Okay, I’m in love. This show is that calm you have when the environment around you is enveloped in a blanket of snow. The slow burn approach compliments the intricately woven mystery of the core characters.
First thing that struck me this epsidoe was the format of the story telling. Instead of the flashback prompted by current events approach, the creative team behind the OA have gone for a Are You Afraid of the Dark? storytelling with refreshing impact. It keeps the story clean and free of convoluted storytelling. Something which I think is needed when dealing with mysteries. Possibly the fundamental flaw that became Lost’s undoing.
The OA’s story telling is also reminiscent of Jennifer Garner’s Alias. The three part development was something I found tedious at times in a show that ran for 4 seasons without changing the format; it’s cliffhanger endings started to come across as if they didn’t trust the audience to return on his or her own volition.
However, The OA makes it work and progress the story rather than an audience trap. It’s transition between the past and present is smooth enough that it doesn’t pull you away from the narrative like Alias sometimes did.
This episode’s focus is French and his motivation for joining the group. His life of pressure and manipulation is something I think a number of teens will appreciate. While Buck took a small role in the narrative, a lot was revealed about the now confirmed Trans character. I’m very excited to see where Buck is taken.
Before you know it, we’re delving back into the OA’s past. The build up to the reveal of Jason Isaac’s character was just a tad too much. Unfortunately him being the only household name attached that had not been revealed, it was too obvious. Luckily I was so overwhelmed by the haunting music that I will forever consider The OA’s (character, not show) theme.
What follows is an almost scorpion and the frog final act. Isaac’s is spot on perfect as a man who I predict will take a central role in the upcoming episodes. His charm almost wins the audience over to the point that you forget you kind of already know he’s the bad guy.
The end is heartbreaking, even if you see it coming. You understand the extent of the entrapment before she does. A chilling thought creeps into my head; sight, or the lack of, presents such a vulnerability that I’d never considered before.
Really hoping to get some wi-fi today so I can continue to watch over the holidays.
The Queens of Geekdom 