Orphan Black: Clones and Crazy Science

Acting

Writing

Chemistry

Sexiness

Gayness

Production

2014-03-26

4.0Overall Score

Reader Rating: (1 Vote)

Orphan Black has been on my radar for a while. I knew it had cute girls, science fiction and a lesbian relationship, so I was pretty sure I’d dig it. But I had missed the first season when it aired on TV and I hadn’t gotten around to renting the DVDs. So, this weekend when I found out that Season 1 is now available on Amazon Instant Video, I of course had to binge watch it. The show did not disappoint. Plus, Season 2 is right around the corner. The premiere is on Saturday, April 19th on BBC America. See below for my full review.

		Starring Tatiana Maslany		Language English
		Starring Jordan Gavaris		Subtitles English (CC)
		Director Various		Release Year 2013
		TV Rating TV-MA		Run Time 46 minutes per episode
		Genre Drama

Where to Watch
	Netflix	Amazon
DVD	DVD Rental	DVD Purchase
Instant Video	N/A	Rent or Buy Free for Amazon Prime members.
For a complete list of where to watch Orphan Black click here.

When Season 1 begins we meet Sarah Manning, a street-tough grifter who has returned home after 10 months to reclaim her daughter. At the train station Sarah witnesses a woman throw herself in front of a train, a woman who happens to look exactly like Sarah. Sarah nabs the suicide woman’s purse with the intention of finding out more and taking her cash. Then she comes up with the bright idea to impersonate this woman, whose name is Beth Childs, and basically steal everything she can. However, impersonating Beth turns out to be trickier than Sarah expected. Beth is a cop and her “friends” also look exactly like Sarah. Sarah learns she is a clone, one of many, and that they are all part of some crazy genetic experiment. To make things even more complicated someone is trying to kill them all. The first season is full of mysteries that the “Clone Club” tries to unravel. Obviously they need to figure out who is on a serial clone killing spree. They also seek answers about who they really are, who made them and why. It’s the typical human quest for the meaning of life with a twist.

They are all man made. Each clone has a different history and personality. The main 5 are detailed here.

	Sarah Manning Sarah is an orphan - hence the title of the show - who was raised by her foster mom. Now a mother herself, Sarah is trying to be the parent she knows she should be to her daughter Kira.
	Beth Childs Beth is a serious cop who was trying to protect her clone sisters before she offed herself.
	Alison Hendrix Alison is the uptight soccer mom who lives in the suburbs with her hubby and two kids.
	Cosima Niehaus Cosima, the lovable geek genius from Berkeley who is studying evolutionary development.
	Helena Helena was raised by the church and is more than a little cray cray.

The amazingly talented Tatiana Maslany plays all the clones. Tatiana has won several awards for her work on this show, including the 2014 Canadian Screen Award for Best Actress in a TV Drama. And she deserves it. The rest of the cast put in noteworthy performances as well. Jordan Gavaris in particular delivers a strong performance as Sarah’s gay foster brother, Felix. He lends a touch of humor to what can be a dark show.

So, what about the lesbian relationship you ask? Clone Cosima falls hard for a gorgeous French scientist named Delphine (Evelyne Brochu). Really, who wouldn’t fall for Delphine? She is smart and beautiful, has puppy dog eyes and an accent that will melt your heart. The two of them are downright adorable together. My favorite scene is when Cosima tells Delphine she wants to “make crazy science” with her. The trailer and photos from Season 2 include both characters, so their relationship will continue into the upcoming season. There are straight relationships in the show as well. While impersonating Beth, Sarah gets involved with Beth’s boyfriend Paul. Obviously that would be hard to avoid when you are pretending to be someone else. Alison has her suburban husband, Donnie. The show doesn’t delve into the question of sexuality and genetics, at least not in season one. None of the clones “label” themselves as straight, gay or bisexual. However, if they are genetic identicals it would stand to reason that they have a shared genetic sexual orientation. Delphine says in one episode, “I know as a scientist, sexuality is a spectrum.” I am guessing the writers aren’t going delve any deeper into the issue than that, but you never know.

Orphan Black is full of action, intrigue and angst. Check out Season 1 on Amazon Instant Video. It is free if you are an Amazon Prime member, otherwise you can purchase the season or individual episodes. The show is also available on DVD. Then tune in to BBC America starting this April 19th to catch Season 2.

Promo and Fan Videos

Latest Season 2 Cophine video.

Below is a fun video of Tatiana Maslany discussing why Cosima is the hot clone.

This one is super cute too. Who is the better kisser Delphine or Paul? Delphine, duh. And it has part of the “crazy science” clip.

Here are a couple fan music videos I found on YouTube to give you a taste of Cosima and Delphine. Their shipper name is Cophine (sounds like a drug).

The video is full of angst, but their relationship isn’t all dark.

This one is a little lighter.

Fun Fact
In an interview one of the show’s creators, Graeme Manson revealed that the character Cosima Niehaus is loosely based on a friend of his, Cosima Herter. Cosima Herter is also the science consultant to the show. So, if you see the name Cosima in the credits, now you know why.