Orphan Black 1.3: Variations Under Nature

Sarah is now face to face with two other copies: high strung Alison who gets the full on clone-slap for pointing a gun at Felix, and the more relaxed but brainiac version, Cosima. Oh, and there’s another clone alive and around and … not well.

Sarah gets the 411 on the Clone Club, first rule being “Don’t talk about Clone Club.” Except, Sarah has, with Felix. Too late, folks! She’d no idea she’d one twin in Beth, let alone six others – and possibly more.

We learn that Sarah was fostered out, never having known her real parents. She was adopted at age 8, and moved from London to the states around age 12. Alison is livid that there’s no more Beth. End result: they’re going to need to work together if they want to figure anything out.  All in all, the Clone Club knows about eight clones in total, with two out: Katja the German, and Beth the broken train jumper.  From what Alison and Cosima can tell, they’re being hunted and eradicated. Cosima wants Katja’s briefcase with the blood samples and birth certificates, that being the price of Sarah’s admission into the club. And, Sarah needs to go on being Beth. Which ends up having its own rewards and distinctly ugly problems.

So, Sarah keeps moving forward. She needs that money back from Art, and fast. Sarah-as-Beth gets reinstated and instantly goes on a possible homicide ride with Art. It’s brilliant watching Sarah, the not-cop, try to work around what she’s learned on the other side of the law while figuring out the rest as she goes. That homicide Art gets to take now active-duty Beth on? It’s Katja, where Sarah buried her, not realizing it was an active quarry.  A panicked Sarah calls Cosima and it’s down the rabbit hole we go; dead clones have the same fingerprints as living clones. And if Katja was sick, and Beth was going clinical, what could happen to the remaining? Getting the scientist the contents of that briefcase seems more and more important.

Sarah meets Cosima at a bar and learns that Katja had contacted Beth six months ago with some crazy tale that “her genetic identicals were being hunted in Europe.” Only it’s not so crazy because it’s happening stateside now, too. The questions looming are huge: who is the original of all the clones? Why were they made? Who is picking them off one by one? Why kill them anyway? Sarah agrees to remain Beth. For the time being.

The following day, Sarah goes back to Beth’s life at the precinct. An anonymous person calls into the precinct about Katja, Art and Beth’s Jane Doe. In an ominous, digitally altered voice, they are told “She was just one of a few. Unfit for family. Horse glue.” As well as the location of where Jane Doe was shot. Things are stacking up. Worse, Art’s got Beth scheduled for the shooting range. Sarah’s never shot a gun. Oh, and shocker, Sarah doesn’t know Beth’s work computer passwords. Enlisting the aid of the station’s IT guy, Raj, on the computer front, Sarah is able to ward off any fingerprint matching problems for a while.

Meanwhile Art investigates the caller’s clue, finding more details about the who and what of Jane Doe, discovering car tracks and motorcycle tracks. Sarah visits with Mrs. S, learning that if she doesn’t stay put, Kira goes to social services. That is the emotional drainpipe where Sarah is concerned. On the gun front, Cosima gets Alison to teach Sarah. Surprisingly, Beth had taught Alison in the first place.

Also, Alison divulges that her contribution to the club is the $75k Sarah scammed. It’s how they get information through less than legal means. We watch as Sarah goes through the birthing pangs of having a conscience as Alison admits to needing Sarah/Beth and hoping she won’t rob them and leave them waiting to be murdered.

In an entirely enjoyable aside, Sarah gets Felix to watch Alison’s kids while the two go shooting. The end result? A gloriously dressed up boy and girl. I cherish that scene. It upstages Alison OCD beautifully. Sarah takes Felix home as the two hash out some of the new bits of information, whereupon Paul visits again. He begins the seduction dance only to leave Sarah in a bit of a huff. It’s like watching a game of cat and mouse, only we’re not sure anymore who is the cat and who is the mouse.

At the precinct’s shooting range, Sarah does alright. Enough to (presumably) fool Art another day. While there, Sarah gets a call on the motorcycle tracks and the possible stolen bike it belongs to. And here, things get a bit more on the side of crazy.

At the apartment, Sarah finds a bible with another ID inside. They are certainly in the right place. Art gets shot at, surviving only because Sarah knocks him out of the way. A terrified Sarah gives chase to the shooter. The assailant gets the drop on Sarah, knocking her down from behind and attempting to kill her with a mysterious looking dagger. When the person says, in a familiar European voice, “Goodbye, Elizabeth Childs,” Sarah exclaims “I’m not Beth!” the attacker pauses, pulling down their hood. It’s another clone. One with frazzled, blond hair. And an even more fried brain.  While the new clone contemplates this, Sarah stabs her with rebar. This keeps Sarah alive another day, but somehow that blond clone gets away. Rebar and all.  We meet this new copy briefly as she pulls the rebar out from her side and we get a glimpse of what she – or someone else – has done to her body.

Next week, the blond gets involved. And makes things even more muddled. Didn’t think that could happen. I continue to be proven wrong.

What the what?
1. Paul. Sarah is into his… him, now. But still, what is his story?
2. What led Katja to Beth?
3. Has anyone noticed that, so far, Sarah is the only clone to have a biological daughter?
4. Is blond clone the one responsible for the murders? Or?
5. Seriously, high praise to Trevor Yuile for the music and opening sequence, as well as the soundtrack for each episode.
6. The entire Nature versus Nurture argument here is brilliant.

Orphan Black airs on BBC America on Saturdays, 9/8C

Related posts: