The best that never was is actually a reference to the ESPN 30/30 documentary about Marcus Dupree. An unbelievable college football prospect whose career didn’t turn out as expected for a variety of strange reasons. I highly recommend it and the title oddly reminds me of the show “The OA.” Now before I tell you why you should watch the OA allow me to warn you — watching the OA is essentially an exercise in masochism as it only lasted two seasons before it was canceled. Even more devastating, season two ended on a wild, emotional roller coaster in which viewers were blissfully close to witnessing revenge while alternatively blue-balled. Not many shows have hit the feels like the genius, the agony of the OA. So, I don’t know if this is so much a recommendation or a coping mechanism – it’s hard to say.
The OA stars Brit Marling as Prairie, a woman who disappears for seven years and when she miraculously returns she doesn’t want to talk about what happened or reveal how it’s possible that she’s no longer blind. Slowly, we see her story unravel and for those who are a fan of shows outside the realm of reality, I couldn’t recommend this mind bending journey more. In particular, the villain Dr. Hap is literally one of the most brilliant, evil, selfish, articulate, blood boiling bastards I have ever seen on TV. He takes us to different universes with Prairie (literally) and in some ways it reminds me of the addictive pain of the Handmaid’s tale with a sci-fi twist.
As I went to write this I put the season finale on in the background and I was hooked all over again. The stakes, the pain, the hope and the way things aren’t black and white all make for truly captivating TV. Again, fair warning that it’s canceled, but if you’re looking for an incredible journey, don’t miss The OA.
Seth Borkowski is a New York-based writer who enjoys writing about dating, self-improvement, sports and the challenges of growing older as a millennial. You can read more of his work at sethborkowski.com.