to touch, despite not actually being in one another’s physical presence. Suddenly, Will is in Jonas’s cell. Jonas explains that what is happening right now is called visiting, something that members of a sensate cluster are able to do instinctively but can also be done with others outside their cluster if they’ve made eye contact. Will is still very skeptical of all of this, but Jonas assures him that soon it will all make sense soon enough before their link is broken and Will is escorted out.

Back in Korea, Sun’s father berates his son for stealing from him. Worse yet, once this gets out, because Sun’s brother is the face of the company, the company’s reputation will be irreparably damaged by the fallout of this scandal. Sun’s brother breaks down crying like the little weasel that he is, but Sun suggested a way out of this disaster. Because Sun’s involvement with the company and relation to her father is not publically well-known, if she takes the fall for her brother, the company may survive. Clearly Sun despises her brother, but she still wishes to honor her mother’s last request to take care of him, even if that means sacrificing her own future.

Back in Chicago, Will contacts Jonas again who tells him a little bit more about what it means to be a Sensate, but also warns him that if he doesn’t act soon, Nomi will be killed. Will tries to process all of this, he hears Nomi’s cry for help. Concentrating hard, he is able to see Nomi, but isn’t quite sure exactly what he’s supposed to do to save her.

As Kala tries to get some sleep, she suddenly finds herself in Riley’s bed, and is horrified to see two strangers loudly having Sex at the other side of the room. Riley, who can’t sleep (gee I wonder why) goes out to the balcony as Wolfgang steps up to Karaoke at a club in Berlin. Riley searches through her Ipod and puts on What’s Up by 4 Non-Blondes, prompting a musical number that all the Sensates join in on. Wolfgang sings at the Karaoke bar, Will sings to himself while working at his desk, Kala sings on top of a roof (which may or may not be a dream), Capheus Sings as one may sing along with the Radio as he drives the Van Damme, Lito sings under his breath as he cuddles with Hernando in bed, Sun sings in the shower, Riley sings along with her Ipod which I can only assume is her way of drowning out her horny roommates, and finally, Nomi sings despite being under anesthesia. As Wolfgang sings, he sees Kala and the two start passionately belting out the song together. As the two look close enough to kiss, one of her friend’s snaps her out of it. What’s interesting to note is that her friend says she was singing in English, meaning, despite the fact that we hear all the characters speaking English, they’re all still speaking their native tongues, which explains how Will was able to speak Korean earlier. Kala’s friend also notes that she’s never seen her smile like that, not even with Rajan.

Will wakes up handcuffed to Nomi’s hospital bed. Being skilled as picking locks, he frees himself easily and helps Nomi escape the hospital. Regaining consciousness, Nomi almost gets caught, but she’s saved by Amanita, disguised as a nurse and the two narrowly escape in a taxi. The two passionately kiss as Nomi is brought to tears of joy upon being freed and reunited with the love of her life. Nomi then reveals that she’s got 4 Non Blondes stuck in her head and the episode ends with Nomi joining Riley and the two singing together.

Episode four does a great job advancing the plot and, with the exception of Lito, all characters get equal time in the spotlight. (Though to be fair, Lito’s got plenty so far so it balances out.) The nature of what’s happening to the sensates is made clearer, and for the first time, we see a sensate actively aiding one of the others when Will saves Nomi. (Technically Sun saved Capheus last time, but neither one really knew what was going on.) The seeds of many future plot threads are sewn, including Capheus working for Silas Kabaka, The tension between the Hindu holy men and Rajan’s family, the budding attraction between Kala and Wolfgang and Sun’s Choice to take the fall for her brother.

Speaking of Sun, I really like the direction they take with her character. This is a woman who’s been looked down on by her family her entire life. Literally the only person in the world who ever showed her real affection and love was her mother. And so, her devotion to her mother became so great, that even though she hates her brother, she still honors her mother’s dying request. Even still, you can tell that decision tears her apart. In a scene I glossed over for the sake of brevity, she gets a text from her brother after she agrees to take the fall, and the mere sight of it sets her off in such a rage that she nearly destroys her punching bag. Doona Bae, who plays Sun, usually plays the character very stoically, but still makes the emotions just beneath the surface very clear through her body language.

Capheus’s storyline this time around is also great, as he learns that his heroic exploits may have gained him a reputation and was probably the best thing that could ever happen for his business, it also attracted the attention of dangerous men like Kabaka.

The song sequence was a blast, and it provided a very nice setup for Wolfgang and Kala’s relationship, which will only continue to grow as time goes on. And also, I’m pretty sure it’s the first time since episode one that all eight have experienced something at the same time and that’s always nice to see.