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Young Writers Society


The OA



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745 Reviews

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Gender: Male
Points: 1626
Reviews: 745
Fri Feb 10, 2017 9:40 pm
Lumi says...



Today, we're gonna sit around the couch and yap about my most recent favorite writers: Brit Marling and Zal Batmangilj, and more importantly, the fruit of their cowriting and almost techno-spiritual muse: The OA.

This discussion will contain spoilers beyond this paragraph. If you wish to go into The OA with a completely fresh mind, thank you for coming by, but please click away now. <3

With that warning out of the way, I think a good place to start is the aspect of unreliable narration, and how effectively Marling and Batmangilj execute this without ripping their plot apart at the same time. There's a form of integrity to be admired, I believe, in the literary references littered through OA's story--even as a child in Russia. The conversation on the bus gave us a massive foreshadow onto events peppered throughout the story. One could argue that the strongest literary reference--or that which is most on the nose--is Homer wanting to return to his son and (not) wife, a straight line to Odysseus. But that's still a disconnect, isn't it? An unreliability?

A review credited Marling's style of storytelling unreliably as her innate talent that's really watermarked her career, and I have to agree that it's a defining characteristic, but I wouldn't say that's what makes The OA The OA.

I mean, obviously it's the paranormal sci-fi intersection, right? If I'm totally honest, I couldn't bring myself to hold a villain-grudge against Hap because he was doing such remarkable work. Yes, his methods were vile and inhumane, but knowing that it was fiction, I was completely enthralled in his fascination. I can't remember the last time that's happened to me in a viewing experience, especially with the narration being so entirely biased.

I really hope this one gets bites.
I am a forest fire and an ocean, and I will burn you just as much
as I will drown everything you have inside.
-Shinji Moon


I am the property of Rydia, please return me to her ship.
  





User avatar
745 Reviews

Supporter


Gender: Male
Points: 1626
Reviews: 745
Wed Feb 15, 2017 7:53 pm
Lumi says...



I juuuuust found out that it's greenlit for season 2. I'm unsure how I feel about this because I want it to be able to be self-contained in all that it is, but I also relish the chance to see the continuation of the story (less so if they cheese the interdimensional amnesia.)
I am a forest fire and an ocean, and I will burn you just as much
as I will drown everything you have inside.
-Shinji Moon


I am the property of Rydia, please return me to her ship.
  








There has never been a sadness not cured by breakfast food.
— Ron, Parks & Rec