Review: ‘Orphan Black’ Season 3, Episode 10, ‘History Yet To Be Written’: Everything Comes to a Head

PREVIOUSLY: Review: ‘Orphan Black’ Season 3, Episode 9, ‘Insolvent Phantom of Tomorrow’: In Which We Head to London

Cloning Around

After last week’s anticlimactic episode, the “Orphan

Black” finale delved right back into the whole Leda versus Castor debate,

pitting the two sides of the genetic coin against each other in a bid to test

the original (Kendall, now back in North America) and find a cure. For the

clones, Kendall was a sign of hope among their ailing siblings, but for Dr.

Coady, the original was a way to further progress a genetic weapon. If only her

boys knew about her true motives. Perhaps then, more of them would have

survived this season.

Science Class

According to Cosima, Kendall is actually their

seestra too. Which makes Mrs. S Sarah’s niece. That’s as far as the testing

got, however, as it was revealed that Kendall made a deal with Ethan Duncan to

hide herself and at least one clone (which she then placed with her daughter)

so that the Neolutionists — those crazed souls from Season 1, and Ethan

Duncan’s wife, would never find them. Why was Duncan so afraid of what his wife

would do with the science? We’re still not sure, but now that she’s resurfaced

from the dead (with Rachel and Charlotte under her wing), we’re bound to find

out. In Season 4, of course.

Unlikely Allies

When Ferdinand first hit the scene we all had him

pegged as another villain. After all, anyone in bed with Rachel (literally in

this case) was no one to be trusted. But thanks to some clever maneuvering by

Sarah dearest (and her best Rachel impression), Ferdinand seemed intrigued and

a little turned on by the prospect of working with her. And just when we

thought he was going to take Kendall’s samples and run, Delphine stepped in to

save the day by revealing that the Neolutionists (and their creepy poison bugs)

were behind it all. The resulting murder scene was perfectly executed by one

James Frain, who absolutely needs to return for Season 4 and exact some more

oh-so-watchable revenge. His slightly unhinged persona is fascinating to watch,

and we need to know more about his backstory. For now, we’re reminded that the

Neolutionists are everywhere. And since they don’t all have tails (which can

then be severed and used as a glow stick in a nightclub), they’re going to be

harder to spot going forward.

One Last Kiss

Speaking of Delphine, it was obvious from the moment

the good doc predicted she’d be dead by morning that her hours were numbered.

Her final kiss with Cosima and her impromptu visit to Shay confirmed as much.

Why she didn’t run is beyond us — the clones would have helped her stay safe.

Instead she went the underground parking garage route, where a mysterious

entity shot her. “What will happen to her?” she muttered after a gut shot

ruined her pretty silk blouse. Our bet is that Shay isn’t the squeaky clean gal

she claims to be, and that the “her” in question was Cosima. Sadly, we won’t

know for another year.

As for Delphine’s fate? It certainly looks as though

she was killed, and behind the scenes actress Evelyne Brochu is a full-time

player on Canadian series “X Company,” which makes timing next season

a potential issue. But this is “Orphan Black” and people have come back from

gunshot wounds before. (Helena and Mark, we’re looking at you.)

Unrequited Love

Patrick J. Adams was back as Jesse, and while we’re

sad that he wasn’t around a little longer to be Helena’s “first,” the door is

definitely open for his return. Team Donnie FTW for making that happen.

READ MORE: Fan-Made ‘Orphan Black’ Infographic Reveals Frequency of Sarah Manning’s Swearing

One Last Showdown

Rudy’s illness seemed to come pretty suddenly, but

watching him and Helena go toe-to-toe was something fans have wanted to see all

season long. It could be argued that it wasn’t a fair fight, what with Rudy

seeing double and all, but kudos to Helena for sticking that screwdriver right

into his bicep as promised. The subsequent moments, with Helena on the floor

next to Rudy as he lay dying were oddly beautiful, and matched by co-creator

John Fawcett (who directed the episode), in the show’s closing moments with Sarah

and Kira.

With Rudy’s death came the official end to the

Castor line, marking Ari Millen’s turn as male clones a short one. At least

Mark came to the other side before it was too late, and he was able to get in

one clone-impersonating-another-clone before then.

Dance Party

Back in Alison world, the election results were in

and sure enough, she won. So now she’s a school trustee, is out of the drug

business and her relationship with her husband is better than ever. Everything’s

coming up Alison. Let’s hope that the final dinner party scene with all the

clones and their cohorts is an indication that next season Alison will be back

in the main action, and not treated as a sideline for comedic relief all season

long. While we cherish those moments, it’s also nice to see her being a mastermind

for the sestras when they need her.

Lingering Questions

In no particular order:

– Did Delphine tell anyone that Krystal was subbed in for Rachel

over at Topside? Or did she simply let her go? With Krystal hot on the trail

that something weird was happening, it’s only a matter of time before she

unwillingly joins #CloneClub, right?

– Is Dr. Coady dead? Or was she offered the same deal as Delphine?

Our bet is that if she were given that “one time offer” she would take it in a

second. No one is really dead until we see the body, after all.

– Who has the copy of “The

Island of Doctor Moreau” now?!

– Is Delphine actually dead and who shot her? (See above for

further analysis.)

– What’s the deal with Shay? Does anyone buy her as a good guy

just yet?

– Will Helena’s pregnant belly ever show?

Lab Results

After a lackluster couple of episodes, the action

ramped back up to deliver several conclusions to some lingering storylines,

while also introducing the new big bads for Season 4. The Castor-Leda battle

was finally put to rest and Sarah was reunited with her daughter, but it’s

obvious the danger is far from over.

Quote of the Week

“Wherever you think the science is at, I guarantee

you’re wrong.”

– Dr. Nealon, foreshadowing Season 4.

Runner Up

“I have science baby inside me, but you are my

first.”

– Helena, you just make us happy.

Good luck with that, Gracie.

Grade: A-

“Orphan Black” has been renewed

for a fourth season on Space and BBC America.

READ MORE: ‘Orphan Black’ Origin Story: Co-Creator John Fawcett On How the Show Nearly Never Happened

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