Review: Orphan Black: Season One DVD

*This is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine.

BBC America's critically acclaimed sci-fi thriller Orphan Black: Season One arrives on DVD and Blu-Ray on Tuesday July 16th, 2013 starring Tatiana Maslany ("Ghost" in Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed), who recently won a Critic's Choice Television Award.

Tatiana Maslany plays Sarah Manning, a young woman who grew up as an orphan and is now a con artist/thief. She's in shock when she witnesses the suicide of her look-alike Detective Elizabeth "Beth" Childs, whom just happens to leave her purse containing her identification. Being a con artist, Sarah takes over Beth's identity, mostly to clear out Beth's bank accounts before the authorities learn of her death; plus, Sarah is trying to runaway from ex-boyfriend. She hopes the money is enough for her to start a new life with her seven-year-old daughter, Kira.

The longer Sarah stays as Beth, the more dangerous her life becomes as she learns there are more look-alikes, a housewife, a science nerd, and a crazy assassin. Allied with her foster brother, Felix, and two of her chameleons, Sarah is determined to figure out what is going on and who she really is.

Orphan Black, Season 1, Episode 1, Sarah (Tatiana Maslany)

Episodes on the 3-disc DVD are:

Disc 1:

Orphan Black, Season 1, Episode 6, Cosima (Tatiana Maslany)

Natural Selection
Instinct
Variation Under Nature
Effects of External Conditions

Disc 2:

Conditions of Existence
Variations Under Domestication
Parts Developed in an Unusual Manner
Entangled Bank

Disc 3:

Unconscious Selection
Endless Forms Most Beautiful

Special Features:

Interview with Tatiana and Set Tour from "The Nerdist"
Send in the Clones
Insider Vignettes

I don't get BBC America in my area, but I saw the series advertise on a recent Doctor Who DVD release and it looked intriguing. BBC Home Entertainment nicely sent me a free copy in exchange for my honest review. I didn't know what to expect from the series, but I was hooked by the end of the first episode. Tatiana Maslany does a wonderful job playing multiple characters, though my favorite is the housewife (aka soccer mom) Alison Hendrix. Despite having a science fiction plot, the series is more of a thriller, similar in style to the X-Files or even Torchwood. The supporting cast is great, especially Matt Fewer as the so-called villain. For me, the episodes were more likes chapters in a good book as it kept getting better and better. The bad news is it ended in a cliffhanger, but the second season will air in the spring of 2014! Overall, I loved watching each intense episode of Orphan Black: Season One and I recommend it to everyone!