In preparation for the second season premiere next week, Kevin and I went back and re-watched the first season of Orphan Black. This may be my favorite show currently on the air, and I have high hopes that the second season maintains everything that was incredible about the first season. If you've never seen it, you should definitely remedy that (and you should not read the rest of this entry). There are only ten episodes, so there's plenty of time to catch up before the second season begins on Saturday.
The first and most obvious thing to praise about this show is the lead actress, Tatiana Maslaney. Maslaney does incredible work playing not one, but four main characters and three side characters. She's on the screen in almost every scene, interacts with the entire cast in various guises, and even interacts with herself in some incredible scenes that will make you wonder if she's actually a twin and not just a single actress.
The most amazing bits come when she plays one character pretending to be another. Whether it's uptight Allison pretending to be wild-child Sarah in front of Sarah's daughter, Kira, or damaged Helena barely putting up a front as Beth to cop to gain access to her computer, Maslaney knows these characters so well that it all seem effortless. She can even slip into different accents when a character feels pressure and make it seem like an accident.
What really made me fall in love with this show, though, is its unique examination of patriarchy and all the little ways the system has to keep women down and all the ways that can affect the women trying to live in this society. It's not the most intersectional examination of feminism - we're still focused on pretty, white women who have some privilege of their own. But it still does a good job of teasing out all sorts of aggresions, both micro and macro, and showing the importance of working together to achieve common goals and help with personal goals.
The clones in this story are all ultimately struggling for the same thing - agency. The two main antagonistic groups (both populated almost exclusively by men) are trying to take that from them. The church wants to simply kill all of the clones and be done with it, rid the world of what they view as an abomination. The neolutionists, who created the clones in the first place, monitor the clones closely. They claim it's for the clones own good, but their true intentions are almost certainly more nefarious. It's revealed in the finale that any freedom or privacy they offer is just a lie, a way to throw the clones off the scent so they can continue their work without interference.
This state of constant surveillance and fear affects all of our clones (women) if different ways. Helena was recruited by the church as a child where she was taught that she was special. She was told that she was the original and has internalized the message that she's not like the other clones (women). This allows the church to manipulate and use her for their own ends. It's only through her bond to Sarah that she begins to shake their influence, although she's ultimately too far gone to save. Going forward, I have to assume that Rachel is a variation on this same model. She's working with the neolutionists, and I can only assume that she has also internalized a sense of being different and, more importantly, better than the other clones.
The other three main clones are only just becoming aware of these structures that seek to control their lives. They all react to the news differently, and they all fight against the system in different ways. But it's important to note that they find strength in working together. That the Neolutionists ultimately achieve their victory at the end of the season by driving wedges in between these women and feeding on their more selfish motivations.
Cosima is arguably the most well-adjusted of the trio. She's a scientist, and she reacts to the knowledge that she's a clone by seeking more knowledge. She learns about Dr Leekie and the Neolutionists and looks for opportunities to learn more about them. Cosima is sure that if she can just arm herself with enough knowledge, she can find her way out of the maze. If she asks enough questions, she'll find the answer that sets her free. But that's not how it works. All she ultimately discovers is how thoroughly trapped she is, and how hopeless the entire situation is.
Allison, my personal favorite, reacts in almost the opposite way. When Allison's world gets turned upside down, she starts falling to pieces. She's all about control, and the sense that she's losing control, or worse, that she was never in control to begin with, she does not handle it well. Allison lashes out at everyone as she tries to figure out how to regain her sense of normalcy. She ultimately decides that privacy is more important than freedom and signs a deal with Dr Leekie to get her life back the way it was. Unbeknownst to her, her life is exactly as it was before, complete with monitored activities and secret, invasive medical exams. I almost can't wait for her to discover that she was duped. Her rage is already a force to be reckoned with, and when she finally figures out who to focus it on there should be some serious fireworks.
Finally we have Sarah, arguably the protagonist of the show. Sarah has trust issues, and learning that she was a science experiment does nothing to help this. She's just as angry as Allison, just as curious as Cosima, but she's got years of experience to help her stay a step ahead of the neolutionists. Unfortunately, she can't do it alone. While she still has her brother Felix, standing ever faithfully by her side, the loss of her daughter could very well send her into a self-destructive spiral she can't pull out of.
What I love is that none of these women can take down the bad guys by themselves. Their strengths and weaknesses balance each other out. Cosima's level headed rationalism helps Sarah and Allison stay grounded while their rage reminds her to get angry. Sarah's trust issues make Cosima properly wary of Delphine, and Allison's motherly instincts help Sarah see that she needs to do the best thing for her daughter, not just for herself. The three of them are going to need to figure out a way to work together again if they have any hope of breaking free from the shackles of the neolutionists. It'll be great to see them go head to head with Rachel and learn how she was recruited (or raised).
I'm really looking forward to the second season, which should build on these themes of teamwork, individual agency, and the oppression of patriarchal systems. And also more of Maslaney being jaw-droppingly amazing. Here's hoping for a second season that's even better than the first.
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