Hey, everyone! How’s it going? Today I’m here to review the drama The OA, which brought one of the most ambitious, polarizing, and utterly unique supernatural mysteries ever created to Netflix with all the interdimensional travel, mystical movements, and mind-bending storytelling you could want from a sci-fi series.
The OA debuted on Netflix on December 16, 2016, delivering 16 episodes across two seasons with an average runtime of 60 minutes each. Created and executive-produced by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, this science fiction mystery series ran until August 5, 2019, when Netflix canceled the show despite passionate fan campaigns for renewal. The series stars Brit Marling as Prairie Johnson, a young woman who returns home after being missing for seven years, now calling herself “the OA” and claiming to have supernatural abilities including restored sight after being born blind.
Set between suburban Michigan and otherworldly dimensions, The OA defies easy categorization as it weaves together elements of science fiction, fantasy, mysticism, and psychological drama. The series doesn’t provide simple answers or conventional storytelling, instead challenging viewers to embrace ambiguity and question the nature of reality, death, and human connection.
Prairie’s Mysterious Return: The Woman Who Calls Herself OA
Brit Marling delivers a captivating performance as Prairie Johnson, who vanishes as a blind young woman and returns seven years later with her sight restored and claiming to be “the Original Angel.” Prairie’s character arc drives the entire series as she recruits five strangers to help her on a mission to save other captives from another dimension. Her story unfolds through flashbacks that reveal her time in captivity with Dr. Hap, a scientist studying near-death experiences.
Throughout both seasons, Prairie’s journey becomes increasingly complex as the series explores themes of trauma, faith, and the power of storytelling itself. Marling brings both vulnerability and otherworldly presence to a character who might be a prophet, a survivor of psychological manipulation, or something even more mysterious.
The Five: Unlikely Heroes in Suburban Michigan
The series creates compelling supporting characters through the five people Prairie recruits: Steve, Jesse, BBA, French, and Buck. Each character represents different struggles with identity, belonging, and purpose in modern suburban life. Their willingness to believe in Prairie’s seemingly impossible story creates the emotional core of the series, showing how people desperate for meaning will embrace extraordinary possibilities.
These characters’ individual storylines explore themes of teen angst, gender identity, loneliness, and the search for connection in an increasingly disconnected world. Their group dynamic becomes a study in how shared belief can create profound bonds between unlikely people.
The Movements: When Dance Becomes Interdimensional Magic
The series builds to its most controversial and memorable element: the five movements, a series of interpretive dance-like gestures that supposedly open doorways between dimensions. This storyline divides audiences between those who find it transcendent and those who find it ridiculous, but it represents The OA’s commitment to exploring unconventional forms of storytelling and spiritual expression.
The movements become central to the show’s exploration of faith, collective action, and the power of ritual to transform both individuals and groups. Whether they’re real magic or shared delusion becomes less important than their ability to bring people together in common purpose.
Dr. Hap’s Experiments: Science Meets the Supernatural
Jason Isaacs delivers a chilling performance as Dr. Hap, the scientist who held Prairie and others captive while studying their near-death experiences. His character represents the dark side of scientific inquiry, where the pursuit of knowledge justifies terrible actions. Hap’s storyline explores themes of exploitation, obsession, and the ethical boundaries of research.
The captivity storyline provides the series’ most disturbing elements while also advancing its central mystery about the nature of consciousness, death, and what might exist beyond our current understanding of reality.
Success and Cancellation on Netflix
The OA earned passionate critical and fan response, though it remained divisive throughout its run. The series was canceled by Netflix on August 5, 2019, after two seasons, despite devoted fan campaigns including flash mobs performing the movements in public spaces. The show’s unique approach to storytelling and willingness to embrace the genuinely weird made it a cult favorite, though its experimental nature may have limited its mainstream appeal.
Essential Viewing for Adventurous Audiences
If you love experimental television, metaphysical mysteries, stories that challenge conventional narrative structures, and series that aren’t afraid to be genuinely strange, The OA is the perfect series to binge on Netflix. The show proves that television can be genuinely avant-garde while still creating compelling characters and emotional investment.
Why The OA Remains Unforgettably Unique
The OA stands as one of the most daring and original series in recent television history, offering viewers an experience unlike anything else in the medium. With Brit Marling’s fearless performance and the series’ commitment to exploring genuinely unconventional ideas about consciousness and connection, the show created something that continues to inspire discussion and analysis years after its cancellation.
Series Details
Number of Episodes: 16 episodes across 2 seasons (canceled after second season)
Platform: Netflix
Release/End Year: 2016-2019
Current IMDb Rating: 7.8
Genre: Science Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Drama
Status: Canceled after two seasons
Protagonists: Brit Marling (Prairie Johnson/The OA), Jason Isaacs (Dr. Hap)
Key Supporting Cast: Emory Cohen (Homer), Scott Wilson (Abel Johnson), Phyllis Smith (BBA), Patrick Gibson (Steve)