Orphan Black - Season 4 - No Spoilers

Orphan Black's 4th season is just available from Netflix DVD. Yes, I binge watched the whole thing.  That was that tense and suspenseful -- and interesting.

It was an excellent season, and way darker in some ways than the others. Alison's dire straits weren't dark or otherwise comic relief, though Donny did his best to sub for that, and in an odd way, so did Helena as she subbed as Alison when the cops come to the Hendricks'.  There were no Klone Klub Kumbya scenes of eating, dancing, drinking and / or reunion.

One way MK makes sure nobody sees her face.
Appropriately this summer was also Dolly the Sheep's birthday, though she died early of complications that turn out not to have anything to do with being cloned.  Her own clone daughter-sibs are doing fine.

The new Leda clone, MK's still out in the cold and evidently dying. 

Helena, eating for two and three.

Helena's still out there in the wild. But though it may be cold she's not out in the cold, so to speak.

Krystal explains what's going on.

Krystal, introduced in season 3, flatly dismisses she's related in any way to Sarah. Instead of Kumbya / reunion, the season finale ended on a bloody cliff hanger.

There was so much to appreciate.  Among my particular appreciations is how the writers redeemed sticking in the seemingly useless (innocent, Neolution calls the unaware cloines) and dim Krystal, who isn't really dim at all.  Or useless.  Takeaway here: don't ever think women who work in the beauty industry not bright! Krystal provided the comic relief in this season, while authentically a Leda.  She's a spectacularly successful character, i.e. yet another unique Leda, herself and herself only, entirely different from the others, yet a Leda like the others.  She's even voluptuous in figure in the classic va va voom manner (and mannerisms) that Sarah isn't, just as Cosima is ill-thin, as Sarah isn't.

This season Maslany, particularly as Sarah, Alison and Krystal, looked stretched, i.e. exhausted, as well she might be after 4 full seasons of doing what she does.  I'm so glad the producers et. al are being smart and cutting it off after 5 seasons. It is enough.  Any more will ruin what they made, the very best Science Fiction ever to hit the screen, filled with meaningful content while vastly entertaining, and with a great actor.

And let us not forget Maria Doyle Kennedy.  Has there ever been an actor who is so convincing carrying a rifle, threatening torture -- and doing it --  and being the nurturing, caring and even strict mom, all at the same time?  Gads, she's good. The show would be so much less without her.  Also less without the actress who plays Sarah's daughter, Kira.

I do hope the final season will provide an explanation for Kira's visions, clarivoyance and her particular connection with the clone sistrahs and their whereabouts and feelings.  And that season 5 finds more to do for Felix instead of side-lining him via a went nowhere subplot of his biological sister -- who naturally found herself veddy outside Fe's real family . . . .

I read a lot of commentary and recaps online while season 4 was broadcast on BBC America, to which I have not access. After seeing it myself now, what's interesting to me, in terms of the writing, is that while I'd seen all the previous season, nothing commented on, discussed and recapped about Season 4 made any sense until I was able to watch it myself.  Then, watching it, it all made sense (mostly :) ). 

   There was a bit -- a very bitty bit -- in one of the last episodes, when Cosima arrives at Dr. Susan's Duncan's house, where she's on a sofa, a glass of red wine in hand.  "Welcome," she says, "to the Island of Dr. Moreau."  Or something like that -- I don't recall the exact words other the "welcome," "island," and "Dr. Moreau" ones.

Is this telling us what and where will be centered the action of the final season, season 5?


If so, that's pretty darned cool.  Actually, if Dr. Duncan's Island of Dr. Moreau reference doesn't mean anything more than what it signifies in that brief bit, it's also very cool.

Good writing, writers of Orphan Black.  You get to do it one more time.  Imma lookin' forward. 

Tatiana Maslany -- get some r 'n r, plus zzzzzz's, OK?