ORPHAN BLACK Made Up of Perfect "Combination"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

BBC America’s ORPHAN BLACK returns this week with “The Weight of This Combination.” The network (rightly) has asked the press not to spoil anything, so I promise to do my absolute best to give you enough of a tease without crossing the line. It will be quite difficult to do so, and if you’d rather go in with a completely blank slate, which I would totally get, bookmark this and come back after. But I pledge not to give away very much at all.

To start with, anyone worried that the introduction of male clones (all played by Ari Millen) would steal the spotlight from the girls, do not fret. There are multiple iterations of the new guy in the season premiere, but this is still very much The Tatiana Maslany Show, and I see no signs of that changing. The clone story may deepen and expand, but the writers know who made this show work, and Maslany will continue to be the focus of the vast majority of the running time.

All of our favorite clones are back, and most of them are in the opening scene of “The Weight of This Combination.” In fact, the opening is one of my favorite moments of the episode, with a terrific soundtrack and a very satisfying picture of the sisters together. It’s a fine way to open the season before all of the craziness descends, as of course happens in short order.

After the beginning, much of the premiere directly follows up last year’s cliffhanger. The Dyad Institute is not going anywhere, and is still very much interested in the girls. Sarah’s daughter, Kira (Skyler Wexler), remains a focal point, representing the possibility of reproduction by clones, and thus sparking the interest of many. The cast more or less remains intact, and there is almost immediately fall out from what transpired previously.

On that note, another one of Mrs. S.’s (Maria Doyle Kennedy) secrets comes to light very quickly. Honestly, I am wondering how she still thinks she can be a part of the Clone Club at this point; she’s an outside member of the family at best. I understand her intentions are good, but she’s got to quit doing stupid things she knows Sarah (Maslany) won’t agree with. She loves Sarah, yes, but Sarah loves her sisters (and Felix (Jordan Gavaris) of course), and Mrs. S. needs to get that into her head if she wants to stay in Sarah’s life.

Last season, Rachel (Maslany) is stabbed in the eye with a pencil. I don’t think that it’s spoiling much to say that she’s not dead, as after Helena’s surprise return, it doesn’t seem like ORPHAN BLACK is in a hurry to kill off its primary players, and I expect to see more versions in the near future. What this does mean for Dyad, though, is that Rachel is in no shape to carry on as she’s been, “The Weight of This Combination” picking up incredibly soon after the previous episode, so there has to be a “new Rachel” to run things, at least for a while. And there is.

I think it would give too much away to tell you who the “new Rachel” is, but it is a face we’ve seen before. It also gives the chance for a character to greatly expand their role on the series, and I’m very excited by not just the selection, but also the implications for various relationships because of this.

I mentioned new clones, and I will not say whether there is one of those in this episode or not, but I will say that there is at least one new character. It was announced that James Frain is joining the cast this year, and his character has some very juicy scenes in the season premiere. I’m not sure he’ll stick around long, but I hope he does, as I enjoy the actor, and the part he’s playing is an interesting one.

One of my favorite things about ORPHAN BLACK is when Tatiana Maslany plays one of her characters pretending to be another one of her characters. “The Weight of This Combination” not only gives us that, but provides a fresh twist on it that is awesome.

For my last tease, I will mention that Alison (Maslany) has an excellent new thread that plays into her suburban life and will have nothing to do with her sisters, or at least it doesn’t seem like it will. I like very much that these characters do have their own motivations and lives, and not everyone is as wrapped up in the conspiracy as Sarah is. Alison’s latest venture is a perfect way to continue this.

I can’t rave enough about the season premiere of OPRHAN BLACK. I feel like it has lots of surprises in store while continuing a very fascinating story. All of my favorite things about the first two seasons are back right away in this hour, and are being done better than ever. This is only season three, so the writers are probably still teeming with fresh ideas. This episode doesn’t prove to me that the show has strong stamina over time. But to get this far and continue to not only meet high expectations, but exceed them, is a feat, and I think those making this program are doing more than a few things right.

ORPHAN BLACK returns Saturday at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.

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.

Blu-ray Review: ‘Orphan Black Season One’

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: ‘Orphan Black Season One’ on Blogcritics.

If you’ve paid attention to Emmy news at all this past week or so, you’ve likely heard outrage over the snub of Tatiana Maslany, who has been picking up all sorts of other awards. If you’re not familiar with who this young woman is or what she has done to deserve such passionate following, then you haven’t seen the Canadian / BBC America drama Orphan Black. Luckily, all ten episodes of Season One are now available on Blu-ray and DVD.

Orphan Black tells the story of Sarah Manning (Maslany), a woman trying to put her life together so that she can take care of her daughter, Kira (Skyler Wexler, Alphas). See, Sarah has been romantically involved with an abusive drug dealer named Vic (Michael Mando, Les Bleus de Ramville), and so Siobhan “Mrs. S.” Sadler (Maria Doyle Kennedy, The Tudors), the woman who raised Sarah and her foster brother Felix (Jordan Gavaris, Unnatural History), has stepped in and taken Kira until Sarah can find a more stable environment.

When Sarah sees someone who looks just like her commit suicide, she senses the opportunity to better her standing and ability to start over, at least financially. Assuming Beth Childs’ (also Maslany) identity, Sarah suddenly finds herself in a situation that’s hard to get out of. Beth is a cop with a live-in boyfriend, Paul (Dylan Bruce, As the World Turns), and a suspicious partner, Art (Kevin Hanchard, Savage Planet). Plus, Beth is in trouble at her job.

If that were all Sarah had to deal with, it might be enough for any series to tackle. But Orphan Black is not just any series, and I feel like I’ve buried the lead in explaining the set up, something the first episode, “Natural Selection,” sort of does, before making a course correction, with the story picking up considerably over the rest of the run. Beth is not just a long-lost twin to Sarah, she is a clone. And there are a number of other clones around, as well as secret agencies that would like to control them.

Orphan Black is a fantastic tale, tightly written, without procedural or weekly stories to bog it down, but the biggest draw by far is Maslany’s performance. Whether she is playing Sarah, Beth, Alison, a put-upon housewife, Cosima, a nerdy genius, Helena, a psychotic religious fanatic serial killer, Katja, a desperate Russian, or a few other characters, Maslany captures distinctly different personalities so that none seem at all like the other, each with different dialect, mannerisms, and attitudes.

Even better is when one of the characters pretends to be another one of the clones, and Maslany somehow strikes a balance between the two, mixing characteristics so that attentive viewers will be able to identify what is really going on, even if characters on screen may not. It may be the most impressive acting I’ve ever seen. No one has played multiple roles in one work so thoroughly convincing before. No one. And she does it consistently, scene after scene, and no offense to the other fine actors involved, but shouldering the burden of the series almost completely single-handedly.

Orphan Black also raises some moral and legal issues. Should cloning be allowed? Under what circumstances? Can a company patent and own a human being if they are the by-product of their patented process? This is a timely issue, with recent court rulings about what can and cannot be owned concerning genetic material in the news this summer. Fascinating!

I know blu-ray reviewers still discuss picture and sound quality of the releases, though I’m not sure why, because just above all modern series have the same high marks these days. Orphan Black is no exception. The series has a dark-colored tone, and it is masterfully layered with rich blacks and details in the shadows. The soundtrack is seamlessly mixed with the dialogue, and both the audio and the visual are incredibly crisp and defined. I detected no flaws to speak of, though who pays attention to such things that closely when sucked in by such an amazing story and Maslany’s talent? It is worth checking out in any quality, but the blu-ray release is sure to be the best, and so worth getting.

One thing I found very odd about the packaging is that it lacks a booklet or interior episode list of any kind. You actually have to pop the discs in to see the installment names. That’s a tad disappointing to me, though only a minor annoyance for anyone with a smart phone or tablet handy.

The bonus features are a little light. “Send in the Clones” is a sixteen-minute behind-the-scenes featurette that feels more like a way to sell the series to potential viewers who haven’t seen the show yet than an informative look for fans, introducing characters and elements, rather than going deeper on them. We also get seven minutes of Maslany’s appearance on The Nerdist, cross promotion for another BBC America series, and “Inside,” a five minute extra of separate pieces, previously played during commercial breaks, that is a lot like “Send in the Clones,” but shares focus with characters not played by Maslany.

Orphan Black Season One is available now.

Orphan Black Finds a Home

Article first published as Orphan Black Finds a Home on TheTVKing.

BBC America's latest venture, partnered with a Canadian production, is Orphan Black, a dark, twisty, genre series. As the pilot, "Natural Selection," begins, Sarah (Tatiana Maslany, World Without End) is returning to town, on the run from her drug-dealing boyfriend, Vic (Michael Mando, Les Bleus de Ramville), from whom she has stolen a stash. Sarah's intention is to get her daughter, Kira (Skyler Wexler, Alphas), whom she abandoned, back, and run away again with kid and money from the stolen drugs.

But it doesn't work out quite that way. It isn't that Sarah's plan is flawed; it is, of course, but that's not the issue. Instead, Sarah completely throws out her old play book when a new opportunity arises, but going into the second scheme blind, she flails and can't make the clean escape she hopes to.

See, while Sarah is standing on a subway platform, she sees someone that looks just like her jump in front of a train and die. Sarah finds the woman's purse, and, after realizing the mysterious Beth has a large bank account, decides to assume her identity. The intention is to only take over the persona for the time it takes to make a withdrawal, but circumstances conspire against her, and she is soon trapped in the new role.

I don't think Sarah is just being greedy and foolish when she decides to become Beth, although given her less than stellar background, it's likely that both of those play into it. Instead, we get the extra layer of Sarah having grown up in the foster system, not knowing her family or where she comes from. Seeing Beth is a tantalizing lure, a chance to discover her origin, and maybe even find the parents she never knew. Most anyone in Sarah's situation would be drawn into Beth's world.

Unfortunately, Sarah acts rashly. Knowing that she doesn't have time to get Beth's money before the woman is declared dead, Sarah asks her foster brother, Felix (Jordan Gavaris, Unnatural History), to go to the morgue and identify the corpse as being Sarah. This is effective, of course, but Sarah realizes too late the implications of being considered dead, not only trapping her in Beth's swiftly unraveling world, but also making her daughter that much harder to get back.

Sarah is a very sympathetic character. She may have made a lot of mistakes, and the "Pilot" shows she isn't done making them, but she also has a heart, evidenced by her love of her daughter, and she's put in a situation where we feel for her. Confused and curious, intelligent and resourceful, Sarah's emotional center is easy to understand, whether one can relate or not, and her rocky upbringing excuses some of the criminal behavior.

Beth isn't so lucky. She is under investigation after having shot someone, and she's a cop. She has a live-in boyfriend named Paul (Dylan Bruce, As the World Turns), and a partner named Art (Kevin Hanchard, Savage Planet), who wants her to resolve the shooting issue, something Sarah will have trouble doing, since she didn't actually shoot anyone.

We're quite a bit into this review, and I haven't even gotten to the sci-fi hook yet. Sarah is a clone. I think. The promos for Orphan Black point to this situation, and not only do we meet Beth in the "Natural Selection," we also meet a Russian doppelganger, too, who is soon murdered. So on top of everything I've just mentioned, which makes for quite a bit going on in Sarah and Beth's lives, there's a whole conspiracy that will need to be explored.

Orphan Black is dense and fast paced, but don't let that scare you off. Somehow, it lays out each piece of the puzzle in a way that one can grasp, even when tossed down into chaos. We certainly don't know what's going on by the end of the "Natural Selection," but despite the brisk movement of the story, it's not difficult to keep the individual elements straight. It's a masterfully written story, surely developed into a fully-formed world that will be shown to us bit by bit.

By necessity, the series rests mainly on Maslany's shoulders. Those who have seen the commercials know that she will be playing several characters on a regular basis, but even just with the two short-lived ones in the "Natural Selection," she does an amazing job of differentiating them from Sarah. They may look alike, but they don't feel like they're the same person, with completely different facial expressions, moods, and body language. She has a firm grasp of who is who, and balances them brilliantly.

I did feel the weak spot is that Paul is taken in by her so easily. He notices that her hair is longer, but he still falls into bed with her. Of course, perhaps Paul already knows about the clones, realizes this isn't his Beth, and decides to sleep with her anyway. This would make him a pretty messed up guy, but since Beth certainly doesn't it have things together, either, it isn't out of the realm of possibility that she'd end up with a sleazeball.

Besides Sarah, I really like the characters of Felix and Vic. Felix is Sarah's flamboyant foster brother, and while he cares about her, he is also a scoundrel who looks out for his own neck and wallet. Vic comes in as a total jerk, but learning that "Sarah" has died, falls apart in a way that shows he really does care, even if he didn't know how to show it to her. And by putting Felix and Vic together in this first hour as sort of an odd couple, the series get some entertaining moments. I hope their plots stay intertwined for awhile.

Obviously, crap will hit the fan, and Sarah's scheme will blow up in her face. However, as it does, we have this roller coaster thrill ride of very well-made television, a sort of deeper Ringer with better character development and more complex interactions. Well done, indeed.

Orphan Black airs Saturdays at 10 p.m. ET on BBC America.