Orphan Black - Season Premiere “The Weight of This Combination” (Recap & Review)
(SPOILERS BELOW!!!)
You may remember that Helena was abducted and taken prisoner in the season two finale. Season three starts with Helena at her baby shower. It's a beautiful, warm day with a glowing Helena sitting next to Sarah, who is decked out in all leather. Kira joins them talking about the baby, monkey number two. This is such a surprising scene full of bright colors and joy. Cosima joins them and seems well. She tells Helena that she is all better, “thanks to science”. The viewer must be starting to catch on that something isn't right. Alison comes out of the house while Felix is preparing food in the background. Although we soon learn this was not real, this was a nice, lighthearted scene. It's a cross between their stereotypes and what Helena wants for them and/or how she sees them. Suddenly, although it is expected, the scene becomes dark and Helena is all alone. She looks down to see a scorpion coming out of her dress. Helena wakes and finds that she is locked inside a box. She sees the scorpion in the box with her. It asks if she remembers it and tells her that she is being tested again.
Next we find ourselves in a medical room overlooking the doctors who are removing the pencil from Rachel's eye. Ouch! Meanwhile Sarah, Felix, and Kira are sitting outside discussing what has been going on when Delphine suddenly pulls up. She takes Sarah to see one of the male clones. Delphine shows Sarah how they were able to capture him and tells her that he will not speak to anyone except her. Sarah agrees to speak with him, but it's a quick back-and-forth talk that provides them with little information about the other. She mentions his “brother” the Prolethean. He asks, “what's the wild one doing with Dyad?” She says she is not with them and that she only trusts her sisters. She warns him to stay away from her family. She leaves with his warning to “count your sisters.” Of course the audience knows he is talking about Helena.
Alison is keeping herself busy coaching the soccer team. It's really hard to pick my favorite clone, but Alison might be my favorite. I think it's her quick wit, her determination, and how she is funny without meaning to be. She is talking to Felix who is with Cosima and Kira. He tells her that Cosima is doing better. They talk about how Helena is still missing. Meanwhile Sarah and Delphine are talking about the solider clone and about Rachel. Delphine tells her that a man is coming to access the company and they can't let him find out what she did to Rachel. Sarah must pretend to be Rachel, but she does not want to do it. She says her priority is finding her sister. Flashback to Alison, clipboard in hand, as she is telling the children to get on the bus. The current School Trustee, Marci Coates, brings up the election. Alison plays it cool the whole time and then nonchalantly drops her idea of running against her in the election. Donnie comes up toting a box clearly full of his work possessions and tells her that he was fired. He's happy about it but tells her they took the company car back so she tells him to get on the bus. Yes, Alison is going to drive the bus. Donnie and Alison always provide comedic relief. I'm glad that they kept Donnie and that he is in on the secret now. They make a good pair.
Mrs. S. returns home, but is immediately suspicious as she thinks someone is in the house. She grabs a knife, but it's too late as one of the solider clones (hidden at first under a mask and hood) catches her slightly off guard. They tumble. He is stabbed in the leg, but he ultimately gets her down. He ties her to a chair so he can interrogate her. He asks about Professor Duncan and his research, but he is disappointed to find out that Dyad has his research. Mrs. S. continues to taunt him by saying he is not the sharpest knife in the box, but he kicks her over once again. Meanwhile the doctor is telling Delphine that it is too early to predict how bad of an impairment Rachel will have. They mention an incident in 2006 and Delphine says she is here so it won't happen again. Felix and Sarah find Mrs. S.. Felix says, “two bloody boy clones in one day, what do you think they want?” We seem to know what they want but not why they want it. Mrs. S. confesses that she made a “wartime decision” without asking and that she allowed them to take Helena. Sarah is furious. Mrs. S. pleads with her to not turn her back on her people. Sarah leaves saying, “you're not my people.”
Cosima is still watching Kira. She is describing an out-of-body type of dream to Kira. She was high above and could see everyone before she came back. I'm not sure if she is describing something that we will eventually discover can happen or if it is just a dream. Kira tells her she had to come back so Delphine can make her better with her stem cells. I am glad to see that Cosima is doing better. I expect that she will continue to struggle with her illness, but I really want her to survive. Delphine comes over, but to Cosima's chagrin she discovers it was really because she needs to see Sarah. Delphine tells Cosima that she is taking over some of Rachel's duties and that she won't be working with her for a while. It's clear that she has been avoiding Cosima and that it is hurting her as well. She tells her that she is keeping her promise to care for all of her sisters equally and that she cannot be in the relationship while also doing that. It's a sad moment for the two.
We are pulled from the sad scene of hearing Cosima crying in the background to the bright, clean kitchen of Alison and Donnie. They are talking about their mortgage, bills, and financial problems. He suggests that she go back to working at Bubbles with her mother. She says she would rather dig ditches before she would do that. She has another plan anyway...or another “bee in my bonnet” as she described it. She plans to run for School Trustee. It's another funny moment for the two as they begin their plan. “Marci's gotta go...for the kids,” Donnie starts. “Yes,” Alison adds in a tone that is somewhat sinister but definitely certain. They have a fun dynamic where they are able to have side stories that add humor and entertainment (like the play Alison was in last season). Yes, Alison is dealing with many companies and people who want to kill her sisters and her, but she also has time for a regular school election battle. Who says you can't have it all?
Felix has found Sarah and hopes to talk her into being rational. She doesn't want to abandon Helena as so many have done in the past. I don't want her to abandon her either. There's something special about Sarah and Helena's relationship. Delphine calls Sarah again and Sarah finally agrees to pretend to be Rachel but she wants her to help with Helena in return. Delphine tells Sarah that all she will have to do is to say hello and then excuse herself. Felix is helping Sarah pick out the most Rachel-like outfit. Meanwhile Scott is checking on Cosima. Her blood pressure and heartbeat are good. She shows him the book that Professor Duncan left her. This could be the key to unlocking some of their genetic sequences. (I bet this is one of the pieces of research that the solider clones want as well.) She surprised me a bit when she told him that they will keep it a secret from everyone, including her sisters, until they decipher it.
Then I feel like we get a short behind-the-scenes look of what it is like for Sarah to become Rachel. Felix is doing her makeup and putting on her wig. Each change turns her more into Rachel. It's a neat scene to get to see some of that transformation. Dressed as Rachel, Sarah, goes to the meeting with Delphine. This is a neat scene as well because now Tatiana who is Sarah and Rachel at different times must now play Sarah playing Rachel, but she must do it somewhat uncomfortably to make it seem a little off. It's good. Ferdinand, the man who is there conduct the security review, greets Rachel as they enter. He asks about her past monitor. She says it was Dr. Leekie's choice. She surprises the viewer and Delphine when she brings up the missing Helena. Delphine is quite upset about it. Ferdinand wants to question Sarah before he leaves. (They are still maintaining the ruse that she is being detained.) Now it's Tatiana's turn to play Alison playing Sarah. She plays it tough and acts annoyed by all the questions. It's a bit uncomfortable when he shoves his hand up her shirt. Rachel smacks Sarah in an effort to move along this uncomfortable situation and to get Ferdinand out of the room. Once in the hallway he instructs them to remove Sarah's ovary, but Delphine says it can't be done when she is ovulating. Ferdinand agrees to meet Rachel later that night.
The solider clone who is being held is seen exercising while his guards watch him. Meanwhile the sisters reconvene with a phone call to discuss the latest news. Donnie tells Alison to tell Sarah that she will not be doing that again. Of course we know this will not be the case as Alison waves him off. Delphine is there when Rachel wakes up. Wanting to know how bad her impairment is she asks her to say her name. Rachel has trouble making words, but is pressured to talk when Delphine presses on her injured eye. She is able to say her name, so Delphine presses for more information. She wants to know what's going on with her and Ferdinand.
If the viewers didn't guess it already, they didn't have to wait long to find out. Ferdinand comes to meet Rachel (still Sarah in disguise). He asks why she has been avoiding him. She tells him it's only for appearances. He brings up her monitor again. He is clearly upset that she was intimate with him. She starts to understand what this relationship is and takes advantage of it. She teases him but only so long until she brings up Helena again. He is flustered and tells her they are going to put all of them down once they have Sarah's ovaries. She discovers someone is headed to kill Alison now. She excuses herself. We see shadows creeping toward Alison's house while she is exercising. Sarah leaves a frantic message for Alison, but she doesn't hear it. Ferdinand comes to the bathroom and asks who she is talking to and asks what is going on. She will not get what she wants, a child, if she is having second thoughts. She manages to convince him that nothing is amiss and starts to seduce him once more. Playing the dominant role she throws him on the bed, whips him with his belt that she removed, and ties it around his neck. This seems natural to him and he asks if she remembered the safe word. (Will we get to know more about Rachel and Ferdinand's past and what led them to this point?) Just when it seems Sarah will not stop tightening the belt around his neck, Delphine charges into the room. She acts surprised to see them together and accuses him of being unprofessional. He is forced to call off the attack on Alison after being caught in this act. It's just in time as the assassin was waiting in the garage as Alison looked around.
Security guards take Ferdinand away leaving Delphine and Sarah alone. The shocking truth comes out. Sarah tells her that Rachel was going to eliminate the sisters and everyone they love. She tells Delphine that she should have told her about this because she only pretended to be Rachel so they would help her rescue Helena. Delphine tells her that she needs to stand down until they understand everything that is going on. I know Rachel is part of the “bad team” but I do like her. She has clearly had a hard life even though she was aware that she was a clone. She just wants a child. I hope that Rachel somehow redeems herself because I would like to see more from her.
Just as we started this episode we are brought back to the small box where the scorpion is with Helena. A woman tells someone that she has been in there for 48 hours and that he can go in now. The scorpion tells her, “Congratulations, you escaped the first box.” The crate opens and we see that it's one of the solider clones who is opening it. Then we quickly flash to the clone who was being held prisoner. The guard is still watching him and says to his partner who he assumes is walking down the stairs, “I swear this guy's from another world or something.” However, it's not his partner. It's the other solider clone. He kills the guard and goes inside. “Hello, brother.” Now he is free. I must admit that I need to start paying more attention to who each clone is in each scene. I recognize the difference in them, but it's not nearly as apparent as the differences between the sisters as of now. I look forward to their storyline and getting to know each of them better. I think it's an interesting twist to the show and will definitely lead to more questions and answers. I wonder what the larger reason is for them wanting Professor Duncan's research. Do they also have a flaw that makes them want to fix their genetic sequencing? Are they all bad or can they be redeemed at all? One thing is clear this season. Sarah and her sisters are sticking together and will be a force to reckon with so the Castor brothers, Rachel, and all other foes better get ready.
Review by: LBurden
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