CLUSTER FIIIIIIIIIGHT!

But before we get to that there’s a really interesting moment in the opening seconds of this episode. Will, Sun and Wolfie are all set to break into Whisper’s house when word comes to him that he’s been compromised and he bugs out. They go in anyway, finding vital papers and ID cards.

The really interesting thing about this is that it’s not remotely clear, for a while, just which one of them is physically there. In fact it’s only the very end of the scene that makes it clear Will is the only one present.

This blurring and mixing of the Cluster’s intellectual presence with their physical has become more and more pronounced this season and under Dan Glass’ direction, comes to the fore in the Cluster Fight. But, again, not quite there yet.

The other notable this episode is Lito. Depressed at being dropped by his representation he spend the entire episode in a onesie, eating ice cream and being adorably taciturn and grim. It’s noteworthy for two reasons: Lito remains one of the best characters in the show and he wanders through the back of several other Sensates’ scenes. Finally settling in Nomi’s loft where she’s chatting with Sun he mooches around the back of the scene. Nomi explains he’s depressed and, quietly, this is a really interesting development. The idea that the Sensates instinctively head to each other’s mental spaces when they’re emotionally active is a pillar of the show but this is the first time one’s been aimlessly wandering around. It’s an interesting character tick that also sets up how much closer they’re connected now and is mirrored in the sequence at the end of the episode. Wolfgang walks to the restaurant where he knows Lila will try and kill him and in doing so heads through every other Sensate’s personal space. He doesn’t want or ask for help but he still shows up anyway and they show up for him. It’s a clever directorial tick that, again, uses character to drive action and leads to…

CLUSTER FIIIIIIGHT!

And it does NOT disappoint. The violence is, like all violence in Sense8, untidy, jagged and frantic. The Wachowskis’ love for balletic brutality is still there but it’s tempered with the real world rules of the show. Wolfie has multiple pairs of eyes in the room and the fight. But he’s not a superhuman. Although he does know Kung Fu. Or at the very least, Muay Thai.

While Nomi accidentally knocking herself out is a little blatant in the tension-raising stakes, the rest of it works like a charm. Dan Glass uses in-camera techniques to tremendous effect as the two Clusters face off, using the physical presence of the actors to create real authority and stakes. There are some lovely visual flairs too; the Cluster all collapsing down to just Wolfie as he goes into the club is one. Wolfie and Lila’s Clusters unfolding and folding back into them as they circle is another. Plus the actual hand to hand fight is great, especially Sun’s nasty grin as she realizes she gets to have a little fun.

Verdict: A big scale episode that does a lot and manages almost all of it this is another massive success for the season. 8/10

Alasdair Stuart