Links to every Metawitches post on Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij’s amazing series, in order, so y’all can skip the tag. Fingers crossed that someday there will be new material in The OA universe and I can add to this post. #SaveTheOA
Season 1
The OA Season 1 Episode 1: Homecoming Recap – A young blind woman returns home after 7 years in captivity with her sight restored. She seems changed in indefinable, mysterious ways and is at first unable to talk about her ordeal. Slowly, she makes connections with others in her troubled midwestern community and reveals her extraordinary story.
The OA Season 1 Episode 2: New Colossus Recap – Prairie continues to tell the story of her tragic childhood in Russia and adoption in America, through her kidnapping when, as a young woman searching for her biological father, she trusted the wrong person. Prairie’s parents have a difficult time coping with her eccentricities. Her new friends get to know each other better.
The OA Season 1 Episode 3: Champion Recap – As Nancy and Abel’s anxiety about Prairie’s mental health grows, they meet a writer who wants to tell her story. During her late night meetings, Prairie describes the conditions of her captivity and her fellow captives, including their leader, Homer, who she became close to within a short time. Hap allows Prairie to act as his servant in the main part of the house, underestimating her ability to spy on him and plot with the others, despite her blindness.
The OA Season 1 Episode 4: Away Recap – Prairie has another near death experience and makes a deal. She regains access to her sight. Hap recaptures her, but she returns to captivity with new knowledge she shares with the other captives. The captives and Prairie’s current group all grow closer and draw strength from each other.
The OA Season 1 Episode 5: Paradise Recap – Hap forces Homer to help kidnap another captive for his experiments, betraying Prairie’s trust. Later, Hap takes things too far with Scott, but it turns out someone is watching over the captives, besides Hap’s 24/7 surveillance. Prairie reveals her ultimate goals. Alfonso’s complicated life gets even more complicated.
The OA Season 1 Episode 6: Forking Paths Recap – Hap loses his detachment and becomes obsessed with the movements. We’re shown a flashback from his past, from his perspective, when he visited a mentor who did the same type of experiments. Prairie tells her present day group more details about how the movements work. Buck sneaks out of the house.
The OA Season 1 Episode 7: Empire of Light Recap – Prairie works with her counselor to interpret a dream, then she and her parents struggle to process their difficult past together. Alfonso shares his insights on coping with a dysfunctional family. Betty intervenes between Steve and his parents.
The OA Season 1 Episode 8: Invisible Self Recap – As Prairie reveals how she escaped from captivity, her late night meetings are discovered and her sanity is questioned even further.
The OA Season 1 Analysis and Speculation – A deeper look at Part 1’s layers, twists and turns, outrageously complex characters and exploration of the human mind.
Season 2
The OA Part 2: Spoiler-Free Review – Part 2 extends the concepts introduced in the first part, turning dichotomies into continuums and movements into quests.
The OA Part 2 Episode 1: Angel of Death Recap – Private Investigator Karim Washington takes on a missing person case. His search for Michelle Vu leads him to an unusual abandoned mansion where he learns she was playing a game for pay. A community has developed around this game, which is run by tech entrepreneur Pierre Ruskin. Pierre is engaged to Nina Azarova, Prairie Johnson’s original Russian name. Eventually, we pick up Prairie’s story- she’s still in the ambulance where we left her 2 years ago, but a reality change is imminent.
The OA Part 2 Episode 2: Treasure Island Recap – Nina/Prairie finds Hap and the captives in their new reality- a mental institution in San Francisco run by Hap. Karim investigates Ruskin’s dream research and speaks to Dr Rhodes, one of Ruskin’s top employees.
The OA Part 2 Episode 3: Magic Mirror Recap – Back in the Part 1 dimension, Betty and the boys grieve The OA and begin an epic road trip. They receive signs and portents from another traveler.
The OA Part 2 Episode 4: SYZYGY Recap – Karim and The OA meet and have adventures that involve a giant telepathic octopus and the word syzygy. It’s a crime that this show was canceled.
The OA Part 2 Episode 5: The Medium & The Engineer Recap – Karim and The OA take a magical mystery tour of the haunted mansion. Homer has a dream of his own.
The OA Part 2 Episode 6: Mirror Mirror Recap – BBA and the kids continue their road trip, winding up in Oregon at Betty’s sister’s house, where her uncle is dying.
The OA Part 2 Episode 7: Nina Azarova Recap – The OA and Karim try to reconcile reality with what they experienced overnight in the mystical mansion.
The OA Part 2 Episode 8: Overview Recap – The OA and Nina come to terms with each other, then confront Hap. Homer and Dr Roberts do the work. BBA and the kids arrive at Treasure Island with the hope of supporting The OA. Karim has another go at the puzzle house.
Images courtesy of Netflix.
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