Orphan Black – The Mitigation of Competition

By: Alex Steele

This week’s “Orphan Black” put the “ultimate” in penultimate, setting the stage for what will be an explosive season finale next week. It seems as though they are slowly, but surely tying up some loose ends and answering the various questions the audience is asking right now. The title the episode The Mitigation of Competition is so accurate in that all members of the clone club – past and present, bad and good – came together with one goal in mind: to take down Evie Cho and her beloved, completely misguided Brightborn.

The episode opens with more visions as Rachel (Tatiana Maslany) has now started seeing snow, woods and a cabin in addition to that creepy old man. Still not convinced she’s glitching, Ira (Ari Millen) comes in just as the visions have subsided. It seems as though these are becoming quite the pair. He’s there to inform her of an interview Evie Cho (Jessalyn Wanlim) is currently giving in regards to her story and the background behind Brightborn and what she is trying to achieve. She’s convincing as Rachel even goes as far to admit how ingenious she is. Ok Rachel, slow your roll. It seems as though her government funding has come through which means they need to move fast. Luckily for them, Felix (Jordan Gavaris) and Sarah have just arrived. Felix, with all his snark, introduces himself to Ira (the Castor that favors slacks) while Sarah outwardly admits this is all a bad idea.

Elsewhere, we see a figure walking through the woods, snow as thick as ever. As the camera moves toward the figure, we reunite with our beloved Helena. She’s got this adorable revenant type look going on, with dead deer over her shoulder and everything. Back with Sarah, who is having a hard time trusting Rachel and vice versa (Do we blame them? They have both tried to kill the other at one point in time), Rachel is giving them all the information regarding Evie – gene therapy and its ability to change the child’s DNA. Questioning how it is Rachel intends to “get” Evie, she states her villainy is where they start. Rachel hands over files of two patients that have since fled Brightborn to Sarah, ensuring her fellow clone that they’ll be in touch. Oh the tension. And speaking of the devil that is Evie Cho, we land on her watching a video of a crying baby being euthanized and the reality of this situation hits the audience hard. She’s been sent this video as a threat and as she starts to worry, “Ian” encourages her to focus on her speech and that he’ll take care of it. Note the file is encrypted, can anyone say MK? The mood quickly changes to an elated Donnie (Kristian Bruun) getting out of prison and he can hardly contain himself when greeted by Alison, evidenced as he goes straight for the butt grab. Tatiana and Kristian are the epitome of comedic gold in the show and when the dramatic tension is high they offer such a reprieve with the iconic Hendrix banter. Lines like “Daddy needs his conjugal” is evidence enough for the audience to realize he’s got one thing on his mind. Alison doesn’t want any part of it though because all she wants is to reconnect with God. Also, the fact this scene is edited with a rap song it could not be more Alison and Donnie.

Back at Felix’s apartment, they are theorizing on where and how to find the two missing Brightborn patients. Art (Kevin Hanchard) is there for back up and when Felix leaves to meet with Adele (Lauren Hammersley) and the Hendrixes, it’s time for him and Sarah (Beth) to hit the trail. They’ve found the patients, but unfortunately when they arrive at the women’s shelter said to have housed them, one of them is dead. Interestingly though, Trina (from the Neolution club) is also there and when Sarah confronts her as Beth outside, Trina (Allie MacDonald) gives them a lead to track down the other patient. Talk about coincidence, Kendra (the other patient) seems to be hiding in the hometown of Evie Cho. Meanwhile, Cosima and Susan are in the middle of fertilizing the Leda egg with the Castor sperm. Tatiana Maslany has been so subtle as Cosima this season, beautifully portraying the increasingly dire nature of her illness. This week, she’s pale and frail; energy lacking. Susan notices and encourages her to take some time to rest, offering her the book of Dr. Moreau to read. During this time, Sarah had received a call from long-lost sestra Helena and her relief that she is okay is so intoxicating. If there is one thing so true about the Clone Club is that Sarah undeniably loves all sisters, with no boundaries. Helena ensures her sister that she is okay and she looks it. She’s got herself a woman-made tent and living space, and she kills her own food. Seems like the perfect lifestyle for Helena.

Art and Sarah have made their way to Tisdale – it’s dilapidated and nearly deserted – and when they arrive at Kendra’s its quite similar. As they search the house, they soon hear the cries of a baby and when they discover him in a crib they know the mother can’t be too far away. In fact, she’s hiding in the bathroom and jumps out at them holding a gun. They eventually get Kendra (Lisa Codrington) to put the gun down and convince her they are all on the same side. When this occurs, Kendra tells them she was not going to let them take her baby away. She hands over her phone, on it the video of the baby being euthanized, and as Art and Sarah watch as we feel their hearts break – none more so than Sarah. Tatiana Maslany is a force when it comes to these moments where minimal emotion is needed, but for maximal effect. It is now their job to keep Kendra safe, but with her reluctance Sarah calls upon Rachel to give her an update. Rachel isn’t happy with Sarah’s attempts to get Kendra on board and as a result sends Ira to put in to play their contingency plan.

Meanwhile, Adele has arrived at the Hendrix’s to go through the plan moving forward with Felix in tow just in case Alison and Donnie let slip about all things Clone Club. Unfortunately, they kind of do and as Adele starts to get suspicious, Felix does his best to contain the situation. Taking Adele back to his apartment, she questions him about Detective Duko (Gord Rand) and whether his family had anything to do with his disappearance. Just as Felix seems have successfully dodged the third degree, revenant Helena walks back in – oh the timing! This just makes Adele more pissed and more intrigued, not to mention more brazen when she locks them all inside the apartment. Adele and Helena have a heated stand-off, one so typical of Helena that it has us all in stitches. Her fierce loyalty made that much fiercer with the beaver hat. She leaves, after ensuring Felix is safe, to make the next stop on her “welcome home” tour. And luckily she did. Alison and Donnie are no longer being surveyed so they take the opportunity to pack their stuff and get away. Unfortunately, the ginger-haired paramedic has broken in and is holding Donnie at knife point and then proceeds to tie him up and ready Alison for bot implantation (an out of date, glitchy bot might I add). And just as Alison begins to pray to God, the door opens to reveal Helena with a bow and arrow. Yes, a bow and arrow. Can Tatiana Maslany as these characters be any more bad-ass? In typical Helena fashion, she shoots with precise accuracy, killing the assailant with one swift movement.

Sarah arrives back at the apartment angry and ready to lose it after suspecting Rachel of playing her. Ira initially doesn’t believe her, but it doesn’t take much convincing from Sarah to have the Castor clone questioning his newfound sister. However, the way in which this exchange is cut makes the audience believe this – that Rachel is in fact playing Ira and the rest of the clone club. Not to mention when we then see Rachel meeting with Evie Cho, discussing that she has the last patient in her custody and incriminating video, our stomachs drop. Could Rachel really be this cunning? As she continues, what she wants is a negotiation: she wants a seat at the table and with that the audience lets out a gasp of shock. Rachel did it again! But hang on, wait. Just as Evie signs off on the deal, we discover that Rachel has been recording the entire exchange and when I say exchange I mean Evie Cho admitting to euthanizing babies as well as the birth defects that have occurred. The plan? The recording is set to air all around the country as soon as Evie begins to make her speech, and it does. And oh the chaos. Oh the villainy. If there was ever a clone that you do not cross, it is Rachel. This plan even got congratulations from Sarah, which is rare.

After the success of bringing down Evie, Rachel is seen again experiencing mind-boggling visions, this time of the well-known Swan having been beheaded. Ira, with his perfect timing, asks Rachel what she saw. It isn’t a glitch she says, but it’s the island. There are people there and someone is trying to show her something. But what? We cut immediately to a beaten down shack, food on the stove and music in the background. It seems familiar, but we just can’t work out why. As the camera continues to move, a blonde wavy-haired figure is revealed. She is sitting at a desk, walkie-talkie nearby and laptop at the ready writing in a notebook. We near closer and just as we pass over the shoulder a hand touches it. But whose? More importantly, as the hand makes contact with the shoulder the blonde turns to reveal a profile we haven’t seen in so long. A face of beauty, a reminder of the heartache of Season Three. Yes, people, it is none other than Delphine Cormier (Evelyn Brochu). In the flesh. Alive. And the smirk she flashes just before the screen goes black is so ambiguous it could mean anything. Is she the one trying to contact Rachel through her eye? Is MK hacking into the technology to help Delphine? Is Delphine on the same island as Cosima? I’m going to end this review here because who know how long I could continue on. But one last thing, with the return of Helena and Delphine, the finale next week is sure to leave us all reaching for the whisky, tissues and treats.

Other key plot points:

• Evie has a bot in her cheek.
• Felix pushed Adele away for the safety of Clone Club.
• Helena is still very much pregnant.
• Cosima met Charlotte and showed increasing anger and disappointment in Susan as the episode went along.
• Donnie and Alison had sex – post prison, followed by Alison attempting to pray.