Hey, guess what? This is a recap! That means there are spoilers. Huge, gargantuan, game-changing spoilers about the finale of Orphan Black. Don’t read on if you’ve yet to watch the season two finale, ya silly nincompoops!
For every action there’s a reaction. For every negative, a positive. The yin and yang, the opposites of each other. Dark light, good, bad, girl, boy. Yes, that’s right: there’s a brotherhood we never knew existed but may have always thought as much: Orphan Black‘s season finally just changed everything on us, Clone Club.
To say we were reeling after this episode would be an understatement. Overcome would be putting it mildly. Though we all sort of knew a mega twist was coming — a deepening of the mystery behind the sestrahood like no other we’ve ever seen before — nothing could’ve prepared us for the reveal that not only are their a contingency of male clones running around in the world out there: we’ve known one the whole season long. Mark the Prolethean is one of a few, too, and it’s ripped open everything we thought we knew and blown the goddamn hinges off.
The clone experiment is now bigger than DYAD, it’s bigger than Rachel, and it’s bigger than our once-tiny little Clone Club. Project Leda’s brother arm, the appropriately named Project Castor, has revealed itself to be the series’ next great mystery, in addition to figuring out just what the hell Topside is: Orphan Black you goddamn beautiful beast: you’ve done it again.
There are so many things to talk about in this episode: Rachel’s lost an eye and maybe her life; Ethan Duncan’s dead; there’s a baby clone and her name is Charlotte; Delphine has been shipped off to Frankfurt; and Paul has returned …with a force. And that’s to say nothing of Cosima and Scott’s evil genius and the epic 4-clone-ing around dance scene.
But all we want to do is talk about Mark.
To have the highly unsettling Ari Millen join the series as the male version of the clone experiment, effectively changing everything, was a bold and downright inspired choice. The actor has shown a quiet but gifted restraint all season — he’s always looked to be holding onto more just below the surface. Does he know that he’s a clone? Is he for or against the movement (for real)? And now with Gracie as his wife — carrying Helena’s clone babies — will all the shadow-y powers-that-be want him more than his sestras?
Because let’s be real: the female clones cannot reproduce — do we know if the males can or cannot? And it’s not all that hard to see how far more valuable an army of male clones might be… particularly to the government, which seems to have had a hand in this whole thing, at least in the beginning. Does it still, now? How much do the male clones know? Will they be as willing to fight as the ladies? And just who has their best interests at heart? Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?
More than answers, the episode left us with questions. So many questions we’re dying to dissect. So instead of doing a play-by-play of the action (which would frankly just pale in comparison on so many levels), we’ve instead decided to lay out our questions for open discussion in the comments and on Twitter (we’ll chime in when we can — we’re currently in New Mexico on a set visit).
So without further ado — our speculation smorgasbord.
– Do we think we’ll see more of the creepy Dr. Nealon?
– Will we ever see Delphine again?
– Why did Helena lie to Art and Felix about setting fire to the Proletheans, you think?
– Will we EVER see Jesse again?
– And while we’re on the topic of Helena: WHERE HAS THE GOVERNMENT TAKEN HER?
– And WHY was Mrs. S so complicit in this?
– “Sarah will never forgive me.” YEAH but what, exactly did you do?!
– She asked Paul to play “double agent” again: so he’s on the side of the government… and who else?
– Anyone else totally obsessed with Cosima’s little eye-gouging science trick?
– And we’re officially in like with Scott for being such a proponent of the clone club’s.
– WHAT IS TOPSIDE?
– Interesting: turns out DYAD is one, of a few, with no family, too (as Topside is some shadow org).
– Irony?
– WE LOVED THE CLONE DANCING.
– Internet give us a GIF of that clone dancing IMMEDIATELY TOUT DE SUITE.
– With the science in Cosima’s hands, we’re hopeful for the clone’s genetic futures — aren’t you?
– Will Cosima last the hiatus?! We need to save Cosima!
What did you think of the season two finale? Anyone else feel as though they need a sedative? Let’s discuss all that and more in the comments (and/or on Twitter)!
Based on the Greek myth Leda was the mother seduced by Zeus in the guise of a swan and Leda gave birth to two sets of twins, Pollux and Castor and Helen of Troy and Clytebilderbergn the Greek myth Leda was the mother seduced by Zeus in the guise of a swan and Leda gave birth to two sets of twins, Pollux and Castor and Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. It was obvious there was a military hand in this ever since we saw that photo which proves Mrs. S was involved in the project (as given to Sarah by her birth mother). I would say it was probably the CIA involved as Orphan Black is pulling in real life CIA government back experiments like MK-ULTRA. But going back to the Greek myth, if Orphan Black are pulling on these references directly it would mean Project Leda were supposed to be the mothers to Project Castor, my guess to develop a master race, or force the next evolution for military gains. It may also explain Kira’s special powers – you missed Kira bringing Cosima back to life in the finale!
The above may explain why Dr Leeky (or however you spell his name) killed Duncan and his wife, because they prevented Project Leda’s products from being able to have children, and that was always the point.
There are more questions that are unanswered though, like didn’t they mention that Project Leda goes back to 1910 or something? (They said so in the church when Sarah was looking for Duncan)
But to answer your questions (or one of them) Topside is a linking organisation, to separate the multi-nationals connections to the military and DYAD. But why? Is it the Bilderberg group trying to control the route of human evolution?
Great article BTW
Sorry, for some reason the website seems to have screwed up what I wrote a bit and repeated the start… not sure why…
Thank you, everyone else argues with me that (I agree) Kira brought Cosima back!!! We already knew she was “special” after being hit and healing immediately, as well as knowing the cops were coming when she and Cal were in the camper and she put on the gas mask and pretended to be dressing up like “her halloween costume”… So happy someone else thinks / realized this HUGE moment. 🙂
Where did you get that Ari is a clone??? Did I miss something that important?
I’m still trying to wrap my brain around this episode. So many great scenes, so many great lines, i.e., “I’m so happy to see you I’m going to eat your finger.” 4 clones dancing, all kinds of unanswered questions…. and no confirmation yet about a season 3. Argh. If you are in Albuquerque (my hometown), don’t forget to stop by Sadie’s or El Pinto for the best food in town, and the cinnamon buns at the Frontier restaurant near the university. Trust me on this. 🙂
I hope we get to see both Jesse and Tony again. On that topic, another question. Why did no one come across Jesse’s hat in the hallway after Helena got kidnapped?
When Mrs. S (who has known all along. We only have to go as far into the series as season 1 episode 2 to see that), said “Sarah will never forgive me” I think she was referring to the shipping off of Helena (which she surely had a hand in)
Do we think Paul was a double monitor? Monitoring Mark’s military brother (who’s name wouldn’t be Mark), and Beth/Sarah