The OA is a brand new, American sci-fi mystery drama that just dropped on Netflix.
And it really made a splash, mainly because we’ve all been a bit starved for compelling TV to sink our teeth into. All because Netflix took a while to restock their site.
Listen to Laura Brodnik and Jess Clark discuss how The OA shocked the world on The Binge.
The OA eight-part-series focuses on Prairie Johnson, a blind woman who returns to her hometown after being missing for several years. No one knows where she went; no one knows why she’s back; and she’s calling herself ‘The OA’… and no one knows why.
Oh. And also? She’s not blind anymore.
She refuses to tell her family anything. She refuses to tell the FBI anything. She also has mysterious scratches on her back with no suggestion as to how they got there…
It sounds great. I’m ready to watch and dive deep and discuss. But there’s an issue.
As Laura Brodnik mentions on The Binge, “…people are already comparing it to Stranger Things.”
In case you weren’t aware, Laura Brodnik loves Stranger Things. This is why…
Where’s the issue with that, you ask?
Well, Stranger Things has a reputation for being one of the best things to happen to sci-fi this year.
And so a comparison is “kind of setting up [The OA] for failure”.
The reviews, from the public and critics alike, have ranged from mixed to positive.
The OA draws you in, in a way that can’t be put into words.
When we asked Mamamia Entertainment Editor and host of The Binge Laura Brodnik what it’s all about, she was relatively unhelpful:
“I kinda can’t tell you. It’s almost indescribable. There’s this whole mystery and you want to get the answers. You feel like you’ve been on a TV journey, if that makes sense.”
Sounds like our kind of journey…
The director Brit Marling, who also plays the main character, says the series is loosely based off John Hughes’ movies… that’s right.
The likes of classics The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink. Except with an extra dollop of the supernatural thrown in for good measure.
The final verdict please, Laura?
“It’s not as unique as Stranger Things… but it’s still a really good sci-fi show that’s beautiful to watch.”
So there you go. That’s your Christmas binge sorted.
You can listen to Jess Clark and Laura Brodnik discuss the very best TV shows of 2016 on this week’s full episode of The Binge here: