Written by Chris Roberts
Directed by Brett Sullivan
Airs Saturdays at 9pm EST on BBCA
This week, on Orphan Black: Helena is Jesse’s candy (girl), Scott joins CloneClub (almost), and Alison makes doilies and a friend (ish)
After the previous two episode’s pulse-pounding intensity and emotional rawness, “To Hound Nature in Her Wanderings” could easily feel slight. While we get action, it’s comparatively toned down, and for the most part, our heroes spend the episode peril-free. However, this episode works well as a breather, offering the audience an emotional respite before the undoubtedly charged push to the finale. Along with a few positive, adorable scenes between Sarah and Helena (whose time together this season has been fraught with drama, to say the very least), we see forward movement on each front, checking in with Alison, progressing Cosima’s treatment, and refocusing the central struggle on Leekie and the Neolutionists.
That final element is the episode’s most disappointing. Leekie did not work throughout season one as a Big Bad—he’s been far more effective this season as a nuanced figure, representing the conflict within the Dyad Institute while being genuinely interested in the well-being of the clones. Cosima’s promising treatment is a relief to viewers, though of course we’re still quite a ways from the finale and the tragic cliffhangers that could easily come with it. The revelation of the source of her donor match is significant—either Mrs. S (or someone she didn’t notice lurking around their house) turned over Kira’s baby teeth (is she old enough to have lost any of them anyways?), or another clone successfully gave birth. It’s hard to decide which avenue is more compelling, but either way, this is yet another intriguing twist in a season that’s been full of them.
As for Alison, her rapport with Vic (no longer the Dick) is surprisingly effective. If there was one character from season one this critic had no interest in seeing return, it was Vic. But Michael Mando works very well here, offering—along with the continued impact of Maggie Chen (and by extension, Beth Childs)—yet further ties to the pilot and reminding viewers of just how far we’ve come. This kinder, gentler Vic is a welcome presence, as is his connection to Angie, and his genuine concern for his recovery is the note that brings the performance together. We can believe that this is a changed Vic, so we can invest in him, even as he’s being pressured into betraying everyone’s favorite soccer mom.
Alison, in the meanwhile, looks to be coming to some level of understanding of her use of alcohol and pills to help manage her unbearable situation. The show’s layered portrayal of her struggles is appreciated; Alison had very good reasons to self-medicate, and she may not be an addict in the usual sense (we’ve only see her drink like this in a very short span of time and under very extreme conditions), but she’s clearly avoiding her problems. She hasn’t confronted Donnie about being her monitor—she’s not even said the M word to him. Hopefully she’ll process his betrayal and open an honest dialog with him soon; it’s hard to see Alison this lost.
Felix also gets some development this week, as we see him at his worst. Sarah may love her brother, but she does a pretty terrible job showing it and his anger with her is deserved. She’s taken him for granted since returning in the pilot and turning his life upside down; while Felix is instantly back on Team Clone after sobering up, his resentment towards Sarah is still there, locked away. It could easily come back by the end of the season if Sarah doesn’t reevaluate how she treats others, and Fee’s not the only one she should be concerned about. Sarah’s all but abandoned Alison in rehab (yes, she intends to help her upon her return, but Alison doesn’t know this and must feel forgotten) and this week, she also seems to leave Helena behind without a care.
Sarah and Helena’s early scenes camping and driving are absolutely lovely upon first viewing, and bittersweet upon rewatch. Helena really is a blank slate—there’s incredible potential within her, particularly if she could stay under Sarah’s guidance and influence, but thinking herself abandoned once again by the sister who killed her, she chooses the Proletheans and the promise of a family, however messed up. The bar scene is delightful, placing the simultaneously world-weary and innocent Helena in a new element. Her interaction with Carl is hilarious (more Helena Makes Animal Sounds—clearly she needs her own children’s show spinoff) and her flirtation with Jesse (the charming Patrick J. Adams) is incredibly sweet. These moments underline Helena’s need for connection without letting the audience forget the danger she represents. Both Helena and Alison have spent much of their lives being manipulated with or without their knowledge and the realization of this has left them both significantly damaged. It’s no coincidence they’re the two clones we see drinking to excess and resorting to violence.
Given her treatment of Felix, Helena, and even Alison, Sarah shouldn’t come out of this episode looking particularly great, but writer Chris Roberts surprises viewers by underlining Sarah’s main defining trait, besides her self-involvement: her compassion. While viewers are still reeling from Fee’s close call last week and Rachel’s willingness to ruin his life and condemn Cosima to a gruesome death, Sarah has compassion for her fellow clone. It’s remarkable. She sees past Rachel’s actions to the warped child that easily could have been her, just as she does with Helena. Sarah may not express her deep empathy frequently, but it’s there—hopefully she’ll open up to those she cares about before it’s too late. When she does, as she did last week to Helena, it’s incredibly powerful.
The person we do see Sarah reach out to this week is Cosima. Their phone call is touching, strengthening their bond and further highlighting this week’s parallels of Helena with Alison and Sarah with Cosima. Just as Helena and Alison spent years under the control of monitors, Sarah and Cosima have been mostly manipulation-free (to their and our knowledge). Cosima went into her relationship with Delphine with her eyes open and Delphine actually seems to care about Cosima, unlike the other monitors. Sarah it would appear has slid under the radar most of her life (though it was revealed last week that the Dyad Institute has tracked her well enough to know about Cal). Apparently the answer to a well-adjusted clone is one who’s allowed to live her own life—who’da thunk?
Though this critic is skeptical of the episode’s final twist, on the whole the closing sequence works very well. Mrs. S’s interaction with Paul implies that the show is aware of his lack of weight as a heavy—Mrs. S is way more badass than he is and it’s nice that no one pretends otherwise—and hopefully this reflects a new approach for the character. Their exchange also provides a needed dose of late-episode humor, balancing out Sarah and Dr. Duncan’s weighty conversation (“We’re real, Ethan. Cosima is… unlike anybody I’ve ever met. And she’s sick. We’re sick. Your little girls are dying.”—goosebumps!). Sarah and Mrs. S’s initial interaction may not ring completely true (it smacks of conflict for conflict’s sake), but this could be a product of the two ladies being too similar for their own good. Regardless, Sarah’s heart to heart with Ethan highlights the stakes this season has been building and provides focus as we move forward. With so many balls in the air, it will take a lot to bring the season’s disparate storylines together in the four short episodes remaining, but the Orphan Black team have proven that they’re up to the task.
Kate Kulzick