Orphan Black Recap: “Parts Developed in an Unusual Manner”

by Kevin Ranson:

Orphan Black Recap: “Parts Developed in an Unusual Manner”
Original Air Date (BBC America): Saturday May 11, 2013
Season 1 Episode 7

Clones are people two. Or three. Or sometimes nine.

While Sarah catches up with Cosima via Clone Video Chat about her watcher’s loyalties, Paul is getting grilled by Olivier about “Beth.” Paul asks both why he’s being questioned about the previous eight months with Beth and why he’s being recorded while doing it. Cosima confesses she’s going to pursue her possible watcher; Sarah warns her off – which didn’t keep her off the counter top with Paul. At a hidden location, Thomas scolds Helena for not killing the Fake Beth when she had the chance: Helena is reminded that “she is the original, she is the light.” Hey, the Flying Fish Cult are holed up on a ship; does it fly, too?

Fee goes into Olivier’s club/hideout/secret lair to find out where Paul is and report back to Sarah; Paul learns from Olivier about “the subjects” being killed off, something Sarah hasn’t told him. Back at the police station – remember Art? – the evidence of all the victims is starting to match up but shouldn’t: why does the killer and the victim appear to be the same person? Paul and Sarah meet up to exchange info, but Sarah still won’t confess to knowing about Helena or what that she’s killing off other clones. Paul offers his own car – likely because he knows Sarah’s is being monitored.

Speaking of Helena, time for a Lunch with the Clones! Helena offers that she was raised in a Ukrainian convent, but Sarah won’t even offer her name. Helena offers an ultimatum: if Sarah won’t give up the other clones she’s protecting beforemidnight, she dies first. Did you know Olivier dabbles in augmented taxidermy? That’s not important right now, but what is important is that Dr. Leekie calls Olivier and tells him to bring in Beth… because the tests prove she’s a fake. Gee, do you suppose Leekie is the one who started the entire cloning experiment?

Sarah tells Cosima about Paul’s information – and about Olivier supposedly having a tail. Really? The exchange ends poorly as Cosima is determined to pursue Delphine for more reasons than one. Olivier ambushes Paul at Beth’s flat to tell him Beth is an imposter; it turns out the apartment and Paul’s entire life was manufactured to lure Beth to him. Later that night, Helena slips into Beth’s flat to do a little snooping and clone bonding.

Hey, we finally find out what the name of the series means! While visiting with Kira, Mrs. S brings out a scrapbook with pictures of Sarah as a child. A young man named Carlton brought Sarah in and said she needed to be hidden, a child “in the black,” and Mrs. S adopted her to become her legal guardian. When Carlton was about to be arrested, he begged Mrs. S to take Sarah away and hide her deeper; she left everything behind and brought only Sarah and Fee with her. Suspecting Sarah is dealing with her past, Mrs. S says it’s okay to leave Kira with her for as long as she needs to keep her safe.

While Cosima and Delphine just happen to run into Dr. Leekie over dinner – allowing Cosima to be talked up by the good Doctor – Paul is back at Olivier’s club being threatened to make something bad that happened in Afghanistan public. When given his phone to lure Fake Beth in, Paul calls Sarah and tells her to run; Olivier and his henchwoman inject Paul and bind him to a chair. Is this proof that Paul can really be trusted? Hint: the previews for next week don’t bode well, but we shall see.

Sarah decides not to leave Paul to his fate. With Fee on watch outside and ready to call Art at the police station if everything goes south, Sarah calls Helena with a plan to meet up… someplace. Sarah gets nabbed and leaned on by Olivier – as if Olivier wasn’t already the creep we first suspected that Paul was. Dr. Leekie is contacted and says he’ll be there in the morning to collect Fake Beth, but Helena mucks up the plan, getting the drop on Olivier… and a piece of tail for herself. Sarah frees Paul while Helena dances the night away with her little souvenir.

Fee calls Art and tells him just enough info to mess with his mind before hanging up when Sarah appears. With the townhouse compromised, Paul and Sarah hole up at Fee’s place, leaving Fee feeling a bit unwanted. Following dinner with Dr. Leekie, Cosima makes a play for Delphine, catching her unaware with a kiss and scaring her off. And back at the police station, the cat’s out of the bag: Sarah Manning’s info pops up as the victim… not to mention she looks identical to Beth.

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Kevin A. Ranson is the author of The Spooky Chronicles and the upcoming vampire thriller The Matriarch. He also the creator/critic for MovieCrypt.com and the “ghost writer” for its horror host Grim D. Reaper (often seen skulking around horror conventions). Find him on Facebook, on Twitter @KevinARanson, and his author blog at ThinkingSkull.com.