• Reviews

• All
• Music
• DVDs
• Live
• Cinema
• TV
• Books
• Comic Books
• Video Games

Mar 29, 2013 By Hays Davis Issue #45 - Winter 2013 - Phoenix

A woman lingering in a subway station witnesses a visibly distraught figure setting down her purse, taking off her jacket, and slipping out of her shoes. When their eyes meet briefly it appears that the two are identical, seconds before the barefoot lady dies as she deliberately steps in front of an oncoming train. As a horrified crowd gathers, the bewildered woman slips away, but not before picking up the purse belonging to her… doppelganger?

Sarah (Tatiana Maslany) has returned to the city after a year, hoping to regain possession of a daughter left to the care of the woman Sarah has known as her own foster mother, though it’s obvious that Sarah’s fringe-dwelling life as an adult lacks stability. Thumbing through the abandoned purse and finding a photo ID confirming her startling resemblance to the woman named Beth, Sarah finds a home address and decides to pay a visit.

Maslany makes the most of what are revealed to be multiple, complex roles. Sarah dons Beth’s clothes and watches home videos to pick up on her mannerisms, enabling her to approach Beth’s bank for a large withdrawal. As she gradually leaves behind one identity to assume another, with the help of her foster brother Felix (Jordan Gavaris), it becomes apparent that not only is Beth’s life a legal and professional minefield, it’s also unexpectedly dangerous. And that’s before Sarah stumbles upon yet another woman who shares her uncanny likeness. (www.bbcamerica.com/orphan-black)

Author rating: 7.5/10