Tatiana Maslany pwns

[frayadjacent]

This interview with Graeme Manson (Orphan Black showrunner)* made me realize something.

It's been obvious to me that Tatiana Maslany has incredible range as an actor.  And, through reading a bit about the way the show is made, I've come to realize how technically skilled she is as well, to be able to pour a glass of wine for herself and whatnot make the movement look natural.  But I never really thought about what different skill sets those two things are, and now I'm just even more amazed than I was before.

I started the S2 premiere and realized halfway through the "previously on" that I really needed to watch the last few episodes of S1, which Mr. Adjacent and I never got to in our rewatch a few months ago.  So watching one episode turned into a four episode marathon, which I actually haven't done since the throes of my Breaking Bad obsession eight or nine months ago.

The episode was pretty good, I thought.  I was really glad that Kira and Mrs S weren't with the ProClone, but that last scene with Kira was pretty upsetting.  (Which, huh, I just realized, did they film all the Kira scenes last year?  She didn't look noticeably older, though I wasn't thinking about it.)

I was actually kind of annoyed that Felix was high.  I felt like the show just needed to tell/remind the viewers the basics of his character and used the bar scene to do that.   I mean, it was supposed to be that same night, right, and they'd just been talking about running away with Kira.  It seems pretty irresponsible for him to just go get high in those circumstances.   Don't get me wrong, I would love to see Felix a) have more sex, and b) have more of a life that's independent of Sarah and Alison, but maybe not at such a completely bad time as that?

I was pleasantly surprised that Alison continued contact with her "sisters", since I'd thought from the finale that she was going to cut them off completely. 

Paul no longer comes off like a creepdog to me.  I was only slightly surprised that Helena was still alive.  Superhealing and all that.

I realized I've become very attached to a few bits of headcanon, and I should probably work on letting go of them in case they don't hold up this season.

*Has no spoilers for S2, including the premiere, but it does have a few vague hints at future developments that some might not want to see.

Comments

[thirdblindmouse]

A very interesting interview. Thank you for linking to it. I'm planning to see the episode tonight.

[frayadjacent]

I'll be interested to hear what you think of the ep!

[chaila]

I realized I've become very attached to a few bits of headcanon, and I should probably work on letting go of them in case they don't hold up this season.

I knoooow! I was all :DDD because Sarah totally included Mrs. S in her anger about ProClone taking "her family," and then I had to give myself that they MIGHT just be doing that so it's more devastating when Mrs. S is in on it (or does something backstabby later). Trust no one! :(

[frayadjacent]

Eee, yes, your headcanon is my headcanon. :( :(

Also, a few months ago a friend of mine told me she thought that Sarah was, in fact, the "original", since she was able to reproduce. I totally reject the notion that any of them is the original (though really, it would be cool for the show to have that be the case -- and then we all can realize that it doesn't matter; they're all still people!), so I came up with an alternate explanation: the clones aren't infertile due to genetics, they've been *made* infertile through the medical tests and procedures they've been subject to their whole lives. Sarah lived outside that, so she wasn't affected.

[king_touchy]

That makes sense -- Sarah wasn't monitored, and so wasn't made infertile. Hm, were the clones all sterilized on purpose, not a side-effect of the medical tests?

[thirdblindmouse]

So at this point we're pretty sure Helena has superhealing. Before I wasn't sure if it wasn't within the range of dramatic license, but at this point... I thought she was actually dead for good. The show had a number of character re-establishing scenes, like Allison's "What the dickens?!" and her amazing musical. I have to know if not!Cats is a real musical or if they wrote and composed that number for this show.

[frayadjacent]

OMG I know right? I was wondering if someone with more musical literacy would recognize it.

[king_touchy]

I was actually kind of annoyed that Felix was high.

I'm not too surprised. Evidence (drug paraphernalia that Allison tidied for him (heh) and the coke he done) suggests he could just as well be an addict as a recreational user. Maybe the stress drove him into familiar coping behaviors. He does have his own life outside of Sarah's drama; has in fact been the protagonist in his own life for the year she was gone.

And I figure since he was raised with Sarah; he's as much of a hot mess as she is. I hope he doesn't spiral down, hit bottom.

[thirdblindmouse]

Oh, you have a good point there. He may well be an addict. The interview said we would see more of Felix this year, and maybe that's seeing more of what a mess he is. So far he's seemed like the well-adjusted sibling (given life choices that involve sex for pay). Because I'm That kind of viewer I'd love to see him spiral down... as long as he escapes hitting bottom by the skin of his teeth the way Sarah has done again and again.

[king_touchy]

Because I'm That kind of viewer I'd love to see him spiral down... as long as he escapes hitting bottom by the skin of his teeth the way Sarah has done again and again.

Oh, yeah, I'm with you. That's called Good Television, man. Guess we'll find out.

And shout-out to Breaking Bad. That was fucking awesome television.