A PSA about My Love for Orphan Black

September 21, 2014

You know that moment when you discover a cool new thing and then you want everyone in the world to know about it? I am having that moment with the TV show Orphan Black.

I’m a little late to the party on that, since I’ve been seeing people raving about the show online for a while now. But I recently started watching it with my family . . . and now I’m deep in the throes of OMG ORPHAN BLACK IS AMAZING YOU NEED TO WATCH IT NOW.

Orphan Black

Things I love about Orphan Black:

  1. Tatiana Maslany. Sweet Jesus on a pogo stick, that woman can act. I don’t think it’s a big spoiler to say that Orphan Black is about clones, so Maslany plays about half the roles on the show. As of the middle of season two, she has played something like 12 different people. And they are different—so different from each other that I actually have trouble remembering that they are all played by the same actress. I’ve seen cast pictures and been momentarily confused . . . because where were all the other clones? I’ve been disappointed that she hasn’t received more accolades for this—she’s just so good it’s ridiculous.
  2. Felix. Felix is the best. The sassy, snarky, has-your-back best. The fact Felix is not my best friend makes my soul die a little. Half of the lines that make me laugh out loud on the show come out of Felix’s mouth. And I appreciate the way that he has a relationship with nearly all of the clones. He may not be Alison’s best friend, the way he is with Sarah, but he and Alison have a vibe that is all their own.
  3. Mrs S. Maria Doyle Kennedy is marvelous as Mrs S. She’s a character who you know from the beginning is tough as nails, but then you actually get to see those nails tested . . . and you realize they were tougher than you ever thought. Though I do wish that she and Sarah would stop working at cross-purposes half the time. No one would be able to stand up to them if they would make it a point to always work together.
  4. The cliffhangers. This is a love/hate sort of love. The show adores its cliffhangers, and those can get tiresome as a device if used without thought or overused (that goes for books, too). Orphan Black strikes a good balance for me in terms of cliffhanger use, enough that I’m groaning at the end of most episodes, checking the clock to see if I have time for one more, but I don’t feel spammed or jerked around by them. So it’s the best kind of love/hate.
  5. The evolution of secondary characters. People change in Orphan Black. In the second season, a character that I had pretty much nothing but contempt for had a change of heart (and a moment of awesome) that made me completely reevaluate my assessment of him.

Sadly, the third season won’t be out for a while. But I’m already excited for it—I have my theories of what will happen all prepared. It’s the best new show I’ve watched in a good while, so check it out if you haven’t.