Tatiana Maslany's Cult Sci-Fi Series On HBO Max Is Worth Revisiting

Even as ads become more and more common on streaming platforms, taking away the few remaining reasons we had to transition from traditional cable in the first place, it's quite rare to get an ad for older titles. It makes sense that a streaming platform would want viewers to know about upcoming movies and shows, not 13-year-old cult TV series.

And yet, that's exactly what HBO Max is doing with its latest addition — and with good reason. HBO Max and Peacock are now the co-exclusive home of the BBC Studios sci-fi series "Orphan Black," which starred Tatiana Maslany, Tatiana Maslany, Tatiana Maslany, and also Tatiana Maslany, alongside many other Tatiana Maslanys.

You see, "Orphan Black" focuses on Sarah Manning (Maslany) who happens to be one of several human clones, all genetically identical. The show follows Sarah as she witnesses the suicide of one of the other clones, and quickly uncovers a vast conspiracy involving her origin and plans to have her and her "sisters" killed.

"Orphan Black" remains one of the best sci-fi shows of all time. It's a character-driven story that's mostly a showcase of Tatiana Maslany's incredible acting talents, but with plenty of plot twists that keep you hooked. Across five seasons, it developed a strong cult following that's kept "Orphan Black" alive all this time.

Nearly a decade since the show ended, it's never a bad time to revisit this wacky, dark, always-fun sci-fi thriller.

The main reason to watch "Orphan Black" is to witness Tatiana Maslany deliver a once-in-a-generation performance as every single clone featured in the show. Each clone has their own personality, accent, and mannerisms. It's truly a testament to Maslany's Emmy-winning performance that it becomes easy to forget there's actually just one actor in scenes with multiple clones interacting. Each character feels like a completely different person.

Without Maslany, the show falls apart, but it's the writing and plotting, in addition to her performance, that makes this such a memorable show. "Orphan Black" starts out with a compelling mystery before evolving into a proper thriller, with the stakes rising every season and more dangers being introduced to the plot. It is a perfect show for fans of the twisty "Manifest."

Still, underneath the many, many twists and turns, "Orphan Black" is above all else a compelling exploration of a group of women coming together when they realize their whole world was based on a lie, and the question of nature versus nurture. The show also features a very diverse cast of people of color and also queer characters, as the story explores bodily agency and integrity, and ethics in science. And the show was a dream come true for board game fans, constantly featuring some of the biggest games of the 2010s prominently for both set dressing and as a way to convey the many plot elements and mysteries.

"Orphan Black" lasted for five seasons, with BBC America canceling the show after its fifth season back in 2017. Still, that wasn't the ending of the show.

Though the series ended on a rather definitive note, a spin-off series titled "Orphan Black: Echoes" premiered in 2023. Curiously, the show took a whole year to reach the U.S., where it debuted on BBC America and AMC. The spin-off took place 37 years after the ending of the original, following a now-adult Kira (daughter of the protagonist of the original series), and starring Krysten Ritter as a woman with amnesia. The spin-off was met with mixed reviews, who praised it for being more than just a clone of "Orphan Black," but noted that it failed to really make an impact like its predecessor. It lasted one season.

There was also a 10-episode audio series titled "Orphan Black: The Next Chapter," which actually continued the story of the main series and starred Tatiana Maslany as all the clones, while also bringing back other original cast members. Lastly, there was even a Japanese remake of the show, titled "Orphan Black – 7 Genes" which aired back in 2017 on Fuji TV.

It's a testament to the enduring popularity of the "Orphan Black" world that it continues to inspire new stories, and that its fans continue to show up even after so many years. If you've never had the pleasure of meeting all the clone sisters, the addition of "Orphan Black" to the HBO Max library is the perfect opportunity to do so.