One show has gone from “What?” to “Wow!” virtually overnight. Do you know “Orphan Black”? Read on or get left behind.
Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany) is a street-smart orphan with a whole slew of troubles. When she witnesses the suicide of a girl who looks just like her, she thinks she’s found salvation. Sarah takes the girl’s identity, job, boyfriend and bank account.
But instead of this solving all her problems, they multiply — and so does she! Sarah makes the dizzying discovery that she and the dead woman are clones, and the two of them aren’t the only copies. Sarah meets Alison, Cosima and Helena, exact replicas of her with different personalities.
What’s weirder than that? How about her learning that her doubles are being murdered systematically?
Suspense and thrills definitely are delivered by this sexy new BBC America series, which is available on home video. Smart writing keeps this sci-fi series grounded in reality, and twists ensure there is never a dull moment as our girls try to uncover the mystery of what they are and who is killing them.
A show like this one with a really cool concept usually falls apart the longer it runs, but “Orphan Black” has managed to keep luring fans. Perhaps most exciting is how wonder woman Maslany manages to play multiple parts as if she really is a parade of different people. I’ve never seen an actor so believably share the screen with herself. Ever.
I’m a fan! And now you’re in the know.