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| The Versatile Tatiana Maslany as Sarah Manning |
A few weeks ago, someone on reddit's sub-reddit r/pics uploaded this striking picture (below) for the BBC America show "Orphan Black", and when another person explained that all 4 girls in the photo were the SAME actress playing four different CLONES, I was SUDDENLY intrigued! I'd seen the DVD sets for both Orphan Black Seasons One and Two at Costco, and for a mere $12.99 apiece, I didn't think it'd hurt to pick it up and check it out!
As Orphan Black begins, we are introduced to derelict girl named Sarah Manning who has just arrived back in town, only to see a professional-looking woman that looks JUST like her commit suicide by jumping off the platform into a running train.
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| Sarah Manning meets her Double Beth Childs |
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| A Destitute Beth Childs just before her leap |
Quickly getting over the shock, the streetwise girl snatches up the woman's purse and belongings, intending to steal her checks and raid her bank account. With the help of her brother Felix, (a fabulously gay raver and an admitted scene-stealer!), they manage to trick the cops into thinking that the jumper was the derelict Sarah Manning, and thus Sarah assumes the role of Beth.
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| Meeting up with Brother Felix (Jordan Gavaris) |
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| "This Beth Looks Just Like Me" |
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| "Holy Crap- What are You gonna Do!" |
But once stepping into the role of this woman, she finds that this Beth Childs was a police investigator whose last case may have the key to events directly impacting Sarah...
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| Becoming Police Investigator Elizabeth Childs |
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| On the case with partner Art Bell (Kevin Hanchard) |
Under the guise of the Police Investigator, Sarah-Beth finds the reason that she and Beth look so similar may have a more sinister reason than pure coincidence, and as she delves deeper, she makes contact with other women connected with the case.
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| Looking over the evidence with Felix |
The next duplicate "Beth" meets is a desperate German girl named Katja who reaches out to her. Apparently, she and the real Beth were working together to gather evidence to expose some criminal activity. Unfortunately, Katja is taken out of the game before she can explain anything more to the confused Sarah.
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| Contact with Katja Obinger |
Her brief interaction with Katja leads Beth to the super-brainy Cosima Neihaus, a scientist student working out the blood connections between all of them, the girl who acts as the level-headed and rational "thinker" for them. It is she who finally explains to Sarah that they are all clones in someone's weird experiment- and their mission is to find out who and why!
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| Dreadlocked Genius Cosima Neihaus |
Time seems to be of the essence as not only are there sinister agents and corporate employees after them, there is another clone out there named Helena (A Russian Girl) who is actually out to terminate her fellow doubles!
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| The Psychotic Helena |
But by FAR my favorite character HAS to be the clone Alison Hendrix, a suburban Soccer-Mom with a husband and two children- having lived and almost Stepford-Wives existence, she is everything Sarah is not- Prim and proper and OH! So BITCHY!
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| Soccer Mom Alison Hendrix |
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| Already Butting Heads |
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| The Highly Strung Suburban Mom! |
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| Reluctantly Cooperating with Sarah. |
Alison is SO freaking funny- sooo uptight and fastidious, everything she does in her prissy style makes you laugh, and the scenes with her and Felix have to be the best! Ahaha, I tell you, Desperate Housewives ain't got NOTHIN on THESE TWO!
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| Alison Bonding with Felix |
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| Dealing with the Neighbors, LOL |
At the end of Season One we are introduced to a fifth clone, that of the super high power-executive Rachel Duncan, and unlike Cosima, Alison and Sarah who are banding together to get answers,, THIS woman may well be the direct LEADER of their ENEMIES! A VERY sleek and icy-cool character, a femme-fatale, if you wish!
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| Rachel Duncan |
I gotta say, while there may be some flaws with the story (a lot of the time I'm frustrated watching the show, thinking,
why in the world are they doing THAT?!), watching actress Tatiana Maslany playing all these different characters is SUCH a JOY to behold- so awesome, she really shape-shifts into the roles, and some, (especially Allison and Rachel) are so convincing I sometimes start believing they are ACTUALLY played by different actresses!
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| Sarah, Alison and Cosima meet up |
I was just getting started on Season Two of the series when I had lunch with a friend who, when I gushed to him about how much I was loving Orphan Black, told me "Didn't that show just get cancelled?"! I paled and yelped out, "What!!! NO WAY! I was JUST getting INTO THAT ONE!" Once home, however, I ran online to read up on the show's status...and whaddaya know, just DAYS before our lunch, it was announced that Orphan Black had gotten picked up for a Fourth Season! WHEW!
Right now I'm halfway through Season Two, and am trying to pace myself slowly because I know that the DVD set for Season Three doesn't come out for a few more months....months I will be on pins and needles waiting!!!
