Orphan Black: The Stigmata of Progress

April 29, 2016 9:11 AM - Season 4, Episode 3

As Sarah reels from the shocking discovery of Neolution's biotech, she's desperate to find answers.
posted by Pendragon (24 comments total)

"You killed Aldus Leekie?"
"Boy, did I ever! Yeah."

Oh, Donnie, never change.
posted by Pendragon at 9:54 AM on April 29, 2016 [9 favorites]

So what's the story with Adele? She seems to know something more about Felix's mother than she's letting on. I don't get a good vibe from her.
posted by amro at 10:19 AM on April 29, 2016

Really enjoying this series so far. I am wondering if anyone can shed any light on this screenshot, taken as Sarah walks through the dental clinic where the implants are inserted, past dentists who are presumably doing standard dentist things (as it is broad daylight). Except for the dentist in my screenshot, who appears to be wearing a fake nose/eyebrows/glasses combo and whose patient seems to have a paper bag over their head. I suspect a joke on the part of the writers/director, or perhaps I am imagining the weirdness?
posted by kumonoi at 1:19 PM on April 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

I assume the paper is actually covering the headrest on the dental chair; I think I've had some dentists do that. The Groucho Marx glasses, on the other hand, I don't have a good explanation for. Maybe that guy's supposed to be a pediatric dentist? I noticed it while watching and thought it was weird as well.

Donnie is such a delightful character and I love that they have him around to break up Serious Clone Science.
posted by tautological at 2:18 PM on April 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

Tautological, I am sure you must be right about the paper covering the chair - I have never seen a dentist here (UK) do it, but it makes total sense. You are probably right about the reason for the Groucho Marx thing too though if I was a kid at the dentist that would completely freak me out!

Yeah Donnie is great, I love the way he and Helena interact (think Helena is starting to become my favourite clone).
posted by kumonoi at 2:33 PM on April 29, 2016

Helena has been my favourite from the beginning. I know, she killed other clones, but she's so funny!!
posted by Pendragon at 3:01 PM on April 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

Yes, Helena is my favorite at well!

Those are some pretty terrible cops, though, if they don't ever find, like, YouTube footage of Alison's campaigning (or theater debacle) and suddenly wonder what's with the accent...

Donnie is amazing and Dr. Leakie's decomposing remains might be the most disgusting thing the show has come up with yet and I liked the realism/old fashioned gag of, well, the constant gagging that Donnie was battling.
posted by TwoStride at 4:07 PM on April 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm worried about Kira!
posted by plastic_animals at 4:11 PM on April 29, 2016

I just assumed that dentist was using The healing power of laughter.

Donnie was hilarious.

Who's the guy who was taking care of Kira in the comic book shop? He has a slight resemblance to the Castor clones. Have we seen him before?

Also, I have to report that when I saw this episode I was in the middle of what turned out to be a nasty case of food poisoning, and also recovering from dental surgery. Boy, did I pick the wrong thing to watch to distract me...
posted by mmoncur at 6:31 PM on April 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

I assume Kira's 'dream' is going to come true. She's going to turn out be the next stage of controled human evolution that the Neolutionists are trying to create.
posted by homunculus at 6:36 PM on April 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

Donnie is amazing and Dr. Leakie's decomposing remains might be the most disgusting thing the show has come up with yet and I liked the realism/old fashioned gag of, well, the constant gagging that Donnie was battling.

That bit took me out of the show for one simple reason: if Donnie had been in contact with an odor that bad, I think it would have lingered on him and the cops would have noticed it immediately. Then again, I just realized that I got that idea from an old episode of CSI where one of the crew was having a terrible time cleaning the corpse stench off of themselves, so maybe it's just bullshit. But at the time that scene didn't pass the smell test for me.
posted by homunculus at 6:43 PM on April 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

Kira seems to be having some pushes about precognition which is a bit too on the magic side for me.

The rest of the episode I liked, but I'm really feeling the want to just binge watch the entire season at once with what isn't really getting revealed episode-to-episode
posted by flatluigi at 6:55 PM on April 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

I laughed so much in this episode, it should be illegal.

and also recovering from dental surgery. Boy, did I pick the wrong thing to watch to distract me...

Oh, you poor thing.
posted by Mezentian at 5:07 AM on April 30, 2016 [1 favorite]

I really appreciated that they didn't just have "The Sciencey Health-stuff One" do the operation. Like hey she knows about cells n stuff she could just as easily perform this complicated dangerous surgery right??? That's usually how stuff works on TV.
posted by bleep at 4:58 PM on April 30, 2016 [1 favorite]

The guy watching Kira is the one that runs the comic book shop. Afaik he's helping clone club. I wonder if Kira does present the next evolutionary step and what abilities she's getting.
posted by numaner at 7:43 AM on May 1, 2016 [1 favorite]

It would be nice to see some follow-up to the indications over the first few seasons, never explicitly acknowledged, that she has what amounts to a superhuman healing factor.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 8:38 AM on May 4, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm really enjoying how Beth has become an integral part of this season's story. And, the Felix story has real potential, too. I felt Jordan was kind of wasted last season, so here's hoping his character comes forward this season.

Helena channeling Alison with the cops was so damned funny.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:29 AM on May 4, 2016 [1 favorite]

Helena channeling Alison with the cops was so damned funny.

Donnie: “How the hell did Helena know all that?”
Alison: “I don’t know she’s a trained assassin, that’s what they do, they track people and observe things.” She's a smart cookie!

Also, “She’s a scientist and a lesbian. She’s not going to let it slide.” should be on a t-shirt.
posted by psoas at 8:49 AM on May 5, 2016 [2 favorites]

Those are some pretty terrible cops, though, if they don't ever find, like, YouTube footage of Alison's campaigning (or theater debacle) and suddenly wonder what's with the accent...

"Oh zet! Ze doctors zay is psychological. Zumting from ze ztress vhen i found out i vaz havink tvins. Zay zay it vill probably go avay vonce i hef zem."
posted by ubiquity at 11:13 AM on May 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

So does anyone know what accent "Random Computer Man" has? Is it Maritimes?
posted by fiercekitten at 4:24 PM on June 6, 2016

Do you mean Dizzy? The actor that portrays him, Joel Thomas Hynes, is from Newfoundland.
posted by plastic_animals at 4:50 PM on June 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Yay for me recognizing an obscure Canadian accent I haven't heard in 15 years.
posted by fiercekitten at 7:57 PM on June 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Not sure why Alison was so sure Leakie would have an implant, enough to go to the effort of digging him up...
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:40 PM on June 13, 2018

Alison is not the sort to put up with your dithering around about whether we really need to dig up that corpse or not. Just go. Do it.
posted by straight at 8:58 AM on July 12, 2018