Aired: Netflix

Created by: Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij

Starring: Brit Marling, Emory Cohen, Jason Isaacs, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Patrick Gibson

Genre: Science Fiction, Drama, Supernatural, Mystery

Rating: 4/5

When I watched the first series of The OA, I remember thinking it seemed rather bizarre, but somehow it still pulled me in. By the end of Part I I was invested, and eagerly awaited its return for Part II. I will be avoiding spoilers in this review where possible (to be honest, there are some pretty big and crazy concepts involved that I’m not sure I could explain properly anyway) as it’s best to go into this show without knowing anything.

The first episode left me feeling rather perplexed. The first series was complex and I struggled to remember what had happened. I’d recommend taking a look at a recap of Part I! Episode 1 starts off with new detective character called Karim searching for a missing girl. How this connected to the rest I had no idea. However the ending of the episode suggested things would be coming together. And they did in the second episode. While I wasn’t exactly sure how things were going to connect, I could see the beginnings of hints and foreshadowing that everything was going to come together.

In the third episode some of the characters from the first season finally made a return. Since they’d had such a big role in the first series, I was worried their story was over. Thankfully that wasn’t the case. I’d become invested in these characters so was relieved to see them continue to be part of the story.

Things got a bit weird in the middle of the series. I couldn’t see what the weird house and video game had to do with anything. Plus there was the simply plain weird scene with some kind of mind-speaking octopus that I still don’t understand. It’s like they were trying to throw too much at the show, making it overcomplicated.

The ending of Part II left me desperately wanting more. It opened up even more possibilities, and once again ended on a cliff-hanger. Hopefully we won’t have to wait so many years for Part III. I also liked that the second series didn’t feel repetitive. Some TV shows go through the same motions each series, but The OA feels like one long continuous story, which makes it more engaging because the storyline is anything but repetitive.

I would highly recommend giving this show a go, even if you think it’s not your kind of thing. Despite being baffling and at times hard to follow, The OA is somehow addictive. It draws you in. I like that it’s unique and doesn’t shy away from exploring big concepts.