Review: 'Orphan Black' Season 3, Episode 3, 'Formalized, Complex, and Costly’: The Body Count Rises

PREVIOUSLY: ‘Orphan Black’ Season 3, Episode 2, ‘Transitory Sacrifices of Crisis’: Things Get Personal

Cloning Around



If

the first two episodes were about setting up things to come, this week the

focus was on bringing a Leda and Castor representative together. As Sarah

teamed with Art to try and find Mark (and, subsequently, Helena), the Castor

clones worried that their entire project would be shut down before they were

able to find the source of the genetic defects. It was a quicker pace and plot

than the first two episodes, as there was less focus on the tricky camerawork

and more movement in the actual story.

Science Class

With Seth down, Cosima wasted no time in rounding up

the dead clone’s brains in order to extract and examine as much genetic

information as possible. Naturally she was aided by a weary Scott and a

thoroughly disgusted Felix, whose kitchen utensil props lightened the overall

mood. Although the actual science behind the episode’s revelation is still lost

on us, the takeaway is one and the same: the Leda and Castor clones are

siblings. Somehow we have a feeling that there won’t be a super happy family

reunion anytime soon. Frustrating, when you think about how they’re all

fighting for the exact same thing.

A Little Dance

Party

No dancing this week (or celebratory clone scenes

involving baby showers or group sex) but the gross-out factor was more than

enough of a party for us. Between the bathtub dissection (how is Felix going to

shower now?), Mark’s hammer-happy torture scene and Mrs. Johanssen’s target

practice in the cornfield, there was more than enough carnage to last through

the rest of the season.

Power Move

For the second week in a row “Orphan Black”

offed one of its male clones, leading us to wonder what was the point of

introducing them all? It’s as though they couldn’t bear to kill off any of the

established female characters (remember when Cosima was thisclose to death?), so instead we’re parting with the ones we’ve

just gotten to know. It would have been interesting to see where a Sarah/Mark

pairing would have gotten us, or even to see Mark reunite with Gracie and

change her mind towards the “abominations.” Now we’ll never get the

chance for either. Saying goodbye to Mark is tough, especially since throughout

the entire scene we were waiting for Sarah to run out from behind Mrs. J, pick

up the gun Mark had dropped and off the Prolethain herself. Now how is she

supposed to find Helena?

Avon Lady Calling

Out in the ‘burbs, Alison and Donnie put their new

business into action, with a social commentary on the overall unhappiness of

housewives and soccer moms in general. While we miss having Alison partake in

the general clone shenanigans, this will clearly end poorly for Alison in the

end. Perhaps her eventual arrest will finally put the cops onto the Clone Club

in all of its glory? In the meantime, those bath soaps were cute and convenient

in only the way Alison could ever make them. #VoteHendrix

A Male’s

Perspective

After seeing Ari Millen shine as Mark in this

episode, we’re going to miss him. Between his tender love towards Gracie and

his cold-blooded torture, there were so many complexities to the character that

we wished we could have explored more.

As for Rudy, we saw a lot less of him this week, but

the scenes he was in were quite revealing. Between his thumb-sucking mommy

issues and taunting of Helena, he and the blonde-haired clone are two characters

we’d love to see tango sooner rather than later.

Tatiana Who?

Kudos to Art for not being every other dimwitted

supporting character cop we’ve seen on shows like this. The simple fact that he

pushed past Sarah and Felix when he knew something was off says loads about his

character. Plus, watching him and Sarah on the road together was a definite

highlight, and it moved the story along. The revelation that he was in love

with Beth seems like a random aside, but at least now we know his true

motivations for helping the “sestras.”

Lab Results

If the male clones continue to drop like flies,

there won’t be much story left to explore on that side of the science lab, and

that kind of makes their introduction last season pointless. As it stands,

Sarah seeking Helena is the only new driving force of the season, while the

long-standing one — solving the genetic defects —continues to be important

namely because there are now more people involved. Things need to start

happening in order to keep the story rolling; we can only follow Sarah’s quest

to find her sister for so long.

Quote of the Week

“We’re free of your people but we’re not free

of mine.” – Mark

Well that was a pretty deadly assumption.

Runner Up

“The last thing we need is another violent

mess.” – Gracie

Way to make one happen, then.

Runner, Runner Up

“I’m going to need a bath once we clean all of

this up.” – Felix

In the same bathtub you’re keeping a dead body, Felix?

Grade: B-

“Orphan Black” airs Saturday at 9 p.m. ET

on Space and BBC America. Next time: Cosima tries dating, and Sarah has an

unfortunate run-in.

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

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