Netflix’s Surprise Supernatural Series ‘The OA’ Is A Viewing Gamble

On a surface level, The OA should be must-watch TV. Created and executive produced by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, the mystery series plays with the weird and supernatural, a balance the creative duo experiment with well. Netflix’s new miniseries is also packed with impressive names, such as Marling herself, Riz Ahmed (The Night Of), Emory Cohen (Brooklyn), Phyllis Smith (The Office), and Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter) and was backed by the producing power of Brad Pitt and Plan B (Selma, The Big Short). But should you add the new series to your queue? That all depends on your tolerance for ambiguity and supernatural oddity.

Discussing any aspect of The OA’s plot runs the risk of diving into spoiler territory, so here it goes: The supernatural mystery follows a woman named Prairie Johnson (Marling), a blind woman who goes missing and returns home seven years later. However, after she returns, she can now see. This is hardly the most shocking element of this odd series, which involves goddesses, Russian businessmen in the ‘80s, obnoxious teenage boys, and stylized dance “movements.” Really, I’ve barely made it past the series’ first episode.

Saying that reactions to the series have been mixed would be a gross understatement to the chasm that separates opinions on this show. Many viewers on social media and several critics have praised the mystery, comparing it to another Stranger Things. In her review of the series, not only did Vulture’s Jen Charney compare certain moments of the series to arguably the best drama of all time, Breaking Bad, but she also regretted not including The OA as an honorable mention on her best shows of 2016 list. On the other hand, the New York Times’ James Poniewozik had this to say in his review: “Netflix describes The OA as ‘a Russian nesting doll of a story.’ I’d call it a beautifully painted eggshell, and I can’t recommend spending the seven-plus hours it takes to crack it and get to the hollow center.”

However, I feel that Vox’s Todd VanDerWerff’s review sums up this bizarre series best: “The important thing is that The OA defies description. To talk about it is to rob it of some of its weirdo power. I can’t precisely tell you if I liked or hated this show. I don’t even know. I liked some of it. I hated some of it. But I enjoyed watching it because I couldn’t believe it was a real television program.” So yeah. If nothing else, The OA promises to deliver a strong emotional reaction.

Whether or not you should binge the series depends entirely on your tolerance for ambiguous TV puzzles. Do you enjoy the moments in Mr. Robot when you were unsure whether Elliot, Mr. Robot, or some other unknown alter did something unspeakable? Did you enjoy the hours Westworld spent teasing there were multiple timelines without admitting to the concept? Did the nuances of Meyerism engage you while you were watching Hulu’s The Path? Cool. Ambiguity can be a lot of fun! If televised uncertainty appeals to you, The OA in all of its unapologetic oddness is likely a must binge. However, if you hate not having concrete stepping stones in your mysteries, you’ll likely be frustrated.

The OA requires you as a viewer to trust the series and its protagonist completely — a tall order during a television age that’s dominated by snarky, cynical, and far too self-aware anti-heroes. However, if you’re able to set aside your inevitable moments of second-hand embarrassment and embrace the insanity of this series, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy it. It’s a hard ask, but one that can be rewarding.

(Spoilers ahead!) For example, one of the major revelations of the series is that a select group of people have superpowers, which they have achieved by confronting death several times. The only way for them to access these superpowers is for them to execute a specific set of “movements” during crucial moments. It’s a concept that’s really cool on paper — confronting death itself has the ability to give you control over life. But the series’ execution suffers from The Last Airbender effect. Though stylized moves that controls the world looks awesome in animation, it has the potential to look insane in real life. This backfires often in The OA, making it look like characters are breaking out into mid 2000s era flash mobs in the face of crisis. These are the silly moments that constantly threaten the show, but if you are willing to completely believe in the series and its protagonist, they can be overlooked.

The OA likely is and will be a lot of things to a lot of people — weird, moving, beautiful, dumb, ridiculous, haunting — but above all else, this is a series that’s unapologetically itself. Marling and Batmanglij’s show never pulls back, instead embracing each and every odd choice it makes. And yet, buried underneath the show’s insanity and often writerly dialogue, there’s something special. It’s clear that The OA is saying something dark, deep, and powerful about death, but what that statement is remains unclear. After the show’s 70-minute first episode, you should know if The OA is a binge that’s worth your time. My advice? Watch the pilot, analyze your opinions on how seriously you can take flash mobs, then decide whether or not you can go on. This isn’t a series for everyone, but for the people who love it, it’s an other-worldly gem.

Stream The OA on Netflix