Orphan Black: Season Two

This BBC America original series about a group of women who discover that they are all clones being monitored in an ongoing study became a TV sensation—not least because of the fact that a single actress (Tatiana Maslany) plays all of the duplicates, often acting against herself through the magic of digital trickery. Maslany delivers an impressive collection of performances, as each character sports a distinct personality and the evolution of their relationships to one another is a defining part of the show. The second season opens with Sarah (the streetwise orphan) searching for her kidnapped daughter, and Cosima (the scientist) working with the shadowy group run by Rachel (the cold, manipulative one) to find a cure for an illness that is beginning to appear in the clones. Maslany also plays an alcoholic suburban mom and a crazy assassin who's gradually learning to trust her clone sisters. Additional complications include a survivalist religious cult that wants to give birth to more clone offspring, and a former boyfriend, Cal (Michiel Huisman), who helps Sarah hide out from researchers. The plotting can be somewhat gimmicky, but the vivid characters—not just Maslany's but also Sarah's devoted foster brother, Felix (Jordan Gavaris), and shadowy foster mother, Mrs. S (Maria Doyle Kennedy)—have rightfully made this a cult favorite. Compiling all 10 episodes from 2014, extras include a “Cloneversation” interview with Wil Wheaton, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and deleted scenes. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)