"The OA" was rumored to be Netflix's version of "Westworld" and "Stranger Things." Yet as it turned out, it is a more soulful story about one girl's journey into the unknown. Just like what the teaser showed, the story is about Prairie Johnson, a blind girl who miraculously regained her sight -- someone who was lost but who eventually made her way home.
"The OA" Major Spoilers
The first episode of "The OA" is a long introduction to Prairie Johnson. The girl was lost for seven years but she suddenly reappeared and was seen jumping off a bridge. Later, she regained her consciousness in St. Louis Hospital. The footage of her jumping off went viral and her parents made their way to the hospital where they realized that she was the missing Prairie.
Prairie who now identifies herself as the OA is trying to find a means to find a man named Homer. Prairie asks for the help of four kids in the neighborhood and a teacher in the local high school in an effort to find Homer. Prairie insists that she needs five people to find Homer.
Prairie shares her tale to these five people who are dealing with their own problems. Prairie starts off by revealing that she was adopted and that she was the daughter of a rich Russian miner and that her real name was Nina. Nina lost her sight in an accident and was sent to a boarding school in the United States under the care of her aunt. When her father died, she became the house help for her aunt but she was ultimately adopted by a childless couple. The tale is pretty similar to the Japanese series "Princess Sarah" at least during the first two episodes of "The OA."
Captive Angels And Near-Death Experiences
Prairie got her name after adoption. However, she continued to dream of her father and the truth is revealed that she did not go missing. She ran away and fell prey to the experiments of Dr. Hunter Aloysius Percy. Together with other captives who had a near-death experience, Dr. Hap experimented on them and they discovered a series of movements that allowed them to heal people.
Right after Homer and Prairie discovered the fifth movement that would have allowed the captive angels to escape, Hap stopped them. He drove Prairie to a road and left her there while saying that they will all be gone to another dimension before she finds them. Prairie got admitted to an institute and Alfonso, one of the boys, discovered "The Oligarchs," "Book of Angels," Homer's "Iliad," and a book about near-death experience in Prairie's home.
"The OA" ends with Prairie finally realizing what her dream means. All five people who listened to Prairie's story realized what it all meant and they save everyone from harm while allowing Prairie to find her way to Homer.
