What I’m Watching: Orphan Black

Orphan Black: Season 5, Episode 7 “Gag or Throttle” (B+)

So close to the end of this show, the battle lines are finally being drawn and not everyone is on the side that you’d expect. The flashbacks to Rachel as a child acknowledging her status as a clone well aware of her experiment to a shocked crowd of wealthy Dyad supporters were informative, explaining her coldness and general apathy towards the others. The fact that she killed another clone so that she could conduct an autopsy demonstrates how little she seems to value human life, especially that which has been created rather than born. But evidently the bubble being burst about Westmoreland’s deception was too much for her, and some clever staging and the application of an eye patch helped her to spirit Kira to safety before gouging out her own eye in a pretty bloody scene that proved difficult to watch. Cosima made it out too, which is a relief, and Scott was extremely happy to see her. It’s good to have the team back together again, and even Alison returned from her time away, now with new hair and a desire to get rid of her arts and crafts past. Virginia using Mark is a bad omen, and though he doesn’t seem inherently evil, he does appear to know exactly what he is and what purpose he can serve as the war continues. With just three episodes to go, I think we’re going to be seeing a lot of our friends on the run, and I don’t know where that’s going to leave Rachel.