TV Review: Orphan Black 2×03, “Mingling Its Own Nature with It”

This episode we see a return to basics. By “basics” I mean the original trio on the lam, roughing it on the road. After the fiasco that was the Bridwatchers’ home base, DYAD goon Daniel and Prolethean head Henrik (AKA Hank) show up to investigate. Daniel shows up first and then blends in when Hank and team arrive. They see the leftover carnage and impaled limbs that signify their princesses (Sarah and Kira) are in another castle. The Prolethean’s are the most disappointed, forcing them to go with Plan B, the “abomination” that is Helena. But first, they must burn down the house.

Meanwhile, in the country, Sarah, Felix and Kira are on a road trip to a suspiciously specific location that Sarah seems to know well. After stealing food from a nearby store, they head to a house in the middle of nowhere. Before they even get a chance to settle, they are interrupted by the real owner of the home, Cal (Michiel Huisman), who you may recognize as the dashing Daario Naharis from the current season of Game of Thrones. Oh, and apparently he’s Kira’s father. I knew at some point we’d be introduced to the father, and that Sarah knew who he was, especially considering that there are very coincidences when it comes to the clones.

I think there is more to Cal than we know, aside from him being conned by Sarah and then going off the grid. Cal’s paternity comes as a surprise to every, but Felix takes it the hardest. He’s fed up with not being told everything, and feels his skills would be better served with Alison, who is all but falling apart. Felix chose the right time to leave because Daniel finally catches up with Sarah, and after a shoot out with a local police officer, Sarah convinces Daniel to take her instead of Kira, leaving father and daughter time to bond.

In suburbia, Alison is still reeling from the discovery that her husband is actually her monitor, and not the best friend she watched die in front of her. Best way to cope with these emotions and sense of helplessness is copious amounts of alcohol of course. This is only made worse when Detective Angela starts following Alison (who at first thinks she’s another monitor) in a failed undercover attempt that get blown really fast. Art does not support Angela’s extracurricular activities, mainly because it will most likely end up getting her killed. On a brighter note, Alison’s play, “Blood Ties” is opening up that day. On a darker note, Alison is drunk during it, performs pretty badly and falls off stage. At least Felix was right, she really does need him more than Sarah, who seems to have plan that only she knows.

Each member of Clone Club is facing their own serious problems, but Cosima is the only one really trying to help them all in the long run. We get introduced to another clone, Jennifer, who we get to know through a video diary (and in-depth autopsy/dissection later) she kept that showed the progression of the disease that is currently plaguing Cosima. Jennifer died less than a week ago, but her body shows that the shared disease could have started in the uterus, and moved its way up the body. That explains why none of the clones are able to reproduce, but still doesn’t explain why Sarah can. Or why her child, Kira, is as brilliantly odd as she is.

Speaking of pregnancies, we go back to Hank, his cult and Plan B (Helena). even amongst his followers, Helena is thought of as an unholy abomination that is an affront to God. Hank on the other hand, sees potential in her, being Sarah’s twin. Hank has to reassure his family and followers that Helena is an important part of their future, so he has a sort of binding ceremony. He has a one-sided marriage and seems to have made it his personal mission to try and impregnate Helena, all the while she is too weak to protest and still recovering from her previous injuries. Not everyone is convinced that Hank has the group’s best interests at heart, especially not his daughter Gracie. Gracie isn’t the only one keeping a close eye out on the groups interest now that Art has stumbled upon their compound. What will Art do with this new information?

“Mingling Its Own Nature with It” is a perfect blend of excitement complimented by plot development. The bigger picture at the end of the microscope is starting to come into focus, but it’s still obscured enough to keep us chasing the proverbial dangling carrot. One of the aspects I’m enjoying the most is the sense of symmetry the story is establishing. We have these two opposing forces (the DYAD and the Proletheans) that are both trying to achieve the same goal through very similar means, and each of them (at this point) has a clone to help them accomplish their goals (which still elude us for the most part). Meanwhile, everyone else just falls into a gray area. That’s where Clone Club, every other character, and us as the audience lives, and for now I wouldn’t have it any other way. At this point, the show could more aptly be called Orphan Gray.

RATING: ★★★★★★★★(8/10 stars)