COMM 380:  Media Criticism

by Jessie Commerce

Major:  Communication

 

Cartoonist Alison Bechdel once made a comic strip titled The Rule in which three rules were laid out in order to determine if a character would watch a movie. These rules are (1) It has to have at least two women in it (2) who talk to each other (3) about something besides a man (Bechdel, 1985). On the Bechdel Test website, about 56.6% of 5287 movies analyzed pass this test (“Statistics”), meaning that just under half of all movies either have less than two women, women who don’t communicate with one another, or women that only communicate to talk about a man. Ulaby, a reporter for NPR, states that the test is important because "it articulates something often missing in popular culture: not the number of women we see on screen, but the depth of their stories, and the range of their concerns” (2008).

 

By seeing portrayals of women as not being important to the plot of a movie, it belittles the actual efforts of women and their thoughts in real life. We can apply the Bechdel test not only to films, but to books, comics, and television shows as well. One television show that passes the test by the second episode and in every episode following is BBC America’s Orphan Black. The series focuses on a group of genetically identical women who try to find out where they came from, who made them, and why. Because each woman was raised in a different country with different values and ways of life, their personalities differ greatly. This takes the Bechdel test one step further. Not only should women be able to talk about something other than a man, they should have plot lines, thoughts, and even conflicting characteristics, because that would show a world in film that is more like real life.

 

Narrative analysis will be used to more accurately and in-depth describe Orphan Black and critique it as such. Before using narrative criticism, we must first understand the features of the narrative. According to Foss, these features are the setting, characters, narrator, events, temporal relations, causal relations, audience, and theme (2009). The setting of the television show is unknown to the viewer; it is however clear that they are in some big city, much like Toronto or New York City. The time setting is important since it takes place in modern day, even though some of the science is more advanced than what we have today. This current setting lets us understand some of the issues that women have and apply it to the show. While the clones fight for their families and their lives, they are also fighting for the ownership of their bodies.  “At a time when issues surrounding women's bodies and reproductive rights are not just debated, but frequently taken out of women's hands — more often than not, by the government or religious fanatics... this is an increasingly relevant discussion to be had” (Gennis, 2014).

 

After the setting is analyzed, we can look at the characters. This is one of, if not the most important aspects of Orphan Black. The characters, especially the female ones, are truly what make the show so exciting and thrilling to watch. Despite the fact that five of the main characters are played by the same actress, each character is uniquely different and highly believable. Sarah, the show’s most prominent protagonist, faces tough choices that transform her from a rebel on the run to a devoted mother, sister, and friend. She experiences so much development in twenty episodes that some female characters don’t receive in six seasons. Maslany, the actress responsible for this role spoke about Sarah in an interview with A.V. Club where she said, “Her life has been on the run, so she’s adapted, and she’s always changed to suit the situation” (VanDerWerff, 2013).

 

Characters other than Sarah include Alison, a soccer mom who ends up killing a woman when she thought her children’s lives were in danger and aiding in burying a man who went against their contract. Alison also goes to rehab for drinking and despite the unusual circumstances overcomes many of her problems there. Cosima, a third clone, is a brilliant scientist who is studying for her PhD and happens to be a lesbian. She figures out much of the science behind their creation while battling a respiratory infection that could be fatal.  Fourthly, there is Helena, who starts off in the first season as a villain, trying to kill her genetic identicals because of her upbringing in a Ukrainian church where she was taught that she is an abomination and that all those which look like her are as well. She then becomes attached to Sarah and Sarah’s daughter Kira as she comes to believe that family is more important to her than what she has been taught her whole life. It is an amazing change to see that is still very natural and believable as to what a woman might go through in that situation.

 

One of the most honest characters on the show, however is not a clone, but rather Sarah’s foster mother, Mrs. Sadler. She is seen as an overbearing mother, a caring guardian, a tough-as-nails fighter, and even a sexual being. She goes against the belief that women cannot be more than one of these things, as they are usually portrayed on film. By just having this many female characters, the show surpasses more than 10% of all films on the Bechdel Test. The fact that they communicate so frequently about their lives, their struggles, and their happiness, Orphan Black becomes the golden bar for which a film should hope to reach as far as female representation goes. Not to mention, there are many ethnicities represented as well as the LGBTQ population as well. It is a little ironic that a science-fiction show about clones appears more like real life than some films and TV shows out there today.

 

Next in narrative analysis is the narrator. This feature is less important than the characters and setting since there is no set narrator, but the plot is seen from many different points of view, which makes it easier for the viewer to understand where each character’s actions are coming from. The fact that the female perspective holds just as much importance as the male perspective in the show makes it once again a great example of what it looks like when shows treat both genders equally. Moving on in the analysis, we must look at the events. According to Foss, there are two types of events that occur in a narrative. First, there are the kernels; these are the major plot points that make the storyline appear the way that is it. Secondly, there are satellites. These events are minor and deleting them from the plot would not change the outcome of the story.  They do however give us background into the character’s lives and often include the motives behind their actions (2009). In Orphan Black, almost every event is a kernel.

 

Though satellites do exist within the show, each event leads to the next and if one character did something a different way, the plot would take a different course. This makes for very interesting television, forcing the viewer to pay attention to each action that the show takes. Even when a minor character, Ansley, Alison’s best friend, is killed, it changes the plot line. This leads Alison to heavy drinking which ultimately ends her in rehab. Though the other characters are unaffected by this event, Alison’s storyline is drastically changed. Interestingly enough, most of the events that are satellites revolve around romances. Often, in a show or film featuring a female lead, the romantic plot line is not only a kernel, but the main storyline of the entire narrative. In Orphan Black, Sarah’s relationships with Paul and Cal are not much more than insiders on how she behaves with men. Cosima’s relationship with Delphine affects her characteristics, though it does not determine what drives her need to find a cure for the clones. Even Rachel’s sexual relationship with Paul is done so as an example of how Rachel is dominant in all aspects of her life, not so much in order to further the plot. By showing that women can be in relationships and still have desires, hopes, and dreams outside of that romance, it allows their character to be more fully developed and ultimately more realistic.

 

Temporal relations are often next analyzed in narrative criticism, though because all of the events in Orphan Black take place in chronological order, there is not much need to analyze this aspect of the narrative. Causal relations play a much larger role in this show. As stated before, each event is the result of a previous event, and the cause of one to come. An example of this is in episode 1. Cause: Beth kills herself. Effect: Sarah sees this happening and robs the body. 2. Cause: Sarah looks through Beth’s things. Effect: Finds out they are identical and that Beth has a lot of money. 3. Cause: Sarah needs money to raise her daughter Kira. Effect: She impersonates Beth in order to steal her money. This goes on for twenty more episodes, and though the plot expands as the characters are introduced, there is a very clear starting point. Of course, there must have been a cause for why Beth decided to kill herself, and in that way, the plot expands inversely as well. Despite the fact that the show is largely science-fiction, almost all of the events are caused by human action. This allows the show to appear more realistic and therefore an even better example that characters can still be realistically human in unlikely circumstances.

 

Changing focus a bit, the audience must also be analyzed in narrative analysis. Clearly it’s important for television shows to reach wide audiences for them to stay on air, but because Orphan Black is broadcasted on a foreign-owned channel and has a niche genre, it’s hard to follow in the footsteps of groundbreaking television shows with millions of viewers every week. Because of the surpassing of the Bechdel test, the show draws in female audiences who seek out television that they feel accurately represents them, not to mention provides incredible plot, story lines, action, and drama.

 

Finally, we can look at the theme. The theme of the narrative is closely tied to all aspects of the analysis, but because the show has only had 20 episodes so far, it’s hard to determine a over-arching theme. In a season 1 episode, Helena’s bible is left at her house and Detective Bell finds it with a passage circled. This passage, Psalm 139:13-14 reads “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (BibleGateway). This idea that humans are “made” with intentions of fear and wonder, is one of the best themes of the show so far.

 

Some of the clones resent being made, such as Helena in season 1, though she comes to accept this about herself in the second season. Rachel resents her lack of ability to reproduce because of the way she was created and goes as far as kidnapping Sarah’s daughter because of it. There are clones, such as Alison, that try to ignore the fact that she’s a clone, and simply wish to carry on her life as normal human being. Although this theme is very specific to this show, it can relate to real life as well. Religious people often try to find meaning for why they were made and what they are doing on Earth. Even those who deny religion have questions about what the meaning of life is. It is a theme that surprisingly, many can relate to.

 

The second lens through which Orphan Black can be viewed is by media effects.  According to Hanson, “There are complaints that television presents a world that is overwhelmingly white, male, and middle class” (2011). A negative critique of Orphan Black is that the majority of the characters are white. Because five of the main characters are played by the same actress does not mean there is not opportunity to include characters of other racial backgrounds. Detective Bell is African-American, as well as Sarah and Helena’s birth mother Amelia. Vic, Sarah’s ex-boyfriend, is of mixed racial decent, but besides these minor characters, most of the cast is white. This reflects pretty poorly on the casting of the show because in this way, it doesn’t represent the world accurately.

 

However, as stated many times in this paper, Orphan Black does a phenomenal job of creating women characters and not pigeonholing them into tropes such as the good girl, the mean girl, the sexy girl, etc. LGBTQ populations are represented in the show several times. Cosima is a lesbian; Felix and his partners are gay men; Delphine is bisexual; and Tony is a transgender clone. Another aspect to mention is the portrayal of the lower class. Sarah, Felix, and Vic are relatively poor people and their struggles because of it are shown fairly frequently. They are not able to obtain all of the materials required to fix their problems because they simply don’t have enough money to do so, and they often have to rely on others in order to achieve their goals. This is a real issue that many city-residing people in the 21st century have.

 

Because of its dedication to portraying accurate and realistic female characters, Orphan Black reaches the highest level on the Bechdel test and perhaps even surpasses it. The show is interesting, adventurous, and smart, but that doesn’t mean it is perfect. The lack of racial diversity stops the show from reaching wider audiences as well as creates a world that is too white. Despite this fact, Orphan Black has the potential to interest many people as it has done so already.

 

 

 

Works Cited

Bechdel, A. (1985). “The rule.” Dykes to watch out for.

 

BibleGateway. New International Version. Psalm 129:13-14.

 

Foss, S. (2009). Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practice. (4th ed.) Waveland Press, Inc.: Long Grove, IL.

 

Gennis, S. (2014). “TV’s most important political debate is happening right now on Orphan Black.” TV Guide. Retrieved from www.tvguide.com

 

Hanson, R. (2011). Mass Communication: Living in a media world. CQ Press: Washington, DC.

 

“Statistics.” (2013). Retrieved from http://bechdeltest.com

 

Ulaby, N. (2008). “The ‘Bechdel rule,’ defining pop-culture character.” All things considered (National Public Radio). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org

 

VanDerWerff, T. (2013). “Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany discusses all her roles - in the same show.”  A.V. Club. Retrieved from www.avclub.com