Orphan Black Season 5 Episode 1 Review: The Few Who Dare
Caralynn Lippo
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The sestras are farther apart than ever on Orphan Black Season 5 Episode 1.
"The Few Who Dare" introduced viewers to the Revival camp that was introduced at the end of Orphan Black Season 4 Episode 10 – and it's just as sketchy and mysterious as I imagined it would be.
Unsurprisingly, the premiere opened on Sarah, fighting to survive in the treacherous (and freezing) woods following her brutal, horror movie-like fight with an unhinged Rachel on the finale.
Unsurprising because, after all this time, she is still our protagonist, of course.
One of my favorite parts of this premiere was how visceral and raw Sarah's survival tactics and instincts were. The show really took care to show the mechanics of how hard it was for Sarah to make it to Cosima, let alone stay conscious long enough to do it.
That tampon trick to stop the bleeding from her leg wound was pretty epic, honestly.
Though I'm not the biggest Kira fan, it was also really effective to have thoughts of Kira be the thing that spurred Sarah on to keep fighting and surviving.
And in the end, Sarah did make it to Cosima, though her sestra had no interest in being rescued quite yet. Poor Sarah wound up in Rachel's clutches once again, despite being so close to escaping with the boat.
It's a new day, Sarah.
Rachel
If you had any doubt Sarah is a total badass, this premiere would have quelled all that.
She not only stayed alive, evaded the Revivalists, and snuck into camp, but she also managed to call Felix and inform him that Ferdinand had kidnapped Siobhan and Kira.
Perhaps the most interesting development from Sarah's storyline is the discovery of the fact that there's something (or, more accurately, some thing) on the island.
My best guess? That it's a "creature" of sorts created from a failed Neolution experiment at the camp. After all, Delphine did tell Cosima that there was more going on at the camp than she could have imagined.
Speaking of Delphine and Cosima...
Their reunion was far too short for my liking, but what we did get of it was excellent.
Follow the crazy science.
Delphine
Evelyne Brochu and Tatiana Maslany had absolutely stellar chemistry as usual, and I liked seeing Evelyne's flawless hair again.
Unfortunately, Delphine was spirited away to Sardinia for Neolution "research" before she could do much more than vaguely warn Cosima about the island/the camp and point her in the direction of where she'd hid the cure treatment.
Evelyne is only listed as a recurring cast member this season (she was filming major roles in at least two other projects), so we probably won't get to see Delphine again until near the end of the season.
Disappointing, but hey – at least there's still the chance of a Cophine happy ending.
Fingers crossed, y'all.
And I do feel like crossing my fingers is necessary for a Cophine happy ending, because Cosima is putting herself in obvious danger by choosing to stay behind at the camp.
Much like her decision last season to stay with Susan and Rachel at the house to do her cure research, Cosima is doing the brave, self-sacrificing thing by staying behind and "infilitrating" Neolution at the camp.
Alas, that means we probably have to deal with more of the very annoying and chipper Mud this season.
Mud: Tweedle Small and Tweedle Tall!
Cosima [to Charlotte]: Ignore her.
On the bright side, Cosima staying behind when Sarah fled allowed for the very intense moment where Rachel injected her (directly into the uterus – ouch!!) with the cure.
I can't say I expected Rachel to not harm (or kill) Cosima instead of injecting her with the cure, but I'm glad she didn't wind up hurting her (as far as we know, anyway).
Cosima's reaction to being injected was such an emotional moment.
Rachel: There's no need to be afraid anymore. He wants you to be part of this. You and I are going to cure us all.
Cosima: Just hit me, Rachel.
Now, I'm curious as to what exactly PT Westmorland said to Rachel that has inspired her to not be all murder-y with her sestras.
Rachel was very intent on being the last clone standing at the end of last season. What on earth could the 170+ year old Neolution founder have said to her to make her change her tune so drastically?
Based on Rachel's speech to the Revivalists and the cryptic things Delphine said to Cosima, it seems like the end game is to help humanity achieve immortality (or at least, increased longevity).
Is that what Westmorland promised Rachel? I could see an extended lifespan appealing to a megalomaniac like her.
Like you, I was selected. I know now his hand guided my entire life. I know Susan Duncan, my mother, once stood here, as I am, appointed to move the future forward. And she did. She created me. It is time to be brave. To sacrifice. The fruits of nearly 200 years of Neolution science are now within our grasp. And we, here, shall drink from the fountain first.
Rachel
Finally, there was the non-island section of the premiere.
On the one hand, we had Felix, Scott, Hell Wizard, and Art all working to protect the clones. Part of that involved reaching out to MK to help track down Siobhan and Kira.
Based on the teaser for the next installment, it seems that their plan to reach the elusive, mask-wearing hacker is successful.
Poor Art's days seem to be numbered.
He was partnered with Detective Enger, who wasted absolutely no time in revealing herself as a dedicated Neolution agent.
Enger is a strange character – that whole tooth-brushing in the car and the making out joke she made right before threatening Art's daughter's life was so weird. But I'm curious to see how their dynamic unfolds over the course of the season.
Enger has apparently been told not to harm any clones. But clearly, that won't stop her from threatening Art's life (and maybe even killing him) to get the sestras to comply with Neolution's demands.
In other pressing news, Helena was stabbed in the stomach when she saved Donnie from a Neolution flunkie. Not the babies!!
Stray thoughts:
- Is this season (or at least the camp) sponsored by Canada Goose or something? I feel like there were a lot of clear shots of the logo on Cosima's jacket.
- Interestingly, Susan Duncan might survive, which I wasn't expecting. I was sure she was a goner.
- What's The Messenger's deal, and why is he so creepy and menacing?
- Ira (and the Castor clones in general) have felt incredibly useless for a while now. I'm wondering whether he's going to actually play an active part on the show's last season.
- On the flip side, I'm so glad that Hell Wizard is sticking around and seems to have been absorbed into the group, much like Scott.
- That ending credits song was great.
- Alison-ism of the Hour:
Poop on a stoop. We don't even know what the plan is!
Alison
What did you think of the season premiere? Share your thoughts by commenting below, and remember that you can watch Orphan Black online here at TV Fanatic anytime!
Caralynn Lippo is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
