Orphan Black: Certain Agony of the Battlefield Recap

Synopsis: Paul learns the Castor Project has been performing unsanctioned human tests to sterilize women via the clones’ contagious virus. Sarah is tested and found to be immune to the virus, and Paul saves her before one of the Castor clones kills him. Helena reunites with Sarah, and the other Leda clones manage their daily affairs.

Rating: 5/5

Woah. A lot of exposition happened in this episode.

The major piece of the Castor/Leda puzzle clicked into place – the genetic defect that gives the Leda clones respiratory issues is the same defect which causes the male clones’ brains to degenerate. Furthermore, the male version of the defect is sexually transmittable – hence the creepy journals of all the Castor clones’ sexual partners and their hair samples, which Virginia used for research.

The male version of the virus causes women to go sterile. Since Gracie slept with Mark, now she’s sterile as well.

Most of the episode hinges upon Paul’s discovery of the illegal human experimentation Dr. Virginia Cody has been performing on unsuspecting women, and his subsequent attempt to shut down the compound and hold control while he waits for government reinforcements.

The episode opens with Sarah hallucinating – she dreams of Kira, then dreams she received a blood transfusion from one of the Castor clones. When she wakes, she finds a bandage on her neck, and she spends the majority of the episode in and out of fevered hallucinations.

Luckily for Sarah, she has Paul around. During one of Sarah’s hallucinations, she talks to Beth and questions her as to why she committed suicide. Beth isn’t very reassuring, but she does tell Sarah that she’s asking the wrong questions: instead of why she should be asking who. Looks like Beth died to save Paul somehow.

As soon as Paul sees Sarah, he partners up with Mark to get the rest of the evidence he needs to shut down Dr. Cody’s operation. Paul calls the Feds and learns backup is six hours away. He then holds Cody at gunpoint and locks up the men he doesn’t trust before freeing Sarah.

Sarah learns that she is the only person immune from the disease. Unfortunately, this doesn’t help her when Paul learns he has been double-crossed and Rudy comes back from searching for Helena to dish out some pain.

More specifically, Rudy frees his brother who then proceeds to stab Paul multiple times. Not cool, bro. Paul snaps the clone’s neck and ushers Sarah through a ventilation shaft to safety, telling her to go on without him because, “It was never Beth I loved.”

Awwwww. Why you gotta do me like that, Orphan Black?

Paul stumbles back to the office and waits for Cody and Rudy while he bleeds out. He tells Cody that she should find the cure for the disease, but then stop pursuing the research to weaponize the virus for mass population control (#eugenics isn’t cool, guys).

In typical supervillain fashion, she sees the light of reason and walks away.

Hahaha no, but really. She shoots Paul multiple times and he releases a surprise grenade he’s been holding against his stab wound. She and Rudy run from the room before the explosion.

Meanwhile, in the tunnel, Helena emerges from the dust of the explosion to retrieve her sister and get back home together.

In other news this week, Cosima got some action with the cute holistic healer, who casually asks about Sarah and freaks Cosima out before healer lady covers with some lame ‘I heard you say her name in your sleep’ excuse.

Delphine is back in town, saying she misses Cosima and complicating Cosima’s new squeeze. Sounds like a whole lot of ‘too little, too late’ to me, honey. Then Delphine starts watching tapes of Cosima and her new squeeze on their first date, so you know that’ll turn out well for all parties involved.

Felix tortures Rachel a little bit to try and find where Sarah is being held hostage. It doesn’t work. It makes us feel sorry for Rachel.

Donnie and Alison have the best time ever partying with their drug-money dollar bills and glitter in their underwear. That scene alone makes this episode worth five stars.

Donnie (as usual) goes and blows Alison’s attempt to expand the business by buying an extravagant car, making the need for a front for their business more immediate. Alison decides to buy her mother’s soap shop, Bubbles, to launder their drug money.

Until next week, #CloneClub!