Round Two: The OA

The OA: Season 1, Episode 2 “New Colossus” (B)

There was an important clarification at the start of this episode that changes my perception of this show for the better. Prairie as a young Russian girl didn’t die and then come back to life in some supernatural way, but rather she had a near-death experience during which she died and then woke back up. That’s far more credible to me, and though the renewed gift of her sight is still a mystery, this show isn’t about reincarnation. Instead, we got a straight narrative of just what happened to her as she was sent to an American boarding school for the blind so that no one would know that she had survived the crash. Getting taken in by her aunt in a situation that didn’t represent luxury or even a moderate sense of decency, and therefore it made total sense that she would be adopted by the kindly couple who came planning to pick up a baby. Having night terrors of a different sort where she thought she was communicating with her father was an interesting development, and her story of what happened doesn’t contradict what we know to be true, which is a positive. As the people she picked to help her create the séance of sorts where she is recalling everything are bonding, we got a whole lot of information about what happened with her great quote – “I thought that casting a beautiful net would only attract beautiful things.” Of course Jason Isaacs, the fantastic actor who I liked most in “Brotherhood,” would be the villainous abductor who at first seemed like an extremely intoxicating and caring individual ready to help Prairie fully experience the world. The way that she was invited to call her parents and then escorted down to the basement and her cage was extremely well-conveyed, and I’ll admit that, even though I didn’t expect to be, I’m intrigued to see what happens next.