In the wrong hands, Orphan Black would have been little more than a gimmick show that could easily have been lost in the technology that allows one actress to play multiple roles. Thankfully the folks at BBC America have managed to avoid many of the pitfalls and make some of the most intriguing science-fiction of recent years.
Actress Tatiana Maslany quite rightly gets a lot of attention (although apparently not in the form of Emmy nominations) for her character hopping performances, and there is something mesmerizing about her ability to play all the different clones. She manages to instill distinct and convincing personalities into each of them.
As with all the best shows, Orphan Black is more than it's concept. The second season has slowly expanded upon the mythology of the story, and wrapped in more and more of the conspiracy theories. The show started with a slow burn, largely focused on the first of the clones we met, Sarah. While she is still front and center, she is more of a central point around which a lot of different narrative threads are now spinning.
The show did well to reveal things bit by bit. It engaged you with the premise and then slowly revealed it's complexity. That also keeps the pacing on track for the most part. It's smart, deep, storytelling that has managed to constantly raise the stakes without taking too many illogical jumps.
Of course, they do occasionally have some fun with the fact they have all these clones running around!
Season three is inbound next year, so if you have missed out on this one, there is still time to dive in. You won't regret it.
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