When it first hit the streaming platform Netflix in December of 2016, The OA quickly proved to be both a sleeper hit, as well as one of its most polarizing original shows. Centered around the return of Prairie Johnson—a blind woman who went missing seven years prior and returned with the ability to see—Part 1 chronicles her reintegration into family life, while by night, she tells the story of her disappearance and captivity to a group of troubled teenage boys and their school teacher.

Prairie—who now calls herself “The OA”—recounts a fantastical tale of a post-Soviet Russian childhood, adoption by American parents, precognitive dreams, and near-death experiences. Underpinning all of this is an emphasis on the power of storytelling and the human connection it generates, as well as enduring faith despite dire circumstances. The show seamlessly crosses genres, running the gamut between reality, fantasy, and science fiction, yet is very earnest in its portrayal. We are invited into a beautiful world and asked to take her story seriously.

Yet perhaps the most polarizing element of the the show are the Movements, a series of interpretive dances which we are told open a doorway to another dimension. Viewers have described them with every term from “cringeworthy” to “beautiful”. Reactions have spanned everything from laughter to tears, and yet its impact on the fans resonates with them in a very important, personal way. Many are trauma victims, those struggling with addiction, mental illness and depression, or even just viewers longing for a different form of storytelling and depth. Their age range includes everyone from teenagers to older adults.



No matter what anyone’s reaction to the show, its influence is clear–this is a story that appeals to everyone, regardless of age, race, religion, or gender.



Part 1 ended on an uncertain note, raising questions on the validity of Prairie’s story. With its second season boasting an incredibly strong return (it is now Netflix’s #1 most watched original show), we are invited back into the life of OA, this time in a new dimension in which Joe Biden is president of the United States, and Prairie never experienced an NDE as a child that led to her blindness in the first dimension.



One of Part 2′s incredible strengths is perhaps in its pacing. Where Part 1 was a slow-burning tale of mystery, Part 2 is fast-paced, energetic, and pulls no punches, while still bringing viewers deeper into the puzzle. But the greater satisfaction is in the answers of many lingering questions left over from Part 1. We find out why the books were left under her bed, what the FBI agent was doing in her house, and of course it makes up for a lot of the dissatisfaction many viewers felt at the end of Part 1.



Part 2 centers around the arrival of OA in the new dimension, and she is quickly thrust into a life she never knew—that of Nina Azarova, the young Russian heiress she would have been, had she not gotten on the school bus that crashed when she was a child. As a result, she discovers a life that is beautiful and glamorous on the surface, but which holds many dark secrets she is unprepared for. At the same time, private detective Karim Washington is investigating the disappearance of a young girl in an abandoned house that Nina owns. The two quickly join forces to figure out the mystery, while the five she previously spoke to in Crestwood grapple with one of their own.



Incorporating elements of film noir, tech thriller, and horror, The OA delivers a darker and more powerful second season, all while staying true to its roots. Naturally as is par for the course for ambitious creators Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, Part 2 ends with an even more baffling twist than the first—and yet somehow, it makes perfect sense.

If you’ve seen Part 1 and were left with a lukewarm or disappointed reaction, rest assured that Part 2 more than makes up for it. And of course if you haven’t seen the show at all…what are you waiting for? Check out The OA on Netflix now!

