Nate and I have started joking that I tend to have an annual obsession. 2011 was the year I discovered Harry Potter. 2012 was the year I obsessed and worked on Hunger Games (lived it 24/7). 2013 was the year of World War Z (seriously, read it, best book ever). 2014 has become... the year of Orphan Black!
So what is Orphan Black? I'll admit the year it came out I didn't pay it a second glance. The posters were kind of weird and looking at them didn't give me a sense of what the show was really about. But then in early 2014, I saw an Entertainment Weekly that likened it to the best cult-followings - Doctor Who, etc.
In a nutshell: Orphan Black is a drama with a sci-fi element. Its plot centers on Sarah Manning and how she becomes involved in an illegal cloning experiment. The unique part of Orphan Black is that it stars a female - actually females (which rarely, if ever happens in this genre) as the main characters and drivers of both story and action. I thought, well this is something Nate and I both might be able to enjoy. Bonus - the first season was free on Amazon Prime streaming.
Nate and I gave it a shot... and we became obsessed, not just with the storylines which were suspenseful, engaging, and intricate, but with the multifaceted performance of Tatiana Maslany as all the clones. By the end of season one she had appeared on screen as seven fully-developed clones each with her own unique mannerisms, speech, accent, hairstyle, walk, you name it. We kept having to remind ourselves - particularly as she plays off herself in scenes Parent-Trap style - that this is the SAME actress. She's just absolutely incredible, and her performance is so convincing it really takes the show to the next level.
Season two, we get to see her play two (!!!) new clones on screen. Sometimes she's hugging herself - or fighting herself (see above, Sarah versus Rachel). Seriously, there's nothing this actress can't do! Season two was equally good - now we can't wait for season three to return in 2015. If you've watched it you're hooked, if not - what are you waiting for?
Party on, clone club. Party on.
PS: Yes she's playing all four clones in that scene. CRAZY!
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