“To those just hopping on the Orphan Black bandwagon, you’ve probably heard or read about the powerhouse of an actress that is Tatiana Maslany. Not only does she play five of the series’ main characters, but her true ability shines even more when she plays one of the clones playing another clone.” —Jonathan Raeder

Finally, Orphan Black is back. The BBC show about clones, bad guys with tails, hidden conspiracies and one amazing actress took a good deal of the TV-watching world by storm in the months near the end of the show’s run. Its popularity continued to grow but evidently not enough to give Tatiana Maslany the awards she so rightly deserved. Regardless, we’re finally here at the season two premiere. At the end of last season, Sarah shot Helena; Cosima and Delphine fell in something that might be love; Alison let her friend and falsely accused monitor Ainsley choke to death; and someone kidnapped Kira and Mrs. S.

Taking place mere moments after season one’s finale, a desperate Sarah flees the scene of Mrs. S and Kira’s abduction in the pouring rain. She slips into a local café to get out of the rain and tries to get in contact with the rest of the Clone Club, but no one’s available. Soon she’s accosted by two thugs and, in a tense scene crackling with a propulsive movement, she escapes by breaking through the drywall of the dilapidated bathroom. The episode never really lets up, barreling forward at breakneck speed.

While the enraged Sarah is ready to burst into the Dyad Institute, guns blazing, the other clones urge caution. Alison, reeling from her neglected homicide of Ainsley, has thrown herself into a new project: a musical as well as procuring a gun for Sarah via her usual drug dealer.

Cosima is wary of her illness and her confusion about her feelings toward Delphine. Their relationship always seemed suspicious, and our worst fears may be true, as Delphine casually refers to Cosima by her number when talking to Leakey. Does she really care for Cosima? Even if she does, will it stop her from doing her job for the Dyad Institute? It’s common for stories in this situation to have the spy declare something along the lines of, “Originally I was faking, but my love is real now!” — and Delphine has already said this — but Orphan Black is of a different caliber, and it’s entirely possible that Delphine is still, and has always been, faking. After all, the Dyad Institute chooses its monitors carefully. Alison’s is her own husband — talk about playing a long con.

Rachel Duncan, the “Pro-Clone,” is new to the show, only appearing at the very end of last season’s finale. She seems an entirely new kind of adversary — the exact opposite of Helena. She’s calculating, commanding and even seems to have some kind of authority over Leakey, at least in that he defers to her wishes. It’s yet another reminder of Maslany’s talents. Rachel is still mostly mysterious — she’s definitely a clone and yet works for her creators? Who is in charge of her? What’s her ultimate goal?

The overarching plot of Orphan Black still remains a murky shroud of conspiracies and untold mythology. The Dyad Institute seems to have created the clones from the two originals: Sarah and Helena, but then Helena’s side comes into play. Who are these religious fanatics? The Neolutionists? Helena’s alive, somehow, and her side is in direct conflict with Dyad. Are the Clones caught in the middle of a deadly struggle between two nefarious organizations? Two villainous groups are better than one and definitely make for an increase in the level of complexity that the plot will evolve into over the next season. Predictions are useless at this point — the show’s going to keep barreling ahead and offering twist after twist.

The episode’s not perfect, however, and while the disarming screeches that signify Helena’s presence were definitely a shock, it’s hard not to think of the whole thing as a cheap ploy. The emotional power of a death in television is undermined when the show can portray deaths that aren’t actually deaths. For example, look at Game of Thrones, a series famous for its bloodbaths. Characters need to stay dead for death to mean anything. Though of course it’s too early to tell if Helena’s return will be worth it, narratively, in the end, but the showrunners have done well so far. 

To those just hopping on the Orphan Black bandwagon, you’ve probably heard or read about the powerhouse of an actress that is Tatiana Maslany. Not only does she play five of the series’ main characters, but her true ability shines even more when she plays one of the clones playing another clone.

It’s a testament to her ability that it’s so easy to forget all these characters are played by the same person and not simply quintuplets — they’re each distinct, multifaceted characters with different ways of speaking and carrying themselves. Sarah is the con-art drifter, Alison the slightly unhinged suburban mom, Cosima the brilliant West Coast stoner scientist, Rachel the cold commanding villain, and Helena, the psychotic, childlike killer. For the most part, the other actors do a good job of keeping up, but none even come close to Maslany. Most of the villains — with the exception being those played by Maslany herself — seem either flat and lifeless or a bit hammy. A particularly egregious example is Paul, who still remains quite wooden. It’s difficult to tell if his allegiances are so confusing because he doesn’t know or because his actor can’t quite convey his emotions well enough.

Regardless of its faults, Orphan Black’s premiere does an excellent job of setting the stage for the remainder of the season. The showrunners have proven themselves as confident, boldly leaping into the story and piling atop mystery after mystery. We can only hope the show doesn’t buckle under the weight of its mythology. The creators seem to know what they’re doing.

Tidbits:

  • I’m a bit confused as to the nature of the Neolutionists and Helena. Have there been any more clues I’ve missed? Let me know.
  • Alison continues to provide hilarious comedic relief, even while revealing her frayed edges and darker side. I hope her friendship with Felix continues to grow — the two play off each other so well.
  • Also, I will be heartbroken if Felix is Sarah’s monitor. It seems like a huge stretch, but who knows? I thought Helena was dead and now we know she’s still kicking.
  • Now we have five main character clones. A new season has to mean new clones, so I’m interested in seeing what yet another clone could be like.
  • In case I didn’t say it enough, Tatiana Maslany is amazing. Let’s just give her all the awards.