S05.E09: One Fettered Slave

[carrps]

Re: the clone in the babushka. I just assumed she'd put on the scarf as her going-to-church head covering. I know it's gone by the wayside mostly these days, but in Eastern Europe, I could imagine the habit lasting longer.

SO glad Helena didn't die.

I even shed a tear for Mark. He was the best of the Castors.

Man, I want Enger to suffer.

[BaskingsharkGTX]

11 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I don't know why, but I've felt like Tatiana's acting has been a bit off with the clones. I'm trying to decide if it's intentional or not (or if it's just me). Which is sad because Tatiana is such an amazing actress that I don't want to feel this way about her. But starting with the return of Alison (though this episode had Alison feeling more like Alison, so maybe it is just the hair that bothers me), Sarah-as-Rachel and a little bit with Helena this episode, I'm noticing less of those characters and more of Tatiana, the actress. 

 

It feels like sacrilege to say it but I agree - it's not all the time, but this season, I see more of her and feel less immersed in these women as different characters, although I don't think it's Tatiana's fault. This season, while still massively better than the third season, has very much felt like a wrap-up and things feel a lot more "neat" in the writing as they move towards the finale and the material isn't quite as good as what she was given at her best. Also, though, we should give the lady a break. It's exhausting to play one or two characters, let alone this many, not to mention having to play opposite "yourself" and having to play one of your characters who's pretending to be another one. She must be worn out by now!

Loved badass Helena bashing Coady's head on the trolley while in labor. I wonder if Coady's dead - I can't help hoping she's not so she can have an even nastier exit next week. 

Poor stupid Mark and Gracie. While giving away Helena to Coady was unforgivable, they were desperate and in love and it destroyed them. Their story was pretty tragic - and while I know there's a lot of loose ends to tie up, it was treated like a bit of a footnote. 

I really, really hope Jesse Towing comes back next week to drive off into the sunset with Helena and the babies. Along with Alison's old hair and personality (looked like that was peeking through last week).

[snarktini]

20 minutes ago, BaskingsharkGTX said:

I really, really hope Jesse Towing comes back next week to drive off into the sunset with Helena and the babies. 

Yes, Jesse Towing! Perfect bow for Helena's story.

(While we're talking about tying up loose ends I'd also like to see or at least hear about Kira's dad. But Jesse Towing first!)

[sinkwriter]

Question: does Sarah (and everyone else) know that Ferdinand was the one who killed Mrs. S? I thought I recalled them all talking about how they wanted to know who was behind it and wondered if Rachel could have done such a thing (and if I recall correctly, they thought Rachel wasn't the one). So... if they don't know it was Ferdinand, did someone come and take his body away before Sarah and Felix got home and found Mrs. S? Did they clean up all the blood that was most assuredly all over the floor from S shooting Ferdinand in the neck? Or was his body there, and they know he shot her, but think someone told him to do it? Which seems weird, because at that point, wasn't Ferdinand pretty much on his own? He wasn't even with Rachel anymore, and the Neolutionists tried to kill him in their board room before he got away, so... his seeking out Mrs. S was purely his own doing, wasn't it? (I assumed he thought he could get the Rachel flash drive info from her, but then when he got there he found out she'd already put the info public, so his only option left was to kill her out of revenge.)

I was just confused why they were all questioning who did this to Mrs. S, when his body should have been on the floor near her. And if it wasn't, who cleaned it up? Because no one was really on his side anymore, or looking to clean up a mess involving him, were they? 

[Ailianna]

I don't think they were questioning who killed her, but rather that Rachel had a chance to stop Ferdinand before he got to Mrs. S, or that possibly Rachel had aimed Ferdinand at Mrs. S.  I don't think there's any confusion about who physically killed her.  But Rachel's long association with Ferdinand is coming back to bite her (ugh--not that way!) because they don't know if she was in on the plan with him or not.  And with her history with the other clones, it's really hard to trust her.

[Snorfbat]

Coady, Coady. Forgot that Helena is left-handed, didn't you?

[natyxg]

9 hours ago, Ailianna said:

I don't think they were questioning who killed her, but rather that Rachel had a chance to stop Ferdinand before he got to Mrs. S, or that possibly Rachel had aimed Ferdinand at Mrs. S.  I don't think there's any confusion about who physically killed her.  But Rachel's long association with Ferdinand is coming back to bite her (ugh--not that way!) because they don't know if she was in on the plan with him or not.  And with her history with the other clones, it's really hard to trust her.

Yeah, they just don't trust Rachel and they know S was dealing with her the night she died. I was a bit exasperated when Felix arrived because Rachel could have just told him that she called S to warn her.

I kind of want PT telling Sarah about all the creepy ways in which he spied Rachel and about the letters she wrote to her birth mother to soften Sarah a bit towards Rachel. I really want a scene between them that has some closure. Though given everything that has happened they won't be BFFs they've had a personal history going all the way back to season 2 and I'd like some closure. But I won't hold my breath for it, I imagine the finale will be quite packed with lots of things.

[sinkwriter]

is the finale going to be one hour, or two? 

[Haleth]

My guide says 1 hour (and 5 mins).

[SomeTameGazelle]

On 8/7/2017 at 9:56 PM, natyxg said:

I fear for Art more than for Rachel, frankly. It's the finale and I think another one from the "good" team will die, for the shock of it. Rachel's journey starting from episode 7 doesn't scream "die" to me. But Art is important enough, but at the same time disposable enough, I think.  And I thought him telling Sarah that it was his personal fight too, as well as him killing that Neo were red flags for me.

I was reading Art's interaction with Sarah as a sign that they might end up together. It felt like they had a bond and an understanding that was more intimate than before.

[madam magpie]

18 minutes ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

I was reading Art's interaction with Sarah as a sign that they might end up together. It felt like they had a bond and an understanding that was more intimate than before.

That would be weird, and yet I love it.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I like that their bond is platonic, so I hope they don't turn it into a romantic relationship in the series finale - especially since he was in love with Beth.

[AfterwardsTV]

One Fettered Slave Thoughts Part 1:

-Aw, little chocolate hoarder Helena.

-I'd tell you to go fuck yourself nun, but you already were.

-I didn't even ponder Helena's split ends as a loose end. Maybe all the bleach had a chemical reaction that gave her incredible murder powers.

-"Some of you know what we've been through more than others". Which is why I'm surprised this wasn't a more private funeral for clone club members. The only non-clone club member that we knew was in S' circle was Benjamin, and he was absent. Not my cup of mourning tea for the narrative. :/

-Sarah has to be strong while those two lounge. Delphine even fits in a flight to France at the worst possible time. (At least say it's related to disassembling Dyad >_< )

-Turkey chili. Yeah no, keep that. Also I don't see anything romantic forming between Sarah/Art. They'd have to confirm Cal died in a horrific jet skiing accident first.

-Who gave Sister Irina directions to Sarah?

-I wanted Helena to get a few more words out and stop Mark being misled. Irritating that Coady's able to sucker the one male clone that rebelled her. Also Castor bitching or no Castor bitching from fanbase, it's a bad look on the sestras that they never tried to save their brothers. All they had to do was tell Mark he was one of their cure priorities and Helena wouldn't be taken.

-"Bible thumping little traitor". I'm not saying what Gracie did was ideal, but Mark made up for that and Gracie did it to reunite with someone that was family to her. Not digging all this lack of compassion. Makes Gracie/Mark sound just as disposable to Clone Club as they were to our smug villains.

-They only stop being overly aggressive on Rachel when they see the big eye bruise. Do any of them know the circumstances of her eye being a surveillance system? If so, how and when was this info made far-reaching common knowledge?

-Who gave the bald drug addict access to the medical room? How does this not raise any red flags with Frontenac? Enjoy that sinking ship "Mr. I Sound Logical But Aren't".

-Sarah taking a sniff of S' jacket is the first scene to effectively process S' death.

-Total goddamn tease with Scott/Rachel. Don't set that pairing up in a room if you don't have Agricola or an empathetic discussion between them.

-Enger is the rudest winker. Is she the only Neo in his police department, since Art's boss is clean?

-Dirty copulaters. That nun left an impression for her to turn spite at. P.S. That's some background music I can bop to.

-"Don't make this more difficult than it already is". It'd be less difficult if you knew how to make your own decisions :)

-What a splendid cross-off game.

-Now John's making political jabs about feminist phrases. Patriarchy cliche continues to be one-dimensional. They are downplaying Virginia's cruelty just to make him look worse. I don't believe in a million years she'd want Gracie around her "son" when she poses an inconvenience.

-Well Frontenac, that's what you get for trying to out-cutesy Felix. His wrong board room comedy routine topped your attempt to call Art's bluff with mind games.

[ALenore]

On 8/6/2017 at 6:40 AM, shapeshifter said:

For me, the best line was the oh so very casually uttered "alternative facts."

I loved this too.  Interestingly, the closed caption read "alternate effects," which didn't make sense considering the rest of the line, something about "whitewashing the agenda."

[shapeshifter]

7 hours ago, ALenore said:

I loved this too.  Interestingly, the closed caption read "alternate effects," which didn't make sense considering the rest of the line, something about "whitewashing the agenda."

From a site that seems to get scripts from the audio (there is no information as to who is speaking or when one person's lines end and another's begin):

Quote

…- Two Neo board members found dead.
Ian Van Lier? His body washed up on the Humber River this morning.
- They're covering their tracks.
- Yeah, and Enger's in there stitching me up to Interpol right now.
Luckily my boss isn't in on it.
He wants me to keep digging on the DL.
So, Siobhan's list has nine board members.
Two suicides.
Van Lier.
And then who's the other body? - Francine Bernard, Convoy Technologies.
- Yes, she was in charge of alternative facts, whitewashing the eugenic agenda.
That's what the Board is for insulation.

[Blackie]

On ‎8‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 6:00 PM, sinkwriter said:

She could become the next Meryl Streep, where she just becomes whatever role she takes. I hope this show opens all sorts of doors for Tatiana to do whatever she wants.

I have thought this for a long time.

Just rewatching the episode, I thought the emotion Helena showed when Coady told her she would be a bad mother was fantastic.  And the little look Helena gave to Sarah just to let her know that she was going to take Coady down was awesome.

The last 3 episodes have been great and I am now looking forward to the finale.

[Captanne]

The gentle flash from Helena as the red headed Amish girl was being shot -- like you would calm a lamb to the slaughter -- was stunning on so many levels.

Maslany has brought nuance to a pretty blunt character.  I love Helena and I think she is Maslany's crowning achievement.   (Not because Helena is a saint but because she's probably the most complicated and important clone -- she is the one bringing the twins of Amish sperm and Leda genetics after all.)

 

PS:  Apologies to the Amish.  I can't remember what those people were in the language of the show.

[mahree]

1 hour ago, Captanne said:

I can't remember what those people were in the language of the show.

Prolethians

[Captanne]

Oh, bless you.  Thanks.

[Impromptu]

Or, as Felix called them, "The Fish People."  ( I think my all time favorite line from the show -and non verbal response is Felix's, "Helena, did you burn down the Fish People's ranch?" and Helena's big grin in response.)

[bloodstar]

I *really* wish the show had been given another 4 or 5 episodes to flesh out this end. It's the only real quibble i have... The rushed ending so to speak. 

That or maybe a few stand alone episodes to fill in some of the back stories. Though they did a really good job with the time they had filling out Helena's. 

And maybe I'm in the minority, but I've never felt Rachel was evil, in fact, I'd put forth that there is an undercurrent of 'nature' over nuture in the sense that the Leda clones have a good side that nurture cannot extinguish. Rachel knows she won't be trusted, will never be loved by the sestras, and the only adult who might actually care and appreciate Rachel's sacrifice is Mrs. S., and she's dead. Because Rachel did what she did with any expectation of being loved by the Sestras, but instead because she both understood what was being done to Kira, felt it really was wrong, and also how utterly used she (Rachel) had been - and that manipulation had never stopped. 

Maybe Kira would be the key to letting Auntie Rachel into the Sestra family. 

Dont mind me, I'm just musing.

 

I really think the writers have done an amazing job keeping the show relatively grounded no matter how crazy the science and plot had become! 

And Tatiana Maslany should have her name come up 5 times in the opening credits!

[Loandbehold]

23 hours ago, bloodstar said:

And maybe I'm in the minority, but I've never felt Rachel was evil, in fact, I'd put forth that there is an undercurrent of 'nature' over nuture in the sense that the Leda clones have a good side that nurture cannot extinguish. Rachel knows she won't be trusted, will never be loved by the sestras, and the only adult who might actually care and appreciate Rachel's sacrifice is Mrs. S., and she's dead. Because Rachel did what she did with any expectation of being loved by the Sestras, but instead because she both understood what was being done to Kira, felt it really was wrong, and also how utterly used she (Rachel) had been - and that manipulation had never stopped. 

But Rachel only took that action when she discovered that Fake!PT lied to her. Remember, she ordered the killing of numerous clones (in "Helsinki"), she destroyed the stem cells (?) Cosima needed and was going to allow Dyad take Sarah's ovary. She kidnapped Kira. In flashback, we saw her have one clone killed so she should autopsy her. And, she brought Kira back to Dyad this season. I'm glad that she got Kira out of Dyad and gave the info necessary to expose Dyad/Neoloution. But the sestras have really good reasons to not trust Rachel. 

[AfterwardsTV]

One Fettered Slave Thoughts Part 2:

-Dental hygienist and physical education teacher. They asked for so little, but still got less than that.

-"Rudy used to hate losing". Rudy was a beta.

-"When you wake up, you'll be that much closer to Gracie". STOP POURING SALT IN THE WOUND, COADY. >: (

-No Helena, don't forget the games and toys! DAMN this origin of her brainwashing, traumatization, and back cutting.

-If she stinks like an animal, you stink like cigarette smoke you wrinkly prune. Helena's lip quiver :(

-Rachel respecting Helena's individuality. Rachel should be a debt collector after this.

-"I pull the trigger for the 2nd time today". Well Art's hopped up. He's an action junkie because he's been so neglected of it.

-I should've known that was clone swap set-up, but I thought maybe Rachel could be used as a final battle distraction/sacrifice. But speaking of sacrifice from abused clones....

-Selfless Suicide to protect bebies. In one version of the finale, I could see that being Helena's send-off, but we're in too deep to the plan to save her and Coady's cruel words/her guilt would be way too dark a note to off a fan favorite on. Very effective and poignant music touch regardless.

-Hiding next to Dyad is by no means master intelligence, but I am relieved the island is no longer a setting. Old wing sounds nostalgic.

-"You're sitting in my chair". Coady trying to get a petty word in. Double ROFL.

-"I know how you touch yourself in the shower". How much was this freak on that tablet for?

-Yeah, Sarah played that all wrong, finally had an acting hiccup from not entirely understanding Rachel. At least she excels on the neck slice. 

-Astounding luck kicks in. Helena saved her sestra, and this time she wasn't even aiming for one of the bad guys.

-Nasty history with blood transfusions that Coady ordains, this one's an improvement.

-Alas, this will be all Scott does. Art ain't having some nerd take his combat climax.

-That is one powerful arm you bled out of, I almost see why Coady didn't take precautions for that. The face bashing doesn't feel fatal enough, and I'd hate to lose who I call the real final villain one part too soon. I like how Helena said "You are shit mother" with no passion in her voice this time. Just an exhausting fact to her.

-Behold, childbirth is the real challenge when facing an underground organization of crazy people trying to murder you/harvest your body. Who knew?

-Next Time: Two twin orphans and a black guy singlehandedly take down Neolution (that's why it's called Orphan Black, duh).

[fivestone]

On 6.8.2017 at 7:12 AM, chocolatine said:

. I shed a little tear for Mark as he talked about his and Gracie's career goals, but I'm glad that he went peacefully without knowing that Gracie was murdered. And Siobhan got a beautiful and heartfelt funeral (and BTW, there's nothing wrong with Sarah for not crying yet; everyone grieves differently).

 

On 6.8.2017 at 11:36 PM, Cyranetta said:

For some reason I was disappointed that Mark didn't find out about Gracie or just how repellent his "mother" was.

 

On 7.8.2017 at 10:03 PM, tennisgurl said:

I felt bad for Mark, killed by his awful "mother" when he became inconvenient, after they were done with him. I wish he had gotten to know who his mom really was before he died, but maybe it was kinder to let him die thinking his mother didn't help to kill his girlfriend, and then kill him. A shit mother indeed. I guess the Castor clones didn't really have much to do with anything towards the shows end goal.

I thought that Mark was realising what was happening as the drug was taking effect. He realised that he was dying and that Coady got rid of Gracie, too, and he was saying that all they wanted to do was just have a life together. But maybe I interpreted it wrong....

[ElectricBoogaloo]

A closer look: a loss suffered:

[Eureka]

On 8/5/2017 at 11:19 PM, Wouldofshouldof said:

Shouldn't YoungHelena look like Charlotte?  Or did I miss some exposition explaining why she doesn't?

Exactly what I was thinking.

[romantic idiot]

On 8/10/2017 at 1:27 PM, AfterwardsTV said:

-I wanted Helena to get a few more words out and stop Mark being misled. Irritating that Coady's able to sucker the one male clone that rebelled her. Also Castor bitching or no Castor bitching from fanbase, it's a bad look on the sestras that they never tried to save their brothers. All they had to do was tell Mark he was one of their cure priorities and Helena wouldn't be taken.

-"Bible thumping little traitor". I'm not saying what Gracie did was ideal, but Mark made up for that and Gracie did it to reunite with someone that was family to her. Not digging all this lack of compassion. Makes Gracie/Mark sound just as disposable to Clone Club as they were to our smug villains.

 

I wanted Mark to find about Gracie and then die. All he had to do was call the sisters and ask about the cure but he chose to side with Coady. So I have no sympathy for him, nor for Gracie. Well not too much. 

And I have and will always hate the Castor storyline. It was stupid, they were stupid and the only lasting impact they had was stealing Paul from my screen. So I was glad for an ignominious end. 

[AudienceofOne]

A great penultimate episode. So glad I stuck with it. I did think Helena's death was somewhat anti-climactic - and then she didn't die so that was ok!

Really looking forward to the final episode. I kind of wish they'd wrapped this up last season though. Then we could have avoided that whole convoluted mess. Stretching it out to five seasons is the reason the plot unravelled. I'm just glad they're managing to reign it back in.

On 06/08/2017 at 1:19 PM, Wouldofshouldof said:

Shouldn't YoungHelena look like Charlotte?  Or did I miss some exposition explaining why she doesn't?

They found someone who could actually act? This episode involved some serious heavy lifting for a child actor. I wasn't surprised they swapped her out.

On 06/08/2017 at 1:32 PM, WatchrTina said:

ETA:  I'm just gonna whistle past the idea that a nun pouring household beach on a child's head would result in her being a "bleached blond" for the rest of her life -- not to mention giving her eyes a swollen, pink-rimmed effect for the rest of her life.  I guess the writers felt they had to explain why Helena maintained that look throughout the series when in "real" life you just know that Allison would have given her a make-over (with or without assistance from Krystal.)

On 07/08/2017 at 5:25 AM, kieyra said:

Weird. I guess I'd been fanwanking for years that she had some sort of albinism.

They originally said she was albino. They repeatedly referred to her as an albino in Season 1. Then I guess they decided to make her Sarah's twin so they could do the childbirth storyline. I've spent the last season or two annoyed about it because there's no way you could have an albino and non-albino twin (unless they were fraternal, which I think they would have mentioned). As others said, I can only assume she kept bleaching her own hair as 'punishment' for her sins. If she did that by dunking her head in bleached water then that would explain the swollen red eyes. It would not, however, explain why she still had her vision. She would have been long-blind.

On 10/08/2017 at 1:31 PM, SomeTameGazelle said:

I was reading Art's interaction with Sarah as a sign that they might end up together. It felt like they had a bond and an understanding that was more intimate than before.

I read it that way too. There was something about the gesture that reminded me about his 'affair' (one night stand?) with Beth. I'd prefer it if they stayed platonic friends but with one episode left they probably won't go there anyway. 

[Ottis]

I struggle with the villain. Westmoreland came out of nowhere several years into the show. I have never been able to muster up much feeling about him. I would have liked it better if a bad guy from the first season was the Big Bad later. 

[possibilities]

On 9/14/2017 at 0:55 AM, AudienceofOne said:

She would have been long-blind.

Magical clone healing power to the rescue....