Orphan Black - A Black Swan Event?

The "black swan theory" refers only to unexpected events of large
magnitude and consequence and their dominant role in history. Such
events, considered extreme outliers, collectively play vastly larger
roles than regular occurrences.

So, Sarah and Helena are off to find the "Swan Man" that was revealed to
be Ethan Duncan, father to Rachel Duncan and by all accounts the
progenitor of Project Leda.

As we have learned, Ethan Duncan along with his wife Susan, were thought
to have died in a lab explosion and fire that led to the destruction of
all the original materials connected to the clone project.

Ethan Duncan is not dead and I have a feeling when Sarah and Helena
catch up with him, Orphan Black will have a "Black Swan Event" the
magnitude of which may well change the narrative of this series.

As I noted above, a Black Swan Event is one of a serious and game
changing consequence.  The initial temblor of which is the fact that
Ethan Duncan is alive at all!

Why is this so significant?  Well for one it would have a serious
outcome for Rachel Duncan.  Her life was shaped by Aldous Leekie who
took her in after the Duncan's "died".  Rachel is a cold manipulative
and controlling person.  But as her childhood videos reveal, she was
once happy and loving child.  Did Leekie turn her into the clone we know
today?

More importantly, the fact that Ethan is still alive means all the
original materials were not lost, as Leekie proclaimed, because they
live on in the mind of Duncan.

 

Is there a greater significance to these revelations?  There is and it
has to to with where Duncan is hiding out.

The "Place of Screams."

As the episode concluded, Sarah and Helena were preparing to go on their
road trip in pursuit of Duncan.  Sarah pressed Helena as to where they
could find him and Helena came up with her "Screams" location.

Remember earlier in the episode when Art had Helena handcuffed and she
was going down memory lane to a place where the Nuns kept her in
"darkness"?  Helena confessed to Art that she basically "popped" the Nun
that treated her so harshly and now she is in the "dark."

Doesn't that door where the elder Duncan is pictured look a lot like a door that
would belong to a Convent?  How else would Helena recognize it unless
she was there?

Why would she call it the place of screams?

Self flagellation has a place in Christianity and more specifically in
the Catholic church.  It is known as "Mortification of the Flesh" and it
is meant to rid one's self of your sins and lead to sanctity through
penance.  A penance of pain meant to mimic Christ's suffering before the
Crucifixion.

It is important to remember that, Tomas, Helena's handler was a
practitioner of self flagellation and Helena's back is crisscrossed with
scars that no doubt came from flagellation either by her hand or the hand of
Tomas and the Convent.

No wonder Helena remembers that place as the "place of screams."

Here is where the "Black Swan Event" comes into play as a sea change for
Orphan Black.

What if the place where Helena knew so much pain, the place where Tomas
found his "religion" and the place where Duncan now resides is the
birthplace of of both the Dyad Institute and the Proletheans?

Yes, I'm saying the Proletheans with their wacky take on religion and their bizarre
spinoff (that now resides on Henrik's farm) may have originally come from
the repentant Ethan Duncan!

Here's my theory.

Grief stricken at the loss of his wife Susan, Ethan takes to the Convent
where Helena was raised and he starts a whole new movement out of the
guilt of creating the clones.   A movement presided over by Duncan and
carried out by Tomas and Helena to rid the world of his abomination!

The man that gave birth to the Dyad Institute (directly or indirectly) now runs an effort to rid
the world of his creation.  All wrapped in one neat location for Sarah
and Helena to discover.  Does he have anything to do with Henrik's
efforts and his "War for Creation?"

Maybe, or maybe not.  Henrik may have hijacked Ethan's work.  So Ethan
still may have fathered a new movement that he is partially responsible
for.  Something that is even more perverted than even Ethan intended.

Now do you see what I mean for a "Black Swan Event" for Orphan Black?  The man that gave "birth" to the clone evolution may well be the one that initiated the movement to counteract it.

Odds and Ends

"Fish Cult Freaks" 

Earlier, Felix had referred to the Proletheans as "Fish Cult Freaks."  Orphan Black has a way subtlety repeating it's thematic tropes.  Last time it was Helena being bound to Henrik in matrimony only to be followed later by Daniel binding Sarah in a similar fashion. 

After Felix and his "Fish/Freaks" comment we have Helena staring into a fish tank later to be followed by Helena gorging herself on some sardines.

 

Think Helena will have a run in with the Proletheans some day soon?

Head over heels with Felix

 

Did Felix have his moment in the sun or what?!!!  (Okay, he had two.)  To the accompaniment of Tears for Fears, Felix and Colin frolicked about the loft in an amazing sequence.  So fun! So hilarious!  Only Felix.

As wonderful as the previous moment was the next was horrifying.  Paul and the cops burst into the apartment and frame Felix for the murders of Daniel and Tom.

Poor Felix!

The Red Angel

Helena decided to leave a little artwork for Rachel and the others to peruse.  First was a self portrait replete with Helena's wild hair as the group entered.

Next was a family portrait that included Helena and what seems to be Sarah and Kira.  Very nice.

But, uh-oh, when Art and Sarah find Helena and Maggie Chen's secret lair we get a portrait of Helena and another child.  Is it Kira?  Did Helena once have designs on Kira?  Does she still?  Or are we to get another Black Swan Event for Helena?

This leads to the question, did Helena once have a child of her own?  Is that child now dead?  Have the repercussions from that event added to the trauma induced by the torture at the Convent lead to the Helena we know today?  Spooky.  This definitely deserves more scrutiny.

Speaking of spooky

Wow, the old fashioned ways sure can be tough on a girl.  Gracie had her lips sewn thanks to her little act of revenge on Helena and the secrets she is keeping.  You can add the threat to "carry" the child to term as told by Henrik's wife.  (I had theorized this in an email to the "C Word" Orphan Black podcast.)

I had also theorized that Mark and Gracie would make a lovely couple and possibly bring the child to term as the parents.  They are a cute together.

What did you say Leekie?

Did you catch the look on Delphine's face when Leekie told Cosima he was going to go around Rachel and restart the work for a cure?  Was Delphine excited for Cosima or she thrilled for herself?  I have a theory where Delphine is also a clone and is the last of her kind.  Does she suffer from the same affliction and will a cure benefit her also?

I get the distinct impression not everyone is going to walk off into the sunset, or should I say moonlight, together in this series.

What do all you monkeys, meatheads and leopards think?