“I need a way forward.”

This episode certainly makes multiple advancements in the show’s central plot, but its main focus is on these characters and the relationships they share. “In reality, we’re now all in bed together,” Jason tells Alison after he kisses her in the store, and although it’s a line in reference to their specific dynamic, we can apply it to the rest of the show as well. After all, this episode looks at this complex mixture of character paths, working from a shared center as it expands its gaze outward, outward into the emotional ramifications of the Leda-Castor conflict. These characters are all in this together in some way, and the intrigue comes from how they handle the situation.

The intrigue in this hour also comes from the various cons that take shape as the episode progresses. “I’m not gonna sit on my hands and wait for them to die,” Sarah says of her sisters, and she realizes she needs to make a move as soon as possible. So, she and Felix set out to con new clone Krystal Goderich–played wonderfully by Maslany, as expected–in order to protect the people she cares about. Yet, as Felix later finds out, Krystal is just as unique and human as the rest of them; she’s smart, yet vulnerable, and it’s easy to see why Felix feels terribly about taking advantage of her. The final scene between the two of them is absolutely beautiful. “You are one of a kind. You are a survivor,” Felix tells her, and it’s a poignant moment nicely handled by Gavaris and Maslany.

And with this comes the idea of trust. “I used to trust people,” Krystal says, and here’s another situation in which we can see the reason for the “used to”. In this world of survival, it’s a struggle when it comes to trusting someone, and we see that on full display with Delphine and Cosima in this episode. Eventually, they tearfully realize just how difficult of a situation this is, just how unable to trust each other they are. The emotional weight of their history is felt at every second during their storyline here, and once again, the actresses should be commended.

The ultimate con is pulled at the end of the episode when it’s revealed that Nealon and Rachel are working together. Krystal certainly doesn’t deserve what happens to her at the end of the episode–being placed into a coma and switched with Rachel–but the simple truth is that she’s now caught up in the power struggle as well. Everyone’s in it now, and it’s going to be a long road ahead in order to get out.

GRADE: B+

OTHER THOUGHTS:

– “This is Scott. He loves lesbians.”

– “I may be a bitch, but I’m Alison’s bitch, and you’re just a stupid dropout.” The Donnie-Jason slap fight is comedy gold, as is this line. I also love the scene in which Donnie and Helena connect over baby oxen.

-Rachel as Beth would be a hell of a lot easier for them to pull off. I don’t know why they didn’t go that route.

-Great scene between Helena and Gracie. Yet another fantastic character moment in an episode full of them.

-I’m really liking how the show’s handling Scott right now. He’s another character who’s pulled into the fray, and the Rudy scene in his apartment is one that frankly became inevitable once he started helping out Cosima.

Photo credit: Orphan Black, BBC America