Orphan Black #CloneClub Recap: “Scarred By Many Past Frustrations”
"In convent, I spent four months in broom closet. I don't rot."
“Tell me more about how you love high-fives…”
Welcome to this week’s Orphan Black #CloneClub Recap! Episode 5 of the season, “Scarred By Many Past Frustrations” gives us another dance party to cheer about, and a harrowing instance of sisterly bonding. Let’s dive in!
“C’mon Helena! Show a sister some love!”
Sarah has been captured by Dr. Coady and the Castors, and is placed in a cell right next to Helena’s. Bad move. At first, Helena is pissed at Sarah, because she thinks Sarah sold her out. But then, when Sarah informs her that the Castors are their brothers, Helena is more willing to listen. Together, they hatch a brilliant escape plan and execute it, but when it comes time for Helena to break Sarah out of her cell, she stops, saying “Now we’re even” before leaving Sarah there! Dun-dun-DUUUUUUUN! However, despite her scorpion friend, Pupok’s, insistence on Helena saving herself, Helena has second thoughts about leaving Sarah behind, just before making it over the wall. Will she, or won’t she? Dun-dun-DUUUUUUUUN (AGAIN!)
Meanwhile, Paul is conflicted about Sarah’s capture, since they now have the Castor genetic material they need. But Dr. Coady (aka “Mother”) insists Sarah and Helena are worth further study, because they’re unique. And meanwhile-meanwhile, Rudy is told to lay low when Paul arrives, and Paul finds a log book that either belongs to Rudy or the late Seth which lists stats and holds hair samples for several women. He doesn’t seem to know what the hell it is and seems appropriately creeped out about it.
“Wait, so tell me more about this al-co-hol of which you speak.”
Gracie shows up on Art’s doorstep, because Sarah gave her his info in case she was ever in trouble. Now that she’s been cast out from Casa de Proletheans because she wasn’t quite the baby-making machine they were expecting, she has nowhere to go. Art brings her to Mrs. S and Felix. While Mrs. S. relates to her and wants to help, Felix is less than thrilled at first. While Mrs. S. reveals how her husband died, Gracie reveals she’s always had doubts about what her parents told her, and that now she fully rejects it. She dresses in Sarah’s old clubbing clothes and wants to go out on the town herself, but Felix and Mrs. S. rein her in, asking her instead to settle for a good ol’ fashioned house party complete with homemade cocktails and dancing to rock music on vinyl records. Gracie has a blast getting drunk for the first time, and Felix is quite amused – but then Gracie suddenly falls to the floor in pain.
Art meets up with the woman Rudy and Seth tried to tag-team that time, who reached out to him to show him the fact that her eyes are now crazy red. There’s something wrong with her and she believes it’s their fault. What’s more, when the paramedics come for Gracie, she opens her eyes to reveal the same deep red. Lesson: get nekkid with a Castor boy, get the most severe pinkeye of your life.
“I can ‘get you back in balance,’ if you know what I mean….”
And then, there’s Cosima’s first Sapphire date with the lovely Shay (Lost Girl’s Ksenia Solo). At first, Cosima is hugely (charmingly) nervous, but Shay puts her at ease. They have great conversation, and Cosima eventually invites her to “go somewhere.” They do, Shay gives Cosima a massage, Cosima talks about Delphine, and they make out. Score!
But who was that photographing them from afar back when they were at the bar???
“This is how we did it back in the 70s….”
The Awesome:
I loved Mrs. S. this episode. As badass a revolutionary as she’s been, and even though she’s never been a birth mother herself (that we know of), she’s always been a mother – and very good at it. I really enjoyed seeing her care of Sarah and Felix extend to Gracie in her hour of need. And also that she allowed Gracie to “party” as needed, but in a sensible way – at home, surrounded by people who have her best interests at heart.
MOAR FELIX! I was so happy to see Felix take a more active role in this episode. I loved that he was initially suspicious of Gracie and wasn’t going to let her off the hook about the beliefs she used to espouse, but that he also gave her a chance once he saw she truly means it about not being Prolethean anymore.
“You want to be my sandwich?”
Helena continues to be fascinating, and I continue enjoy watching the balance between her savage side and the side of her that clearly cares about others and their suffering. There’s a part of me that wants her to make her hard-won escape without Sarah, and there’s a part of me that wants her to let her empathy win and go back for her. Actually, the biggest part of me hopes that going back for Sarah was always part of the plan. That she’s playing a long game which includes throwing Sarah off the trail in order to save her later.
I <3 Gracie and Mark. I knew Gracie couldn’t have backslid, and I’m happy to see she hasn’t. This episode made it very clear she was just a child wanting to believe in her parents, not a brainwashed drone. Meanwhile, it was heartbreaking to watch Mark’s face as he clearly lied to Dr. Coady about marrying Gracie being “part of the mission.” I want them to find safety in each other from the cultishness of their previous lives.
Cosima is SO CUTE. I can’t even stand it. That is all.
“Where were you during our Clone Club dance party, Mrs. S?!”
The Not-So-Awesome:
There was a criminal lack of Alison in this episode! Up until now, even when Cosima didn’t have much to do in an episode, she was still featured to do something “sciencey.” I hope they find a way to incorporate Alison into the main storyline soon.
That’s it for this week! Orphan Black airs Saturdays at 9PM EST on BBC America. If you missed last week’s recap, CHECK IT OUT HERE. Also, make sure you’re reading our Orphan Black Science Recaps, which walk you through the plausibility of the science of each episode! See you next Monday! And ’til then, don’t be anyone’s sandwich.
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