Netflix sci-fi drama Sense8 finally confirmed to be getting a second season

Netflix sci-fi drama Sense8 pleased thousands of critics and fans with its complex plot and inclusion of diverse characters, so watchers were surprised that the streaming service did not announce its second season almost immediately, particularly as it revealed a lot of its upcoming agenda (including a second season to fellow original programme Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) on its recent Television Critics Association Summer press tour.

However, it turns out Netflix was just waiting for the right time, or date more specifically, to announce the news: 8 August. All of the main characters was born on 8 August. Well played Netflix, well played. It announced the news on its official Twitter account, writing "Birthdays are just the beginning. #sense8 is reborn," accompanied by a video filmed by the leads all singing happy birthday and revealing they were coming back for a second season.

The show became an instant hit when it was uploaded in its entirety to the site on 5 June. It centres on eight strangers from all around the world, living in countries such as Kenya, Germany, England and the US, after they become mysteriously mentally and emotionally connected following a vision they all see of the violent death of a woman called Angel.

They discover they have become Sensates, seemingly normal human beings who are able to communicate with each other telepathically, use each other's knowledge, language and skills and sense what one another is going through, all thanks to their new-found powers.

While struggling to deal with their unusual abilities, aiming to find out what caused their connection and simply trying to continue with their everyday lives, they are all met by a mysterious man named Jonas who vows to help all eight of them and protect them from the dangers of another man called Whispers, who is hell-bent on hunting them down and capturing them to harness their power for his own personal gain.

Each episode focused almost solely on a different member of the group, reflecting their interactions with one another whilst simultaneously explaining their backstory, examining who they are as individuals, why they may have been brought together and how they all came to be where they are today. But now the Sensates have become a lot more connected, season two is bound to examine their growing bond even further and what happens after they have discovered who they truly are.