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Fine Tuning: Orphan is the new Black

Clone class is back in session, but this time there won’t be a test afterwards.
C12-0419- Maslany.jpg
Tatiana Maslany portrays a veritable sisterhood of creepy clones in Orphan Black.

Clone class is back in session, but this time there won’t be a test afterwards.

Orphan Black, the inventive, homegrown sci-fi parable about cloning, scientific conspiracy, mistaken identity and morality, may sound intimidating to the casual, first-time viewer, but it’s not that at all.

Orphan Black returns Saturday with its second season, with Tatiana Maslany’s multiple characters — street-smart Sarah, charismatic Cosima and anxiety-driven Alison among them — all aware the others exist, or if not aware exactly, certainly suspecting.

One of Orphan Black’s overriding themes is identity theft, taken to a whole new level.

What if somebody out there not only stole your identity but was an actual version of you?

By now, the show is well known to its legion of fans, not just because of that recent cover story in Entertainment Weekly under the heading “criminally underrated.” (The show was passed over for Emmy nominations last year, causing much outrage among everyday viewers and television critics.)

Fans of the cult clone thriller and casual viewers alike will be relieved to learn, then, that Orphan Black is a tighter, leaner show in its second season.

It’s not just Maslany’s naturalistic performance in multiple roles, which in lesser hands could have come across as mannered and gimmicky.

For some viewers, the 28-year-old Regina native will be reason alone to watch, but story is what matters most.

Orphan Black scores the most points for its story. The truly wonderful thing about Orphan Black is the way it takes a dense, complicated narrative and touches on social issues — identity theft, privacy rights, parental responsibility, etc. — while never losing sight of the fact that it’s supposed to be entertainment.

Orphan Black preached to the converted in its first season. In its second season, it has become more assured, more confident and more certain of what it wants to be, and where it’s going. It’s quite a ride.

6 p.m. amd 9 p.m., Space

 

Also watch

Now here’s a TV marathon you can sink your teeth into.

The latest season of critter cult phenom Swamp People, about good ol’ Southern boys who wrangle alligators for a living, is aired in its entirety all day, adding whole new meaning to the expression “problem animal.”

When Swamp People debuted back in 2010, it set a ratings record for its U.S. broadcaster, History. The show has been so successful that it spawned a spinoff, dubbed Outback Hunters, a couple years ago.

From 7 a.m., History