• Welcome to OGBoards 10.0, keep in mind that we will be making LOTS of changes to smooth out the experience here and make it as close as possible functionally to the old software, but feel free to drop suggestions or requests in the Tech Support subforum!

The OA *Spoilers Allowed*

I origins and Another Earth are Mike Cahill-Brit Marling collaborations. Batmanglij did Sound of My Voice and The East, with the latter being the best of the bunch IMO.

Main problem with the ending, which is a recurring problem with a lot of the Marling collabos (Cahill, Zal, and Marling are friends from Georgetown), is the blatant disregard for contrivance in order to enhance to story. Like why did Marling have all those books under her bed to make it appear that she was lying, when in fact the ending makes it clear it doesn't want you to think she's lying. Like that exact collection of books is just a massively contrived red herring. Also, I couldn't get over the goofiness/off-kilter tone of the last scene, and like why would that training help in that situation. Or like why did Marling have to run to the school to stand outside and get shot? What help was she in that situation?
 
Fuck Your Couch said:
Like why did Marling have all those books under her bed to make it appear that she was lying, when in fact the ending makes it clear it doesn't want you to think she's lying. Like that exact collection of books is just a massively contrived red herring.
Click to expand...

While I tend to agree, one 'explanation' I've seen offered makes a connection to the perhaps-also-contrived run-in with the FBI counselor (Riz Ahmed's character) - why was he in the house, and as an FBI guy who - I think - knew that she was recruiting help, couldn't he have planted those books there to throw off her followers (they were, after all, together in an Amazon box and largely looked untouched when French flipped through them)?
 
Put me in the camp that loved the intrigue of episode 1, but it lost me on the Tai Chi mysticism and awkward ending elements already mentioned in this thread.
 
I was kinda into this for the first 2, maybe 3 episodes. Eventually was about to dro out but I thought "might as well finish it to see what all the fuss is about with the ending" even though I completely lost interest in the series otherwise.
 
I liked the show but I think it suffered from some bad writing.

They never really explained why the OA jumped off a bridge at the beginning. Was she trying to trigger an NDE? I assume it happened after Hap let her go. Was it a legit suicide attempt?

They didn't do a good job on the school shooting incident. It came out of nowhere. They should have sold that better.

I do think the shooter reacted appropriately to what happened though. 5 people stand up and start doing this weird ass dance and he just stands there. That's kind of what I'd do in that situation too.

And what was the purpose of the dance in that situation? It supposedly heals / revives / opens a door to another dimension but what good does any of that do in that situation?

Why did the OA insist on everyone that came to the house leave their front doors open? That didn't really serve any purpose. I thought it would factor in after Michelle's dad closed the door but it wasn't really mentioned again.

I was a bit disappointed Hap didn't get his comeuppance but I understand why.

I'll be curious to see if this gets a second season.
 
I liked the show but I think it suffered from some bad writing.

They never really explained why the OA jumped off a bridge at the beginning. Was she trying to trigger an NDE? I assume it happened after Hap let her go. Was it a legit suicide attempt?

I think she was trying to trigger an NDE. When she wakes up, she asks repeatedly if she flat lined.

They didn't do a good job on the school shooting incident. It came out of nowhere. They should have sold that better.
This is my biggest gripe of the entire show.

I do think the shooter reacted appropriately to what happened though. 5 people stand up and start doing this weird ass dance and he just stands there. That's kind of what I'd do in that situation too.

And what was the purpose of the dance in that situation? It supposedly heals / revives / opens a door to another dimension but what good does any of that do in that situation?

I'm a little confused, as OA was I think, by exactly how the alternate dimension worked. Initially, they set it up like a time traveling deal, but by the end, I think it just kind of bent the timeline they were in. Instead of the "river of time" flowing in the direction of a kid shooting everyone, they were able to "steer the river" into a better direction.

Why did the OA insist on everyone that came to the house leave their front doors open? That didn't really serve any purpose. I thought it would factor in after Michelle's dad closed the door but it wasn't really mentioned again.

I never understood this either. Seems as though it was just a glaring omission by the writers.

I was a bit disappointed Hap didn't get his comeuppance but I understand why.

I'll be curious to see if this gets a second season.
 
Last edited:
Holy fucking shit this show is terrible....it draaaaaaagggggssssss onnnnnnnnnn foooooorrrrrrreeeeeevvvvveeeerrrr.

Granted I'm only thru 3 episodes but this shit is boring as fuck....why do they need to go to an abandoned house so some girl can tell a fucking story of telling other stories.....there's no goddamned content.

Does it get any better?
 
The answer is nope....fails miserably.

Tries way too hard, (like most Marling pieces) to reach that "a-ha" mysticism, another world, everything's connected stuff and never really succeeds.

And it's hard to nail down the timeline, if there even was one. She was taken after she ran away from adoptive parents to find her dad....plays in the subway, hap hears her, tricks her into going to his dungeon, the experiements happen (like 4 episodes into an 8 episode season, give me a break), they all learn the 5th movement, so Hap takes OA and just drops her off on the side of the road, then she runs after him and eventually gets to the bridge and jumps?

I mean....why? She supposedly already has the 5th movement...how would she ever get back to the others at Hap's hideout?

So instead she gets a new group of 5 and tells a ridiculously long story that serves as the ENTIRE BASIS OF THE SHOW, so that she can teach them the moves......for what? Just go back to the other place and be alone? Why does she think Homer will be there?

And instead they all use the moves to distract a school shooter (The OA does mention premonitions a lot and she could see the bus crash, etc, but the latest premonition she couldn't make out, which ends up being the school shooting *random*), so that the cook can tackle him and he can shoot a newly arriving OA in the chest.

Umm.....huh?


So are we supposed to believe the OA is an angel sent to Crestwood mainly to teach this ecclectic group of weirdos some dance moves so they can distract a school shooter and save lives?

This show should have been 4 episodes shorter and made into a movie.

Dumb.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top