There are a lot of reasons that Orphan Black is my favorite television show, but the biggest is the brilliant performances given each week by Tatiana Maslany. If you haven’t seen the show, Tatiana plays multiple clones of her character in each episode, and often through some technical wizardry they can interact with each other seamlessly within a scene. However, it’s Tatiana herself who is the most amazing special effect. 
I’ve been watching since the first episode of Orphan Black, and EVERY week I have at least one moment where I’ll turn to my wife and say “I keep forgetting that it’s the same person.” I’ve seen other shows or movies where actors will play more than one character, but this is the first time I’ve gotten so lost in a performance.
There are other reasons this show works so well. The rest of the cast is great ( Jordan Gavaris, who plays clone Sarah’s brother Felix is particularly good) as well, and the staging and direction make the show feel very much like a big-budget suspense thriller.
I’m hoping that Tatiana gets the recognition she deserves in next year’s Emmy nominations.  I can’t remember when, if ever, I’ve enjoyed so much watching an actress ‘act’ and even then I still have moments that I forget that it’s the same person. If for some incredibly unjust reason, Tatiana Maslany doesn’t win a best actress award, then maybe she should win a best ensemble award. She’s that good.
