Okay honestly here’s how I feel about Riley. I’m all for her representation of mental illness and substance abuse, but so far the show hasn’t done her justice as to saying exactly how she helps THE CLUSTER. She sure as hell helps the audience, but I want to know what her skills do to help like… The cluster. Does she help the show itself? Yeah of course. Does she help the audience? Yes completely. Is her character representation important? Of fucking course, people deal with mental illness everyday and it’s important to have someone you can relate to. But I just wanna know what she brings to the CLUSTER. She’s a good character with so much potential honestly, but I think the show didn’t explain what she brings to the table to the cluster. So pretty much this all comes down to season 2 explaining this to me. SHE’S A FUCKING SURVIVOR TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND DO SOMETHING WITH IT SENSE8 WRITERS!!!
I think the whole point is that not everyone has to bring something to the cluster. The sensates aren’t ‘the chosen ones’, they didn’t become sensate because they have special abilities that bring them together as a kick-ass crime fighting team who are going to save the world. They are just people. People who are interconnected due to a gene mutation.
In a way, Riley brings courage to the cluster. She brings love and heart to the cluster in a way that the others can’t. Her connections to the characters are always deep, and she was the person that brought all eight of the cluster together for them to see their births, which is the most draining visiting moment they’ve had on the show, because it’s between eight people all sharing one mind and they’re not only tapping in to Riley’s birth, but also her tragic moment up on the mountain. (I also feel like in seasons to come she will be sort of like Angelica, birthing a new cluster, but as I’m still not 100% on what that actually means I won’t elaborate)
But my point is, you’ve said ‘do something with that information’ and they have. You’ve literally said it yourself. She helps the show and the audience and gives representation, which is very important and a big part of her character.
You don’t need to have a clear skill set to be useful, and sometimes, just being the kind of person who can get up and have strength every day despite not wanting to is enough to make you a hero in your own right.
Eeep. THIS. *smacks kiss on your forehead* unless you’re not cool with that in which case *vigorously approving nod from respectful distance*