Orphan Black Season 5 Episode 8 Review: Guillotines Decide

Clone Club had some premature celebrations before they lost their fiercest warrior and most loyal supporter in the devastating murder of their team mom, Mrs. S.

Felix: “to my galaxy of women: thank you for nurture”

I love that in the exact same episode, Orphan Black can celebrate both nature and nurture with both points feelings equally valid. Felix’s art show feels likes a climax for not only his art career, but also the Leda sisters’ escape from Neolution and perhaps their personal lives. It’s great to see them happy for once, even if we all know it’s too good to be true and Sarah can’t help but spend the whole time grilling everyone.

The Beth artwork was a nice touch, although I’m personally still hoping for a Paul shout-out somewhere. I must say, it’s pretty amazing that the show hasn’t bothered to replace Sarah’s love interest, and has instead chosen to have Cosima and Delphine be the main couple for the show. Speaking of which, I wonder what Delphine was about to suggest they do with their newfound freedom?

I personally loved the Colin season 1 callback. Felix deserved to be happy, and Colin is one of the few men who ever seemed to be able to do that. It also makes for some entertaining moments like when he brings up doing “Sarah’s” autopsy.

Grace and Helena play cat and mouse

Not surprisingly, Gracie had a harder time turning over Helena than Mark did. Also unsurprising? Virginia Coady had a backup plan. I’m sad to see Gracie go so quickly, but on the plus side, maybe now Helena will eat that fake cop’s entrails or something.

The larger development is Helena’s personal growth. There was a time when she would have held a knife to Gracie’s throat and asked questions later. Instead, she saw her as family, and the miracle babies’ family. She was even willing to hear Gracie out and understand the coercion she fell prey to, and then try to get them both out of the situation. It’s still amazing to look back at the idea that Helena was our first big bad, and now she is the lovable pet psychopath. Hell, Allison has probably murdered more people lately than Helena. Honestly, I’ve been so supremely confident in Helena’s ability to survive ever since she withstood the end of season 1 that I refuse to worry about her or her babies. She probably doesn’t even need anyone to rescue her.

Rachel chooses nature over nurture

Did anyone think Rachel had the guts? While Rachel and Ferdinand have been sickly perfect for each other in the past, it seems Rachel has grown past him, which likely played into her decisions to betray him and turn the intel over to S while he went to the Board with nothing. So many of Rachel’s rebuttals to Ferdinand are just things women say in public to the men who harass them, which made this break up even better. A choice example? “I told you what I wanted. You chose not to listen.”

Boy bye.

Siobhan Sadler is dead. Long live Siobhan Sadler

Siobhan did something so many mothers have done before her: she shouldered a burden so her child would not have to. She knew that working with Ferdinand, the man who murdered MK, was something Sarah could not stomach. So Siobhan did it so that Sarah wouldn’t have to. She also knew it could be deadly, and she stood squarely between her daughter and that very real risk as well. Jordan Gavaris had a beautiful delivery of Felix’s speech about his “galaxy of women,” but the part that really got me was when I first caught the glimpse of the painting he did of S. In this room devoted to so many of his Leda sestras, there were two that broke that mold: Kira and S. Kira is one thing, she’s a cute and precocious child. But S loved Sarah and Felix even when it was hard, when all three of them were belligerent mules being hunted by paramilitary forces.

Maria Doyle Kennedy’s performance will be sorely missed, even if it’s only for two more episodes. She was a force to be reckoned with as Siobhan Sadler, and seeing the emotional payout of the evolution of her relationship with Sarah was one of the greatest joys of this season.

Perhaps one of my favorite parts about her final scene is that Siobhan did exactly as she promised and shot that bastard directly in the throat. She clearly never let her guard down for a damn second. And if you didn’t let out a tiny cry or gasp when she said, “chickens!” then you have a heart of stone.

Felix was spot on when he called Sarah the Goddess of War, but they ain’t seen nothing yet.

Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!