Written by Erica Rose Jackson Let me start this post by saying that there will be spoilers for Part II of Netflix’s The OA so please read at your own risk. Part I, which dropped in 2016, started off wonderfully with an amazing story and cast led by Brit Marling but the last episode frustrated me. I’m not like other reviewers who didn’t like it because the dance felt cheesy but because it didn’t seem to be enough after everything that led up to it. However, Part II has more than made up for it! I binged all eight episodes straight through with no breaks. Not everyone feels the same way but I believe you have to be a little bit quirky to truly enjoy the show because you have to be able to let go of all real and logical thought. Brit Marling starred in The OA but also created it with Zal Batmanglij and this is not their first project together, but it is my first glimpse into their work. Marling and Batmanglij have created a marvelous universe that we just need to go into without any preconceived notions because they will ruin the experience. This series can’t be easily defined due to all the moving parts that go along with it. Marling’s character has so many identities and each one shares a different meaning within the series’ core. Prairie is a girl who went missing, regained her sight and was adopted. Also, we got a last glimpse of Scott Wilson (The Walking Dead) who played her father, that brought me a few tears. When she was kidnapped, she became OA which possibly means Original Angel. She goes by this identity most often because it’s the one most people know her as, at least the central characters to the story. In this season, OA moved into a different dimension where she became another version of herself, Nina Azarova, who was never blind or adopted. Her transformation really threw me for a loop early on but once she started to grasp things, so did I. Even in her new dimension, she is still be held captive by Dr. Hap (the-still-super-attractive-even-though-he’s-really-evil Jason Issacs). Hap has crossed planes too, all of her captive friends have but the one she really cares for, Homer (Emory Cohen), is trapped inside his own new self. OA has a lot on her plate for Part II but this isn’t the only storyline being told. The new season begins with a brand new character in Private Eye Karim Washington (Kingsley Ben-Adir) who is looking for a missing teen. His search brings him to a video game and eventually OA before they both explore the creepiest house I’ve ever seen. Episode five nearly caused cardiac arrest. Remember when I said to leave all reason behind? Well, this is part of that because there is an octopus who can speak through OA but also might have tried to rape her and a tree that can show her all the truth she never knew before. That sentence is just a glimpse of all that this season uncovers before everything comes to a head in the excellent finale which I really hope sets up Part III. OA’s friends from Part I are still around too and they’re trying to help her from the other side, so don’t worry all the players are back. The OA does an amazing job with something that I normally hate shows for doing which is breaking up characters into entire episodes. For example, following OA for a few episodes before having an entire show devoted to Steve and the others. I am usually very against that because it distracts from the story and I, most of the time, like one set of characters more than the rest. But The OA did a splendid job with this because of how interlocking all the moving stories truly are.
If you didn’t love Part I, you may still want to give the second round a chance because I wasn’t sure either but I was greatly rewarded. Jason Issacs is phenomenal again in his role and I’ve really missed him since Lorca bit the dust on Discovery. Issacs can make you want to root for him and want to murder him all in the same breath, plus he looks amazing doing it. Brit Marling obviously shines in her roles throughout the series. I can’t wait to see what happens next for these characters and will they all ever be together, in one dimension, again? The OA Part II hit Netflix on March 22. Final note: Part II is a lot scary then Part I even though Hap isn't killing them every two seconds. That is my final warning.
0 Comments
Written by Erica Rose Jackson This is a tough topic because there are so many places within the US and outside of that, I could imagine owning a vacation home. If I had to really narrow it down and choose one city it would have to be on the ocean for starters. I thrive off of the water especially when it comes to my writing. So, the home would be on the water but that doesn’t really give me a short list either so we’ll keep it in the US so I don’t have to worry about my passport every time I want to visit. I think Savannah, GA would be my choice. I’ve never been there but people rave about it and this is just a vacation home, not my permanent residence. I love history and the ocean so Savannah would give me both of my favorite things along with pretty great weather. Although it’s still pretty far south so the summers would be hot. Thank goodness the ocean would be so close and this is a dream scenario so I would definitely be living right on the water. Where would your dream vacation home be? |
Archives
January 2023
|