Orphan Black 4.10.
Jun. 17th, 2016 07:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakWell, let's not forget that Leda was related, via the marriages of her daughters, to the house of Atreus.
I think we know why Evie never quite cut it as a villain; she was only meant to be temporary, so Rachel could make her comeback in the finale. Mind you: I have some problems with the execution, in that while I expected Susan (the moment she first praised Cosima and said she wished Rachel had such a curious mind a third into the season) sooner or later to say the ultimate Rachel trigger, i.e. compare her to the other clones, express her preference and disown her, I didn't expect her to be so stupid as to say it in this particular situation. Susan otherwise isn't stupid, is she? Anyway, this was the second time a parent did this to Rachel - though I think Ethan's "you don't deserve me" followed by him committing suicide still cuts deeper than Susan's "I wish I hadn't created you and the others are ever so much better" - and of course it results in Rachel, after a season of preparation and build up, finally becoming Elektra to Susan's Clytaimnestra. Though not completely, as she later changes her mind, patches the knifed Susan up enough for Susan to survive and puts her exactly where Susan had put her at the start of the season, locked in the same room, in the same chair.
On the one hand, Susan surviving - remember who didn't survive an identical would? The poor woman who carried Helena and Sarah to term, and was knifed by Helena for Helena having been given to be raised by the Ukrainian fundamentalists? As opposed to Susan Duncan (and Helena herself, and Delphine), that lady who died in season 1 has to our knowledge not done anything evil (other than not keeping Helena and Sarah, but then, Dyad was after her with terminators), but she of course stays dead, and never gets mentioned again.
On the other hand, I'm still mostly on board with Susan surviving, because I'm into Rachel's so completely screwed up family dynamics. Mind you, if the show wants me to agree or sympathize with Susan in her jugdgment of Rachel scene, sorry, no can do. Everyone else on this show has more than the right to judge Rachel, but her adopted parents don't. Ethan abandoned her by faking his death and never as much as tried to get her out of Dyad's claws. And Susan actively contributed to the way Rachel was raised by making that happen, and by imprinting her with "scientic benefit over attachment and ethics" standard even before that. Rachel is what you get when you hand over a child to a boardroom to raise, Susan, so if she's monster, you're definitely Frankenstein. And that's saying nothing of the part where you groomed the other child you did raise to have sex with you.
BTW: am very relieved Rachel didn't kill Ira, which I was afraid for a minute she would do (or would have Ferdinand do). This gives me hope they're going to have scenes next season. Especially since the show went and very manipulatively ruined the other relationship Rachel has built this season which could have contributed to her continuing to show a non-villainous facet. To wit: I'm actually a bit resentful they had Charlotte bond with Cosima, then witness Rachel kniving Susan and take off with Cosima. Look, show, Cosima already has Kira to cuddle, and we know she's great with the kid. Rachel only had Charlotte (and arguably Ira) to be other than villainous with, and it would have been fascinating to see how she'd acted with her now that she's acted out her mother issues with Susan, but noooo, you let Charlotte leave with Cosima. Charlotte & the other Leda clones aren't nearly as interesting as Charlotte and Rachel, so let her come back!
Rachel making her play to get back on top was what I had expected for the finale, and of course she does it by impressing the board in out-ruthlessing Evie and Susan by combining their strategies. (Evie, you should never have challenged Rachel by declaring Neolution would never allow a Clone to have a position of genuine power.) Mind you, Rachel is overlooking something which Susan points out to her (a far smarter statement of Susan's than the "I wish I didn't create you/you never gave me the joy your sisters did" one), i.e. that being a Clone, she's as much patented property as all the others, and while Rachel is confident she can rewrite that part for herself, it's an obvious foreshadowing to what will eventually happen.
Cosima and Delphine reunion: I hope this means Cosima (since she had some of the stemcells with her and gave them to Delphine) can finally stop being sick, because I'm sick of this plot. We've got every damm season ending with Cosima at death's door, can we stop this? Other than that, well, you know how I feel about Delphine.
Otoh, Cosima and Susan earlier, when Cosima figures out a bit too late that of course Susan wanted the Castor and Leda combination to recreate the original cloning, now THAT is another reason why unrealistic and unfair as it is, I'm glad Susan survives, because that was a great scene, and I do like their dynamic.
Ferdinand and Rachel reunion, before Ira interrupted: Ferdinand is still the most enthusiastic sub ever, and however Rachel eventually falls, please, show, don't let Ferdinand betray her, because I actually like them as a villanous duo in their dom/sub glory. Also, Ira's "he's got his socks on" was priceless.
Donnie and Helena, outdoor campers: their brief scene was fun.
Crystal is finally told the truth (yay) and doesn't believe a word of it, having a much better theory: was priceless, as was Crystal herself throughout. And we got another of the show's patented "Clone A pretends to be Clone B" scene, this time with Sarah as Crystal. I hope for more of her next season.
And the big finale reveal of Immortal Victorian Scientist Westmoreland: okay then. Makes a Penny Dreadful crossover even easier. Also West-More-Land, hmmmm. Original Dr. Moreau? Though if he managed immortality for himself more than a century ago, how come there's still such interest in the healing powers Kira, Sarah and Helena possess?
I think we know why Evie never quite cut it as a villain; she was only meant to be temporary, so Rachel could make her comeback in the finale. Mind you: I have some problems with the execution, in that while I expected Susan (the moment she first praised Cosima and said she wished Rachel had such a curious mind a third into the season) sooner or later to say the ultimate Rachel trigger, i.e. compare her to the other clones, express her preference and disown her, I didn't expect her to be so stupid as to say it in this particular situation. Susan otherwise isn't stupid, is she? Anyway, this was the second time a parent did this to Rachel - though I think Ethan's "you don't deserve me" followed by him committing suicide still cuts deeper than Susan's "I wish I hadn't created you and the others are ever so much better" - and of course it results in Rachel, after a season of preparation and build up, finally becoming Elektra to Susan's Clytaimnestra. Though not completely, as she later changes her mind, patches the knifed Susan up enough for Susan to survive and puts her exactly where Susan had put her at the start of the season, locked in the same room, in the same chair.
On the one hand, Susan surviving - remember who didn't survive an identical would? The poor woman who carried Helena and Sarah to term, and was knifed by Helena for Helena having been given to be raised by the Ukrainian fundamentalists? As opposed to Susan Duncan (and Helena herself, and Delphine), that lady who died in season 1 has to our knowledge not done anything evil (other than not keeping Helena and Sarah, but then, Dyad was after her with terminators), but she of course stays dead, and never gets mentioned again.
On the other hand, I'm still mostly on board with Susan surviving, because I'm into Rachel's so completely screwed up family dynamics. Mind you, if the show wants me to agree or sympathize with Susan in her jugdgment of Rachel scene, sorry, no can do. Everyone else on this show has more than the right to judge Rachel, but her adopted parents don't. Ethan abandoned her by faking his death and never as much as tried to get her out of Dyad's claws. And Susan actively contributed to the way Rachel was raised by making that happen, and by imprinting her with "scientic benefit over attachment and ethics" standard even before that. Rachel is what you get when you hand over a child to a boardroom to raise, Susan, so if she's monster, you're definitely Frankenstein. And that's saying nothing of the part where you groomed the other child you did raise to have sex with you.
BTW: am very relieved Rachel didn't kill Ira, which I was afraid for a minute she would do (or would have Ferdinand do). This gives me hope they're going to have scenes next season. Especially since the show went and very manipulatively ruined the other relationship Rachel has built this season which could have contributed to her continuing to show a non-villainous facet. To wit: I'm actually a bit resentful they had Charlotte bond with Cosima, then witness Rachel kniving Susan and take off with Cosima. Look, show, Cosima already has Kira to cuddle, and we know she's great with the kid. Rachel only had Charlotte (and arguably Ira) to be other than villainous with, and it would have been fascinating to see how she'd acted with her now that she's acted out her mother issues with Susan, but noooo, you let Charlotte leave with Cosima. Charlotte & the other Leda clones aren't nearly as interesting as Charlotte and Rachel, so let her come back!
Rachel making her play to get back on top was what I had expected for the finale, and of course she does it by impressing the board in out-ruthlessing Evie and Susan by combining their strategies. (Evie, you should never have challenged Rachel by declaring Neolution would never allow a Clone to have a position of genuine power.) Mind you, Rachel is overlooking something which Susan points out to her (a far smarter statement of Susan's than the "I wish I didn't create you/you never gave me the joy your sisters did" one), i.e. that being a Clone, she's as much patented property as all the others, and while Rachel is confident she can rewrite that part for herself, it's an obvious foreshadowing to what will eventually happen.
Cosima and Delphine reunion: I hope this means Cosima (since she had some of the stemcells with her and gave them to Delphine) can finally stop being sick, because I'm sick of this plot. We've got every damm season ending with Cosima at death's door, can we stop this? Other than that, well, you know how I feel about Delphine.
Otoh, Cosima and Susan earlier, when Cosima figures out a bit too late that of course Susan wanted the Castor and Leda combination to recreate the original cloning, now THAT is another reason why unrealistic and unfair as it is, I'm glad Susan survives, because that was a great scene, and I do like their dynamic.
Ferdinand and Rachel reunion, before Ira interrupted: Ferdinand is still the most enthusiastic sub ever, and however Rachel eventually falls, please, show, don't let Ferdinand betray her, because I actually like them as a villanous duo in their dom/sub glory. Also, Ira's "he's got his socks on" was priceless.
Donnie and Helena, outdoor campers: their brief scene was fun.
Crystal is finally told the truth (yay) and doesn't believe a word of it, having a much better theory: was priceless, as was Crystal herself throughout. And we got another of the show's patented "Clone A pretends to be Clone B" scene, this time with Sarah as Crystal. I hope for more of her next season.
And the big finale reveal of Immortal Victorian Scientist Westmoreland: okay then. Makes a Penny Dreadful crossover even easier. Also West-More-Land, hmmmm. Original Dr. Moreau? Though if he managed immortality for himself more than a century ago, how come there's still such interest in the healing powers Kira, Sarah and Helena possess?
