While fans are waiting forStranger ThingsSeason 4, there is another sci-fi TV show that they might want to watch. It’s calledOrphan Black. Though fans might have to wait for the Netflix series' next season,Orphan Blackmight be a nice binge watch in the meantime. The show was popular to some extent, though it never reachedthe level ofStranger Things.
However,Orphan Blackdoes have a dedicated, passionate fan base. And it is one that really made Tatiana Maslany, an actress who isstarring in an upcoming MCU Disney Plus show,relatively well-known. Maslany portrays Sarah Manning, a young woman who witnesses a shocking event. Someone who looks exactly like her steps in front of a train and meets her fate.
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Sarah initially wants to leave townwith her foster brotherFelix (Jordan Gavaris) and daughter Kira (Skyler Wexler) but decides to take over the woman’s life and pretend to be her. She assumes that the two of them are sisters, and since she’s adopted by a woman named Siobhan Sadler (Maria Doyle Kennedy), that’s a possibility.
However, Sarah stumbled on more than just a sibling.In fact, she is a clonewho was created as part of an illegal human cloning experiment. While pretending to be Beth, she meets another clone from Germany. Her name is Katja Obinger, and she quickly realizes that Sarah is not Beth. She asks Sarah a riddle of a question and is promptly taken out. Then Sarah gets a call from someone. The person on the other end of the phone turns out to be another clone, Cosima Niehaus.
She eventually asks Sarah the same question that Katja had and hangs up when Sarah is confused. However, not before she tells Sarah toget rid of Katja’s bodyand get her briefcase because of the samples in it. Sarah eventually meets Cosima and another clone, Alison Hendrix, at Alison’s house.
It is then that Sarah finds out that she’s a clone. Not only that, but she and the other clones are in danger. Someone is trying to get rid of them. It is then that Sarah decides to investigate what’s going on. But to do that, she needs to keep pretending to be Beth, at least for a while.As manyStranger Thingsfanscan probably imagine, the clones' hijinx inOrphan Blackis interesting. However, that is not all the show has to recommend it.
Orphan Blackalsoasks its audience intriguing questionsabout what it means to be human and the meaning of family. Is family just who you’re related to biologically, or is it something deeper? Is it perhaps a commitment based on unconditional love? The show asks these questions and more of its audience, but don’t worry,Stranger Things fans;it’s full of actionas well. The Leda clones, played by Tatiana Maslany, regularly have to struggle to survive.
Other clones are eventually introduced. Ari Millen portrays the Castor clones, who were raised by the military and, unlike the Leda clones, knew they were clones from the beginning. The clones eventually find out who is after them. Well, several people are, actually. There are the people who created them, who are observing them by placing “monitors” into their lives.
And then there are the Proletheans,a religious group that is convincedthat the clones' existence is wrong. They even have a clone on their side. Her name is Helena, and she is convinced that she is the original, that all the other clones come from her.Orphan Blackis somewhat likeStranger Thingswith its sci-fi antics and the main characters trying to deal with them. Yet it is also different enough to stand outfrom the Netflix series.
One way in whichOrphan Blackstands out is its characters. Maslany is a brilliant actress and gives life to these different clones beautifully. The Leda clones are also all given different personalities and well-written story arcs. Of course, since most of the main characters are women, female characters are definitely at the forefront. And some of the clones aremembers of the LGBTQ+ community.
Including Cosima, who ispart of a fan-favorite relationship. The BBC America series also stands out because of its thought-provoking storylines.Dealing with human cloningis definitely intense. Of course,Orphan Blackwill not be a viable alternative toStranger Thingsfor every fan. Some might find it a bit too intense. Yet it is a wonderful show that definitelydeserves more love and appreciation.
So why not give it a try,Stranger Thingsfans?Orphan Blackmight just be the perfect fit. The show is an amazing sci-fi adventure while still being very grounded in reality. It’s definitely worth a watch on Amazon Prime Video.
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