One of the most anticipated new shows of the mid-season makes its series debut on Saturday and Orphan Black is expected to be the anchor of the Space’s recent rebrand.
The sci-fi thriller sees Sarah (played by Canadian Tatiana Maslany), a completely sexy and tough-as-nails outsider witness the suicide of a woman right in front of her. The twist? The woman looks exactly like her. As the series moves forward, Sarah assumes the role of the dead woman but is quickly met with the realization that Beth isn’t her only clone.
My initial thought was that this was just another Dollhouse meets Ringer sci fi series, but after screening Saturday’s premiere episode in advance, I have realized that the intellectual nature of the show as well as its star make it stands out in a relatively mundane and procedural-heavy current television landscape.
A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to catch up with the show’s star at ComiCon in Toronto. I couldn’t wait to ask Maslany about Orphan Black and specifically focused on its crosswide appeal as the show effortlessly fuses a serial nature with fast-paced action. We also talked about Sarah’s use of sexuality to adopt her different roles and if that is something that will continue on the series. When I asked her about why people should watch the show, Maslany discussed the all-encompassing question that we find ourselves asking which is ‘who are we?’ and I believe the show’s attempt to answer it will make for a compelling must-see.
Finally, I asked the Canadian starlet about how difficult it is to assume so many different roles in terms of the number of characters she plays. This was a foreshadow into me auditioning my Orphan Brown character for the series and asking Maslany for some help in learning a new accent.
To say that the results are absurdly hilarious would be an understatement.
Check it out!
Orphan Black premieres this Saturday, March 30 at 9 p.m. on Space.
