It's been a wild strange ride for
those of us who have stuck with Orphan
Black up until now. Perhaps it has done more to demonstrate than anything
else that a mythology series just can't work unless the writers have a plan.
The plots involving a series of clones who have been trying to find out about
the secret organizations that have been built up around them have become nearly
as incomprehensible as the X-Files endless
alien conspiracy machinations or the many unanswered questions that left so
many baffled by Lost.
Now, as the series enters its final
season, the writers of Orphan Black seemed
determined to simultaneously simplify and double down on all of their
machinations. Now, everything seems to
be centered on an island (don't worry Losties,
its in the North Sea, not the Pacific), a conspiracy that involves a group
known as Neolution which seems to have its origin based in some kind of 19th
Century eugenics that comes down to a 170 year-old man named P.K. Westmoreland
(Stephen McHattie). For some bizarre reason, he seems to have put the trust of
his entire project into power-hungry Rachel. She seems to be at peace for the
first time all series, which makes no one trust her, not even the people who
work for her. Considering that her job seems to be to finally bring all of her
'sisters' in under her watch, Sarah Manning understandably doesn't trust her
either. Neither do Cosima, who finally seems to have the cure which has been
escaping her all series, suburbanite Allison, who is still trying to deal with
all this, or ass-kicking Helena ,
the only clone still on the loose. But for once, the efforts to protect
daughter Kira, the girl who has been,
after a fashion, at the heart of the series, may finally come to naught. After
four seasons of running, she is tired, and wants more than anything to know
what it is that is special about her.
I am, for better or worse, a nut
for mythology series, but honestly, trying to follow the breadcrumbs the
creators have left us have left me exhausted. For all this, there are still
many reasons to watch this series, and they're all named Tatiana Maslany. Last
year's deserved winner of the Emmy for Best Actress (get her name right next
time), she still continues to amaze in giving all of the clones a different
personality, and the marvelous scenes where she plays the clones imitating
other clones. Even now, the series can find ways to make this remarkable - last
night, they did a tracking shot where Sarah and rogue hacker MK changed clothes
and had a long conversation before parting - both of them knowing it will lead
MK to her death. I know by now there had to be some kind of amazing trick
camerawork, but I frankly didn't care; it was still astonishing.
This is the final season, so its
not likely that all of the sisters are going to survive - that's how TV in the
new Golden age rolls. I may not really give a damn as to whether it all makes
sense in the end, but I sure as hell care whether Cosima will get a happy
reunion with her lover Delphine, or whether Helena
will be able to deliver her babies in peace, or whether Sarah Manning will
finally be able to stop running. Because that's how incredible an actress
Maslany is. She makes us care even when all around in chaos. She's not going to
be eligible for an Emmy this year. Let's hope the Emmy voters can keep their
memory straight for 2018.
Orphan Black score: 2.5 stars.
Maslany: 5 stars.
Final Score: 3.75 stars.
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