2013 has been a great year for television, so it’s possible that BBC America’s new sci-fi mystery show Orphan Black might have slipped under the radar for viewers who were trying to stay caught up with all the other excellent shows on TV.
Here’s a quick recap of the premise: petty crook Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany) returns to Toronto after a period of estrangement, hoping to earn enough money to make a life for herself and her daughter. Whilst walking along a train platform she sees a woman who appears to be her identical twin, but before Sarah gets a chance to speak to her the woman throws herself in front of a train. Here begins a mystery that spans the entire globe, and which will lead Sarah to uncover the truth of her own birth.
By the time season one of Orphan Black concluded, Maslany had played over a half a dozen distinctly different characters on the show – a series of performances that have so far earned her a Golden Globe nomination and snubs in both the Emmys and the SAG Awards. Orphan Black returns to BBC America in April 2014, and Entertainment Weekly has just released a new teaser trailer for season two.
The teaser doesn’t give away much about what’s to come, but we already know from Orphan Black co-creators John Fawcett and Graeme Manson that there will be more clones from the “sisterhood” introduced next season, so it should be a lot of fun to see Maslany taking on more diverse roles within the show. The last few episodes of season one saw one clone being taken out altogether, Sarah coming across a new clone, and the fragile bonds of the Clone Club being tested, so much is already at stake.
A lot has already been learned about Sarah’s past – and her “family” – but it could just be the tip of the iceberg. We definitely can’t wait to find out more next year.
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Orphan Black returns to BBC America on April 19, 2014.
