Season 1 Episode 02:
New Colossus
The OA retraces the dramatic twists and turns in her life after a childhood accident, leading up to a fateful encounter far from home many years later.Tropes present in this episode include:
- Affably Evil: Hap seems like a charming gentleman, but the OA's narration strongly implies there's something sinister about him. Then he traps her in some sort of glass cage.
- Boarding School: After the accident that took her sight, the OA's father sent her to a school for the blind in America. Her aunt would check in on her from time to time.
- Disappeared Dad: The OA gets news that her father died, but she believes that he's just in hiding.
- Establishing Character Moment: When The OA finds herself trapped by Hap, Scott is heard pragmatically telling her it's her own fault she ended up in this situation, while Homer then chimes in with more uplifting advice on how to stay strong.
- Happily Adopted: The OA describes meeting her adopted parents for the first time and starting a new life with them. They originally planned to adopted a baby, but after seeing her for the first time, they instantly formed a strong bond.
- Nephewism: The OA moved in with her aunt, who didn't care much for her, permanently after her father's death. Her aunt placed her for adoption with the Johnsons.
- Tempting Fate: "But the biggest mistake I made was believing that if I cast a beautiful net, I'd catch only beautiful things."
- Title Drop: "The New Colossus" is the title of the plaque on the Statue of Liberty. The OA ran away to New York on her 21st birthday.
- The Runaway: The OA initially disappeared of her own free will at the age of 21 trying to find her biological father, who she believed was still alive.
