Netflix’s ‘The OA’ flips conventional storytelling on its head

What is “The OA?” It’s a question you’re probably asking yourself and, honestly, after getting through the first few episodes of Netflix’s new series, we’ve found ourselves wondering the same thing. Everything from the uniquely layered plot to the way Netflix promoted the series exists in an air of mystery. And, from what we gather so far, that is all by design.

On the surface, the Brit Marling series — she’s not only the star but the co-creator of the program, as well — is the story of a missing blind girl who turns up in town after being missing for seven years, only to find that her sight has been restored. But that one detail just barely scratches the surface to a tale that is equally about a woman’s journey of self-discovery, and multi-dimensional exploration of some very very deep concepts. Near death experience, anyone?

The subject matter that transpires on screen, in all its layers and multiple trajectories, is only one of the intriguing details that make the series worthwhile. And while the story, and its characters, are important components here, another element that sets “The OA” apart from pretty much anything else on television right now is its play on storytelling itself.

The narratives here don’t simply carry a plot from Point A to Point B. Instead, much like the unpredictability of the turns that Prairie is faced with throughout her life, perspectives with regards to how the tale is told also change. From the common TV narrative to flashbacks to computer video to first-person narration, it’s all here. Heck, we don’t even get an opening credits sequence until Episode 1 is almost finished with its story. This all sounds like a recipe for disaster, but like an abstract work of art, “The OA” makes it all work.

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One of the many devices that help to firmly connect the audience to her story is the simple act of storytelling. Recruiting a group to hear the story of her life, while prepping them for a mysterious mission, also helps to add emotional weight to her own experiences — both good and bad. And while her mission to find her father is a consistent through-line throughout, there are disturbing elements at play here as well. At times, “The OA” finds itself crawling into horror movie territory. At others, it’s a small town indie-film about identity and acceptance.

There’s a scene that plays out in Episode 2, titled “New Colossus,” which shows one very important moment from Prairie’s childhood where her adopted mother-to-be discovers a Russian nesting doll. Seemingly mesmerized by the simple joy of finding a new doll inside each smaller discovery is the perfect metaphor for the methods in which “The OA” story unfolds. It could be said that Praire is a symbolic nesting doll, with new mysteries and secrets unfolding in each episode. And they’re done so in the most strangely beautiful, and organic way possible.

While “The OA” is full of mystery and different methods of storytelling, we want to make sure you understand that it exists in a category all its own. Yes, the notion of narrative play is a big one here but “Westworld,” this show definitely is not. There’s an empathetic warmth here that is almost tactile, yet just out of reach. In a way, the Netflix series exists more on the plane of “Dr. Strange,” than HBO’s cerebral robot western.

If anything, 2016 has been a year chock full of television goodies and, as the year comes to an end, Netflix has given us a unique, genre-bending gift. We may not have been expecting it, but, truth be told, we’re so glad it’s here.

“The OA” Season 1 is streaming now on Netflix.

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