Orphan Black - One Fettered Slave

For those of you clamoring for a little Helena backstory, you got your wish this past episode.

Seems our bad girl was a little bit of a bad girl in her youth too.  That's if you count stealing chocolates as bad.  She was in the wrong place at the wrong time and Sister Olga was not happy about it.

The good Sister had hoped for a little private time in order to relieve some "tension" and was deeply embarrased to find little Helena in her office.   

Well, nothing a little bleach can't cure and help wash away the sins.  Sister Olga's brutal reprisal may have explained some of Helena's "edge" as she grew older.   But none more than the reintroduction of this guy to the series...

Tomas!

Wow, I never thought we'd see this guy again.  OB is really reaching into the character archives for this final season.  I was thinking in my last blog post about who would we should be putting our money on to see again.

So let's ask it here, who would you like to see reappear in the last episode?  My money is on a Paul (Dylan Bruce) flashback.  Cal Morrison should be a safe bet too.  (Actor Michiel Huisman.)  It's been a long time since he's crashed into something to rescue Sarah.  Any other boyfriends gone missing?  ;)  (You know I'm talking about.)


The Helena Dynamic

One could argue this was a Helena episode.  Not entirely of course but pretty much.

And what a fascinating dynamic they chose to tell her story.  As a child, Helena was "liberated" by Tomas.  Despite the squalor she was raised in, he made her feel important.  She worked out her issues with her dolls and deified a figure that was closest to God.

She protected her dolls from the "Science Devils" and grew to hate the dirty copies.  Eventually, Tomas told her she was the "light" and she came to realize she was the "Original".  He then sent her forth on her holy mission.

Knife in hand, Helena set out to cleanse the Earth.

What an unholy shock when the defiled ones looked just like her.

  



The self-cutting began as Helena continued her mission to purify the world but punish herself for it.

As we all know, Helena eventually found love and redemption.  She gained a family and became part of something bigger than herself.  Instead of lashing out and destroying life, she followed a new path and is ready to bring life into the world.

 Unfortunately, the old fears still exist.  Enter Coady.

At her most vulnerable, Helena is told by Coady how vile and unfit she is.  No better than an animal.  

Trapped, Helena loses confidence.  

This time Helena chooses the most unkindest cut of them all.  Suicide.

I was enthralled by the dynamic that played out for us.  Watching the abandoned Helena start out as a child.  Her torture, Tomas' indoctrination.  Her growth into a self abusing assassin.  The path to redemption and the embrace of family.  It was amazing.  A great piece of television.


Coady

While we're here we may as well touch on Coady.

What kind of monster is she?

P.T. tells her, "The future is female!"  With that colossal piece of female empowerment stuck in her psyche, she goes out and kills her greatest achievement and the lone remaining Castor.

She even lovingly embraces him as he passed away.  Gee lady, is the science of P.T. that important to you?

Coady even showed a modicum of human compassion when she reached out and held Helena's hand during her contractions.  It's the very least a caregiver or doctor would do.

She then followed up that act by verbally abusing Helena and telling her she "Stinks".

I mean, holy sh*t.  How low can you sink lady!  Kyra Harper is so great as Coady.  She's got another TV series going called, "Hard Rock Medical" where she, naturally, plays a doctor.  Here's a link to the rest of Harper's work where she also gets to play a professor and a Coroner.   (Of course.)

With Helena revived thanks to Sarah's transfusion she asks for some water that Coady readily provides.  Always the Doctor.

I loved that little look that Helena gave to Sarah.  "Be ready." it seemed to say.

 Wham. (3X) Down goes Coady!

Yep, great scientist, decent doctor.  Shit mother.


We'll miss you too Coady.  (Or, at least, Ms. Harper!)





Odds and Ends

 

A nice little gathering for S to start the show.  I thought they might include some more of the clones but I think they may be saving that little bit of the SFX part of the budget for the final dance party.  

Fingers crossed there is one.

Actress Lauren Hammersley as Adele looked particularly distraught.  The singer was Lisa MacIssac and she sounded wonderful.  A nice touch.  Farewell S.

Nice to have Art on your side isn't it?

I've wondered aloud in the past on these pages if there was room for Kevin Hanchard and his "Art" in this series.  I'm so glad they kept him on.  He is uniquely emotive and a total bad ass.  Now, he's loose in the building where Sarah and Helena are and this is after his dispatching of Frontenac!

Should we order up some "Art is total B/A M&Fer" t-shirts?

I love the use of light and shadow in this show.  Here's a great use of perspective as we get a look at Rachel from behind.  We see the one good eye reflected in the mirror and then she turns to expose mangled other eye to Felix.   His reaction was great too.  An inaudible gasp of horror.  It was very horror show worthy.

Someone is getting a little follicly challenged and fading fast.  Do you suppose there is a connection between Leekie's loss of hair (We had a recent flashback of him with hair) and P.T.'s?  Maybe they are following the same treatment plan of experimentation and causes your hair to fall out?   Either way, P.T. is a major, major fraud.

They say the most evocative sense of them all is the sense of smell.  If you truly want to remember someone you get a whiff of their scent and it fills your heart and mind. 

Remember that scene from E.T. the Extraterrestrial when the boys find their father's old shirt?  Old Spice.

Another nice touch from OB.

Did you ever think Scott would be such a big part of the show?  Damn, we're going to miss him too.  Such a wonderful geeky role played to perfection by Josh Vokey.  Here he is being reunited with Rachel.  Ah, the good ol' days.  (Or not.)

I have one last worry about the finale of the show. 

Recently I've commented how the show has become a "Deathapolooza" of sorts.  One character dropping after another.   

I hope this doesn't end as a "Revenge Fest" with the Clone Club killing off all their enemies.  Since this show has been one of female empowerment and the search for identity if not soul.  Then, it should end with that message.  One of hope and family.  Not some shootout bloodbath.

Oh, and it should have a dance party too.  That's not asking for too much is it?