While fans are waiting for Stranger Things Season 4, there is another sci-fi TV show that they might want to watch. It's called Orphan Black. Though fans might have to wait for the Netflix series' next season, Orphan Black might be a nice binge watch in the meantime. The show was popular to some extent, though it never reached the level of Stranger Things.
However, Orphan Black does have a dedicated, passionate fan base. And it is one that really made Tatiana Maslany, an actress who is starring 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 town with her foster brother Felix (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 clone who 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 to get rid of Katja's body and 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 many Stranger Things fans can probably imagine, the clones' hijinx in Orphan Black is interesting. However, that is not all the show has to recommend it.
Orphan Black also asks its audience intriguing questions about 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 action as 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 convinced that 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 Black is somewhat like Stranger Things with its sci-fi antics and the main characters trying to deal with them. Yet it is also different enough to stand out from the Netflix series.
One way in which Orphan Black stands 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 are members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Including Cosima, who is part of a fan-favorite relationship. The BBC America series also stands out because of its thought-provoking storylines. Dealing with human cloning is definitely intense. Of course, Orphan Black will not be a viable alternative to Stranger Things for every fan. Some might find it a bit too intense. Yet it is a wonderful show that definitely deserves more love and appreciation.
So why not give it a try, Stranger Things fans? Orphan Black might 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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