started off strong, left me kinda unsatisfied at the end.
The first season of "The OA" started out interesting and then just kind of dragged from there. Had to force myself to stay engaged, and by episode eight I was "hate" watching to see how it ended. Too many contrived parts, too much sitting around telling stories, and that ending in the cafeteria? I laughed out loud. I think at one point our shouted "I will enchant you with DANCE!" Hoping the second season is better and answers a LOT of questions, but I'm not holding my breath...as a writer, I know it's easy to come up with interesting scenarios. It's much harder to create satisfying endings (see Game of Thrones). And the whole "leaving it open to the viewers interpretation" is a cop-out. And a recent phenomena...
This show from beginning to end, was not what it appeared. I continue to give Brit Marling mad props for the writing of this story, because while the episodes didn't follow an ordinary format, but a specific arc in the story, the eight episodes felt like long low budget independent film, that managed to beautifully mash several genres together.
Some of the critics have been unnecessarily harsh in its dismissal of many of it's themes as merely 'new-agish', but I found the storytelling to be consistent throughout the entire clutch (I really dislike calling it a 'season' when it streams on Netflix or is a whole season available for watching via another service) of episodes.
As I have previously noted, this is the kind of story that could only have been facilitated by a streaming service, because it mostly abandons traditional television storytelling, and it works.
As for the characters, I was proud like I did something in the last ten minutes of the episode, with a little eye water to boot. The disparate threads of this story came together beautifully, and the acting was consistent in the last few episodes.
It is well worth a binge watch, but I am glad I dragged it out a bit. Highly recommended.
Will there be a second season? It seems almost certain. God help us, we wait long periods between them on Netflix, which appears to have a much longer release cycle than regular network television. However, the quality of the recent productions proves they tend to be worth the wait. I only had an inkling about this one, but it turned out to be well worth the weirdness of the pre-release pump.
Became over long and too drawn out. Gave season 2 a miss.
After finishing "blood" series season 1, i am here. I watch series season by season. After finishing season 1 of OA, i will move to another series.
I chose this series because i need mystery and science-fiction. And it seems episodes are long.
I hope i can enjoy.
I will copy this to also episode 1 review.
ADD ON AFTER EPISODE 2
Getting interesting.
I got the some answers to my questions from first episode.
- How she came to usa.
- If she had visions.
But still dont know why needed those 5 is mystery. We will lear i think.
She said to 5 people to close their eyes and to imagine but they all listened eyes are open after a point. Did i miss something?
Nancy was so nice. Instead of the baby, she chose her to make their child. But they drugged her for years. It is so sad.
She is an adult. Why did she let her family limit her in current time? Not to make them anymore maybe?
She believed to that doctor and left. It is similar to her dreams, locked with water. So cruel
ADD ON AFTER EPISODE 5
Could not like so much
I dont understand why people liked so much.
Why could not he still understand she was not blind anymore, if there was camera. It is not so realistic.
Now there is a team students-teacher. They sit together. interesting. Because of stories, they are united.
At first she was saying "flexible" but then she did not insist about it.
It is good there is transgender person as i understood.
Alfonso's mother is so antipathic.
Seeing cuba and cultural things were nice. Homer could escape. If he escaped, could hap kill others? no. It was nonsense. Instead he brought another prisoner.
Homer and oa could open that portal alone. So, 2 people are enough? And how does oa know about those movements? And why could not he come back alone just how others do? And maybe he did before?
There was no gas so scott could easily escape.
I cant understand such things. That is why i cant like and maybe because i dont like stuff like angels.
ADD ON AFTER EPISODE 6
Other episodes were longer than 55 minutes but this is not.
We learned now two movements were healing ones. That is why scott was healed.
And for days, their families never saw the doors were opened. Now michele's father saw and closed the door. And probably something will happen. Or it was for nothing. I dont know.
In the endings, some rings were shown and the voice (probably saturn's) was given. It takes 2-3 minutes after last scene. I did not see such endings in other series.
ADD ON 10321 AFTER EPISODE 7
For weeks that house was not used by dealers.
Where did they go suddenly? What happened? How can they stop them coming? So much things were not said like that.
And the door was closed in previous episodes. What happened there? They did not show about it also. They dont tell so much things from the beginning, so i give 5/10 for this episode.
I had good feelings towards nancy but she ruined.
In the restaurant alfonso holded her hand and dragged like a child. It was not good scene
I cant understand why those people beat steve if they work for school. How could they do and then could leave him? He is 17 and can be risky to stay with him.
ADD ON 10321 AFTER FINALE
Really weird. They could take gun. But did not try.
They chose not to help and they could help later after hap arrested. It is nonsense. "If we dont help, we are not what we are saying." So can you help other millions of sick people? You could help after hap was arrested. That is why sheriff and wife died. So much nonsense.
How does one bullet killed both. I could not get it.
Why did hap risk by letting her free and alive? She will save them probably.
Some touching scenes to the end of the episode. Memory of allison wilke, who died of breast cancer.
They put so much things into final. The gang splitted, then came together. They stopped believeing in her but then they started again. Why?
Too much things, that is why 4/10 for me.
And who was that attacker and why did the attacker watch them while they were doing those movements? That cafeteria worker attacked and saved them but they still continued to do it. Why could not they heal there?
Before they had stopped believing in oa but then suddenly they started to believe. It is meaningless.
And now oa seems near homer. Maybe with others. Even maybe hap. I dont know how she will bring back.
Still could not get answers to questions. Season ended.
They did 5 movements in the end. 5 people and oa. But hap has only 4 people. I cant get it :) probably in next seasons we will see it. How hap forced them to do it.
Now, season review.
SEASON REVIEW
I am not used to those of kind shows. It is some like david lynch, maybe twin peaks series. But probably worst series i have watched recently until now. I dont say it is all bad. I only watched one season and first episodes were nice. Russia scenes and her father was wonderful. But they showed lots of things then stopped it.
There could be maybe an intimacy between the teacher and the kid but they did not show. Steve's crush was not shown after. Open doors for example.
Those things can be normal because some series are like that. They dont have to clearify but what i did not like is mostly about the non-sense things i wrote before. Such as they did not try to kill hap.
Anyways, it was different experience. Seeing jupiter, those voices.
Maybe it was all made up by her. Despite some evidences like instrument video of her.
At first she wanted her father then she rejected and now wanted homer.
In the end the gang thought it happened. It is mystery how they understood looking at wind and sky.
I watch series season by season. So now i will move to another series. Probably wont come for a long time for this series. I did not like so much. Despite i wonder what will happen. And also guess some.
It was just beautiful, indeed.
Shout by DeletedBlockedParent2017-02-01T23:11:53Z
After I finished watching the first episode, my mind was blown.
This show it's a great piece of art. The director does such an amazing job and the story is new. I haven't watched anything like it. Congrats to the main actress and the director, what a great creation!