Monthly Archives: February 2017
Sense8
The other day, I walked into my husband’s “man cave” with my laptop. I figured while he watched his shows, I’d work on my writing. I was barely paying attention, but when I heard Indian music, I glanced up. There was Bollywood style dancing going on at some Indian party with men and women on the show. Instantly, I turned to my husband and asked, “What show is this?”
“Sense8,” he answered as he continued to watch the screen.
I was intrigued because they were portraying the Indian culture perfectly, so I sat through it and watched the rest of the show. And just that quickly, I was hooked.
Within couple of days, I watched all of the shows and even went back to see some of favorite scenes again. Now, I don’t typically watch TV. I just don’t have time like that because of my full time job and my writing career. But, I decided to put everything to the side because I just had to know what happened in this show.
So, what is Sense8 about? Hmm, very difficult to explain. It definitely has a sci-fi element to it… But it’s so much more. For me, it’s about diversity and love. It’s about accepting others for their differences. It’s about standing up to what you believe in no matter how confusing or difficult it may be. It’s about good vs evil and about making some tough decisions. I have laughed and cried in this show… yelled and screamed at the characters for doing dumb things. Ugh, I can’t say enough good things about Sense8. I love every single one of the characters.
Here’s a brief description of the characters (Note: There may be spoilers)
Will– Chicago cop
Background: good guy, wants to fight for justice, first of the sensates to really start figuring out what’s happening with them. Takes on sort of a leadership role. He’s very close to his father.
Riley: From Iceland but lives in London.
Background: She’s a DJ and pretty much is on her own. Her father is in Iceland, but she’s afraid of returning because of something major that had occurred in the past. She is the most connected with Will, and he ends up saving her quite a bit throughout various incidences.
Kala: India
Background: She’s a pharmacist and is engaged to a very successful and wealthy Indian man. It’s an arranged marriage in a way because she doesn’t love him. She feels pressures from the Indian culture and wants to do the “right” thing to make her parents happy. The problem is, she keeps having vision of Wolfgang (another sensate). Eventually, she forms a strong connection with him and becomes emotionally attached to him. I love this story because of my Indian background. I think they portrayed the Indian culture very well and the pressures from the society. Now, my only wish is Kala would please just follow her heart and not worry about all the other BS.
Wolfgang: Germany
Background: First of all, I think he may be my favorite character. He’s a very intense guy. He’s had a messed up childhood and crazy upbringing. His entire family is basically in the mafia. This guy is pretty messed up and can be a coldhearted killer. But, like Kala said to him once, “There’s something good and beautiful hidden inside you.” I just hope Wolfie finds some peace. He’s very attached to Kala but also knows that she deserves better. He can’t offer her anything, because after all, he’s a criminal. Besides that, he knows that her life would be in danger if it was discovered how much he cares for her. So, as far as I’m concerned, he makes the ultimate sacrifice and pushes Kala away. He tells her to marry Rajan (the Indian guy she’s engaged to).
Ugh, broke my heart! I can only hope Kala and Wolfgang end up together in Season2 and say screw the world.
Lito: Mexico City
Background: He’s a famous actor who also is gay. The thing is, he hasn’t had the courage to tell the world that he’s gay. He has a steady boyfriend (I LOVE HIM)! But, they keep their relationship hidden. Lito story is discovering himself and figuring out how to get the courage to do the right thing. Unfortunately, this could cost his career. I love Lito’s story because I’m sure there are so many who go through the same thing as him. He contributes to the Sense8 force with his acting skills.
Nomi: San Francisco
Background: She’s transgender and a lesbian. Her mother is nuts and thinks Nomi needs brain surgery. Nomi is basically on the run and hiding out with her girlfriend. Nomi is also a hacker…a very intelligent hacker. I liked how she steps up to go after the bad guys.
Capheus: Africa
Background: Very poor and mother has HIV. His sole purpose it to make a living for his mother and get her the medications she needs. He gets messed up with the gangs in Africa and gets himself into some crazy situations.
Sun: South Korea
Background: Probably another one of my favorite characters. This girl can kick some ass. LOVE HER! She’s from a culture where women are not seen as equal to men. Her entire life, she has been trying to impress her father. She ends up in jail for taking the fall for her brother’s crimes. Her story touches my heart. As crazy as her life is, she remains strong and focused. Whenever one of the sensates is in trouble, Sun is there to get them out of the jam. Yeah, she’s pretty badass.
Now, on to Season 2. I saw the first episode but unfortunately, we have to wait until May 5th to see the rest. What would I like to see in Season 2?
- I want sensates to use their strength and go on offense. They are strong together. Each will need to bring something to the table and hunt Whispers down (that’s the bad guy). I’m tired of seeing Will in the state he is currently. Helpless and hopelss. Nope! They gotta fix this very fast. I mean, why can’t Kala use her knowledge to get Will into more alert state, yet still able to block Whispers from entering his mind?
- As much as I love Riley and Kala, I would like to see them more focused on the mission and show how they can fight the evil. I loved how Riley was able to overcome her emotional trauma and save Will. And I loved how Kala built that bomb to save Wolfgang. I want to see more of their fighting spirit.
- Sun has to get out of jail. Damn, it’s breaking my heart. It’s not right what’s happening to her. She needs to get out, confront her brother, and go get her dog back. Oh, and more of her fight scenes please. They are freakin’ amazing!
- Okay, they have to fix Wolfgang and Kala’s story. It’s obvious they love one another. I mean, isn’t the whole show about how love conquers all? I was disappointed she follows what the society and the culture expects her to do. To me, that’s a sign of weakness. I want her to do some soul searching and go after what she wants. Listen to her heart. (Believe me, I should know since I’m in an interracial marriage. No, it’s not easy as an Indian woman. But, courage comes from deep within, and you have to find it to do what’s right for you). I want Wolfgang to love himself and realize he deserves her. That he deserves to be happy. I want him to get out of all that mafia craziness somehow (he never wanted it anyway) and fight for her. Oh, by the way, LOVE his friendship with his “brother by choice.”
- Can I say that Rajan totally gets on my nerves? He’s too nice! Nobody is like that. It’s not real. Every time he’s around, he makes me cringe. In Season 2, I really hope we see another side of him. I mean, for all we know he could be connected with Whispers somehow. Or he could be doing some illegal stuff (drug dealings). They own that pharmaceutical company, so you never know. There has to be more to Rajan. Ugh, get rid of him.
- Lastly, I’d want all 8 of them to be together for real at least one time. Like not just their images. I want them to be physically together.
Ok, so that’s my ramblings of Sense8! Go watch it. Great show! There’s a lot of violence and sex, so be prepared.
Fate’s Roar (Prologue)
On Feb 16th, my seventh novel, Fate’s Roar, will be released! Yikes!
Special introductory price of only 99cents on Kindle. (Limited time)
Here’s the prologue:
They were in that burning house. He could feel it. As he dove down, hoping he wasn’t too late, Shane felt the hot, crackling wind, accompanied by thick, black smoke, whipping around him. The flames rose high, daring him to come closer, hissing and roaring.
He had no time to worry about the raging inferno. Without a second thought, he crashed through the roof of the house and plunged downward to where his brother’s ring was calling out to him. Shane wasn’t worried about his flesh being burned because he knew he would heal quickly. On the other hand, Damien and Kelsey were mere humans. All he could do was pray they were still alive.
Shane allowed his senses to take over, and within seconds, he was standing next to both of their bodies. Snatching them up in his arms, he flew out of the burning house, making sure to cover them with his own body in order to protect them from the flames. As soon as he had them a safe distance away from the blazing building that was on the verge of collapsing, he placed them down on the ground.
“Damien! Come on, open your eyes!” Shane was desperate as he shook him. He wouldn’t allow his brother to die like this.
Shane could hear Damien and Kelsey’s heartbeats, but just barely. If only Damien hadn’t decided to become a human, he would already be healed. Pushing the thought away, Shane forced himself to focus on the current situation. He had to get Damien and Kelsey help before it was too late.
When he heard voices not too far away, Shane leapt back up to his feet. Carrying Damien and Kelsey in his arms, he sprinted toward the sound. Within seconds, he was standing behind tall bushes, watching a woman and a young girl next to her.
“Mom, I’m worried about Aunt Kelsey.” The young girl stared at the fire, looking terrified at the sight.
“It’s okay, Samantha. Help is on its way. Besides, Damien is with her, so I’m sure they got out,” the mother said, trying to reassure her daughter.
“How could they have? Look at the fire, Mom! Damien was shot, remember?” The girl was pulling on her mom’s shirt, trying to hold back her panic.
Shane cringed when he heard that Damien was shot. He had smelled blood, but wasn’t sure what the injury was from. He was at least glad he saw a man’s dead body in the woods as he was approaching the house. He presumed that body must belong to the lunatic serial killer that had been after Kelsey. Realizing he couldn’t afford to waste another second, he shifted into his human form. While still holding Damien and Kelsey in his arms, he approached the woman and her daughter.
As soon as the woman saw him, she instantly pointed her gun at Shane. “Stop where you are. I’ll shoot.”
“It’s okay. I’m not here to hurt you. I’m Damien’s brother. Kelsey and Damien need your help.” Shane placed their bodies down so the woman could get a closer look.
“It’s Kelsey!” the young girl exclaimed, and she began to run toward them.
Her mother grabbed her from behind and held her back. “Stop, Samantha! We don’t know this person!”
“Please, they need help,” Shane begged as he kneeled next to his brother. What if this woman refused to help? Should he take Damien and Kelsey to the nearest hospital? Shane knew there wasn’t enough time for that, though. They were barely hanging on. He should just grab the woman and make her help.
“Help is on its way. Don’t move!” the woman commanded, the gun still pointing at Shane. “There’s a crazy killer on the loose.”
“You don’t need to worry about him anymore. He’s dead. I saw his body with my own eyes,” Shane assured her. “I can’t stay here. You need to help Damien and Kelsey. They’re barely breathing.” Shane was just about to use his powers to force the woman to cooperate, but he noticed she lowered the gun and walked toward him, still holding her daughter’s hand.
As soon as she approached them, the woman collapsed next to Kelsey. “Dear God,” she whispered. “It’s the smoke inhalation.” Immediately, she started CPR on Kelsey.
Following her lead, Shane began to do the same with Damien. When he felt the young girl standing close to him, he glanced up at her. Wide, amber eyes with tiny gold specks stared back at him in awe. For a split second, he was lost. In that instant, time had stopped, and he had to fight hard to maintain his focus. What was it about this innocent girl who was watching him so intently?
Knowing he had to ensure that the mother and the daughter forgot about him, he used his powers to get into the young girl’s head. He decided that soon as he was done with her, he’d do the same with her mother. Since she was busy with Kelsey, the mother didn’t notice Shane whisper to the girl. “You will not remember seeing me. All you know is somehow Damien and Kelsey were able to get out. When I count to three, you will close your eyes. One, two, three.”
The young girl did not close her eyes. Instead, she watched him curiously. “Are you a superhero?” she whispered.
Shane shook his head in shock. His powers hadn’t worked on her. How could that be? It was impossible! He tried it again, but the girl continued to resist his powers. He could even feel some type of a barrier in her mind—a barrier he couldn’t break.
“Why are you naked?” she asked out loud.
“Samantha!” her mother scolded as she continued desperately with CPR.
Shane had completely forgotten about his appearance. When he had shifted into a human, he didn’t have any clothes he could put on. It was the least of his priorities given the circumstances.
“I’m sorry, but I must go,” Shane said to the mother. “I believe your help is almost here. At least Kelsey and Damien are breathing a bit stronger now. I would appreciate it if you don’t mention me to the authorities. Please just tell them they were able to get out from the burning house, but soon passed out.” Shane’s acute sense of hearing could already hear the emergency sirens in the distance.
The mother stood back up and blinked several times, as if trying to decide. The young girl stepped closer to him and said, “Thank you for saving Aunt Kelsey. We will keep your secret. Right, Mom?” She looked up at her mother, waiting for her to agree.
Shane contemplated whether he should use his powers on the mother to make her forget seeing him. He quickly changed his mind, though, not wanting the burden of keeping his secret to solely fall on the young girl.
He took a step closer to the mother and daughter team. “My name is Shane. I’m Damien’s younger brother. Please take care of my brother and Kelsey. I will come to the hospital as soon as I possibly can.”
The mother nodded. “I’m Sofia, and this is my daughter, Samantha.” Sofia still seemed hesitant, but relieved that Damien and Kelsey were out of the fire.
“Aunt Kelsey calls me Sammy. You can call me Sammy, too,” the young girl softly chimed in.
Shane’s attention fell on her once again. He threw her a slight smile and said, “Thank you for being so brave, little Sammy. And thank you for keeping my secret.” When the sirens were becoming louder, he turned back to the mother. “I must go.”
Without another word, Shane turned and disappeared into the night. All the while, he could feel the young girl’s haunting eyes boring into him.
Check out the dream cast:
Jalpa Williby 