\u2018Wow, wow. Welcome to the trip, man.\u2019 It\u2019s an apt declaration early on in one of the trippiest TV shows of all time, Orphan Black, helmed by the inimitable Tatiana Maslany.<\/p>\n
When we talk about the greats of TV acting, some obvious performances spring to mind. Perhaps Bryan Cranston during his spectacular run on Breaking Bad or Ken Leung\u2019s haunting performance in Industry.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Fleabag, which has become a TV classic, or Michaela Coel in I May Destroy You, which has been hailed as the gold standard for limited series.<\/p>\n
Although Tatiana\u2019s name does often get mentioned in this cohort, it\u2019s worth reminding people given just what a feat she pulled off.<\/p>\n
The sci-fi series, which started in 2013, came to a dramatic conclusion in August 2017, after five seasons and 50 episodes of nail-biting action, heart-pounding plot twists and shocking revelations.<\/p>\n
I first remember watching the show when I was 16, already a few seasons into airing, and I was immediately captured by the pacey pilot episode that thrust us straight into the action.<\/p>\n
The opening sequence packs a mean punch as our spiralling protagonist Sarah Manning (played by Tatiana) watches her doppelganger (also played by Tatiana, you may be noticing a theme) jump in front of a train and kill herself\u2026 before stealing her identity.<\/p>\n
From there, it\u2019s full steam ahead with a plot that doesn\u2019t relent as Sarah is swept into a deadly world she had no clue about and discovers she is one of several clones who are being killed one by one.<\/p>\n
Despite being identical (and of course, all played by Tatiana), each clone has their own unique, wonderfully fleshed and vastly different personality. In fact, Sarah\u2019s adopted brother Fe (Jordan Gavaris) neatly lays it out when we meet our first ones (who are still alive).<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve got fan-favourite Cosima (played by Tatiana) as the \u2018dreadlock science geek\u2019, and uptight Alison as the stereotypical \u2018soccer mum\u2019.<\/p>\n
Then, of course, there are our antagonists, first Helena (played by, you guessed it, Tatiana), who takes us on a heartwarming redemption arc, followed by the far more cold and clinical Rachel (say it with me, played by Tatiana), who shows no mercy.<\/p>\n
What makes the 40-year-old\u2019s performance all the more awe-inspiring is that, on many occasions, she is one clone pretending to be another, meaning she has to convince us she\u2019s playing two characters at once \u2013 and often she does it with ease.<\/p>\n
In the first season alone we see Sarah pretending to be Beth as she attempts to slip into the cop persona, or Alison pretending to be Sarah and failing to trick the latter\u2019s daughter Kira. Or the time Cosima attempted to slip into Alison\u2019s skin.<\/p>\n
Such is Tatiana\u2019s magic that you manage to completely forget these characters are all played by the same actor.<\/p>\n
Nine years on from the show \u2013 for which she was nominated for three Emmys and deservedly won one \u2013 Tatiana continues to prove she\u2019s a master at what she does.<\/p>\n