Blu-ray Review: ‘Orphan Black – Season Two’

Article originally published as Blu-ray Review: ‘Orphan Black – Season Two’ on Blogcritics.

BBC America’s Orphan Black is a hidden gem that many have not yet discovered. Starring criminally-snubbed-by-the-Emmys Tatiana Maslany as Sarah, Cosima, Alison, Rachel, and others, the clone drama is worth watching for her performances alone, giving the best multi-role acting in memory. Season one took a bit of time to get us into the mythology and lay out the framework, but season two hits the ground running, taking us deeper into this world and exploring the various personalities in all new ways. It’s a terrific series that deserves more attention than it’s getting, so I definitely recommend checking it out.

When season one ends, Sarah is desperately searching for her daughter, Kyra (Skyler Wexler), who is last seen with Sarah’s former foster mother, Mrs. S. (Maria Doyle Kennedy). Sarah is pursued by Rachel and the Dyad Institute, which is striking deals with each of the clones as it further researches its creation. Alison agrees to participate in the organization easily enough, wanting to get her life back on track. Cosima is a tougher sell, but faced with a deadly illness that is killing her, she reluctantly accepts their offer of lab space and equipment, putting the three central ladies on different pages.

From here, the story veers in a number of interesting directions. We get to see what makes Rachel tick a little bit, and we also see the sisterly bond that connects the women made from the same DNA. More new clones are introduced, at least peripherally, and a character I thought we’d seen the last of (I can’t spoil who) returns in a surprising and significant manner. There are subplots involving Kyra’s father, Cal (Michiel Huisman, Game of Thrones, Treme), and a crazy cult that wants to breed one of the girls. Toss is hanging threads such as Cosima’s romance with Delphine (Evelyne Brochu), Alison’s crumbling marriage to Donnie (Kristian Bruun), Art’s (Kevin Hanchard) continuing investigation, another delicious TV part for Michelle Forbes, a healthy dose of Sarah’s brother, Felix (Jordan Gavaris), and a shocking capper, and it’s a very full year.

More than the action, though, I really dig the character and story development in Orphan Black. It not only poses the moral question of cloning, but also shows us the human side of the results of such an experiment. Then it asks, is the product, which is actual people, owned by a corporation? Where would the line be drawn in this new schema? Issues of trust are explored, and the differences between the various clones are at least as enticing as the similarities.

This two-disc set contains all ten episodes of the recent run, as well as a good number of extras. The most interesting is probably the ‘Making Of’ the four clone dance scene, which, despite being the only scene in the series so far where it’s obvious that the camera is trying to trick us and Maslany hasn’t really been copied, is still quite enjoyable and touching. There are also deleted scenes of Alison and Donnie, a script-to-screen featurette, a look at the hair and makeup in the show, “The Cloneversation” special with Wil Wheaton (The Wil Wheaton Project), and more. It’s enough that most fans should definitely be satisfied.

Orphan Black is a show that screams to be watched in high definition. There is a dark color palette, and the lu-ray version is crisp and detailed. Colors are nicely contrasted, and the shadows are layered. The sound in high definition is also excellent. The rear speakers are not used as much as one might like, but are better utilized than in many television releases. Dialogue is clear and effects are well mixed. It’s a very immersive viewing experience.

I cannot stress enough how excited I am by this release, and if you have not been watching Orphan Black yet, please, please check it out, because it deserves the eyeballs. Just make sure you start with season one, as Season Two is not stand-alone.

Orphan Black Season Two is available now.

"Vexed" a Good State for ORPHAN BLACK

Article first published as ORPHAN BLACK Review on Seat42F.

BBC America’s excellent ORPHAN BLACK returned for a second season last Saturday night. While the premiere episode, “Nature Under Constraint and Vexed,” is not a good installment for someone who hasn’t ever seen the show to jump in on, that’s part of why it is oh-so-good for the fans. The story picks up pretty much right where the first year leaves off, and hits the ground running from there.

Sarah (Tatiana Maslany), arguably the main character, is in a Matrix-esque environment. She is on the run, nowhere safe for her to go, with Daniel (Matthew Bennet) and his goons, who wear suits and dark sunglasses, on her tail. She isn’t sure who she can trust, reaching out to Paul (Dylan Bruce) even though he works for the enemy, and she doesn’t have a clue how to get her family back.

This isn’t much of an improvement over Sarah’s situation last year. She has gone from grifter barely scraping by to grifter barely scraping by with her loved ones in danger. The only advantage she has now is that there are actually a handful of people who might be of assistance, though none is as invested in the trouble as she is, and it’s always going to be especially hard for her, with her trust issues, to sort out who can be relied upon.

Alison (also Maslany) is playing by the rules Dyad, the sinister company Sarah is fleeing from, has set out for her. This means she is free to go about her life and is not closely monitored, which allows her opportunity to sneak around and help Sarah. Alison has no desire to paint a target on herself by publicly declaring war and threatening her suburban existence, but at the same time, she isn’t going to turn her back on a clone in need.

Cosima (Maslany again) straddles the line between the two. She still resists working for Dr. Leekie (Matt Frewer), despite his efforts to persuade her to change her mind, which leaves her hiding out. She is more willing to assist Sarah, but also not ready to rush in guns blazing. These clones may share a bond, but they are definitely not the same people.

Once more, the main draw of ORPHAN BLACK is the incredible talent of its lead actress in her multiple roles. Maslany differentiates each of the three listed above, plus calculating Rachel and crazy Helena (who, thank goodness, is still alive!), with what looks like ease. It’s interesting to study how even the default resting face of each woman is completely different. The changes, major and minor, are so complete that Sarah, Alison, and Cosima really do seem like distinct individuals, barely connected.

Even better, “Nature Under Constraint and Vexed” gives us one of the golden scenes where one of Maslany’s character pretends to be another one. As Sarah sneaks into the Dyad party masquerading as Cosima, Maslany creates something entirely new, Sarah’s version of who Cosima is, which is really startling in its complexity and authenticity.

Of course, ORPHAN BLACK does have an excellent plot, too, filled with a variety of players who may or may not be on our heroines’ sides. Does Art (Kevin Hanchard) really want to help Sarah, or is he playing a classic good cop / bad cop sting with Angela (Inga Cadranel)? Is Paul offering assistance, or only feigning such to do Rachel’s bidding? Is Delphine’s (Evelyne Brochu) act of handing over Cosima’s blood to Leekie an act of betrayal, or is Delphine just worried about her lover’s life?

We also get plenty of humor, mostly at the expense of Alison and Felix (Jordan Gavaris). When first the latter is glimpsed this season, he’s in the middle of an orgy at a fetish club. Still in costume, he rushes over to Alison’s in the middle of the night. She ought to appreciate the get up, working on the clothing for the musical she’s now starring in, which seems terrible, by the way. This kind of stuff lightens the mood when the action gets too dark.

Basically, ORPHAN BLACK has some of the best acting on TV mixed with a compelling tale of shifting allegiances and surreptitious organizations. Dyad isn’t the only threat in “Nature Under Constraint and Vexed,” and we still have the mystery of the clones’ origin to solve to boot. Where the show will go next is anyone’s guess, but it’s a thrilling ride and I’m happy to be along for it.

ORPHAN BLACK airs Saturdays at 10 p.m. ET on BBC America.

ORPHAN BLACK is Truly "Beautiful"

Article first published as ORPHAN BLACK is Truly "Beautiful" on TheTVKing.

Continuing the unblemished run of successful, original BBC America series, Orphan Black, my favorite the network has aired, draws its first season to a close this week in "Endless Forms Most Beautiful." It's an installment of both revelation and cliffhanger, ending some plots, while simultaneously beginning new ones, making the complex, twisty story even more complex and twisty.

By the end of the ten episode run, the clones (well, the ones we've seen) all know about one another and that they have been created and monitored by a mysterious company. However, having just scratched the surface of this organization, they are reluctant to sign a contract with them, unsure if this is what is best for their lives, even as the company promises to protect them and not interfere in their lives.

As a viewer, it just feels too good to be true, going in. It's factual that they have been allowed to make their own choices, seemingly, so far, and have led full, normal lives, so perhaps whoever created them is benevolent. Yet, because it seems so easy, and also taking into account the covert monitors, who are often the clones' lovers, there is an underbelly where things just don't add up quite right.

Which is why it isn't much of a surprise when Cosima (Tatiana Maslany) discovers that the company isn't to be trusted. I can't say I expected to find that patent built into their DNA sequence, but I guess that makes sense. After all, this organization has invested a LOT of time and money into the cloning program, so they would want to be able to reap the benefits of their work.

This opens up a whole mess of legal issues. Can human beings be patented and considered property? Maybe in certain parts of the world? The patent is granted, which means that some governmental agency must have approved this concept. However, it doesn't seem like it would hold up in court, in front of any judge. On the other hand again, the company clearly controls American federal law enforcement, so has so pull.

I guess season two, which Orphan Black has already been guaranteed, will delve into this. It's such a startling, big discovery that time must be taken to grasp it and think about the implications. With so many unknown factors, it isn't immediately apparent where the patent arc is going. But it does mean Dr. Leekie (Matt Frewer) and Rachel Duncan (also Maslany) can't be trusted.

Who can be trusted, though? That is a question that has always been at the heart of Orphan Black, and it is one not easily answered. We assume Cosima, Sarah, and Allison (all Maslany) can be trusted because they are all in the same boat, but Rachel's presence, a new clone recently revealed, calls that into question. And the murderous Helena (Maslany again), presumably put down by Sarah this week, though likely, going by storytelling conventions, is still alive, means not all clones are good. They all have their own minds, different enough, at least by the circumstances of their lives up to this point, to have separate motivations and values.

There is definitely a nature vs. nurture debate to be had here. Nurture is winning, going by how different various clones are. Yet, Cosima's homosexuality isn't from nurture, so there's obviously some genetic variances as well, no matter how similar the DNA looks. Are the things that set each individual apart on purpose, or is this the experiment?

In "Endless Forms Most Beautiful," someone that seems trustworthy is said to not be what she seems. Amelia (Melanie Nicholls-King) claims, right before she dies, that Mrs. S. (Maria Doyle Kennedy) is hiding something from Sarah. And Mrs. S. and Sarah's daughter Kira (Skyler Wexler) disappear, though with no blood left behind, and Mrs. S. with her shotgun didn't seem to be going down without a fight, so maybe there's some truth to Amelia's words.

However, there are also any number of other explanations that might suffice. Mrs. S. could be working for the company, but Dr. Leekie seems genuinely confused when he first hears Sarah's name, so even if Mrs. S. was once a scientist employed by them, it doesn't appear that she let them know about Sarah while raising her. Has she flipped again, or did she manage to get nabbed against her will?

Luckily, Mrs. S. has some good precedent on her side, because both Paul (Dylan Bruce) and Delphine (Evelyne Brochu) have switched their own allegiances, siding with the clones over their bosses. The show might pull another fast one on us and show that they are triple agents, but for now, at least, they seem to be on the right side. So we can trust some of the people on the show who aren't played by Maslany.

Allison also faces betrayal as we see that her husband, Donnie (Kristian Bruun), is connected with Dr. Leekie. This one is less of a surprise, given the way that Donnie forgives Allison, without explanation, for torturing him. Allison can be excused for missing this, because of how upset she is, and convinced that her monitor is someone else, whom she is now free from. But while Orphan Black  does a fine job of setting up Aynesley as a red herring, it doesn't do as well masking Donnie's dark side.

There's also Art (Kevin Hanchard), who is investigating Sarah and her fellow clones. He doesn't know a lot yet, but he's the best hope the girls have of getting their tale out to the public, thus saving them from shady agencies. He's a hero to be counted on.

The series expertly lays out all of these players and settings one by one, never overwhelming, but building an extremely complicated, detailed web of story. The way Orphan Black keeps expanding throughout the season, with things only getting more messy with each passing hour, is impressive and well-thought out.

I love all this great plot, but serious credit for how good Orphan Black is, and it is very, very good, has to fall in Maslany's lap. I don't know many actresses that could play so many parts so well. There is never any doubt about which clone Maslany is, even with working out how to have one impersonate another, keeping some subtle clues that let audiences realize what's going on. There is amazing levels of talent in this chameleon, who balances her roles in a way that makes it look easy. This show lives and dies by Maslany's performance, and it's soaring largely because of her.

Orphan Black will return next spring to BBC America.