Fans of Sense8 have reason to celebrate today, as the producers of the Netflix show just announced a forthcoming Christmas special episode as well as the long-awaited season two premiere date. CNet reports that the show, which was partially shot in San Francisco, has a loyal fan base that has recently expressed frustration at the delay between the first and second seasons. And while the second season will not air until May 5 of next year, making it almost two years between the release of the first and second seasons, the December 23 two-hour Christmas special is sure to be welcome news for those excitedly awaiting the next installment of the science-fiction show created by the Wachowski sisters.
The second season may feel a bit different from the first, as BuzzFeed reported that Lilly Wachowski was taking a step back from the production process and leaving it up to her sister Lana. Lilly came out as transgender last year, and reportedly took time off for personal reasons.
Sense8 focuses on eight strangers who are somehow psychically linked, and is shot all over the globe. The first season featured San Francisco prominently, and the forthcoming episodes will again in at least some form. We know, for instance, that the production was shooting in Glen Park's Billy Goat Hill Park earlier this year — and the location manager incurred a $1,000 fine because someone on set got nude at some point. Whoops.
Sense8 has received recognition for its portrayal of queer and trans characters by GLAAD, with special attention on the latter for the casting of a lede trans character with transgender actress Jamie Clayton. When asked by the publication about the LGBTQ storylines in the show, Clayton spoke to what makes her character Nomi so unique. "For Nomi specifically, it's that her story isn't about her transition, her transness," she explained. "She just happens to be trans. Her story is about her strength, courage, and love. She has a job, a relationship, and now seven special friends."
Unfortunately we don't really have any insight as to what's expected to go down in the Christmas special. According to the description picked up by Variety, "The journey continues as these eight singular hearts and minds weave in and out of each other’s lives finding deeper connections, learning darker, more desperate secrets about one another and struggling to identify with more than just oneself."
