Article originally written for Seat42F.
BBC America’s ORPHAN BLACK returns this week with “The
Weight of This Combination.” The network (rightly) has asked the press not to
spoil anything, so I promise to do my absolute best to give you enough of a
tease without crossing the line. It will be quite difficult to do so, and if
you’d rather go in with a completely blank slate, which I would totally get,
bookmark this and come back after. But I pledge not to give away very much at
all.
To start with, anyone worried that the introduction of male
clones (all played by Ari Millen) would steal the spotlight from the girls, do
not fret. There are multiple iterations of the new guy in the season premiere,
but this is still very much The Tatiana Maslany Show, and I see no signs of
that changing. The clone story may deepen and expand, but the writers know who
made this show work, and Maslany will continue to be the focus of the vast
majority of the running time.
All of our favorite clones are back, and most of them are in
the opening scene of “The Weight of This Combination.” In fact, the opening is
one of my favorite moments of the episode, with a terrific soundtrack and a
very satisfying picture of the sisters together. It’s a fine way to open the
season before all of the craziness descends, as of course happens in short
order.
After the beginning, much of the premiere directly follows
up last year’s cliffhanger. The Dyad Institute is not going anywhere, and is
still very much interested in the girls. Sarah’s daughter, Kira (Skyler Wexler),
remains a focal point, representing the possibility of reproduction by clones,
and thus sparking the interest of many. The cast more or less remains intact,
and there is almost immediately fall out from what transpired previously.
On that note, another one of Mrs. S.’s (Maria Doyle Kennedy)
secrets comes to light very quickly. Honestly, I am wondering how she still
thinks she can be a part of the Clone Club at this point; she’s an outside
member of the family at best. I understand her intentions are good, but she’s
got to quit doing stupid things she knows Sarah (Maslany) won’t agree with. She
loves Sarah, yes, but Sarah loves her sisters (and Felix (Jordan Gavaris) of
course), and Mrs. S. needs to get that into her head if she wants to stay in
Sarah’s life.
Last season, Rachel (Maslany) is stabbed in the eye with a
pencil. I don’t think that it’s spoiling much to say that she’s not dead, as
after Helena’s surprise return, it doesn’t seem like ORPHAN BLACK is in a hurry
to kill off its primary players, and I expect to see more versions in the near
future. What this does mean for Dyad, though, is that Rachel is in no shape to
carry on as she’s been, “The Weight of This Combination” picking up incredibly
soon after the previous episode, so there has to be a “new Rachel” to run things,
at least for a while. And there is.
I think it would give too much away to tell you who the “new
Rachel” is, but it is a face we’ve seen before. It also gives the chance for a
character to greatly expand their role on the series, and I’m very excited by
not just the selection, but also the implications for various relationships
because of this.
I mentioned new clones, and I will not say whether there is
one of those in this episode or not, but I will say that there is at least one
new character. It was announced that James Frain is joining the cast this year,
and his character has some very juicy scenes in the season premiere. I’m not
sure he’ll stick around long, but I hope he does, as I enjoy the actor, and the
part he’s playing is an interesting one.
One of my favorite things about ORPHAN BLACK is when Tatiana
Maslany plays one of her characters pretending to be another one of her
characters. “The Weight of This Combination” not only gives us that, but
provides a fresh twist on it that is awesome.
For my last tease, I will mention that Alison (Maslany) has
an excellent new thread that plays into her suburban life and will have nothing
to do with her sisters, or at least it doesn’t seem like it will. I like very
much that these characters do have their own motivations and lives, and not
everyone is as wrapped up in the conspiracy as Sarah is. Alison’s latest
venture is a perfect way to continue this.
I can’t rave enough about the season premiere of OPRHAN
BLACK. I feel like it has lots of surprises in store while continuing a very
fascinating story. All of my favorite things about the first two seasons are
back right away in this hour, and are being done better than ever. This is only
season three, so the writers are probably still teeming with fresh ideas. This
episode doesn’t prove to me that the show has strong stamina over time. But to
get this far and continue to not only meet high expectations, but exceed them,
is a feat, and I think those making this program are doing more than a few
things right.
ORPHAN BLACK returns Saturday at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.
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