Netflix’s 16-Episode Sci-Fi Masterpiece Deserves Kudos For Being Insanely Ambitious

Published Oct 4, 2026, 1:00 AM EDT

Dhruv is a Lead Writer in Screen Rant's New TV division. He has been consistently contributing to the website for over two years and has written thousands of articles covering streaming trends, movie/TV analysis, and pop culture breakdowns.
Before Screen Rant, he was a Senior Writer for The Cinemaholic, covering everything from anime to television, from reality TV to movies.
After high school, he was on his way to become a Civil Engineer. However, he soon realized that writing was his true calling. As a result, he took a leap and never looked back.

A sci-fi show's willingness to explore ambitious and high-concept ideas alone does not guarantee its success. However, when a sci-fi series is driven by ambition and the desire to bring something novel to the table, it often ends up etching a distinct mark in the genre while appealing to die-hard fans of the genre. One of Netflix's most ambitious sci-fi shows achieves something similar in its 16-episode runtime.

Created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, Netflix's The OA unfolds through the eyes of a seemingly unreliable narrator in season 1. Like its characters, viewers are prompted to question whether they should believe the protagonist's wildly fantastical story or understand that she is merely processing her trauma. Even in these moments, though, The OA does not shy away from introducing some bizarre ideas.

Quite a few sci-fi shows dabble with ideas surrounding alternate universes and interdimensional travel. Even concepts like Near-Death Experiences and Life After Death have been quite prevalent in science fiction. The OA's portrayal of these concepts, however, completely stands out because it approaches them with incredible ambition.

Some story beats in Netflix's The OA are so imaginative that they might even sound ridiculous. But the show manages to execute them in a way that feels both realistic and relatable.

The OA Isn't Afraid Of Being Wildly Imaginative

From its opening moments, The OA does not attempt to cushion its high-concept ideas with sneaky comedy or self-mockery. It demands complete sincerity from its characters and viewers even during some of its most bizarre story developments. This sincerity perfectly aligns with its themes of liberation from fear and the courage to believe in something that is far beyond our understanding.

Even the show's primary expression of magic is portrayed as a dance form that involves five movements. As absurd as it may sound on paper, the show's execution of the same has an ethereal quality that prompts viewers to imitate the dance. This is why when Netflix canceled The OA after two seasons, some fans of the show even gathered outside Netflix's headquarters and performed the movements in rebellion.

Although The OA inclines more towards science fiction, it never truly confines itself to one fixed genre. Its sci-fi elements are often riddled with spirituality and philosophy. Meanwhile, even its story shifts between neo-noir detective thriller elements reminding one of David Lynch and twisty sci-fi similar to Netflix shows like Dark and Sense8.

Even towards the end of its second season, The OA refuses to compromise on imagination. It introduces a never-seen-before meta story where it reframes itself as a fictional story within its own universe. Considering how Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij had planned a 5-season arc for the Netflix sci-fi show, it would have taken even more ambitious leaps beyond season 2.

The OA’s Creators Deserve Respect For Not Compressing Their Long-Term Plan

Like many highly acclaimed sci-fi shows on Netflix, The OA, too, was a victim of premature cancellations. After two seasons, the Netflix show had many more stories to tell and ideas to explore. Yet, it was cut short long before it could realize its full vision. Interestingly, Netflix had given the show's creators the opportunity to wrap up its story with a TV movie.

However, Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling decided to hold on to their creative integrity instead of compressing their ambition into a movie. After all these years, The OA seems to have retained its cult following. Many fans of the show endlessly discuss its story beats and even hope for its return in the near future.

If The OA returns, it would achieve a rare fate only a few shows have in the past. However, considering how brilliantly it embraced its own stranger identity and refused to sacrifice its creative vision, its continuation could benefit the sci-fi genre as a whole.

The OA

The OA is a 2016 science-fiction mystery series centered on Prairie Johnson, a formerly blind young woman who mysteriously returns home after being missing for seven years with her sight restored and now calling herself the OA. Refusing to reveal her story to authorities, she recruits five locals for a secret mission connected to her disappearance, other missing people, and the possibility of traveling between dimensions.