Three years ago, I fell in love with this show about a troubled, unruly young woman named Sarah Manning who
witnesses the suicide of police detective Beth Childs, who to her shock is a
perfect doppelganger of hers. This opens
the door for her to discover the truth of her real identity: she’s a clone and
there are countless others like her around the world. She gets to meet some of them, and, together,
along with their friends and families, they assemble the “Clone Club”, with the
intent of solving the many puzzles of their remarkable nature and protecting
themselves from the various foes that threaten them.
It has recently aired its last
episode, indicating that the story of my beloved Clone Club has come to an end. It was a solid finale as far as finales go. It wrapped up the series generally well. It brought a strong resolution to the
conflict and provided ample time for a heartfelt denouement. In addition, it finally gave the definite
reason – and a funny one at that – why it’s titled “Orphan Black.”
It was a satisfying finish. However, to be honest, I’m not completely,
perfectly satisfied with its run. Yes,
it’s a pretty great show as a whole, but there were some stuff I wish had been
done. For one, the “sestras” never truly
expanded from the main four – Sarah, Cosima, Allison, and Helena – that the
first two seasons had established. Other
clones were shown, of course. But,
disappointingly, none became part of the inner circle. I think it would have been an improvement if some
– or even just one – of them became one of the sestras. If Krystal had become one of the sestras, she
would have inserted a unique comical flavor to the sestras’ dynamic. If M.K. had become one of the sestras, her death
would have had more weighty emotional effect.
And if Rachel had become one of the sestras – meaning, she was accepted
into the Clone Club despite all the evil she had done – her path to redemption
would have been more powerful.
I also think that its first three
seasons were where this series had been at its best. I’m not saying that the last two seasons had
been bad. But I do believe the storytelling
already peaked in its second season, mostly carrying over into the third, and
by its fourth season, though still rewarding, it was no longer as fun, engaging,
and well-layered as I initially found it.
In my opinion, the show’s greatest moments, biggest surprises, most
stimulating mysteries, most impactful drama, and best narrative execution all
happened within the first three seasons.
If I have to rank the seasons from greatest to least, this is the order:
2, 3, 1, 4, and 5.
Nevertheless, all in all, Orphan Black has been a blast. Even at its weakest, it was superior to most
other shows’ peaks. And what truly made
this show quite outstanding was Tatiana Maslany. Due to the show’s premise, she was required to
play multiple characters; it was her shot to showcase her range and versatility
as an actress. And she delivered. She knocked it out of the park with every clone
she had to bring life to. Each one was
well-realized, nuanced, and distinctive. You are well
aware that one person is portraying all these characters. But, still, at some points, you unconsciously
forget this detail, as Tatiana gets immersed and disappears in her roles. If nothing else, Orphan Black was the opportunity to be awed by Tatiana Maslany.
Orphan Black began as a science fiction mystery thriller about a
clone finding her real identity. But, as
it progressed, it didn’t stay focused on just cloning, but also dared to go to weirder
science fiction directions. And while unlocking
the secrets of their biology served as the Clone Club’s initial motivation, it eventually
developed into protecting and fighting for the family which they had become. So while Tatiana Maslany’s performances kept
the show fascinating no matter what, the fact that the heart of the show was
about being a family – which it remained amid the ever-shifting, convoluted story – was what kept it
endearing no matter what. All these
resulted to making Orphan Black constantly intriguing and touching.
I’m definitely gonna miss this wonderful show.
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