The OA

:

Season 2
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Dec 16, 2016
Season #: 2, 1
User Score
8.9

Universal acclaim- based on 255 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 229 out of 255
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 255
  3. Negative: 17 out of 255
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  1. EludiumQ36
    Apr 6, 2019
    8
    The second season of "The OA" really kicked it up a notch or two. However, I thought episode 1 was a really poor start. My advice: start 2-min from the end of ep1, watch ep2, then watch ep1. But from episode 4 through 8 there was some really bonkers stuff going on. Did you like ABC's "LOST"? Did you take notes and contribute to its wiki? Because I can see that happening here, especially ifThe second season of "The OA" really kicked it up a notch or two. However, I thought episode 1 was a really poor start. My advice: start 2-min from the end of ep1, watch ep2, then watch ep1. But from episode 4 through 8 there was some really bonkers stuff going on. Did you like ABC's "LOST"? Did you take notes and contribute to its wiki? Because I can see that happening here, especially if this is renewed for additional seasons and those seasons remain 18-months apart. The story got alot more complex in a quick way and I felt like I needed to start taking notes, but I didn't. I'm not sure I'll continue past this season because the way they're doing interdimensional travel doesn't ring true. As interesting a conceit as it is, it still feels a bit too convenient, a bit too easy, a bit too unpolished. I would be content with the series ending right here at season 2, it was a good one, very mind-twisty, and probably worthy of a re-watch or two to clear up the various "whaaaaa??" moments.… Expand
  2. Quietlionmusic
    Mar 25, 2019
    6
    I found myself captivated for most of the season, it's weirdness drew me in. I felt sometimes the show slowed down a little too much, and by the end of the season things just started to not make sense which I don't totally hold against it because again, I like the uniqueness of it. I would have liked to see a little more cohesion in the show, and not just the feeling of being led onI found myself captivated for most of the season, it's weirdness drew me in. I felt sometimes the show slowed down a little too much, and by the end of the season things just started to not make sense which I don't totally hold against it because again, I like the uniqueness of it. I would have liked to see a little more cohesion in the show, and not just the feeling of being led on forever like you are watching Lost.… Expand
  3. abm0
    Apr 4, 2019
    8
    Almost as good as S1, but not quite. There's a certain excitement in the face of imminent life-changing discovery that's missing here (but I guess it was inevitable - there will never be another OA S1) and some of the fantasy-themed moments here are introduced rather randomly/incoherently. There's less of a sense of direction for the story than in S1, though there still is enough of aAlmost as good as S1, but not quite. There's a certain excitement in the face of imminent life-changing discovery that's missing here (but I guess it was inevitable - there will never be another OA S1) and some of the fantasy-themed moments here are introduced rather randomly/incoherently. There's less of a sense of direction for the story than in S1, though there still is enough of a direction to hang on to. For me it's still very good, but with the new developments I'm afraid it might become either formulaic or just incoherent next season, throwing around random disjointed elements just to keep an appearance of freshness and creativity. We'll see.… Expand
  4. Chazfitzm
    Apr 8, 2019
    10
    OA is one of the few truly brilliant works of TV I have ever seen. The premise is intriguing and ropes you in from the first few scenes. Each plot point is unpredictable and I can't imagine watching this show on a weekly basis, it is made for a streaming service. I watched both seasons over a two week period and felt as though I'd lost a friend when the second season came to a shockingOA is one of the few truly brilliant works of TV I have ever seen. The premise is intriguing and ropes you in from the first few scenes. Each plot point is unpredictable and I can't imagine watching this show on a weekly basis, it is made for a streaming service. I watched both seasons over a two week period and felt as though I'd lost a friend when the second season came to a shocking climax, breaking all the rules of storytelling while provoking a great sense of wonder at what lies ahead. I only hope Netflix extends the series for the full five season arc that the creators intended. OA doesn't just tell a story, it makes you challenge your own reality. It gets your creative juices flowing. If you are a fan of Eastern novels: The Three Body Project or IQ84 you will love this challenging work of art.… Expand
  5. sgilman
    Apr 4, 2019
    10
    Rarely do I think a sequel is as good as the original, but this one was; perhaps better than the first. There will be those that are haters of anything sci-fi or paranormal, but this series is creative, unusual, interesting, and exploratory of humanity, ethics, and the search for truth and something greater. Great writing and performances! Bravo!
  6. DeEmVe
    Apr 5, 2019
    10
    Wow. I hardly ever write reviews but for this I have to. OA S1 was a little shaky in spots, and often left me wondering exactly where it was going. BUT, the writers kept enough in their back pockets to bring everything together and then some in S2. Actually, having watched S2, I went back to watch S1 again and it makes it a much more rewarding experience, noticing all kinds of littleWow. I hardly ever write reviews but for this I have to. OA S1 was a little shaky in spots, and often left me wondering exactly where it was going. BUT, the writers kept enough in their back pockets to bring everything together and then some in S2. Actually, having watched S2, I went back to watch S1 again and it makes it a much more rewarding experience, noticing all kinds of little things that you may not have remembered if you saw it when it first came out.

    But S2, WOW! I absolutely love it when a show surprises the s**t out of me and forces me to binge. The creators manage to tie everything together with the OA, a missing person case, and some other truly weird stuff that I found it delightful to watch (I actually like the octopus). It all has an air of wonderful weirdness, a bit like watching Twin Peaks. The characters are so well played that certain moments have more emotional impact than you would expect but that is not a bad thing, it just catches you by surprise That is to say, it is not *like* Twin Peaks but it has a similar air of uniqueness of which the viewer loves to be a part.

    No spoilers here, except the one glaring flaw is the absolutely HIDEOUS pair of glasses that Dr. Percy wears. Who picked those? A very minor sin, though, and I assume there will be, and I eagerly await a third season. They certainly built it accordingly.

    Also not a spoiler, but...THE ROBOTS ARE AWESOME (both big and small)!!!    … Expand
  7. DawnCornwell612
    Aug 15, 2019
    10
    This is one of the greatest stories I have ever watched. There is great shows, this is more than that. I urge everyone to watch it After you watch please join our efforts to #SaveTheOA
  8. LizCon
    Aug 14, 2019
    9
    New dimension, new questions, some answers to old questions, a house that is a puzzle, talking trees, telepathic octopuses, travel to new worlds.... what else do you need.
  9. praelia
    Aug 15, 2019
    10
    Absolutely the best show I have ever watched. If there has ever been a tv show that I could tag as a true piece of art, it would go to The OA hands down.
  10. axelclergeau
    Aug 19, 2019
    10
    A very good season, the atmosphere is incredible and the emotion too, I hope that Netflix will let Brit Marling realise the next season!
  11. night4
    Apr 16, 2019
    4
    The high reviews are baffling. It's ok but certainly not great. The only thing it has going for it is being weird, and that only takes it so far. The ending is so bad, I'm done with the show and will never watch another episode.
  12. Erich
    Mar 26, 2019
    8
    I was entranced by season 1, though I was wary at first, as it seemed to be a standard issue fantasy, and I often have little patience for that genre because of the manipulative cheating writers/directors exploit with its mystical license of “anything goes”. I was soon hooked, especially by the phenomenal acting of its star Brit Marling, along with the protean plot that morphed from oneI was entranced by season 1, though I was wary at first, as it seemed to be a standard issue fantasy, and I often have little patience for that genre because of the manipulative cheating writers/directors exploit with its mystical license of “anything goes”. I was soon hooked, especially by the phenomenal acting of its star Brit Marling, along with the protean plot that morphed from one worldview into another. What that first season eventually morphed into – the story of a mad scientist sincerely obsessed with finding a key to the meaning of life by circumventing death, and in the process holding captive a group of people he used as guinea pigs for his experiments – I found enthralling, and when it ended I wondered where on earth the writers could go next.

    The second season immediately plunged into yet another dramatic world, one so different, I had to put the show on pause and make sure I was actually watching “The OA” and not something else. I verified I was indeed, and resumed, and soon became engrossed. This other world (our world, but other, relative to the other “dimension” to where the OA had traveled) involved a youngish black man searching for a missing person. For a long time, the audience doesn’t realize who he is; he seems like just an ordinary guy in San Francisco (“Karim Washington” played with a refreshingly understated assurance by Kingsley Ben-Adir), wrapped up in solving this mystery perhaps just because it happened to intrigue him. The fact that he’s an undercover detective is unveiled subtly and slowly, without any overt indications; and I realized more and more this is how the writers/directors wove their story, without hitting the viewer over the head with obvious (and plodding) descriptions. The deepening puzzle & quest his initially mundane missing person’s case unfolds into is similarly handled with flawlessly ingenuous (and ingenious) aplomb, smoothly moving from one anomalous situation to the next – each more fascinatingly quirky than the last – until midway through the season, his odyssey intersects with the main character of season one, “The OA” (the sveltely willowy Brit Marling), and what had seemingly begun as a natural mystery mutates into the supernatural. While there are a couple of scenes in season 2 that lay on the supernatural aspect a bit thick and threaten to become hokey (for example, where Karim and the OA, after they joined forces to find answers to the mystery they are engulfed in, are subjected to outlandish experiences involving a giant talking octopus and an eerily whispering tree), they are redeemed by reinvigorating scenes where, for example, the band of friends of The OA who slowly realize that maybe she hadn’t died after all (as happened in season one) but may still be alive in “another dimension”, in their search for her wind up at the beach house of one of their cousins, and most of them, young and having lived secluded lives in a small inland town, had never seen the ocean before. As that scene unfolds, the audience feels slaps and gushes of plot variation as revitalizing as the tinglingly crashing waves of an unforeseen shore.

    Supporting characters are all unimpeachable in their own ways: Jason Isaacs as the mad scientist “Dr. Percy” imbues his role with the old school ruggedness of Clark Gable and a dash of the typical scientist of 1950s sci-fi movies; Emory Cohen fills out his character of “Homer” with greater breadth in the second season than in the first; Patrick Gibson as “Steve Winchell” is an interesting actor, reminiscent of the younger Patrick Swayze; and Ian Alexander as “Buck Vu” is the most intriguing, playing a transgender person with a prescience beyond her mere 17 years (at the time of filming). The way Ian enunciates the words of her scripted dialogue is fascinating in its oddly punctilious, almost prim, femininity, befitting more a grown thespian from some Shakespearean play than a snotnosed (albeit reclusive) American kid. And I saved the best supporting cast-member for last—Phyllis Smith, who plays “Elizabeth”, the oldest person in the OA’s secret little group. Unless you had been living in a cave from 2005 to 2013, you will recognize Phyllis from the superlative comedy series, “The Office”, where her embodiment of “Phyllis Vance” never failed to be one of the many gems of quirky characters there.    … Expand
  13. CinemaCrush
    Apr 4, 2019
    5
    Despite the great start of the OA (season 1), season 2, although quite ambitious, which is admirable. is also convoluted and tries to cram just about every element of sci-fi into this return. Season 2 suffers from a major identity crisis, hopping back and forth from what seems to be well plotted sci-fi mystery to just outright nonsense (at times) disguised as mystery. I can't give it aDespite the great start of the OA (season 1), season 2, although quite ambitious, which is admirable. is also convoluted and tries to cram just about every element of sci-fi into this return. Season 2 suffers from a major identity crisis, hopping back and forth from what seems to be well plotted sci-fi mystery to just outright nonsense (at times) disguised as mystery. I can't give it a terrible review, as some of the great elements of season 1 carry on into season 2. I also cannot give it a great review, as the new season 2 plot lines are messy and are basically a 10 pound story in a 5 pound bag. If you do start it, chances are you will finish it, out of hope for it being tied together neatly with a bow. So I give it a 5/10. There is enough quality extended from season 1 to carry you through season 2, but it will be a much more jampacked to a fault ride.… Expand
  14. jhonyrioli
    Mar 23, 2019
    10
    One of the best Netflix original series so far!! so confusing and mindblowing but still makes me want to see more and more. Can't wait for the 3rd season.
  15. Movingmetaphor
    Mar 23, 2019
    6
    Season 2 is lacking much of what made season 1 amazing, and sadly I don't think it stacks up. Multiple story lines with absolutely no bearing on the overall arc, and plot twists which feel like shark jumping the shark jumping the shark jumping the shark. I really wanted to like it, and philosophically, it feels like maybe we've all caught up to Brit and Zal's IQ level, to the point thatSeason 2 is lacking much of what made season 1 amazing, and sadly I don't think it stacks up. Multiple story lines with absolutely no bearing on the overall arc, and plot twists which feel like shark jumping the shark jumping the shark jumping the shark. I really wanted to like it, and philosophically, it feels like maybe we've all caught up to Brit and Zal's IQ level, to the point that what they have to say doesn't feel as fresh anymore. Whether it be 'Maniac,' 'Russian Doll,' or even your own psychedelic experience, a lot of what is presented as weird is pretty mundane by now. It's still an enjoyable watch, but nothing noteworthy.… Expand
  16. geralt1
    Apr 1, 2019
    10
    Very well done, well written, well acted complex with an ending that brings everything together accompanied with a rush of ideas as all the pieces are being drawn together. Great concept, new and exciting, Could have done without the gay sex but otherwise an excellent story. Look forward to season 3
  17. ixi24
    Mar 25, 2019
    10
    Something amazing!
    Something fabulous!
    Something else!
    Something strange!
    But horny good !!!
    I want 3 season! May it be built as soon as possible :)
    Lece watch both seasons once again !!!
  18. UncleWillard
    Mar 27, 2019
    2
    I watched the first season as it posed an interesting plot and took its time getting to the end, but that end was so silly, it destroyed the show's credibility for me. This starts where that left off? It comes off more as a bad YA novel than anything else. "Looking for gamers?" Jesus this is ham-handed. It's just bad. I give credit to the first one for creating a mystery, even if theI watched the first season as it posed an interesting plot and took its time getting to the end, but that end was so silly, it destroyed the show's credibility for me. This starts where that left off? It comes off more as a bad YA novel than anything else. "Looking for gamers?" Jesus this is ham-handed. It's just bad. I give credit to the first one for creating a mystery, even if the resolution was hokey. This show is just a bad version of The Leftovers.… Expand
  19. nonononono
    Apr 3, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. they turned a beautiful novelistic exploration of gnosis into the easter egg ending of bandersnatch. you could literally watch the last two minutes of episode 8 and have missed nothing. i gave up halfway through episode 3, where the characters had become unrecognizable, and did just that, relieved i'd saved myself the slog, but ultimately severely depressed at the mutilation of a show that had meant a lot to me.… Expand
  20. marco34la
    Mar 25, 2019
    9
    excellent season. a lot more action and suspense. glad they got rid of the storytelling aspect of season 1. that was getting boring to me. this is good season.
  21. LunaLouz
    Mar 22, 2019
    10
    OMG, I don't believe! This is incredibly!
    How this show don't make success?
    I'm see in 24 hours and I see again...
  22. OrthoStice
    Jun 17, 2019
    10
    Truly bizarre, original and wonderful. Given that the premise of the show is that interdimensional travel is possible if you know the right interpretive dance moves (more or less), you'd think it'd be tough to come up with some new and surprising, but they somehow managed to. I love how outlandish this show is and how earnest all of the characters are. There are moments of levity butTruly bizarre, original and wonderful. Given that the premise of the show is that interdimensional travel is possible if you know the right interpretive dance moves (more or less), you'd think it'd be tough to come up with some new and surprising, but they somehow managed to. I love how outlandish this show is and how earnest all of the characters are. There are moments of levity but everyone has a seriousness of purpose and there is no cynicism. I can't help but laugh when Steve starts breaking out the dance moves; I'm not mocking the show though. It's more like I can't believe what I'm watching and that it's drawing me in. Netflix, please bring this show back for Season 3. .… Expand
  23. judaslmonster
    Mar 24, 2019
    10
    i have no words. Undescribable and simply extraordinary. I just finished part II and it's even better than the first part. It's also really different and they're not afraid to take risks and make the audience think. The ending is totally genius and I've been talking to different people in the past 4 hours to try and see what we all understood.

    SPOILERS The 3rd dimension that OA and    i have no words. Undescribable and simply extraordinary. I just finished part II and it's even better than the first part. It's also really different and they're not afraid to take risks and make the audience think. The ending is totally genius and I've been talking to different people in the past 4 hours to try and see what we all understood.

    SPOILERS

    The 3rd dimension that OA and Hap and I guess Steven arrive in at the end is OUR dimension, where Netflix exists and where THE OA is being filmed. I thought it was weird when people from the crew called OA "Brit" (it's the actress's real name) and then Hap says "I'm Jason Isaacs her husband", and the actor who plays Hap is named Jason Isaacs. I just wanted to write it down even though I guess everyone got it, because it's just totally genius and I absolutely can't wait to see what they're gonna do for part III.    … Expand
  24. guisallet
    Mar 27, 2019
    10
    Com um tom mais investigativo, conecta o público a série, tendo uma maior conexão que a primeira temporada, a segunda temporada possui mais ação e envolvimento com o público para fazer as descobertas, não é mais o passado de OA e sim a sua realidade.
  25. ShadowMan64
    Mar 23, 2019
    10
    Wow! This second season was a lot more than I could've hoped for. It's amazing, exciting, interesting and weird. I cannot wait for more seasons!

    P.S I need sequels to "Sound of My Voice"!!!
  26. All_ButTrU4
    Feb 6, 2022
    7
    A strange confusing perfectly curated mess(in the best way). It's sleek production alongside a talented cast captivate you further into through the obscure universes. What holds it back is its lack of humour or inability to balance tone. It's heavy throughout and stuck within itself.
  27. LucidLion
    Mar 25, 2019
    10
    It has been a long time for me since a series felt so captivating. I`m glad the second season could maintain the same atmosphere which made the first season so interesting but also answered many of the questions, the viewers had. Every detail in this series is precisely planned and although some scenes may seem ludicrous, even this response of the viewer is intended and will later beIt has been a long time for me since a series felt so captivating. I`m glad the second season could maintain the same atmosphere which made the first season so interesting but also answered many of the questions, the viewers had. Every detail in this series is precisely planned and although some scenes may seem ludicrous, even this response of the viewer is intended and will later be woven into the original plot. The OA doesn't, spoon-feed its audience, instead it encourages to think of your own theories and the viewer can be sure, this won`t lead into an dead end.… Expand
  28. LoudestOne
    May 16, 2019
    8
    An odd but frustrating show with a Sci-Fi twist, the acting being superb is what kept us watching to the end.
  29. dutra_gabriel_
    Aug 15, 2019
    10
    loved it! that octopus scene is so well made! i’m happy to say that The OA is a truly masterpiece!
  30. Ethereal_Motion
    Aug 14, 2019
    10
    11/10. This show changed my entire idea of what TV entertainment is supposed to be. It is, hands down, the most thought invoking, awe inspiring, imaginative, and flat out best show I have ever watched. To this day, it’s the only series from any platform that I’ve watched twice, and I plan on a third time. It’s more than a show. It’s a work of art, both in its writing and its execution.11/10. This show changed my entire idea of what TV entertainment is supposed to be. It is, hands down, the most thought invoking, awe inspiring, imaginative, and flat out best show I have ever watched. To this day, it’s the only series from any platform that I’ve watched twice, and I plan on a third time. It’s more than a show. It’s a work of art, both in its writing and its execution. Yeah, I know the description is vague, but just watch it. Trust me.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Most Discussed TV Season of 2019
12
#12 Most Shared TV Season of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
67

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. The Telegraph
    Reviewed by: Ed Power
    Jan 3, 2020
    80
    It’s clear The OA is doubling down on its commitment to strangeness for strangeness's sake. All of which makes it a uniquely acquired taste – but also a show that, if you can attune yourself to its batty frequencies, delivers an experience like nothing else on screen.
    Read full review
  2. The Guardian
    Reviewed by: Jack Seale
    Dec 3, 2019
    40
    Events, characters and half-formed ideas are thrown at the screen then abandoned in favour of fresh mysteries, the show infinitely rolling out a carpet of kookiness.
    Read full review
  3. Vanity Fair
    Reviewed by: Richard Lawson
    Apr 3, 2019
    70
    The first seven and a half hours of Season 2 are really striking, both grief drama and haunted-house mystery. But when the story finally gets where it’s been going the whole time, you realize that not much of what just happened really mattered; all anyone on The OA needs to do to change the scenery is jump dimensions. Which gives the whole show a dismaying weightlessness.
    Read full review
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