This past week The Rolling Stone put out an article titled, "The 40 Best Science Fiction TV Shows of All time." On that list, BBC America's hit series, "Orphan Black," was number 11. Now, we can agree to disagree on that, but let me attempt to sway your opinion a bit because every second, every line is utterly brilliant.
First of all, there are clones. Sure you've heard of Dolly, the first successfully cloned animal in history, but "Orphan Black" features human clones. If you're still not impressed, think about it this way: filming human clones who aren't really human clones means one actress needs to play every single one of them.
The show starts out with one woman, Sarah Manning, who up to this point believed she was an orphan. Somewhere down the train tracks, she finds out she has sisters, maybe twins. But wait, no, they're genetically identical clones. Now in its fourth season, the lead actress Tatiana Maslany has played 15 clones, each one having such specific characteristics that even mega fans forget they are all the same person. In other words, it's like Cate Blanchett on steroids.
The show combines "crazy science" with deep and dynamic relationships that other television series either fail to properly balance or simply don't have to cojones to. There are complex family struggles, but protecting the sestras is the very motivation for some top secret, adrenaline inducing action. Every character (and I suspect actor) is part of a family, whether it's by blood or not. Magnetic chemistry and enticing character profiles make it impossible to divert your attention. You might have a favorite character for a week, but even the most revolting ones tug at a different heart string with an equally aggressive force, suddenly shifting your entire perspective.
Passion radiates from the screen when "Orphan Black" finally airs on Thursday nights. No matter what a person’s goal is in the show, no matter what side they are on, they are committed. There is love, there is hate, and there is every emotion in between. And with all that, there is still room for comedy (I mean so much).
Questions of equality, morality, and existence all tie the show into a knot almost as intricate as a natural representation of the Fibonacci sequence. No one watches simply for the drama or the laughter, they watch to learn and to connect with something bigger than themselves.
There is not a single thing that the sci-fi series fails to convey in such accurate light. We have everyone who deals with the show to thank for that. "Orphan Black" is obviously a TV show, but it's so much more. The show revolves around the importance of human life, and by airing on television it has created families, bonds, and something we like to call Clone Club.
