Orphan Black was the best show currently on television and why haven't you watched it yet?

[X-SOLDIER]

This week was a lot less emotionally draining for me, because there was enough levity for me to not feel relentlessly clawed down by it all like previous weeks. That said, I think it did have the most out-loud yelling bits from me:

Spoiler

• Vic the Dick working as a mole for what's-her-cop. Oh, FFS I just know she's gonna fuck everything up at the least opportune moment - especially because Alison is probably gonna get in even deeper shit when she starts going off about Aynsley. Also, I want Alison to punch Donnie in the junk once this is all over.
• Helena & Sarah was adorable and heartbreaking. It's funny that they seem more alike when they're together than any of the other clones do, which makes them seem more like sisters, which is insane, because Tatiana Maslany is ridiculously amazing.
• The Odd Couple of Felix & Art was hilarious.
• I still trust Delphine.
• Their old lab partner showing up was really rad, and I have a feeling that he's gonna be important in sharing things with Cosima that he shouldn't because that's what nerdy guys with unrequited crushes have a tendency to do in shows.
• Fuckin' Mrs. S. Shit God Damn. She shows up everywhere, and she's SO much better than Sarah at everything that Sarah tries to do, it's unreal.
• LEEKIE!!!! TRUST NO ONE!!!!

X

 

[Ⓐaron]

Spoiler

• Things are going to get worse for Alison before they get better. Poor woman.
• The whole Helena/Sarah dynamic was pretty depressing this episode too, because they clearly got to enjoying each other's company more than they ever had before and now shit is conspiring to drive a wedge between them again. Hopefully Helena at least finds out that Sarah tried to look after her after she got arrested.
• Felix and Art were indeed amazing.
• Yeah, I'm pretty sure Delphine will just do whatever is necessary to preserve Cosima's well-being.
• Yeah, he's cool. Hope he continues to have an important part.
• I still have no idea what Mrs. S.'s agenda is. She's a complete cipher to me. She is, however, unquestionably badass. You do not want to cross her.
• Right? I didn't see some of that coming. I mean I figured he couldn't be as reasonable as the last episode implied him to be but this is just... damn. Of course it remains to be seen how much we were told this episode is actually true. That's one thing about this show; you still can't know for sure if everything you've been told is true.
• That scene with Rachel's father was just heartbreaking on so many levels. His daughter, despite apparent his best efforts, turned out a complete sociopath; meanwhile, the other clones have suffered so much as a direct result of her actions and the whole thing must be ridiculously difficult for him to deal with.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Spoiler: I really like how this show portrays science.

Like, you have all of the TOTALLY immoral/unethical/fucked up things surrounding it, but it seems at the moment, like it's all because of people with their own twisted agendas, whereas the people DOING the actual science before it all got snagged into the momentum of everyone else are just left as the tortured souls that were trying to do things for the best reasons and ended up getting totally screwed by the people running the show.

I like this a lot in more recent media (like Rise of the Planet of the Apes), because it's getting away from the "science is evil" and moving towards the "science used by the wrong people is terrible, the science itself is not intrinsically good or evil"

X

 

[Ⓐaron]

Really good examination of this show's treatment of gender and the way people have reacted to it. No spoilers.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Really good examination of this show's treatment of gender and the way people have reacted to it. No spoilers.

That was pretty damn great. Also, just saying that for every Bucky Barnes, Rumplestiltskin, Spike, etc. dissection of male characters that I've seen, I've seen ones for Helena, Delphine, Rachel, & Sarah all OVER tumblr by Clone Club, so I think that representation of people in questionable roles plays a pretty big role in getting the sort of deep fan-centric analysis of a character's duality.



X

 

[Ⓐaron]

Yeah, Orphan Black is doing a great job of getting people to examine female characters in much further depth than people would be doing outside of this fandom. The problem is that, outside of this fandom, it's virtually non-existent.

Anyway I wrote a summary of the show for another board that people here might enjoy reading:

For those unfamiliar with the basic premise, it's a Canadian science fiction show running on BBC America. A First Episode Spoiler summary follows:

Spoiler

Sarah is a small-time con artist who sees a woman who looks exactly like her jump in front of a train. She takes the dead woman (Beth)'s belongings, which she had thoughtfully left behind, and makes plans to escape town with $75,000 and her daughter. However, it quickly becomes apparent that Beth killed herself because her life was a complete mess, and impersonating Beth brings with it more than Sarah bargained for. The end of the first episode has her meeting up with another identical woman, Katja, who is shot dead in Sarah's presence. It quickly becomes apparent that Sarah, Beth, and Katja are/were all clones, and someone is trying to kill them off. And there are other conspiracies that extend far deeper than one might suspect at first glance.

This show manages to be utterly engrossing on just about every level. The writing, effects, soundtrack, etc., are all top notch and thus far there hasn't been a single thing about the show that has taken me out of the world they've created. It also does a superb job subverting traditional gender tropes. Not only does the show pass the Bechdel test with flying colours (and most episodes fail the Reverse Bechdel) but it frequently subverts traditional expectations of females and femininity in ways that will no doubt appeal greatly to members of this message board.

The show also has a tightly plotted mystery arc that resembles what the writers of shows like The X-Files and Lost were trying to do, only with this show it's clear that the entire thing was plotted out from the beginning, and there is no excess fat. Each episode is filled with "holy shit" moments that make the wait for the next episode almost interminable, and the amount of dramatic tension the show manages to generate is almost excruciating at times.

The main reason to watch it, though, is Tatiana Maslany. While the entire ensemble cast is very good, Maslany is literally half of it. I don't mean she's on screen for half the time; I mean she plays literally half the parts. There are at least six major characters Maslany plays that are all clearly distinct human beings. They look different, they sound different, they talk differently, they act differently, they even walk differently. They also impersonate each other at multiple parts of the story's plot, and you believe completely that it's one character impersonating the other. As a commenter on tumblr said, "Sarah as Cosima doesn't even look like Cosima and I will never understand that because they are literally the same person". Maslany deserves Emmy awards for best actress, best supporting actress, and best ensemble and the entire SFX/makeup team deserves awards for making her interactions with herself as different characters seamless. It is, bar none, the greatest acting performance I have ever seen.

Orphan Black is the best thing currently on television (that I'm aware of, anyway) and you're doing yourself a grave disservice if you're not watching it. You can watch the whole thing on BBC America's website, so you really have no excuse.

I have only one small caveat: It may take you a few episodes to get into. It's a very plot-heavy show, and the first few episodes have to set up a lot of the background for the show before it can really start blowing your mind. Also, several of the characters start out rather unlikeable. Keep watching; they get better. Even murderous psycho Helena isn't what she seems at first.

If you want to use this in your OP that's fine

 

[HylianMogget]

I feel like I'm going to have to rewatch the last few episodes at some point, so much has been going on.

Spoiler

-I facepalmed when Helena went back with the Proletheans.
- I think I missed things from Sarah's conversation with Duncan. Why did Duncan and his people start cloning? I get that DYAD was a contractor that took control of the project, but was the military involved from the start?
- I'm glad Leekie has become a main antagonist again - he was way too nice last episode compared with how creepy he was in season one . How likely is it that he was lying about the original genome being lost? Or did he really just screw himself over with that lab fire.
- Mrs. S is awesome. Her motives are probably the most ambiguous out of all the characters', which is saying something.
- Delphine at least is doing shady stuff for Cosima's benefit; Cosima's inevitably gonna find out about the treatment, though. How were DYAD getting Kira's (assumedly) baby teeth, anyway? Mrs. S?

Things are going to get worse for Alison before they get better. Poor woman.

Yeah, things have just gone horribly for Alison this season and having Vic spying on her for Angie really isn't going to help.

His daughter, despite apparent his best efforts, turned out a complete sociopath; meanwhile, the other clones have suffered so much as a direct result of her actions and the whole thing must be ridiculously difficult for him to deal with.

It'll be interesting to see how Rachel reacts to all of this. Her situation sort of parallels Helena's, since it seems like it was probably the Neolutionists' upbringing that warped her. She may have something of a personal vendetta against Sarah at this point, but considering how she's so hung up on those videotapes of her parents, her loyalty to DYAD may not be absolute.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Tatiana Maslany is up for another Critic's Choice Award!



X

 

[Cabaret]

I was in love with Alison, now I'm in love with Helena

Spoiler

I worry I have a thing for psychos Ah screw it, I'd happily bed them both for an awesome threesome

 

[Ⓐaron]

This show never fails to deliver the goods. I definitely did not see most of this episode's events coming at all.

More comments later if I'm coherent enough.

 

[Ⓐaron]

A few thoughts before I bugger off to bed:

Spoiler

• Holy shit is Mrs. S. ever devious. I'm glad she's, at least for now, on Sarah and the other clones' side.
  
  
• Sarah impersonating Alison again was hilarious. So were Felix and the clones' attempts to keep Vic from contacting Angie.
  
  
• I get the impression that Ethan Duncan is faking his madness at least a bit. The fact that he knew exactly why he needed the red box, but didn't seem to want to let on to anyone but Mrs. S., is a pretty big clue there.
  
  
• I wonder more than a bit how much further Rachel's stoic façade is going to crack in upcoming episodes.
  
  
• The summaries for the upcoming episodes make me even more anxious to see them than usual.
  
  
• There was something else but I forgot. I'll edit it in/make another post if I remember.

 

[Ⓐaron]

Jesus, next week's trailer.

Also, article on Kathryn Alexandre, Tatiana Maslany's double in the scenes with two clones.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Forgot to comment on this 'cause I passed out right after watching it (hell of a weekend), but:

Spoiler

• The reveal with Donnie's side of the story was excellent and there was a tumblr post calling them, Mr. & Mrs. "Accidental Death" Hendrix, which I thought was pretty damn great.
• Feeling good knowing that Delphine was 100% going for Cosima's survival regardless of the cost to anyone else or measures needed.
• Sarah getting stuck in between people and really showing how separated all the clones are - especially with no Helena this week.
• Kira being a fucking badass.
• Mrs. S. waltzing in the enemy territory like she's bulletproof.
• Ethan Duncan playing up some of if not all of his crazy, and knowing that the rabbit hole goes FAR deeper than Leekie - like someone backhacking Cal & Rachel's final move.

I can't even imagine how things are gonna finish this season, because holy shit.



X

 

[Ⓐaron]

A few other observations (I don't think any of them was the one I forgot last night):

Spoiler

• Kira was definitely a highlight of this episode. I loved how nonchalant she was.
  
  
• Leekie's death was very karmic. He spent his life using people as pawns, and one of the people he used as pawns killed him. He's very lucky, though, that Donnie is the one who found him first. Donnie merely accidentally and instantly killed him. Alison would almost certainly have made him suffer first, judging from what she did to other people who harmed her family. Not to mention what she did to Donnie himself when she thought he was actually malicious.
  
  
• Spoiler: This superb picture

  

 

[Ⓐaron]

The preview of 2.08 has someone say

Spoiler

"You need to find Beth Childs"

. It remains to be seen what the circumstances are, but maybe the

Spoiler

Ballpit of Denial

isn't so far-fetched after all.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

The preview of 2.08 has someone say

Spoiler

"You need to find Beth Childs"

. It remains to be seen what the circumstances are, but maybe the

Spoiler

Ballpit of Denial

isn't so far-fetched after all.

True,

Spoiler: but...

there's all SORTS of ways about how this might happen like if it is a current or past event - especially given everything that we've been learning about Maggie Chen lately. I'm most worried about how late in the season we are and where Helena's currently off to, not to mention that the titles of the final two episodes makes me really nervous about what's in store for Helena & Cosima.

X

 

[Ⓐaron]

True,

Spoiler: but...

there's all SORTS of ways about how this might happen like if it is a current or past event - especially given everything that we've been learning about Maggie Chen lately. I'm most worried about how late in the season we are and where Helena's currently off to, not to mention that the titles of the final two episodes makes me really nervous about what's in store for Helena & Cosima.

X

Yeah, if there's anything we've learnt about this show, it's that no one's really safe.

Spoiler

I don't actually expect Helena to die after surviving getting impaled by rebar and being shot in the chest but the Proletheans can definitely make her life miserable. Cosima's survival might be the cliffhanger for season three.

The showrunners have lied about a character being dead before for nine whole months, though, so I wouldn't put it past them to have been doing it this whole time in Beth's case

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Yeah, if there's anything we've learnt about this show, it's that no one's really safe.

Spoiler

I don't actually expect Helena to die after surviving getting impaled by rebar and being shot in the chest but the Proletheans can definitely make her life miserable. Cosima's survival might be the cliffhanger for season three.

The showrunners have lied about a character being dead before for nine whole months, though, so I wouldn't put it past them to have been doing it this whole time in Beth's case

Spoiler

I'm worried about Cosima being overly paranoid about Dyad, and not trusting Delphine enough to get help. Helena I'm more worried about the sorts of terrifyingly fucked up scenarios that she could get manipulated into.

True, but Helena's survival was all based on her mirrored anatomy and general badassery. If Beth's alive, there'd be another clone who had stolen Rachel's identity and died on the tracks with all her stuff right as Rachel vanished (since we did see her in the morgue, and Felix had her body cremated). If anything, to me, it feels like setting up a trail of breadcrumbs to find out more about the clones that Helena offed in Europe.

X

 

[Ⓐaron]

Spoiler

I'm worried about Cosima being overly paranoid about Dyad, and not trusting Delphine enough to get help. Helena I'm more worried about the sorts of terrifyingly fucked up scenarios that she could get manipulated into.

Yeah, both of those are quite realistic. Helena is still quite childlike in many respects despite being so hardened in others, and she is really quite naïve in many ways. Cosima almost has the opposite problem, being utterly paranoid to an extent that possibly isn't justified even in Orphan Black's setting.

True, but Helena's survival was all based on her mirrored anatomy and general badassery.

Yeah, true, if she hadn't been a mirror twin it's difficult to say if she could have survived. I'm convinced she has plot armour for the time being though because her arc doesn't seem to be finished.

If Beth's alive, there'd be another clone who had stolen Rachel's identity and died on the tracks with all her stuff right as Rachel vanished (since we did see her in the morgue, and Felix had her body cremated). If anything, to me, it feels like setting up a trail of breadcrumbs to find out more about the clones that Helena offed in Europe.

That last part could be possible, too. Do you mean Rachel there, though? I thought Rachel didn't appear until near the end of the first season.

Also I just want to point out this brilliant prediction from February. The fact that people were observant enough to figure that out months before it became official canon just proves (a) how brilliant the showrunners are to drop those hints and (b) how brilliant the fans are to figure them out.

Also, also, I suspect Alison is going to take the revelations of last episode quite badly. I also suspect the problem of Vic hasn't been permanently neutralised

Also, also, too, why is virtually no one here watching this show?

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Pretty sure that Lex is waiting for the season to close out to marathon it. Aside from that, I just keep making everyone I know watch it, because there're FAR too few people actively watching the show.




X

 

[Tetsujin]

I just got done watching all the season two episodes so far in a single session.


...I need to rest. x.x

 

[Ⓐaron]

I feel like doing a binge rewatch of the entire series to date, but I probably won't have time for the next few weeks

 

[Ⓐaron]

TV's Most Important Political Debate Is Happening Right Now on Orphan Black

Contains spoilers.

 

[Ⓐaron]

Also I changed the thrad title to something more descriptive.

 

[Carlie]

You rang?

While I kept track of the episodes I can't watch the show on t.v. so I was looking for a good torrent file but thepiratebay is being all derp. Aaron was very kind to inform me that they were free on amazon prime.