Shift in Direction Works Wonders for 'Orphan Black'

By Craig Wack | TV | May 24, 2015 |

By Craig Wack | TV | May 24, 2015 |

After struggling through the first part of its third season, Orphan Black found its footing in the sixth episode of the year by closing several doors and opening a couple more.

And speaking of opening doors, let’s just get this eyeful Alison’s daughter got out of the way right at the top.

As I’ve mentioned before, Alison’s disconnect from the greater whole of the show has been troublesome in the early going this year. For one episode anyway, they ignored the low stakes school board election and just made Hendrixes over-the-top and straight up gangsta.

Alison and Donnie provided some much needed comic relief to a heavy episode. Let’s hope the show keeps down this path, because funny Alison is better for the show than dramatic Alison.

It was an episode overflowing with great moments like Alison and Donnie’s dance: Felix’s rage interrogating Rachel, Helena eating her Jiminy Cricket or Delphine trying to keep a bad-ass façade up while Cosima is moving on with her life.

The big reveal of the episode was what was really going on down at the Castor base in Mexico. The leathery Dr. Cody discovered one of the design flaws of the Castor clones is that their seed is more akin to Agent Orange, transmitting the same ovary withering, woman killing defect that is natural in the Leda clones.

Paul discovers the military wants to isolate and weaponize this part of the Castors into a bioweapon. Paul is in turn betrayed by his superiors, saves Sarah and ultimately sacrifices himself after getting mortally wounded.

While these developments were bad news for Paul, it’s good news for the direction of the show. After escaping so many close calls, the finding a cure for Cosima and the other sisters was starting to be played out. The show was in dire need of a new threat, a fresh direction.

Now the sisters will be fighting for the reproductive future of all mankind because a sterilization bomb or whatever is sure to fall into the wrong hands or backfire in some horrible way. Sarah and Rachel have new purpose now that, in their own way, they hold the key to preventing this plague.

Now if only the show can get Michelle Forbes back in the mix, it’ll really be rocking.

Craig Wack is a veteran journalist. Please follow his Twitter.