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.

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 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.

Dexter Ends Season

Showtime's Dexter has had a season different from any that came before it. Each major character had some serious shakeup to who they were and how they saw others. Dexter (Michael C. Hall) worked against a gang of bad rapists instead of individual killers. He had some help. Not only that, he discovered he isn't devoid of feeling. Angel (David Zayas) spent most of the season at odds with his new wife. Laguerta (Lauren Vélez) continually upset almost everyone, and was sort of villainized for awhile. Thank goodness that was corrected in the finale. Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) got some major depth, while Quinn (Desmond Harrington) finally became sympathetic and likable. Plus, an amazing array of guest stars, including the delectably dark Peter Weller!

And Dexter finally found someone that truly understood him in Lumen (Julia Stiles), a girl who didn't see him as a monster and refrained from judgment. His partner in this year's main killing spree, she gave Dexter something he has needed for a long time: hope. Not a fan of Stiles, her soulful portrayal of the women gang-raped and out for revenge won me over. The fact that she healed and softened in the end made it even better. While I certainly understand why she couldn't stay with Dexter, I was highly disappointed that she left, and hope she comes back to the show in some capacity. Maybe even to help Dexter find his eventual peace, which is my hope for a series finale.

The Lumen situation does present some interesting food for thought, though. It was revealed that Dexter actually did love Rita (Julie Benz) early on this year as he struggled through her death and his guilt, while not directly responsible, from his part in it. However, he was able to move on very quickly to Lumen, whom he also developed loving feelings for. Sure, Lumen was someone truly unique in his life, but there still should have been some hesitation. Unless, and this is very possible, he almost immediately felt stronger for Lumen than he ever did for Rita. I don't want to detract from Rita, as she has plenty of fans, myself included, but Lumen's acceptance of Dexter's true nature surely allowed more honesty between them, and a better understanding.

Lumen's attackers were played by a wonderful group of male actors, but none better than Jonny Lee Miller as Jordan Chase. The former star of Eli Stone took the believing man he had built for the title character in that series and amped him up into a twisted, evil figure. His performance was chilling and authentic. While he was eventually dispatched with fairly easily, very anticlimactic, he was more a tool to help Lumen and Dexter than a true nemesis, anyway, so it worked. There were times he was a genuine threat, but mostly he was a plot device, and a killer good one at that.

The other new character who quickly wormed her way into viewers' hearts was Sonya (Maria Doyle Kennedy, The Tudors). She is Dexter's nanny. Yes, there needed to be some sort of plot device to free single dad Dexter up to do his dark deeds, but she is so much more than that. The writers were smart by giving us an actual character, rather than just an excuse, and Kennedy was surely the right woman to do it. Hopefully she will be even more visible as Astor (Christina Robinson) and Cody (Preston Bailey) return to stay with Dexter, which I very much wish will be during next season, and not between episodes.

Part of me thinks that Astor and Cody leaving to stay with their grandparents was a convenience trick this year. Part of me thinks it was good storytelling. The answer is probably some combination of the two. There was a purpose for their absence, and Astor's mid-season appearance showed that splendidly. It wasn't that they didn't care about Dexter, but of course Astor needed to get away from where her mother was killed and anything that reminded her of Rita for awhile. Robinson has grown as an actress, and it showed. Bailey, who took over the Cody role in season two, has obviously grown physically from beginning to end of this season, so maybe he'll get some actual plot next year, too.

I have always liked Dexter's sister (and the actor's real life spouse), Deb. Originally she was there as comic relief. Her growth into super detective has been extraordinarily satisfying. Her skills finely honed, she had so much shine in this finale. Carpenter's acting was nothing short of brilliant as Deb caught Dexter and Lumen red handed, then let them go without seeing their faces. An earlier Deb wouldn't have had the emotional maturity to do that. Nor would she have ever been able to forgive and stand by Quinn. It is so satisfying when a character is evolved so perfectly, and this is a grand example. Can we get her an Emmy nomination already?

One last thing, can Masuka (C.S. Lee) have a story? He's been an awesome supporting player for five years, but I can't recall him ever having a plot of his own. It's time he got one. He has certainly earned it.

Dexter has already been renewed for a sixth season, and will return to Showtime late next year.

For frequent mini-reviews and occasional tv news, follow Jerome on Twitter.


Article first published as TV Review: Dexter Ends Season on Blogcritics.

The curtain closes on The Tudors

     The show was called The Tudors, but really only concerned one of the five rulers from that dynasty.  Now that it's over, it seems a shame that the series didn't start with a season or two of Henry the VII's reign, as Henry VIII (Johnathan Rhys Meyers) came of age.  It its even more regretful that it did not continue into his childrens' time in power.  However, the show was about Henry and his six wives, despite the name, and it was a well-told story.  I am at a loss to think of another show centered around such a despicable main character that still held interest and ran for so long.  Sure, flawed heroes are the norm on television today, but Henry VIII was merely flawed, not a hero.

      All of Henry's six wives appeared in the final season, and four in the finale.  All six were in the finale if you count the final montage, showing scenes from all four seasons.  The scenes where the three mother of his children, Katherine of Aragon (Maria Doyle Kennedy), Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer), and Jane Seymour (Annabelle Wallis, although Anita Briem played her in as many episodes as Wallis, was seen in the montage, and did a better job) came to him were spine tingling, in a good way.  They reminded him of his mistakes, and who he really was.  Henry did not die in the finale, but he was near death's door, alone.  It was hard to sympathize for him, but the finale was a fitting end.

     As mentioned above, Henry had three children, and each also played a part in the end.  Mary (played by Sarah Bolger since season two) was the most prominent.  Here was a daughter who loved her father, despite what he had done to her mother and her religion.  She deeply cared for her mother, her mother's faith, and her mother's people.  She would later become known as Bloody Mary, and it is no wonder, with such torn loyalties.  The other two were played by multiple performers, but the middle child, Elizabeth, ushered Britain into a Golden Age, and so it is unfortunate that the show did not continue for her.

     The Tudors, more than any other show, had a rotating cast of characters.  As mentioned before, the series focused on Henry and his wives, and so it was a bit disappointing that so many faces gracing the theme song appeared for only a season, or less, and were not given fitting endings.  There are two exceptions to this rule, however.  First appearing in episode three, Chapuys (Anthony Brophy), an ambassador from Spain, was never made a main character, but made quite an impression, and I was saddened by his death, which came shortly before the finale.  But the most integral, who the only person in every episode, aside from Henry, was Henry's best friend, Charles Brandon (Henry Cavill).  In real life, Henry died about a year and a half before Henry.  In the show, he died fifteen minutes before the end.  He was the heart behind the throne, and it was nice to see him get such moving screen time as the series came to a close.