Going into this series, I was expecting a show that would be weaker than the original, considering I did not know the new staff in any way. However, in a stroke of good fortune, this series is made with the utmost care and compassion for the original show, echoing (pun intended) the original in its narrative but telling a completely unique story.
Without spoiling, the premise of this show is like the original, but with far different and sometimes more horrifying implications. While the original dealt with identity based on environmental differences, this focuses on differences in memory.
The story remains engaging and exciting throughout - no old Orphan Black fan will be put off by the pacing or the thrills. It's not guns blazing like the original, but finds new avenues to pump the series with the adrenaline and intrigue it needs.
New characters are genuinely endearing and earn the care of the audience. Returning (!) characters are treated with a great deal of respect for the original source material, and adding onto it in turn.
Even without the ties to the original source material, there would be a lot to love here. But the ties it does have adds a dimension to the story that enriches it and would not have been as rewarding otherwise. This is a story that acts on its own, as well as a continuation, and because of that I would recommend watching the original. However, if you can't, this works as its own story too.
A major highlight is episode 5, which may very well be one of the strongest episodes in all of the series. It tells a delicate, mature, nuanced character story that I think is among the best episodes of the entire Orphan Black universe - including the original show. Perhaps top 5, even. And the ending pulls off a gambit that. While not as paradigm shifting as the original, is just as risky and bold, if not more, and absolutely earns its keep.
Only one point has been removed due to some slightly uneven editing in the first three episodes, as well as a handful of production issues. The setting does in fact feel a little out of place considering the year it is set in. However, none of that in the end distracts completely from what is an overwhelmingly, resoundingly successful unique follow-up to the original, and a show with enough gusto to hold its own as a completely separate work..
Without spoiling, the premise of this show is like the original, but with far different and sometimes more horrifying implications. While the original dealt with identity based on environmental differences, this focuses on differences in memory.
The story remains engaging and exciting throughout - no old Orphan Black fan will be put off by the pacing or the thrills. It's not guns blazing like the original, but finds new avenues to pump the series with the adrenaline and intrigue it needs.
New characters are genuinely endearing and earn the care of the audience. Returning (!) characters are treated with a great deal of respect for the original source material, and adding onto it in turn.
Even without the ties to the original source material, there would be a lot to love here. But the ties it does have adds a dimension to the story that enriches it and would not have been as rewarding otherwise. This is a story that acts on its own, as well as a continuation, and because of that I would recommend watching the original. However, if you can't, this works as its own story too.
A major highlight is episode 5, which may very well be one of the strongest episodes in all of the series. It tells a delicate, mature, nuanced character story that I think is among the best episodes of the entire Orphan Black universe - including the original show. Perhaps top 5, even. And the ending pulls off a gambit that. While not as paradigm shifting as the original, is just as risky and bold, if not more, and absolutely earns its keep.
Only one point has been removed due to some slightly uneven editing in the first three episodes, as well as a handful of production issues. The setting does in fact feel a little out of place considering the year it is set in. However, none of that in the end distracts completely from what is an overwhelmingly, resoundingly successful unique follow-up to the original, and a show with enough gusto to hold its own as a completely separate work..