Orphan Black

Orphan Black is a Canadian science fiction television series created by screenwriter Graeme Manson and director John Fawcett, starring Tatiana Maslany as several identical people who are revealed to be clones. The series focuses on Sarah Manning, a woman who assumes the identity of one of her clones, Elizabeth Childs, after witnessing Childs' suicide. The series raises issues about the moral and ethical implications of human cloning and its effect on issues of personal identity.[1]

The series premiered on March 30, 2013, on Space in Canada and on BBC America in the United States.[2][3] The second season premiered on April 19, 2014.[4] The series is produced by Temple Street Productions in association with BBC America and Bell Media's Space.[5] On July 9, 2014, the series was renewed for a ten-episode third season to premiere on April 18, 2015.[6][7]

Contents
[hide]
 * 1 Premise
 * 2 Cast and characters
 * 2.1 Main
 * 2.2 Recurring
 * 2.3 Known clones
 * 3 Production
 * 3.1 Filming
 * 3.2 Location
 * 4 Episodes
 * 5 Critical reception
 * 5.1 Season 1
 * 5.2 Season 2
 * 5.3 Awards and accolades
 * 6 Broadcast
 * 7 Comic books
 * 8 References
 * 9 External links

Premise[edit]
The series begins with Sarah Manning, a con artist by trade, witnessing the suicide of a woman, Beth Childs, who appears to be her doppelgänger. Sarah takes on Beth's identity and occupation as a police detective after Beth's death. During the first season, Sarah discovers that she is a clone, that she has many 'sister' clones spread throughout North America and Europe, and that someone is plotting to kill them and her. Alongside her foster brother, Felix Dawkins, and two of her fellow clones, Alison Hendrix and Cosima Niehaus, Sarah discovers the origin of the clones: a scientific movement called Neolution. The movement believes that human beings can use scientific knowledge to direct their evolution as a species. The Neolutionists thus advocate eugenics. The movement has an institutional base within the large, influential, and wealthy biotech corporation, the Dyad Institute. The Dyad Institute conducts basic research, lobbies political institutions, and promotes its eugenics program, aided by the clone Rachel Duncan. But it also seeks to profit from the technology the clones embody. It has thus placed "monitors" into the clones' personal lives, allegedly to study them scientifically but also to keep them under surveillance.

Sarah eventually discovers that she's also wanted by the police and by a secret religious group, the Proletheans. A faction of the Proletheans carries out the clone assassinations. They use a clone, Helena, to kill the other clones. Yet Sarah and Helena share a surrogate birth mother and are twins both genetically and with respect to their early maternal environment. The Proletheans assassinate clones because they believe them to be abominations. Eventually, the Dyad Institute and the Proletheans learn that Sarah has a daughter, Kira, the only known offspring of a clone, all other clones being sterile by design. The plot lines of the series revolve around Sarah and Kira's efforts to avoid capture by the clearly sinister Neolutionists and Proletheans as well as around the efforts made by each clone to give sense to her life and origin. The attempt to control the creation of human life provides the key or dominant theme which drives the various story lines. A second key theme forms around the intrigues made by the Dyad Group and the Proletheans along with the earlier intrigues made by the authors of Project Leda (see the Greek myth Leda and the Swan) and Mrs. S., Sarah’s foster mother, and her political network. Both themes intersect in the effort to control the creation of human life. Sarah, who matures because of her struggles, defends the bond between parent and child against the Neolutionists and Proletheans.

Cast and characters[edit]
Main article: List of Orphan Black characters

Orphan Black cast members, from left to right: Ari Millen, Kristian Bruun,Maria Doyle Kennedy, Dylan Bruce,Jordan Gavaris, and Tatiana Maslany.

Main[edit]

 * Tatiana Maslany as a number of clones (see below), all born in 1984 to various women by in vitro fertilization. The series focuses on Sarah Manning, a small-time con woman and orphan who is the only clone to have a biological daughter. (All other clones were presumed to be sterile before Sarah was discovered, with one of the original scientists revealing that the clones, as 'prototypes', were all designed to be sterile, although there is speculation that Helena may also be able to conceive given her origin as Sarah's specific twin.) Other clones include Elizabeth "Beth" Childs, a police detective who commits suicide at the start of the series leading Sarah into the conspiracy; Alison Hendrix, a soccer mom who tries to be the perfect housewife, but suffers from pill and drink addiction as well as jumping to conclusions; Cosima Niehaus, a bisexual[8] graduate student studying evolutionary developmental ("evo-devo") biology who researches the clones' biology; Helena, a fanatic assassin trained by the Proletheans who has suffered severe abuse throughout her life and the twin sister of Sarah; Rachel Duncan, an executive at the Dyad Institute and raised self-aware that she is a clone from childhood; Tony, a petty criminal and transgender clone unaware of his heritage until recently.


 * Dylan Bruce as Paul Dierden, an ex-military mercenary, who was blackmailed into being Beth's monitor under the guise of being her boyfriend. Following the discovery of Beth's death and Sarah's impersonation of her, he chooses to continue trying to protect Sarah, calling it his job. The two continue a sexual relationship. However Dyad still holds his past over him and makes him Rachel's new monitor, with Rachel influencing him to enter into a sexual relationship with her. In the season 2 finale it is revealed he is still in the military and was a double agent from Project Castor spying on Dyad and Project Leda.


 * Jordan Gavaris as Felix ("Fee") Dawkins, Sarah's foster brother and confidant. He identifies as a modern artist, but moonlights as a prostitute. He is the first person Sarah confides in about the existence of clones, and has developed his own friendship with Alison in particular while helping her cope with the stress of her existence as a clone.


 * Kevin Hanchard as Detective Arthur "Art" Bell, Beth's police partner. He cares for Beth and tries to guide her through tough times even when she is dead as he unknowingly is helping Sarah as Beth. After he learns of Beth's stolen identity and death he decides to side with the clones over the police department, carrying out off-the-books research for them.


 * Michael Mando as Victor "Vic" Schmidt, Sarah's abusive, drug-dealing ex-boyfriend. He grieves over her death (mistaking Beth's corpse for Sarah) and is angered when he discovers she is alive upon bumping into Alison believing she is Sarah. He becomes a police informant for Angie and under her orders he befriends Alison at rehab. He is later intimidated by Donnie to stay away from the Hendrix family. (regular season 1; recurring seasons 2–3)


 * Maria Doyle Kennedy as Siobhan Sadler, Sarah's and Felix's Irish foster mother; they call her "Mrs. S.". She acts as guardian to Sarah's daughter Kira while Sarah is away. She is shown to be intelligent and resourceful, hiding Sarah for years and protecting her and Kira. Mrs. S used her network to hide Ethan Duncan and find Sarah as a child, claiming to have protected her from Dyad Sarah's whole life. Mrs. S makes a deal with Paul and the military to work with them and abduct Helena in exchange for a way to help Sarah and Kira.


 * Évelyne Brochu as Dr. Delphine Cormier, Cosima's monitor, girlfriend, and fellow scientist. She is torn between her job at Dyad and her love for Cosima. After finding out about Cosima's illness she works with her in the Dyad to try to find a cure. She is promoted to the public leader of Dyad after Leekie's death and unintentionally helps Rachel kidnap Kira. Rachel then bans her from working with clones and sends her away to Frankfurt. (recurring season 1; regular seasons 2–3)


 * Ari Millen as Mark Rollins, a homicidal Prolethean. He marries Gracie in an official ceremony after running away from the Prolethean farm. In the season 2 finale, Mark is revealed to be a clone, created as a part of Project Castor (see below), the male counterpart to Project Leda. (recurring season 2; regular season 3)[7]

Recurring[edit]

 * Skyler Wexler as Kira Manning, Sarah's biological, naturally-conceived, daughter. The only child of a clone, she has inherited the apparent accelerated healing ability demonstrated by Sarah and Helena, and has shown the ability to tell the clones apart even when they are posing as each other. (season 1–present)
 * Inga Cadranel as Detective Angela "Angie" Deangelis, Art's new partner, trying to uncover the clone conspiracy behind Art's back. (season 1–present)
 * Kristian Bruun as Donnie Hendrix, Alison's husband and monitor. (season 1–present)
 * Josh Vokey as Scott Smith, a fellow student of Cosima at the University of Minnesota, who develops a crush on her and later joins her and Delphine at the Dyad Institute. (season 1–present)
 * Matt Frewer as Dr. Aldous Leekie, frontman of the Institute and the face of the Neolution movement. (seasons 1–2)
 * Matthew Bennett as Daniel Rosen, a Dyad associated lawyer, assigned to do Rachel's shady work. He had a sexual relationship with Rachel and also acted as her monitor with her knowledge. (seasons 1–2)
 * Daniel Kash as Tomas, responsible for the kidnapping and training of Helena. (seasons 1–2)
 * Michiel Huisman as Cal Morrison, one of Sarah's past con-victims and Kira's father. (season 2–present)
 * Michelle Forbes as Marion[9] Bowles, a high-ranking official within Topside–a group controlling Dyad–who outranks both Leekie and Rachel. She contacts Cal and Mrs. S to free Sarah and Kira from Dyad. It is revealed she is raising the youngest Leda clone Charlotte, and is battling the military and their male clones of Project Castor, holding one of the male clones in her home. (season 2–present)
 * Peter Outerbridge as Henrik "Hank" Johanssen, a Prolethean leader, attempting to revalue their view on science and proliferate Helena's miraculous genes at the expense of everyone closest to him. (season 2)
 * Zoe De Grand'Maison as Grace Johanssen, Henrik and Bonnie's teenage daughter who eventually rebels against the Prolethean way of life. She marries Mark in an official ceremony after running away from the Prolethean farm. (season 2–present)

Known clones[edit]
Main article: List of Orphan Black characters § Clones

By the end of the first season, 10 clones are revealed. They are of various nationalities and stations in life. Additional clones are revealed in the second season, including Jennifer, who died from the same respiratory illness that affected Katja and Cosima.[10] In episode 8 of season 2, Tony, a transgender clone is introduced.[11] In the season one finale, Cosima discovers each clone has a different DNA tag based on ASCII coded basepairs. In addition to the identification code is the text  "THIS ORGANISM AND DERIVATIVE GENETIC MATERIAL IS RESTRICTED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY" followed by a series of patent numbers. Sarah is given a photograph whose caption suggests that the cloning project that produced her was called "Project Leda". In the season 2 finale Charlotte, an 8-year-old clone with a leg disability, is introduced.

It is also revealed the military carried on with a male cloning initiative named Project Castor, which created Mark the Prolethean, a soldier clone, and Rudy the third male clone held in the home of Marion Bowles. All of the Project Castor clones are self-aware of their clone nature.[12]

Production[edit]
Bell Media announced on June 12, 2012 that they had commissioned a 10 episode season of Orphan Black that would be produced by Temple Street Productions and distributed internationally by BBC Worldwide.[13] The second season, also 10 episodes, was announced on May 2, 2013.[14] A third 10-episode season was announced by BBC America general manager Perry Simon on July 9, 2014, which began production in fall 2014 and is scheduled to premiere in spring 2015.[15]

The show is executive produced by writer Graeme Manson, director John Fawcett, and Temple Street co-presidents Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier. Co-executive producers are Karen Walton and Kerry Appleyard, while the Temple Street producers are Claire Welland and Karen Troubetskoy.[16]

On June 26, 2012, BBC America announced that they had picked up the show in the U.S.[3] Though Canadian actress Ellen Page was originally considered for the lead role,[17] the casting of fellow Canadian actress Tatiana Maslany as the lead was announced on September 17, 2012.[18] The rest of the principal cast was announced in late October 2012 as production began in Toronto for the first season.[19] On February 7, 2013, it was announced that Matt Frewer had been cast as an edgy philosophical professor, Dr. Leekie, and Évelyne Brochu was cast as a graduate student in molecular and cellular biology.[20]

The show was renewed for a second season of 10 episodes on May 2, 2013.[21] The second season premiered on April 19, 2014.[4] Season 2 features several new recurring characters, including: Cal Morrison, one of Sarah's past lovers, played by Michiel Huisman; Henrik "Hank" Johanssen, a Prolethean religious leader who is against the clone science, played by Peter Outerbridge; Mark, one of Johannsen's most devout followers, played by Ari Millen; and Marion Bowles, Rachel's boss at the Dyad Institute, played by Michelle Forbes.[22][23] Patrick J. Adamsguest stars in episode six of the second season, portraying the character of Jesse, a regular guy whose life changes drastically when he forms a connection with the various clones.[24]

In March 2014, BBC Worldwide North America signed a deal with Amazon.com for exclusive streaming rights to the series on its Prime Instant Video. The show's "binge-worthy" quality was cited as a major reason for Amazon's interest.[25] In April 2014, the show's second season premiere scored a 91% rise in viewership from the 18–49 year old demographic through DVR playback, the largest for any cable drama premiere that season.[26]

In April 2014, writer Stephen Hendricks sued the BBC and Temple Street for $5 million, alleging that they had stolen the idea for Orphan Black from a screenplay he had written in the late 1990s called Double Double. He had submitted this screenplay to Temple Street in 2004, where it went into review and was ultimately passed on.[27]

In November 2014, BBC America announced several new cast members for season 3, including James Frain as Ferdinand, a ruthless "cleaner," Ksenia Solo as Shay, a holistic healer, Kyra Harper as Dr. Coady, a military doctor, Earl Pastko as Ferdinand’s bodyguard, and Justin Chatwin as drug dealer Jason Kellerman.[28] Ari Millen, who portrays Mark Rollins and other male clones, was promoted to the regular cast for season 3.[7]

Filming[edit]
When filming scenes in which Maslany has multiple parts the scene is filmed multiple times using motion control cameras mounted on dollies to replicate the movement between each shot. This apparatus, the Technodolly, is referred to as the "Time Vampire" on the Orphan Black set due to the amount of time filming multiple clone scenes can "suck" from the production schedule. In these scenes Maslany first acts the scene with her body double Kathryn Alexandre in the alternate clone role, then again with the roles swapped, and a third time with the scene filmed with just the camera motion for a background plate. Suspended tennis balls are also used to help Maslany retain the proper eye lines. In post-production Alexandre and the tennis balls are replaced with the images of Maslany from the alternate shots, thereby allowing for more action in scenes where she interacts with herself.[29][30][31] In the season 2 finale, when a dance party scene called for the presence of four different clones, two days of shooting and several additional body doubles were used to create the effect, and post-production work from Geoff Scott and his team at Intelligent Creatures VFX is rumored to have taken hundreds of hours to complete.[32]

Alexandre's performances are central to Maslany's ability to create the characters. Maslany said, of Alexandre, "She's so amazing. She memorizes all of the lines, all of my blocking, all of her blocking, my mannerisms, my impulses; she, somehow, memorizes all of that and gives it back to me with a performance I can play off of." Alexandre had worked as a reader for auditioning actors in the casting stages of Orphan Black '​s initial production. She auditioned for the role of Maslany’s double and earned the spot because the producers were in search of, in Alexandre's words, "an actor as opposed to just a double."[30]

Maslany created different music playlists to listen to, to help her differentiate the various characters she portrays.[29] She also used dance to develop the physicality of the characters, including their postures, gestures, and movements, and relied on her background in improv to develop the characters more fully.[33]

The character of Cosima is named after science historian Cosima Herter, a friend of showrunner Graeme Manson who serves as the show’s science consultant. Herter works with the writers to ensure that the cloning and other scientific and technological aspects of the series are scientifically plausible and that the philosophical and ethical concerns the show raises are given the necessary complexity and weight.[34] She also answers fan questions about the show's science in the writer's room blog known as "The Hive".[35] Makeup artist Stephen Lynch, hair stylist Sandy Sokolowski, and wardrobe department head Debra Hanson are instrumental in creating the visual differences necessary to distinguish between each clone, often developing the characters' personalities through these visual elements before any lines of dialogue are written for them.[36] Art drawn by Sarah's daughter, Kira, in the show is created by art department member Sash Kosovic.[32]

Location[edit]
Orphan Black is shot on location in Toronto, Ontario. This is apparent from details such as cars with Ontario licence plates, Beth's Ontario driving licence, Mrs. S having an Ontario driving licence, the colour of currency, scripted references to the suburb of Scarborough, Ontario, and a plane ticket in the pilot episode identifying Toronto Pearson International Airport.[37] Toronto's Bridgepoint Health and Don Jail are stand-ins for the exterior of the "Dyad Institute".[38] Scenes set in the Scarborough suburb where Alison lives are actually filmed in Markham, Ontario, another Toronto suburb.[39] However, details like currency are often deliberately obscured, the train station in the pilot announces a next stop as "New York", and American pronunciations of words like "lieutenant" are used.[40]

Graeme Manson said that the setting is deliberately ambiguous. "It’s meant to be Generica. It’s part of the price you pay for this kind of co-production."[41] John Fawcett concurred, arguing that "To be honest, we don't want to say we're American and alienate the Canadians, or say we're Canadian and alienate the Americans. The bottom line is we're one big happy family. We're just a little bit further North than you."[42] Grantland's Tara Ariano argued that this ambiguity is "a daring new way for a producer to work within CanCon strictures: Set your show in Canada (technically), employ a Canadian crew, run it on a Canadian channel...and make room for recurring guest stars like Maria Doyle Kennedy...by casting one Canadian to play close to a dozen roles.”[43]

The co-production also influenced another important aspect of the show: Sarah's British accent and background. John Fawcett explained that BBC America asked them to make the lead character British, which she was not originally, to better fit the BBC brand. Fawcett, however, saw this directive as an advantage, as it allowed for an easy differentiation of Sarah from the other clones and a broadening of the geographical scope of the show's plot.[44]

Despite the co-production-induced lack of textual specificity, Washington Post TV critic Hank Stuever called the show "quintessentially and undeniably Canadian; even its grittiness and violence have a way of looking clean and orderly."[45]

Episodes[edit]
Main article: List of Orphan Black episodes

Critical reception[edit]
Tatiana Maslany has received universal praise for her performance of portraying several different characters who are clones.

Season 1[edit]
The series received generally favourable reviews, with the first season scoring a 73 out of 100 on Metacritic.[51]

Tatiana Maslany has received universal acclaim for her performance as the various clones. Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter called her performances "fantastic".[52] Maslany's failure to receive a nomination for Lead Actress in a Drama Series at both the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards and 66th Primetime Emmy Awards was seen as a snub by many critics.[53][54][55] Goodman called it an "outrageous oversight".[56]

Season 2[edit]
Orphan Black continued to receive very positive reviews from critics, with the second season scoring a 79 out of 100 on Metacritic.[57] Mary McNamara ofThe Los Angeles Times wrote that "Beneath the twists and turns...lie the even more basic theme of revelation: How would you react if you discovered that what you had come to know as your life was based on misinformation."[58] Alan Sepinwall of HitFix praised the show, calling it "a good, solid show that understands its strengths and keeps playing to them in season 2."[59]

When Maslany again failed to garner an Emmy nomination for her work on the series, many critics and fans derided it as a snub.[58][60]

Broadcast[edit]
In Canada, the series originally airs on Space,[2] and it made its broadcast network television debut on CTV on August 16, 2013.[83] In the U.S., it airs on BBC America.[3] It began airing in the UK on September 20, 2013, on BBC Three,[84] and season 2 debuted on April 30, 2014.[85] It premiered in Australia on January 14, 2014, on SBS2.[86] The series premiered in the Philippines on April 7, 2014, on Lifetime.[87]

Comic books[edit]
In July 2014, it was announced that a comic book series published by IDW Publishing would begin in early 2015.[88] The first issue will be released in February 2015, and the comic book series is co-written by series creators John Fawcett and Graeme Manson.[89]