Renting at the Reels: Clones for rent

By: Kaitlyn McKay, Columnist

The first season of “Orphan Black” is not a recent release at Tiger Reels, but it still deserves a recommendation in this week’s Renting at the Reels. 

Courtesy of BBC America
Courtesy of BBC America

Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany), a con woman avoiding a toxic relationship, witnesses the suicide of a woman, Elizabeth Childs (also Maslany) who looks exactly like her. She steals her identity and plans to clean out her bank account in an attempt to start a new life with her daughter whom she has been separated from. While wrapped up in living her doppelganger’s life, Sarah discovers that she is one of many clones struggling to live a normal life and ultimately becomes tangled in a conspiracy that threatens her life.

“Orphan Black” is a show that is best to watch going in completely blind. The summary above is just a taste of the twists and turns that occur in the show. Other information could be included in the summary, but it would take away a lot of the suspense of the show. The only reason that this review even mentions the fact that Sarah is a clone is because it is impossible to talk about Tatiana Maslany’s breathtaking acting without it.

Maslany does not just portray Sarah: she portrays all of the clones that appear on the show. There are four main clones that appear in the first season, and all of them are vastly different. Usually, audiences need to see an actor’s various films or TV shows to see how wide their acting range is and how truly phenomenal they are. With Maslany, you just need to see “Orphan Black.” After a few episodes, the audience can forget that in many scenes, there is just one actor playing multiple parts in one scene. Maslany is not just the star of the show: she is the show.

Both seasons are available on at Tiger Reels, and each season is only ten episodes long.

“Orphan Black” is a hidden gem. It is an absolute must-see.

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