The seventh episode of “Sense8,” “W.W.N. Double D?” or “What would Nancy Drew Do?” continues the series’ slow approach when it comes to the sci-fi elements. Disappointingly enough, the majority of the 7th episode is filled with slow-paced scenes that continue building the problems each character faces.
This episode begins with Sun being put into her prison cell with three other women. Initially the cellmates question Sun’s actions and decision to embezzle and almost ruin her family’s company (although it was all actually her brother’s doings), but soon the three women warm up to Sun and begin telling her their own stories.
All three of the women had to take back their power in some way or another against a man in their lives. Whether it be poisoning their husband or pushing their father down a elevator shaft, these women make it clear that they needed to escape abusive situations. One of the more powerful lines of the scene comes from an inmate who explains that the only place to find a brave and honest woman is in prison. This statement shed a different light on Sun’s decision to take the blame for her brother’s mistakes.
Concurrently, Lito, his actual boyfriend Hernando and his Hollywood “girlfriend” Daniela, return home from a dinner. They are surprised to find Daniela’s ex-boyfriend visibly upset with Daniela’s decision to leave him and expresses a jealousy over her and Lito’s newfound companionship.
Not long after, as Lito, Hernando and Daniela are hanging out at their apartment, Lito gets a text from Daniela’s phone. The text includes an explicit picture of Lito and Hernando having sex that Daniela had saved on her phone and it becomes clear that Daniela’s ex had stolen her cellular and now has the ability to ruin Lito’s career and reputation in Hollywood (as he portrays himself as a heterosexual in the public eye). The explicit picture, we understand, is therefore a blackmail photo.
Over in Kenya, Capheus is continuing to transport Silas’ daughter to and from the hospital for her leukemia treatments. He is just about to drop her off when he is informed that Silas is actually there this time to greet his daughter and talk to Corpheus.
Corpheus and Silas’ daughter are lead up to a roof top celebration. Silas had set up a party filled with family, friends and presents for his daughter. Silas smiles as he explains just how much his daughter means to him to Corpheus.
The celebratory tone however does not last long as Silas escorts Corpheus down to a baron room where Silas’ associates are surrounding a man with a bag over his head. Silas explains this man to be the person who formerly had Corpheus’ position in his company. He goes on to tell Corpheus that he was disappointed because this former employee of his was greedy and jeopardized his company’s integrity. Silas shows his ruthlessness to Corpheus as he ties a butcher’s apron onto himself and cuts the hands off of the man whom Corpheus has now replaced.
I think this gave Corpheus a bit of a reality check into what he has gotten himself into. He realizes he is not simply a chauffeur to Silas’ daughter.
In this episode, there was also another “visit” between Kala and Wolfgang, who have had an obvious romantic tension between them in previous episodes. They discuss their opposing views and beliefs on science, religion and faith, yet find themselves almost sharing a kiss as they have an undeniable connection with one another. I think with scenes like this, Sense8 is aggressively trying to express a message to be accepting of each other’s differences.
Wolfgang’s scenes in this episode are unfortunately not all love-filled. Later in the episode, we see Wolfgang questioning his partner as he panics to close up their shop. His partner expresses concern as one of their business associates is failing to communicate and he has a feeling that they are in danger. Moments later, Wolfgang is shocked as his partner is shot through the window of the store by a gang driving by.
Meanwhile, Nomi reveals to her girlfriend Amanita that she had a past of crime and was only let off easy because of her family’s wealth. However, this connection allowed her to reach out to a former friend Bug, who sets her up with hacking equipment so that Nomi can track her doctor’s phone.
Nomi is successful in cloning Dr. Metzger’s phone and is able to call his most recent contact “Dr. Matheson,” an off-putting bearded man who was present in the first episode’s scene with Angelica.
Nomi and Amanita are able to get enough information off of Metzger’s phone to find his apartment and snoop around trying to figure out what is really going on. As they are at his apartment, “Dr. Matheson” shows up, taking on the form of one of Dr. Metzger’s lobotomized patients. This is when Nomi gets a “visit” from Jonas who warns Nomi of “Dr. Matheson,” whom he identifies as Whispers, and instills in her that he is an extremely dangerous man.
While there are some interesting build-ups, until this point Sense8 has seemed more like a drama than a sci-fi series. It is filled with various stories that have unique problems but they aren’t quite the unearthly stories that I was hoping for. While the characters pop in and out of each other’s lives every so often, their connection to each other has only had some minimal impacts on the stories being told. My only hope at this point is in Nomi’s story and this mysterious man named Whispers who has just entered the picture.