Working title

Sense8 is a science fiction series created by Lana and Lilly Wachowski (the Matrix films) and J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5) about eight people all over the world who suddenly find themselves telepathically linked, able to communicate as well as share each other’s knowledge and skills.

Born sensates, they don’t become a cluster until their psychic connection is established my a “mother” sensate Angelica (Darryl Hannah), who commits suicide shortly after giving birth to the cluster. They learn about their powers and connection from Jonas, a member of Angelica’s cluster. They find themselves hunted by a mysterious organization called the Biologic Preservation Organization (BPO), set on destroying the sensates.

The group of sensates, known as the August 8th cluster, referring to the date their psychic connection was activated, includes:

• Will Gorski, a cop in Chicago (Brian J. Smith).
• Capheus “Van Damn” Onyango, a matatu driver in Nairobi (Aml Ameen in season 1 / Toby Onwumere in season 2).
• Sun Bak, business executive kickboxing star in Seoul (Doona Bae). 
• Nomi Marks, a trans woman hacktivist and blogger in San Francisco (Jamie Clayton).
• Kala Dandekar, a pharmacist and devout Hindu in Mumbai (Tina Desai).
• Riley Blue, an Icelandic DJ living in London (Tuppence Middleton).
• Wolfgang Bogdanow, a locksmith and safe-cracker in Berlin (Max Reimelt).
• Lito Rodriguez, a closeted gay male action movie star in Mexico City (Miguel Ángel Silvestre).

It’s a wild ride, shot all over the world. They use their psychic connections to help each other in dangerous situations, resulting in some terrific action scenes. They also find themselves along for the ride in more intimate situations. And several members of the cluster establish romantic connections before they eventually meet in person.

The show includes a trans woman character and depicts both gay and lesbian relationships. And due to their intimate connections, the whole cluster is at least a little bit bi. The series was praised for its LGBTQ representation, and won a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding drama series.

Sense8 ran for two seasons in 2015 and 2016/2017, but wasn’t picked up for a third. A two and a half hour series finale tying up loose ends aired in 2018.

Some notes about the creators and cast:

The Wachowskis are both trans women. Lana had transitioned before the series was created. Lilly transitioned while it was being made.

Jamie Clayton has played trans women on multiple television series, as well as Pinhead in the 2022 remake of the horror film Hellraiser.

Toby Onwumere, Max Riemelt, and Brian J. Smith all subsequently appeared in the Wachowski’s Matrix Resurrections.

Smith came out as gay in 2019, and made his directorial debut in 2024, with the documentary A House Is Not a Disco about Fire Island Pines.

Riemelt starred as a gay police officer in the 2013 German film Freier Fall (Free Fall), which is often compared to Brokeback Mountain, despite being German, and not at all similar to Brokeback Mountain.

Onwumere played Jamal Lyons’ love interest in the Fox series Empire.

Bae Doona does not know martial arts, but trained extensively and did many of her own stunts. She also appeared in the Wachowski’s Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending.