TV Show Review

TV Review: ORPHAN BLACK: Season 2, Episode 1: Nature Under Constraint and Vexed

BBC’s Orphan Black Nature Under Constraint and Vexed TV Show Review. Orphan Black: Season 2, Episode 1: Nature Under Constraint and Vexed began season 2 with an exciting thrill ride of an episode that is also occasionally funny and smart. The show might be more or less challenging for first-timers but the fast pace, the charismatic acting and the energetic female lead will be more than enough to keep your interest for its 45-minute length.

The acting is just about right. Tatiana Maslany opens the episode with a heart-pounding scene in which she generates genuine tension and she rightfully remains the best actress all the way until the end in all her characters. The male supporting actors from assassins to weird extravagant best friends are also spot-on. The female dominance is undoubtedly the show’s most attractive quality in the face of both protagonists and villains. We see that brains are much more treasured than muscle even though physical death and danger is lurking behind every corner.

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The story picks up literally right after the end of the season one and we are immediately pulled into the show’s raw energy because the story of episode one never slows down and we have a big stake at risk from the very beginning of it until the very end. Our protagonist is quick, tireless and brave as any other TV character you have seen this year and by the time the credits roll you will already be looking forward to the next episode.

The script manages to put in there a lot of aggressive comedy which is impressive and in total synchrony with the spirit of the show. The writing is also quite smart-not simply the story is complex and good guys and bad guys are trying to get to each other in creative ways but also every bit of dialogue is nimble and smart. It is a catchy episode that you will easily and enjoyably go through predominantly thanks to the writing.

The visual style is nothing exceptional-it is realistic and makes sure you see most of the brutal things that are happening on screen which is quite enough. The director definitely knows how to generate tension and thrills in the action sequences and the scenes of imminent threat and that is obvious just by the way he composes the shots. So it is the editing and the direction of the episode that contribute more to its successful impact than the visuals. You are not watching Orphan Black for the action sequences anyway.

We have quite a thrilling ending of the episode that is composed out of two special scenes-a shocker that thrills and hints regarding the next episode and a confrontation, to which the entire episode has been building up. Orphan Black is fiction so it doesn’t really teaches you anything-it is just a very good thrilling, involving ride that takes you through a lot of suspense. Forget about emotional investment or melodrama-at least (so far)-this is straight up good action-thriller film-making.

The episode keeps making us ask the questions: will she make it, can she do it and most importantly how can she possibly do it and by the end you are fully satisfied and impressed by this energetic, careless of danger, immune to fear, beautiful girl. That being said, the show can still be better-the speed of it was great, the thrills were provided but perhaps in the middle of all of that we could see the characters develop more.

The story arks surrounding the different clones were good but the one involving the rescue mission was the obviously the best so perhaps the different story arks should be equal in their awesomeness. Of course, it is just episode one but you never see any kind of change within the characters throughout it. This is not a problem-the characters are going through so many problems they don’t have time to experience an inner change anyway.

Leave your thoughts on this review and this episode of Orphan Black below in the comments section. For more Orphan Black reviews, photos, videos, and information, visit our Orphan Black Page, subscribe to us by Email, “follow” us on Twitter, Tumblr, or “like” us on Facebook.

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Deyan Angelov

My name is Deyan Angelov and I am 25. I have written articles for FilmBook. I graduated from the University of London, Royal Holloway in 2014. I have worked as an air operator, sound recorder and camera operator for different TV stations. I have participated in a variety of internships at Nu Boyana Film Studios.
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