Orphan Black 1.4: Roots Do Matter

This week, Orphan Black proved itself as excellent mystery and suspense television that can knot up the mystery twice as fast as it can unravel it. The homicidal clone impersonates the clone Sarah’s impersonating, and another clone impersonates Sarah. Sarah, as Beth and herself, lets the murdering clone get away. What!

Sarah is doing a slow 180. She’s still got street swagger, but she’s making some serious life choices to make it better, and not just for herself.  Guess having an extended duplicated family changes things up. We know Sarah is special, we’re also realizing that somehow there’s no record of her. All odds on Mrs. S have something to do with that are on yes. Further explored are the notions of nature versus nature, and how “Effects of External Conditioning” can mold a person. Or clones, in this instance. Same people, different influences.

The  killer has done a little B&E and is sewing her rebar’d self up in a stranger’s home. The scars on her back form wings that have been precisely, if harshly, carved into her skin. While doctoring herself, she practices Sarah’s voice repeatedly. If that’s not scary, when a little boy happens in on her and she takes his hand is. Buckle up. It’s another twist-filled day in Cloneville.

Sarah returns the money to Alison, owning that she was going to take it and run, but protecting themselves and their children has become more important. Alison is taken aback, but is more surprised that Kira is Sarah’s biological daughter. This keeps Alison involved; keeping her adopted kids safe is priority number one.  I’m willing to lay bets that every other clone is unable to bear children.

Sarah, now at Fee’s, has shown the killer’s blade to Cosima whose research reveals its imagery is symbolic and a fusion of old and new. Fee, as usual, provides brilliant comic relief ; beautifully, he’s also what keeps the show grounded.

Felix: Deal? I’m beginning to realize crazy is genetic.
Cosima: Well, yeah, bad brain chemistry can be genetic, but environment, that’s individual. Right. I mean, that’s the whole nature-nurture question right there.
Felix: Okay, let’s talk nature. Out of nine so far, one’s a psycho who killed four others, one committed suicide, one is a bloody soccer mom, and then there’s you [Cosima]. My crazy sister is sane by comparison.

Amidst Cosima’s ramblings, Sarah gets a call from Art, and ends up at the house the new clone was at. Thankfully little boy who witnessed the blonde’s bloody mess is safe, and calls her  the ‘angry angel,’ an apt description if ever there was one. What she left behind tells Art there’s military training; Godly and militaristic, this will end well. The boy points at Sarah when asked what the angry angel looked like, surprise! Everyone now knows the killer is female. And the child has one more thing, a kid’s fortune teller game given to him from the blonde. This game is an impressively large clue to the killer’s whereabouts.

Afterward, Sarah and Art head directly to the police station, where Sarah gets a call from the angry angel who finally gives a name: Helena. Of course, Sarah shares none of this with Art. At the same time, the cops have figured out what the game means, and it’s the addresses Helena’s been to, plus where she’s possibly living. When Art and Sarah arrive at the address, a thematically appropriate old abandoned church, Helena’s definitely been there. Squatter headquarters is freak central, filled with more religious and stick figure scrawlings. While the detectives are there, Helena is at the station, pretending to be Sarah, leaving things in more of a mess, including telling Paul that she’s (Beth’s) been beat up: “please come get me out of here.”

Sarah, on top of cop acting and trying to stay a step ahead, has an appointment with Mrs. S to see Kira that evening. But it’s clear that this case isn’t going to give her the time. Panicked, Sarah calls Fee and gets him to ask Alison to play her for a day. Fee’s reaction is pretty much spot on.

Alison, convinced to meet with Kira, fools Mrs. S, but Kira knows straight away it’s not her mum. Alison, using her mad parental skills, explains things to her, asking for her help in keeping the secret. Kira dutifully agrees, and the secret is safe. For now.

When Sarah returns to the precinct, she gets a surprise visit. Paul forcefully, bordering on abusive, tries to get Sarah/Beth to leave. Sarah takes him outside to work things out, and really, there is so much wrong going on with what Sarah is doing to Paul, and with Paul’s aggressiveness. I can’t stand the guy. After Paul leaves, Cosima calls, informing Sarah that Helena and Maggie Chen are connected. The back of Chen’s neck is branded with the same image that’s carved on Helena’s knife hilt. Woah. Back inside, Sarah gets her second call from Helena, who sends a “gift,” an address for Sarah and  a video email. In the video, Helena, pretending to be Beth, ‘confesses’ she killed Chen on purpose in. If anyone gets their hands on that…

Meanwhile, Sarah goes to the address Helena gave her, and Art, realizing Sarah should know the difference between male and female body types, searches Beth’s desk and isn’t far behind. What Art’s figured out, however, is that the address is Chen’s old apartment. Where Beth has no place being.

Sarah, before entering the apartment, calls and leaves a message on Art’s phone, telling him who she really is, trusting him to be able to figure it all out. This will either prove brilliant, or stupendously idiotic. Sarah then enters and there’s Helena, ready to talk. Some questions are answered, some new cans are opened.

Helena, part of a larger group, has been killing the clones for Godly reasons.  Chen is one of the people who created them, but came to Helena’s side; it would seem the real Beth killed Chen to protect them. Helena also keeps insisting she can feel the connection and difference with Sarah, but has been told that she’s the original, special. Original or not, Helena is insane. Art arrives and Sarah, not knowing what else to do, makes Helena escape. Helena’s last, sad words are “you don’t feel it?”  Art, confused that Sarah is in the empty apartment of the woman she killed, takes Sarah back to the station, where Beth quits. Has Art not checked his voicemail?

Helena, near death anyway, is picked up by a man in a bowler hat who seems to have just been waiting for her. But, seeing as how he’s wearing a signet ring with the same fish from the knife and Chen’s neck, perhaps it isn’t so unusual after all.

Next week, Sarah finds out more about Paul. Alison has an argument with her husband and gets accosted by Vic. Alison, happily peripheral, is now getting involved in ways she couldn’t want less.

What the what?
1. Though it might never be explained, I think Beth’s suicide was created by having to kill Chen to keep the clones safe.
2. Helena: lives or dies?
3, Will Art become part of the Clone Club?
4. Does Sarah return to Beth’s job?
5. Why does Helena feel Sarah is, out of all of them, different?
6. Paul is a dick.
7.  Who is the original?

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