I share my thoughts on the first episode of
the second season of BBC America/BBC 3 series Orphan Black, starring Tatiana Maslany, entitled Nature Under Constraint and Vexed. This contains spoilers!
The first season of Orphan Black absolutely blew me away. It was the best new TV show
of 2013 hands down and right now the only show that prevents it from being my
favourite non cancelled or ended show is Game
of Thrones. In large part due to the incredible performances of Tatiana
Maslany, Orphan Black has quickly
become one of my favourite shows and one of the few that I actively try to get
people to watch because it’s really one of those must-watch programs that
deserve your attention. It should be
on the same level of audience viewing as Breaking
Bad and Game of Thrones. Whilst
it’s passed under the radar by some, which is unfortunate, it’s the crowning
jewel of BBC America and arguably BBC 3’s best program that they’re currently
airing.
The first episode aired on Wednesday and it
was great to be back with Tatiana Maslany and company – it had been too long
since there had last been an episode of this series on our screens. The first season focused on the fallout from streetwise
hustler Sarah Manning discovering her newfound identical twin commit suicide by
jumping in front of a train, and the consequences that this action had on her
life. If this happened to you and you were left with the dead person’s
identity, what would you do? It was a compelling storyline that made us
sympathetic towards the lead character.
Nature
Under Constraint And Vexed introduces a new approach for season
two following the cliffhanger ending of the first season. Sarah has lost her
daughter Kira, and her foster parent Mrs. S. Cosima, another clone – is ill,
and Alison, having killed her suspected monitor, is dealing with the emotional
fallout – not knowing that her real monitor is in fact her husband, who she
initially suspected, but managed to cover his tracks very well.
The opening of Nature Under Constraint And Vexed is just as strong as the first
episode of the first season, Natural
Selection. It’s raining, and Sarah’s racing through the rain, in search of
Kira. She enters a late night diner, otherwise empty – and after she’s given a
cup of tea from the cook in an act of kindness, two henchmen walk into the
diner, leading us to believe that the bad guys are closing in on her. In the ensuing
fight which costs the lives of the cook and a henchman, Sarah manages to get
herself free and goes looking for Felix (Jordan Gavaris), her homosexual foster
brother who provided some excellent comic relief moments in Season 1.
The veterans return to the show over the
course of the episode. We’re reintroduced to Cosima and Allison – as well as
Paul (Dylan Bruce) – who’s apparently working pro-clone Rachel, the mysterious Dr.
Leekie (Matt Frewer), Cosima’s love interest Delphine (Evelyne Brochu) and also
Art (Kevin Hanchard) is on the hunt for answers. As you’ve gathered by now it’s
a lot to deal with, and the show packs more into just one episode than most
shows do in an entire season. The
various plot threads are handled well and we get a great look into the various
characters with a strong pace that doesn’t let up.
Maslany’s acting is incredible, but if you’re
familiar with this show then you’ll already know that. The camera crew also really
work wonders with fitting the double characters together, with some great
complex visuals that work very well.
The only problem that I had through this episode
was that whilst it was whilst Helena’s character is interesting – I wasn’t
happy that she survived, and would have preferred if she had been killed off
for good in Season 1.
Orphan
Black then, returns to excellent form. It’s a
fantastic series that really deserves your attention and we could be settling
ourselves back in for another amazing ride. Next week’s episode can’t come quickly enough.
VERDICT:
5/5
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