Orphan Black 3.01
Apr. 19th, 2015 03:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakReturn of the Clones! I had some problems with season 2, but that doesn't mean I wasn't looking forward to more of the Clone saga.
So far, so good: no Paul (always a plus), Rachel survives (I hoped she would), we seem to be done with the "will Cosima survive?" suspense, and she gets to focus on the Dr. Moreau-left code instead, i.e. is used by the narrative as a scientist. Mind you, while I like Scott I thought Cosima entrusting him with the fact she has the code defied belief somewhat - how well does she know him? Didn't she meet him as a Dyad employe? Then again, science is cooperation, not the lone genius figuring it out, and I appreciate the show uses this. And I suppose that since Delphine isn't available as a fellow researcher anymore, that left the narrative short of a reliable scientist for Cosima to interact with otherwise.
Speaking of Delphine: I agree with Felix, she looks fabulous with the straight hair. Though I'm not entirely sure I buy the sudden ruthlessness and willingness to torture Rachel in order to get some answers. Sure, she's seen first hand last season what Rachel is capable of and the lives of the other clones were on the line, but still, I am in doubt as to how believable this is.
Speaking of chances vis a vis behavior last season, Sarah soon noticing Helena is missing and realising the possible implication, and then pretty much worrying about Helena and trying to get her back through the episode, is pretty much the reverse from last season's lack of interest about what became of Helena post barfight, as if the writers noticed and adressed that. Also, the fact that the previouslies included the one female character who was unceremoniously fridged in season 1 lets me hope the show does remember Helena killed her and will address that, too, sooner or later.
Helena's idyllic dream of a family gathering with her sisters changing into her nightmarish reality in a box as a season opener is effecte and no less so for the fact that it's practically identical to the opening of season 4 of Angel. (The episode Deep Down by Steven DeKnight who's currently busy with Daredevil opens with Angel dreaming of a family/friends gathering, universal joy and acceptance and fades into his nightmarish reality, trapped in a box.) Presumably the fact Helena now has a head!Scorpion to talk to is so we get privy to her inner thoughts? I'm not sure that will work, since part of the character is her unpredicability, but I'll go with it and see how that works.
Alison deciding to campaign for district whatever the title was and Donnie supporting her probably means we're in for more suburban comedy re: Alison's arc this season, but I also noticed both Alison and Donnie bring up Alison's mother, which is the type of dialogue that's meant to prepare the audience for that character showing up. Which I'm all for - let's find out what the woman who raised Alison is like!
Tatiana Maslany's particular showcases this week were Sarah playing Rachel and Alison playing Sarah, and she was amazing as always; at first, Sarah-as-Rachel still walked with Sarah's body language, not Rachel's, but once Ferdinand the Cleaner showed up Sarah adjusted to Rachel's body language more and more until she nailed it. The fact she was - noticable for the audience but not Ferdinand - surprised when Ferdinand said what Rachel really wanted was to have a child reminded me this was one of those things the audience already knows but Sarah does not. Anyway, Ferdinand isn't a very competent Cleaner; Mike would shake his head in exasparated dissapproval.
The brief scene with Felix and Siobhan after Sarah stormed off in anger was welcome because it occured to me we don't know yet much about what type of relationship Felix has with his foster mother - I mean, other than mediating between her and Sarah. She raised him, so how does he relate to her when it's not about Sarah? Give me more, show.
The Castors: so far Mark from last season (who married Gracie) seems to be the only sane one off the bunch, and considering he's a (former?) Prolethean, that's saying something. But at least their motives - i.e. wanting the genetic code - makes sense, since presumably they have a similar death rate to the female clones.
So far, so good: no Paul (always a plus), Rachel survives (I hoped she would), we seem to be done with the "will Cosima survive?" suspense, and she gets to focus on the Dr. Moreau-left code instead, i.e. is used by the narrative as a scientist. Mind you, while I like Scott I thought Cosima entrusting him with the fact she has the code defied belief somewhat - how well does she know him? Didn't she meet him as a Dyad employe? Then again, science is cooperation, not the lone genius figuring it out, and I appreciate the show uses this. And I suppose that since Delphine isn't available as a fellow researcher anymore, that left the narrative short of a reliable scientist for Cosima to interact with otherwise.
Speaking of Delphine: I agree with Felix, she looks fabulous with the straight hair. Though I'm not entirely sure I buy the sudden ruthlessness and willingness to torture Rachel in order to get some answers. Sure, she's seen first hand last season what Rachel is capable of and the lives of the other clones were on the line, but still, I am in doubt as to how believable this is.
Speaking of chances vis a vis behavior last season, Sarah soon noticing Helena is missing and realising the possible implication, and then pretty much worrying about Helena and trying to get her back through the episode, is pretty much the reverse from last season's lack of interest about what became of Helena post barfight, as if the writers noticed and adressed that. Also, the fact that the previouslies included the one female character who was unceremoniously fridged in season 1 lets me hope the show does remember Helena killed her and will address that, too, sooner or later.
Helena's idyllic dream of a family gathering with her sisters changing into her nightmarish reality in a box as a season opener is effecte and no less so for the fact that it's practically identical to the opening of season 4 of Angel. (The episode Deep Down by Steven DeKnight who's currently busy with Daredevil opens with Angel dreaming of a family/friends gathering, universal joy and acceptance and fades into his nightmarish reality, trapped in a box.) Presumably the fact Helena now has a head!Scorpion to talk to is so we get privy to her inner thoughts? I'm not sure that will work, since part of the character is her unpredicability, but I'll go with it and see how that works.
Alison deciding to campaign for district whatever the title was and Donnie supporting her probably means we're in for more suburban comedy re: Alison's arc this season, but I also noticed both Alison and Donnie bring up Alison's mother, which is the type of dialogue that's meant to prepare the audience for that character showing up. Which I'm all for - let's find out what the woman who raised Alison is like!
Tatiana Maslany's particular showcases this week were Sarah playing Rachel and Alison playing Sarah, and she was amazing as always; at first, Sarah-as-Rachel still walked with Sarah's body language, not Rachel's, but once Ferdinand the Cleaner showed up Sarah adjusted to Rachel's body language more and more until she nailed it. The fact she was - noticable for the audience but not Ferdinand - surprised when Ferdinand said what Rachel really wanted was to have a child reminded me this was one of those things the audience already knows but Sarah does not. Anyway, Ferdinand isn't a very competent Cleaner; Mike would shake his head in exasparated dissapproval.
The brief scene with Felix and Siobhan after Sarah stormed off in anger was welcome because it occured to me we don't know yet much about what type of relationship Felix has with his foster mother - I mean, other than mediating between her and Sarah. She raised him, so how does he relate to her when it's not about Sarah? Give me more, show.
The Castors: so far Mark from last season (who married Gracie) seems to be the only sane one off the bunch, and considering he's a (former?) Prolethean, that's saying something. But at least their motives - i.e. wanting the genetic code - makes sense, since presumably they have a similar death rate to the female clones.
no subject
Date: 2015-04-19 04:30 pm (UTC)I enjoyed that I could tell it was Alison playing Sarah (logically it had to be since Cosima's still too ill but the actress still throws in little mannerisms that the audience can get but Ferdinand of course wouldn't.
Really enjoyed the little moment with Felix & Mrs S, like you said, particularly 'if Sarah doesn't make it worse...' 'Sarah will make it worse.' S may still be able to kid herself about Sarah, but Felix is past that point.
no subject
Date: 2015-04-20 04:48 am (UTC)I wonder whether S ever took in children other than Felix and Sarah? If so, what became of them? If not, we know she got Sarah via her connections, but how/why did Felx end up with her?
no subject
Date: 2015-04-19 06:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-04-20 04:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-04-19 06:50 pm (UTC)Delphine is probably going this far because she's worried about Cosima. I don't find it that difficult to buy that she's ruthless, but mostly because they've played Delphine as mysterious and possibly with her own agenda for so long, I never thought she was harmless. I think she's now in the position Paul was first meant to have, i.e. she's the morally ambiguous agent who is driven to fight for the "good side" largely because she loves one of the clones. I can live with that much better in this constellation, because Evelyn Brochu has more than one facial expression. (And I am shallow enough to admit that I find her hot, which is a plus.)
no subject
Date: 2015-04-20 04:50 am (UTC)Good point re: Scott.