Claim: The OA is a series.

The OA is an American mystery drama web television series with science fiction , supernatural , and fantasy elements , which debuted on Netflix on December 16 , 2016 . Created and executive produced by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij , the series is their third collaboration . The series consists of eight episodes , all directed by Batmanglij , and is produced by Plan B Entertainment and Anonymous Content . In the series , Marling stars as a young woman named Prairie Johnson who resurfaces after having been missing for seven years . Prairie now calls herself `` The OA '' and can see , despite having been blind before her disappearance .   The OA received generally favorable critical reception . The series ' directing , visuals and acting were often singled out . Reviews also ranged from highly positive to highly negative , with several reviewers drawing both favorable and unfavorable comparisons with Stranger Things , another science fiction series that debuted on Netflix earlier in the year . On February 8 , 2017 , Netflix renewed the series for a second season .