It appears it is their attempt to HBO it.
I think the point was “Hey let’s remind people that this show exists but not move the plot forward too much.” That’s fine, there’s nothing wrong with that, but why two hours?
Also, I get it. Sex is a thing. Gay sex, straight sex, tansgendered lesbian sex. That’s fine, I’m not a prude. All the prudes left after episode one. But the interminable sex scenes get old after a while
I guess I’m more prudish than I thought because, frankly, I can do without them. To me they’re there to scream “Look how diverse we are!” It’s kind of gratuitous, actually.
I actually leave the room when there is one.
HBO’ing pretty much consists of including a gratuitous lesbian affair, regardless of setting, era, character, plausibility or need.
I just fast forward. It’s like they’re saying, “if you could link minds with other people, you’d have sex with them.”
Ew, not me. Can I turn that part off? Do I have to also share their going-to-the-bathroom experiences?
Eh, I dunno about the show not being about action. Sun’s a convict, Wolfhang’s a gangster, Nomi’s a fugitive, Riley’s a junkie, Will’s a cop - even the bus driver had to deal with a bunch of gangsters. Most of the cluster is people prone to physical conflict. Not a soccer mom or barista in the bunch.
That aside, if the show is about love, relationships, and gender identity - they’re blowing it big time. Setting aside the bias in the orgy scenes - the cluster is pulled into gay sex only (no one shows up when Will and Riley get busy, when Kala loses her virginity, when Wolfgang’s banging a random girl) - the show misses a huge opportunity to discuss the incredible experiences the cluster is having.
Will, a straight white male, has had sex as a gay male, a transgendered lesbian, and conceivably as straight woman (thru his connection to Riley). In the words of the philosopher Gwen Stefani, “that shit is bananas, bee ay in ay in ay ess!” At least mention how Kate Bush must be writhing in envy somewhere.
Kala’s worried about losing her virginity, but mentally hasn’t she shared in a wide range of experiences with the cluster? Technically she was in Wolfgang while he was having sex with a woman! Goes without mention.
This should be messing with all of them. Personally, I’ve been curious how Sun feels fighting in a man’s body - being twice her size and stronger must be wild.
What was better was Will’s interrogation scene with Whispers where he showed that he was pretty much his equal, and Whispers had as much to fear from the link as Will did. Yeah, Whispers is going after dad. We need a special for that, rather than a Cliff’s Notes version of the Bad Guy’s Playbook of Obvious Moves? Will used to be a cop - more than anyone he should see that coming. The impotent blubbering while watching his dad drink - that was beneath him and undid the power of the earlier scene.
The only real forward motion the special made was waking up Wolfgang’s homey and pushing him into a coming gang war.
Sun’s brother is afraid of her, Nomi’s on the run, Leto’s career is over, Van Damme’s a bus driver, Kala’s conflicted and Riley is useless. Right where we left off.
One pharmacist. One DJ. Hardly… badass world-changers.
Yep. I assumed that Wolfgang’s friend was killed/terminal in the main storyline and that they were just going to re-kill him in this insert. As Star Trek showed us, you can pull off all kinds of wild shit if find a way to deus ex/retcon everything back to the starting point each episode. 
I still say Riley’s more a junkie than a DJ - she seems to do drugs more than spin, and doesn’t seem as into music as every DJ I’ve ever met. Kala’s a pharmacist? I thought she was an MD…
Yeah, her super power is being a druggy. I don’t see her really saving the day by jumping up on stage and DJing anyone out of a tight spot.
Will has cop & fighting skills
Sun has business and fighting skills
Wolfgang has safe cracking and fighting skills
Nomi has hacker skills
Kala has chemistry and medical skills
Lito has acting skills
Capheus has driving skills
Riley is really good at being stoned off her rocker and can maybe drive a car now.
Nope, pharmacist. Right from the show wiki.