Sarah Manning is a resourceful small time con artist who has grown up in an orphanage.
After having
unsuccessfully tried to steal from her
boyfriend Vic, a large portion of cocaine, so she can sell it and keep all the money for herself, she is now desperate and on the run, at a deserted train station.
There, Sarah notices a young
woman taking off her clothes and leaving her personal belongings on the train platform.
Soon after she realizes that the woman looks exactly like her, she witnessess her ‘double’ jumping in front of the incoming train and getting killed.
Soon after she realizes that the woman looks exactly like her, she witnessess her ‘double’ jumping in front of the incoming train and getting killed.
Sarah decides to take the place of the dead woman hoping she can empty her
bank account and flee abroad.
Her plan will again run aground and her life will
become even more complicated when she finds out that her deceased look-alike,
police officer Beth Childs, not only is being accused of shooting an unarmed
woman, but is also investigating the actual origins of herself as well as
of a number of other women with whom not only does she share the same birth
year (1984) but also the same DNA.
Having
assumed the role of Beth, Sarah will encounter some unexpected -identical- allies, like the evolutionary
biologist Cosima Niehaus and the neurotic housewife Alison Hendrix.
Together they will begin to unfold a very tangled skein of corporate secrets, christian sects, new age prophets and political and military conspiracies, in order to learn the truth about their 'collective' origin.
Together they will begin to unfold a very tangled skein of corporate secrets, christian sects, new age prophets and political and military conspiracies, in order to learn the truth about their 'collective' origin.
Just one: The fantastic Tatiana Maslany.
The award-winning Canadian actress
constitutes almost the entire cast of the series, playing over a dozen -so far-
versions of herself, with absolute success.
Each one of the clones has a different presence, kinesiology, setup, manner of expression and speech and Maslany manages to breathe life into each one, clearly and unambiguously and without resorting to mannerisms.
We do not see a woman with multiple personalities, but many different women with
distinctive characters who happen to share the same DNA structure.
And it is because of her virtuosity, that the creators of the show have managed to make the paranoid world of Orphan Black seem plausible.
This year Maslany finally won her first Emmy for Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Take a look at the impressive -and technically demanding- finale of the 2nd season with the characters , dancing together, each one in her own unique way.
And it is because of her virtuosity, that the creators of the show have managed to make the paranoid world of Orphan Black seem plausible.
This year Maslany finally won her first Emmy for Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Take a look at the impressive -and technically demanding- finale of the 2nd season with the characters , dancing together, each one in her own unique way.
Maslany’s incredible solo performance, is accompanied by Jordan Gavaris, lovable in the role of Felix, the
gay adoptive brother and Sara’s faithful ally, a role which also serves the
lighter side of the show, which refuses to take itself too seriously,
anyway.
In the role of Siobhan Sadler, adoptive mother of Sarah and Felix and with her
own dark secrets, we find Irish actress Maria Doyle Kennedy, while the role of Dr.
Aldus Leekie, the controversial face of the of Neolutionist Movement, is portrayed by (90’s
Max Headroom) Matt Frewer.
Filmed almost
entirely in Toronto, Canada, an 100% Canadian production and with almost all the
protagonists speaking with British accents, the geography of the series is
deliberately vague and therefore somewhat mysterious.
With a labyrinthine plot, where biotechnology meets eugenics and the clone club meets the myth of Frankenstein, Orphan Black not only is one of the best science fiction series that you can watch on TV today and be entertained, but also raises many fundamental issues about the morality of science, the essence of human existence, identity and free will.
Sarah’s personal quest especially after meeting her genetically-engineered 'sisters', who have been brought up under completely different circumstances, make us wonder about everything we take for granted in our lives, the role each one of us plays, everything we believe that we are, who we really are.
Without taking into account the sometimes low production values -especially in season 1, Orphan Black is an original, fun and enjoyable science fiction series, already considered a cult classic.
You can now stream all 5 seasons on Netflix.
