Orphan Black: Transitory Sacrifices of Crisis

April 26, 2015 1:35 AM - Season 3, Episode 2

Castor pursues the Leda clones for original tissue samples. Meanwhile, Helena is examined by a mysterious villain.

A.V. club review.
After the Black episode 2.

posted by Pendragon (35 comments total)

My guess was that the glitching is the beginning of a self-destruct sequence programmed to begin when the soldiers begin to get too old. But, these guys appear to have a few good soldiering years left, so perhaps not.

The Helena "Where are these mangoes?" scene was awesome. I love the scorpion's Marcel the Shell voice (though it is in fact a ripoff of Marcel the Shell).
posted by amro at 5:48 AM on April 26, 2015 [4 favorites]

I agree, the scene with Helena was pure gold, "I met your brother... He's ugly." Then "Silence, insect!" But what can you expect after being left in a box then tortured? Cooperation? Ha! Helena doesn't cooperate when she likes you.

Ari Millen is doing an okay job with his clones, but you can still kinda see the actor behind the character. Whenever I see Alison on the screen I completely forget that it's Tatiana Maslany. I mean she's a completely different woman on screen.

And speaking of Alison, holy Hell! That came out of left field... But I can totally see her going in the direction she's going. It makes complete sense for her to buy out the local drug connection. I hope she can stay clean though. I wonder if this means that Vic is going to come back into her life? I mean, he kinda knows about the body under the garage, doesn't he? Or he has his suspicions... and he thinks Alison is the weak link to Sarah.

Who here thinks that Cal and Kira aren't going to be gone for long?
posted by patheral at 9:18 AM on April 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

Cal whisking Kira off to Meereen was necessary from a story perspective -- dramatis personae is getting a little congested, and I don't think anyone really wants to see Kira get kidnapped every third episode -- but it still was quietly crushing to see Sarah let go of her. Sarah will probably be a little meaner and more determined to resolve this mess now that it actively stands between her and being with Kira. I...kind of wish I understood what the hell resolving it would entail, though. I gotta admit, I'm a little bit lost vis a vis what's going on. As usual.

Surprisingly, the storyline I'm having the most fun with is Alison breaking bad in Bailey Downs. This is completely disconnected from all the conspiracy convolutions of the rest of the show, and I'm totally okay with that. I love how fucking crazy Alison is, and would be happy to watch a show about her racking up a kill count of hapless rivals. (Last week, when the creepy assassin was lurking in the garage of horror, I fully expected Alison to somehow kill him, and was a little disappointed when that didn't happen.)
posted by kittens for breakfast at 9:22 AM on April 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

I would argue that the glitching is the unintended consequence of being engineered for enhanced sensory processing. I believe that glitching involves ever increasingly severe seizures with a further decompensation of functioning after each episode, ending in some sort of semi vegetative state towards the end.
posted by echolalia67 at 9:27 AM on April 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

(Have I ever mentioned how happy I am Bailey Downs exists in the Orphan Black universe? I keep expecting Katharine Isabelle and/or Emily Perkins to cameo, probably as high school teachers.)
posted by kittens for breakfast at 9:30 AM on April 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

I agree that glitching is an unintended consequence rather than something that Castor wanted, which is why they're looking for the original genome. I'm sure that the Duncans engineered the Castor clones to glitch just as they engineered the Leda clones to get sick and die, but neither Leda nor Castor want their experiments to self destruct after pouring so much time, money, and effort into them. That just doesn't make sense.
posted by patheral at 9:40 AM on April 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

Welcome back, Paul and Art!
posted by plastic_animals at 9:50 AM on April 26, 2015 [4 favorites]

Ari Millen is doing an okay job with his clones, but you can still kinda see the actor behind the character.

I wonder if this is because the boy clones are supposed to be as identical as possible, so Millen is pretty much playing each one close to the same? Tatlany gets to "hide" herself inside several different personnae, as well as costumes and makeup. I am NOT dissing Tatlany in saying this. She's incredible! I'm just postulating that perhaps the reason you feel you're seeing the actor in Millen's performances is because he pretty much is playing the same character multiple times?
posted by Thorzdad at 10:35 AM on April 26, 2015

I like Cal but I do hope he's off with Kira for a while. Kira's a bit of a weak link for me (both in terms of the part and the actress). There are only so many times I can see Kira being used as a hostage before I'm bored.

I like Alison's craziness but I do wish she was a bit more involved with the overall plot. I assume she will be, though. After all, all Cosima has done is kind of sit there and talk about science -- but at least she's staying with Sarah (and Felix). I know we're only two episodes in but I'd like to see more clone interaction.

But I do think it speaks really highly of the show how much they pack into each episode without it feeling overstuffed -- yeah, just two episodes in! -- and it feels like so much longer than that.

I think Ari Millen is doing just fine -- Mark seems different enough from the other clones, at least.

I was overly excited by this episode but I think it's laying the groundwork for some good things to come.
posted by darksong at 12:01 PM on April 26, 2015

I hate to say it, but this season isn't working for me so far. It feels like there are several episodes worth of missing exposition and reveal with the Castors, and the way the plot is lurching forward feels disjointed, at least so far.

Except for Helena and her scorpion. I love them.
posted by homunculus at 12:10 PM on April 26, 2015

I think Ari Millen is doing a good job portraying a small flock of clones he can really only differentiate significantly via personality. I found myself giving them nicknames based mostly on personality (Creepy Mustache, Belligerent Jerk, Soldier Boy, and Mark...well...we know Mark, so I didn't need a name to keep him distinct from his brothers) because lookswise they're much more alike than the Leda clones. But they do each have their tics, and he's good, I think, at making those tics distinct (Rudy is creepy, but in a distinctly different way than poor glitchy Seth, a way that is informed by his constant simmering anger, rather than Seth's just...being...ew). I wonder if we will meet more Castor fellows or if they think four is enough for now. They certainly are causing as much trouble as all of the Leda women, although now they're down one.

Interesting, I think, that I did feel some sympathy for Seth and his plight despite the fact that he's absolutely and totally someone I would have steered clear of on the street and certainly would have been concerned about in a dark alley. More points for Millen.

I'm excited for Alison's plot line, I can't wait to see how much of an enormous mess this will make, because it is absolutely certain to go tits-up in one way or another. I'm imagining Alison getting arrested for possession and Art losing his ever-loving mind trying to protect her/Sarah/the legacy of Beth while holding off DYAD. Should be interesting, even with Donnie making me facepalm and cringe with his eternal neurotic suburban white dad-ness. Oh, I love them. I love them very much.

I hope Kira stays away for a very long time, because it will be stupendous to see Sarah essentially unleashed from the worry of protecting her daughter and fueled by the fire of wanting to get her back. She's free now to wreak a little more serious havoc, I think. She only has to really worry about her sisters now, and she's well aware that they can take care of themselves in different ways.

Anyone else think that Cosima is secretly experimenting with mixing up stem-cell cocktails from the frozen embryos Helena left behind and that's REALLY why she's doing better? There must be some reason they showed Kira pulling them out last week, and some reason why Cosima's being very obviously cagey about her improvement. From there, it may not be a far step from reviewing Duncan's notes and figuring out how to do a little cloning herself.
posted by angeline at 12:22 PM on April 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

... Helena left behind frozen embryos? How? Cosima has the lab equipment to mix up stem cell cocktails? Is that what was in that container Kira was looking at last week? Was that ever explained to us? I don't doubt it, I just wish they would slow down and explain some of this just a tiny bit more and a tiny bit better.

For me all of these type of shows (long-form drama/action/comedy/mystery/sci-fi) have one element I like and the rest is filler stuffed around it and in this show it's Helena. "Silence, insect!"
posted by bleep at 12:26 PM on April 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

Helena escaped from the Prolethean compound with the canister we saw Kira pull out last week (which I assume was embryos, since we know Henrik was mixing those up and implanting them in Gracie and Helena, he must have had leftovers) - in the season 2 finale we saw Helena get the container out and set it on the floor in Felix's apartment (I think that's where she left it at least, maybe in the hallway) right before she went outside and got captured. Cosima is the one who would have been able to identify what it was, and since we know now she's certainly not above keeping secrets from her sisters, I would not at all be surprised to know she quietly tucked it away. And from the looks of this episode, she still has full access to her entire lab at DYAD, she might well have all the equipment she needs.

(tell me more about these mangoes)
posted by angeline at 12:32 PM on April 26, 2015

Best quote of the episode: fist me, fist me!

When Helena refused to believe Sarah would sell her out, I think I cheered.
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 12:34 PM on April 26, 2015 [2 favorites]

I like Cal but I do hope he's off with Kira for a while. Kira's a bit of a weak link for me (both in terms of the part and the actress). There are only so many times I can see Kira being used as a hostage before I'm bored.

I have to agree with this. Kira was set up as being key to the proceedings, but the character seems to be on-hold now. Hopefully she and Cal are on a long vacation for awhile.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:10 PM on April 26, 2015

I think this show is becoming a little too messy so it's good to hear there was a bit of decluttering this episode.
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:17 PM on April 26, 2015

Ari Millen is in the very tough position of being judged against Tatiana Maslany for his ability to portray clones. I wouldn't want to be compared to her for that; she's too freaking good at it.
posted by amro at 3:25 PM on April 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

She is also given a lot more to work with. Her characters are written as separate, interesting people. The clone guys are just one creepy crazy guy. There's not much anyone can do with creepy crazy guy.
posted by bleep at 3:46 PM on April 26, 2015 [3 favorites]

"I wouldn't want to be compared to her for that; she's too freaking good at it."

Haha, we've been saying how great she is over and over, so finally I decided to compare the Sarah-face to the Alison-face...and try it myself. You can totally channel your inner Alison, folks! Move your lips forward, like a slight duck face, then widen your eyes and project your chin out a bit. Do you feel it yet?
posted by travelwithcats at 5:46 PM on April 26, 2015 [4 favorites]

I think Ari Millen is doing a fine job, esp. considering the framing. I have a pretty firm sense of who Mark is because we spent a lot of time with him back at the farm. The others, it's more difficult. I wish we'd got to meet the Castor clones in their native habitat. If we'd seen them at the military base or in a more natural setting instead of the zoom zoom zoom of getting them set up like a chessboard. Similarly, we got to know Sarah and Allison and Cosima in their own worlds to help us triangulate exactly who they are.

I suspect the writers are doing this on purpose. Helena was similarly displaced in S1 and she was dangerous because we knew so little about her. The Castor clones are also scary because we know very little, which ratchets up the danger, but I'd feel for them a bit more if we had a little more of a tether on them. That said, RIP Creepy Mustache Clone.

Dr. Coady bears a bit of a physical resemblance to Mrs. S. I keep wondering if they're related.

I liked Donnie's manly handshake. Stones, man. And I think Allison could out-Botwin Nancy Botwin any day.

And seriously, where is Krystal? She was in the preview. Why is no one looking for her?

And where are these mangoes?
posted by mochapickle at 8:02 PM on April 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

it will be stupendous to see Sarah essentially unleashed from the worry of protecting her daughter and fueled by the fire of wanting to get her back. She's free now to wreak a little more serious havoc, I think. She only has to really worry about her sisters now, and she's well aware that they can take care of themselves in different ways.

YES! And also, Cal's paternal role means we have someone else reliable (I hope!) who can take care of Kira, which ALSO means Felix & Mrs S are freed up to be in on whatever intrigue/ass-kicking is in store. I personally can never have too much Felix & Mrs S.

Contrary to some of you I guess, though, I adore Kira. Love how she has some of the mannerisms and expressions of her mom and aunties (like the way she says "mm-hmm" in assent). And her interactions and chemistry with each of the seestras is just so freaking cute!
posted by torticat at 9:28 PM on April 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

Holy cow could the syllogism test evoke Blade Runner any harder?
posted by immlass at 9:31 PM on April 26, 2015 [9 favorites]

I'm still jarred by the inability to binge watch, so I'm not sure if I'm a little jarred by the way things are progressing too, or if it's just shifted viewing habits.

At the very least, I liked a lot of the scenes in this episode even if I'm not feeling secure about where it's headed. I could've done without so explicit a water-boarding scene with Helena coming so close on the heels of the scene at the start with the Castor clones getting rapey.

That said, Alison going fem!Walter White is a one-way ticket to disaster that I am thoroughly up for.
posted by sparkletone at 12:21 AM on April 27, 2015 [1 favorite]

I see Allison as more Weeds than Breaking Bad.
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 7:45 AM on April 27, 2015 [3 favorites]

Yeah I definitely see Allison sauntering around her own high-class marijuana coffee shop with a giant iced coffee.
posted by bleep at 9:30 AM on April 27, 2015

"I could beat her like a French meringue."
"Fist me!"
"I would like to see these mangoes."

I really love how this show manages to keep some heart, joy, and humor among all the dark, depressing, scary, bleak stuff. Unlike some other shows I could name, which I won't, because it's pretty much all other current wildly successful hourlong cable dramas.

So this season's episode titles are apparently coming from Eisenhower's 1961 farewell address. I wonder what we are to make of that?
posted by rhiannonstone at 1:05 PM on April 27, 2015 [2 favorites]

I see Allison as more Weeds than Breaking Bad.

I've only seen the first 2-3 seasons of Weeds and I get why one might go there but given the way Orphan Black is so frequently plotted as a series of escalating (and frequently violent) "OH MY GOD" moments... I think BB is the better parallel, even though I don't think Alison suffers from the same level of egomaniacal self-delusion as Walt. This is going to go horribly wrong in a way and at a time Weeds would never (from what I've seen) go for.
posted by sparkletone at 10:04 PM on April 27, 2015

"Don't doubt our stones. We have ample stones."

Priceless!
posted by pjern at 6:29 AM on April 28, 2015 [1 favorite]

So this season's episode titles are apparently coming from Eisenhower's 1961 farewell address. I wonder what we are to make of that?

"Unwarranted influence" and "misplaced power" of the "military-industrial complex" in the form of Castor and the Castor clones?
posted by JiBB at 5:03 PM on April 28, 2015

So this season's episode titles are apparently coming from Eisenhower's 1961 farewell address. I wonder what we are to make of that?

Wow. Nice catch. I was wondering about the titles, myself. If I recall correctly, the show has always had pretty enigmatic titles.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:49 PM on April 29, 2015 [1 favorite]

The episode titles for the first season were all from Darwin's On the Origin of Species. The second season titles were from various works of Sir Francis Bacon.
posted by plastic_animals at 5:06 PM on April 29, 2015

From the random thoughts while driving to work department... it occurred to me that the glitching, whether intentional or a side effect, is a clever way for the OB creators to deal with the Castor story arc in terms of the audience reception of the clones. Viewers don't like the male clones? Glitch them all away. Viewers like them? They find a cure!
posted by plastic_animals at 9:25 AM on April 30, 2015 [3 favorites]

Plastic_animals, while that makes a lot of sense, I am pretty sure I read somewhere that the entire story arc of the series has been mapped out since the beginning. Not that they couldn't change it up anyway.
posted by amro at 4:49 PM on April 30, 2015 [1 favorite]

Tatiana Maslany Is Every Emoji on “Orphan Black”
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:32 PM on May 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

This episode made me really think of how much I actually like them coming up with two serious long term choices for romance for Sarah - usually one character is flagged as "this is the one". But Paul and Cal both love her very deeply - I thought they were taking that off the table, but it turns out it was just buried. And I love how they're not the same guy at all - Cal has more to offer long term, but Paul is a better choice in the short term. They each are unique and hold unique value, which is so rare when they put triangles in.
posted by corb at 2:30 PM on March 23, 2016