At first glance, BBC America’s show "Orphan Black" may seem confusing. This show follows Sarah Manning, a woman who sees her own clone kill herself at a train station. After witnessing the death of her clone, Sarah tries to steal the woman’s identity and is thrown right into the mystery surrounding their origin. There is someone trying to kill the clones off, as well as a mysterious disease that is slowly killing the clones as well. The show is a powerful narrative about family and identity, and here are a few reasons you should be watching it.
1. Tatiana Maslany
Tatiana Maslany is the woman that portrays every clone on the show. She has currently played 11 clones on screen, and each has their individual movements and personality, which makes it easy to tell them apart. Tatiana Maslany was nominated for an Emmy last year for her role on "Orphan Black," and has blown the world away with her acting skills.
2. Diversity
"Orphan Black" is very inclusive of the LGBT community. One of the clones has stated onscreen that she is a lesbian and has a bisexual girlfriend. Another clone’s foster brother, Felix Dawkins, is gay and shown with various partners. The show even included a transgender clone in season two. The cast and crew talks about the LGBT community and makes a conscious effort to portray them in an accurate and positive light.
3. Special Effects
Every sci-fi show has special effects, even if they are cheesy. But the special effects in "Orphan Black" are far from tacky. The crew puts in long hours to pull off scenes with multiple clones in them (including a four clone dance party) and features many other complicated special effects such as a cyborg eye and a human with a tail.
4. Themes
"Orphan Black" is a show almost entirely led by women. With so many female characters, the show is able to discuss complicated subjects, such as identity and consent. The clones have to learn to see themselves as people instead of just copies of another. The clones also have many people trying to control their lives, from large corporations to the military. They are seen as science experiments instead of humans, which is one of the main struggles for the clones on the show. The show helps to create a dialogue about important issues, such as women’s rights and identity, without making it feel forced.
5. Cast and Crew
The cast and crew interact with the fans almost daily. They’re very active on their social media accounts and often live Tweet during the show’s airtime each week. They also frequently hold #AskOB events, either by Tweeting fans with answers to their questions or by making videos and posting them on the BBC America YouTube channel. The cast and crew show their passion for this show often, getting almost as excited for every episode as the viewers.
6. Clone Club
Clone Club is the name given to the fans of the show. They are very devoted and loyal to the show, and very active on social media as well. The diverse community spans across the globe, but you never have to look far online to find someone new in Clone Club. Through this show and the community surrounding it, I have made many friends, and so have many others.
As you can see, there are many reasons that everyone should be watching “Orphan Black." The show is an exciting take on cloning and has created a wonderful community surrounding it. The show currently has three seasons, which are available to stream on the BBC America website or on Amazon Prime. The fourth season is due to premiere this Thursday, April 14.
