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Celebrating 1,000 NCIS-franchise episodes

Helena: Assassin Clone

ElectricBoogaloo

By ElectricBoogaloo
in Orphan Black [V]

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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

To me, Helena is the most tragic of the clones we have met so far. Abused, brainwashed, and possibly batshit crazy, she was fascinating and frightening. I will really miss her. I know the show said we won't be seeing her in flashbacks, but I can still hold out hope that they'll change their minds, right?

 

If not, I look forward to posting about her when I rewatch S1!

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bravelittletoaster

bravelittletoaster

LOL, I just got a Shakira add in the Alison thread.  I blame Helena.

I never would have guessed when we met her how attached I'd become to Helena throughout the season.  She may, for me, be Tatiana's greatest acting achievement in season 1, which is saying something.

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calliesu

calliesu

Bravelittletoaster, I agree. It's not just that Helena looked the most different, but was just so different in every way from all the other clones. Whenever I rewatch I'm still amazed in scenes with Helena and Sarah, that this is the same actress.

Electricboogaloo, I freaking love your little picture.

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RachelKM

RachelKM

Helena always broke my heart.  The scene where she's in the cage and crying to get out is just so sad. And watching her interactions with Sarah and Kira were both eerie and touching.  Even when she was trying to kill Sarah she seemed so desperate for a connection with her.

But she also brought some of the most bizare, BSC, and oddly funny scenes (dancing with the tail comes to mind) of the whole show; and watching her eat was some amazing physical acting on Maslany's part.

Also, EB, I hadn't really looked until calliesu said something, but is that Toby with his horrid do-rag as your Avi?

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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

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Yes, it's Toby in his juvie days (as imagined by the PLL). I laugh every time I see that picture. Sometimes I picture him being cellies with Uncle Leo from Seinfeld doing pull ups and saying, "HELLO!"

Helena dancing with that guy's tail was hilariously gruesome (or gruesomely hilarious?). Even though she seemed the most dangerous clone, she was also the most damaged and I really felt for her. I loved her scenes with Kira. Poor Helena was treated like an animal but her human instinct to protest little Kira and her longing for human connection made me like her. She was so desperate that it was hard not to feel for her.

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molshoop

molshoop

Helena was my favorite too.  When she looked at Sarah and said "moja sestra", tears came to eyes. It means "my sister" in several Slavic languages, including the one my mother speaks.  When my aunt died ( of natural causes), my mother said it over and over. So it really got to me.

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Ceeg

Ceeg

I think Helena is really a testament to Tatiana's acting, because I think, on paper, Helena could have easily been a cartoony villain. Crazy, Ukrainian, Shakira hair, scars, killer. It's pretty remarkable that, despite the fact that Helena was a murderer and was actively trying to kill these clones, she was able to develop Helena into a character that the audience can care for and have conflicting emotions about, over such a short period of time (Helena didn't really appear until the very end of ep 3). By the end, I know that logically Sarah had to kill her, but she was just such a tragic figure that I felt bad that's how it had to end. And I credit most of that to Tatiana's portrayal.

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Snarkette

Snarkette

I adore Helena and will be bitterly disappointed if she doesn't heal back. (No pun intended, although they just write themselves don't they.) As twins, wouldn't they both be super-healers? Cosima is brain girl. Not sure what extra Allison is (other than endearingly super-annoying, which is probably not what they were aiming for.)

I wonder how many twins there were in this whole thing. Is Helena/Sara the norm (per swan eggs) or the exception? 

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RachelKM

RachelKM

(edited)

If Helena was a super-healer, would she be able to have all those scars though?

I don't really see why not.  I don't think anyone is suggesting she's a vampire who can heal without any sign of ever being injured.  Scarring is a normal part of healing for most injuries that are more significant than minor cuts.  If an injury is significant, scarring happens.  Super healing could just mean that she heals faster and/or from more sever injuries that might kill someone else.

If she was repeatedly cutting herself, scarring would be the natural result.  To me, super healing would just mean that the scarring would happen faster and maybe, but not necessarily, require a somewhat more significant skin tear to accomplish it.

Edited by RachelKM
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Wilowy

Wilowy

I'm hopeful that Helena isn't dead. The tableau

with the decapitated dolls in the sneak peek

smacks of Helena and my friend and I hashtag #SaveHelena wherever we go on social media. 

Nobody knows what we're talking about, but you guys do. :)

 

 

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RachelKM

RachelKM

(edited)

As soon as I saw her bloody boots I was bouncing in my seat and shouting "YEESSSSSS!" Little disconcerted however by the "My sister shot me."  In Helena speak, that could very well be her indicating an attitude shift toward Sarah. I'm thinking our girl may be less favorably inclined toward her seester.

Edited by RachelKM
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Wilowy

Wilowy

I don't know. Helena doesn't seem to be a revenge-seeker so much as mission-oriented. 

I think with all she knows now, she may just try lurching her way over to the Sarah side? Especially where Kira is concerned, fond as she is of the child. She now has the 'idea' of family in her head that she really didn't before Sarah shot her. Helena knows she got shot because she killed their birth mother - so in Helena's eyes she could very well excuse Sarah's attack as payback for that. I don't know. 

There are so many ways they could take this! :D

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Kara

Kara

I was so happy to see Helena back.  She has the biggest opportunity for growth and redemption, and I do feel for her abusive upbringing, she never had a chance. 

I do have a question about her hair.   If she had Sarah are  from one egg, as Helena said, how does she have blond curly hair?  If her character were different, I could buy that she bleaches it (she does seem to have dark roots).  However, I don't see Helena really being concerned about her hair color.  Are we sure there were not two embryos implanted?  This could account for the differences in appearance if they tweak each embryo a bit to see what happens. 

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millahnna

millahnna

If I recall correctly, their birth mother seemed to imply that twins was a surprise to the doctors, too, but 1) I could be making that up and 2) even if I'm not I'm so vague on the specifics despite a recentish rewatch that I'm assuming it was definitely open to interpretation.  So the blonde hair would definitely be some sort affectation if I'm right that she's a true split embryo twin.  Maybe it's something the religious freaks encouraged to make her resemble the sort of classic anglo-saxon angels imagery?

 

And because I've got it on the brain, I'm predicting a Big Damned Sacrifice to save Sarah, Kira, and possibly the other clones.  Just wanted to place my bets early.

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bravelittletoaster

bravelittletoaster

I think she was removing the rebar and stitching herself up when the kid found her in his house, is that what you're thinking of?  I don't remember her bleaching her hair, but I've never had trouble accepting that she does.  I mean, she obviously does, because yes identical twins are identical, obv.

 

See also Rachel's hair.  Or visit Tokyo, where you see way more "blondes" than you'd ever expect.

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Wilowy

Wilowy

Helena's sexuality is an interesting topic to me. Considering the way she was raised, would she know how to act on any natural proclivities either way? She hasn't exhibited any flirtatious or otherwise sexual overtures in any way to anyone as far as I can see. Is she a virgin? She's obviously been told about sex, but it doesn't seem to be anything she even considers for herself. 

 

This is only one part of why I find Helena such a great character. There's so much to discover about her!

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jeansheridan

jeansheridan

Helena is my second favorite clone (I love myself some control-freak Alison).  I hated her the first season and fell in love with her in the second season.  Her sudden violence is very satisfying, especially given how people abuse her on the show.  And I was so glad she didn't hurt Art.  Not hurting Art proved to me that she's not bat-shit crazy.  She can control her impulses.

 

I just want to see her alone in a room with Rachel.  Two clones go in, one comes out ;^).  

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syprnc

syprnc

(edited)

Yes! With a coating of sugar!!!

knowing helena and her strange eating habits, i was questioning if that was really sugar, instead of salt. 

i want to know what you guys think about 

helena killing amelia disguised as sarah

in season 1. that scene was very emotionally conflicting for me, because i do feel for helena, and i understand her reasoning behind what she did, but nonetheless it was still hard to watch. do you feel helena was justified in doing what she did?

Edited by syprnc
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chocolatine

chocolatine

I recently got into the show and binge-watched S1-3 before watching S4 in real time. I just love how Helena has blossomed after being taken in by her sestras. I love the eating, the humor, her devotion to any and all "babies" and to "Jesse Towing", but that she still has the killer instinct when anyone "threaten babies" (buh-bye, Portuguese drug lords) or one of her sestras.

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