Orphan Black - Human Raw Material

"Human Raw Material" proved to be another terrific entry into the pantheon of Orphan Black episodes.  It provided the usual pathos, tension and spot on comedy that has made it must watch TV.

I checked to see if director David Wellington and writer Kate Melville have contributed to OB before and they had not.  Which makes it all the more amazing their work fits so seamlessly into the Orphan Black orbit.

Such a great show.

As we left OB from our last episode, the Clone Club was making ready its effort to penetrate "Brightborn" a subsidiary of the Dyad Institute and led by one Evie Cho.  What we didn't realize was that it would be a double edged effort.

Aside from Cosima and Donnie getting inside we also had a surprise visit from Krystal Goderitch.  It seems Krystal, she of the voice "like a can opener" has been training hard for her return match against Dyad and its Castor clones.  She's been taking out her anger against her trainer and is ready to take it to the next level complete with visions of clicking eyelid teeth.

Okay, Krystal may not be the sharpest appliance in the kitchen but she's on the right track.  Her efforts may be half baked but her digging may yield valuable results.

Her eventual run in with Donnie was hysterical and it snapped him out of his fatherly reverie and moved him to resorting to an emergency bodily function just to excuse himself.

Cosima proceeded down her own avenue which led her to a run in with Susan Duncan.  Cosima's adventure was rife with tension as her condition already puts her in a vulnerable position.  She's a fan favorite and no one wants her to be sick.  Even worse would be the prospect of being capurted by Topside and forced to act aganst her will.

Cosima's stunning discovery of the malformed newborn forced Susan Duncan and Cosima to drop all pretense and lay their cards on the table.  What was to follow was an exchange of philosphies and ethics that divide the two parties.

Duncan tried to take the high ground by reasoning "No one gives permission to be born" and all her efforts were for the higher calling of science by creating and I'm paraphrasing here, "a beautiful baseline to unlock the mysteries of the human genome."  Her appeal to Cosima was salted with the rank crudities such as the device in Sarah, and the brutish techniques she has witnessed that day.  If only she could be allowed access to the original genome and this house of horrors could be avoided!

Cosima saw right through her device.

"We're not giving you Kendal so you can make more lab rats."

Courageous words from Cosima considering her location in the enemy camp.  Duncan could have easily held her hostage for Kendal and we didn't exactly see Cosima leave Brightborn.  But Duncan seemed to be appealing to Cosima's science side (despite her house of horror ethics) and she dangled the prospect of a cure if they would just unite their efforts.

Last week I outlined a scenario where the Neolutionists and the Clone Club were pursuing separate efforts to affect a cure.  Susan's appeal must be pretty tempting to Cosima as it would mean an end to the mad science Duncan is practicing and a possible cure.  I have the feeling Susan let Cosima go because she feels she holds all the cards especially the aforementioned cure.

No doubt Cosima will do her best to resist this temptation and report back to Sarah and the rest.  This makes it all the more important for the Clone Club to rescue Rachel and keep Duncan for employing the "brutish techniques" that would mean the end of Charlotte.

I had also posited that Rachel's rescue would be affected by either Ferdinand or perhaps the new free agent and wild card of Helena.

But now that we have new information I have a new angle on my theory.

Yeah baby, Susan has a boy toy.

Duncan has a lot of leverage working against the Clone Club but Ira represents a huge weakness.  A weakness that can be exploited.

And who will do this dirty work?

Remember when I said Krystal's ideas may be half baked but may yield valuable results?  This is what I meant.  Krystal has seen Ira now and she is horrified.  The Neos would have been better served to keep her captive but I think the ruckus led them to kick her out the door as soon as possible.

Krystal is revenge driven (plus she's been working out!) and I have no doubt she will be shadowing Ira and, wait for it, kidnap him!

To what end even she doesn't know.  Half-baked right?  But this little bit of information will reach the Clone Club to help level the playing field.   No doubt Ferdinand will become part of this and perhaps suggest a trade for Rachel.  Susan will be irate and probably hold Rachel and or Charlotte as a counter hostage.

Man, this will up the ante all around.  Perhaps Helena will still try to grab Rachel and Charlotte but either way....

Krystal is going to grab Ira.

Sarah's Schisms

Sarah has quite the story of her own working out and it is rapidly spinning out of control.  I call it, "Sarah's schisms."  Let's take a look.

Art

Art is in a panic and he is taking it out on Sarah.  Duko (Yes, still alive.  Beth didn't kill him) is leaning on him with information that ties the Hendricks to the Pouchy murders and all the drugs.  This is bad for Alison and Donnie yes but the schism is with Sarah.

Art has a soft spot for Sarah and sees her as a substitute for Beth.  No, not as a lover but the emotional bond is very strong here and if you think about it, they were even partners for a while.

Art's job is on the line  and he wants Sarah to fix it.  Now!

Alison

  

There has been some growing discord between Sarah and Alison.  Sarah has called her out twice now and Alison doesn't like it.  Alison has been doing her part but Sarah isn't satisfied.  

Felix

There is no greater schism going on than whats happening between Sarah and Felix.  Sarah is convinced Adele is a Neolutionist plant and looking to undermine their efforts.  Sarah went so far as to have Felix's and Adele's DNA tested to see if they were really brother and sister.  Scott did call with the test results but we never heard is voice.  Did Sarah tell Fee the truth when she said Adele was indeed Fee's sister?   Was she trying to repair the ever widening rift or keep the true results a secret to string Adele along?

Either way, remind me to never have dinner with that bunch.

The Maggot -Bot

 

Underlying all of this is Sarah's desperate attempts to rid herself of the "Maggot-bot."   This is clearly unnerving her and she definitely hasn't been acting herself.  She's a lot more nervous and has been acting impulsively.  Her decision making has become slightly irrational and as I noted earlier she's been taking her frustration out on her team.  Most notably Alison.

Where is all this leading?

Sarah's Suicide

 

New theory time!

MK had warned not to follow in Beth's for it will only lead down that same tragic path.  It seems to me the narrative of this season has been a parallel of what happened to Beth and what is currently happening to Sarah.  Sarah is indeed following the same path as Beth and with it she is alienating her friends and family.  She has become increasingly paranoid thanks to the maggot-bot and this has led her to become even more desperate.  

Her single minded focus, once she has pushed everyone away, may lead her to that tragic end Beth resorted to.  Especially if she learns some of the things Beth did.

Can anything save her?

Fortunately her daughter has become a bit of an empath.  Kira may suss out Sarah's dire feelings and sound the alarm before it is too late.  

I don't really think Sarah will commit suicide like Beth but I do think we will be teased with this arc.  Sarah is too important to the show and her death would be too traumatic for everyone.  She'll get to the edge though.  Maybe even a step close to the same tracks Beth walked out onto.

Time will tell.