By: Winona Young

Rarely do cancelled shows ever see justice. They either go gently into the night or are mourned by fans, whose cries fall onto the deaf ears of networks. But Sense8 is the rare exception. The show returned to Netflix with a two-and-a-half hour special, concluding the series after it was cancelled in 2017. What unfolds in the episode, Amor Vincit Omnia, is nothing but a loving send-off to the series’ characters, dedicated to its fans.

     By far, what’s most memorable about this episode is the fanservice it delivers, and I consider that a good thing. Not to delve into spoilers, but the storylines and relationships of these characters were honoured with so much love and positivity that it was borderline indulgent. It harkens back to the episode’s title, which means, “love conquers all things.” And in Sense8’s finale, love is the ultimate reason that fuels these characters.

     Yet the finale is never heavy-handed with the amount of sentimentality and romance it delivers to the characters. Instead, Sense8 went all out when it comes to sex, suspense, comedy, romance, and especially, violence. The amount of blood and gun violence was so excessive that I thought the National Rifle Association helped sponsor this episode. With that said, Sense8’s fight sequences are thrilling and well-choreographed.

     Violence aside, this finale is absolutely brimming with poignant performances from both its main and side characters. True to its ensemble nature, every character was given at least one moment to shine (with the exception maybe being Capheus). Jamie Clayton (Nomi), Freema Agyeman (Amanita), Eréndira Ibarra (Daniela), and Purab Kohli (Rajan) were a few actors who gave exceptional performances, ranging from delivering badass one-liners, all the way to developing their characters fully.

     This episode isn’t without flaws, though. For instance, this episode is bursting with information. It attempts to neatly wrap up loose ends in only two-and-a-half hours. Sense8’s complex universe makes this difficult. With so much information on characters, conflicts, and mysteries unravelling and being added, it was easy to get confused. I’d often be dumbfounded, and it was only on my second rewatch that I began to understand the finale as a whole.

     However, Netflix did only allow one episode for the creators to conclude its story. To have given each character arc and plotline the due time needed for a proper ending would have taken hours. Ultimately, while it is important to be critical of its flaws, Sense8’s finale needs to be celebrated for the heartfelt conclusion it dedicated to its fans.

     Sense8 may have had a rushed ending, but for its characters and their relationships, it ended simply: with love, love, love.

     The final episode of Sense8 is now available on Netflix.