Making Sense of Sense8 (No Spoilers)

I noticed "Sense8" available to watch on Netflix a while ago, but I hadn't heard the buzz around it. Honestly, I don't hear a lot of buzz in general these days and normally rely on like-minded friends to fill me in about what they've been watching.  Then I usually add stuff to my Netflix queue and it piles up there, collecting digital dust until I have some time off from work.  As soon as I heard the Wachowski siblings of Matrix fame were involved, I knew I would find time to check it out.  Once the treadmill finished beeping at me to let me know I was up to speed, I pressed play and was mesmerized for the entire first episode.

Had it been a more convenient time, I might have watched half of the 12 episodes in one sitting like my wife did.  She devoured the series in several days, praising it and encouraging me to watch the rest.  I watched another episode, likewise while sweating in place on the torture belt of the treadmill. Afterward I hesitated to talk to her about it.  Obviously I wasn't as enamored with it as she felt.  I got the concept. I loved the diverse and very human characters.  The locations were beautifully shot, the dialogue excellently written, and the potential for my new favorite show in the world was just beyond my grasp.  And it stayed there, as I waited for the pace to quicken, for the magical moment to happen when the hook of the show, connecting all of the characters together, would explode into being.  I knew that the action would start and not let up for at least a few more episodes.  And it didn't.

I wanted to be compelled to watch the show far past my bedtime, like I was with Lost.  There were so many tidbits in Lost that I needed explained.  I spent most of each show in the first couple of seasons completely confused, and I loved every minute.  In Sense8, I know what's going on, for the most part. The viewer is given the knowledge of the strange experiences happening to the characters, but it's been painful to me that the characters haven't figured out what's going on.  I see the reason behind it, and I'm thankful that I'm getting a chance to know the characters well before the action surrounding the phenomenon really takes off.  But I'm not hooked.  I could walk away at any time after seeing 25 percent of the series, and I don't imagine I would think about the show with more than a passing curiosity over the coming weeks or months.

The pace did pick up in the third episode.  The characters started actively reaching out to each other, rather than being disoriented and afraid.  They've gotten past the feeling that they're insane or hallucinating and have begun what I hope will begin some really nerve-wracking episodes.  Sounds like I'll be watching the rest of the series, doesn't it?  I likely will, and I'll probably love it by the time I've finished.  I just wish I felt the least bit eager to do it.