Orphan Black Season 3 “Newer Elements of our Defense” Recap
Last week the fate of Mark was left hanging in the balance and this week we find out whether or not Mrs. Johanssen finished the job.
Before we get to any of that, let’s start with what happened with our other clones.
Alison
Donnie comes into Alison’s craft room all a tither saying that he felt he was being followed by the police while “campaigning” for her. So Alison and Donnie decide to remove any evidence of their drug empire from their home and move it to a storage unit ala Breaking Bad. As they start moving their inventory out of the house, a hoodlum is eating a burger in their backyard. This guy tells Alison that Ramon’s business wasn’t his to sell and his boss wants to meet with her. The hoodlum takes the pills to ensure they show up to the meeting.
At the meeting, Donnie has brought a gun to protect Alison, but it wasn’t really necessary as the boss only wants to see Alison. In the car, Alison is surprised to discover the boss is her old high school boyfriend Jason Kellerman (Justin Chatwin). The two catch-up for a bit until Alison gets down to business promising Jason that she can more than get his money back considering her clientele.
Gracie and the Proletheans
Mrs. Johanssen has brought Gracie back to their new home where their host is Mr. Appleyard, who was present for Gracie’s birth. Back in Gracie’s new room, she notices that she is starting to bleed and tries to hide it from her mom. However, Mrs. Johanssen finds out and Appleyard confirms that the baby is lost. Mrs. Johanssen said that the baby was the only reason why Gracie was welcomed back and now that the baby is gone, she is being kicked out.
Cosima
After talking to Alison about the original Caster samples and getting nowhere with The Island of Dr. Moreau, Felix takes Cosima down to a bar to drown their sorrows or to perk each other up. Felix sees that Cosima is pining after Delphine and wants her to stop. Felix tries to get Cosima to use a Tinder like app to meet a new woman.
There is a bit more to Cosima this week but what happens next ties into Sarah.
Helena
Helena is busy eating a huge chunk of meat and realizes that she can use the bone to her advantage. Helena pulls the string out of her pants and ties it around one of her arms. Helena fakes going on a rampage and bangs her hear against the cell door. Dr. Coady drugs her and Helena is taken to the infirmary. Just before the drugs overtake her, the scorpion tells Helena to use this moment to explore the base. As Helena walks through the base, she comes across a closed off room that Dr. Coady comes out of and in that room is another Caster clone.
Helena makes it back to the infirmary in time before Miller comes in to check on her. We see Helena fashion a lock pick with the bone and she makes it out without the security cameras catching her. Helena makes her way back to that room and learns the Caster clone is called Parsons.
Parsons eyes are kept open like the guy from A Clockwork Orange and when Helena pulls of Parson’s cap, we see his skull has been cut open and his brain exposed but connected to wires. Parsons begs Helena to kill him and she does by stabbing a scalpel in his brain. This sets off all the machines when Parsons dies and Dr. Coady calls her a stupid girl while Helena calls her a bad mother. Helena is lead away back to her cell.
I wonder what was the purpose of Parsons. Was he maybe the Caster clone that maybe was some sort of clairvoyant? Sound off with your theories in the comments.
Sarah and Mark
Mrs. Johanssen emerges from the corn fields while Sarah manages to evade her. When more Proletheans come on the scene to retrieve Mark, Sarah actually finds him wounded and manages to get him out.
Mark’s side wound just hit muscle however the one that hit his leg is still in it and it has to go out. Sarah takes Mark to an abandoned house and finds things they need to remove the bullet. Sarah does remove it and does get some information from Mark like how Johannsen was supposed to have Caster samples but just found what he thought was junk. Mark passes out and Sarah finds his motel key. Sarah phones an ambulance and leaves to go to the motel.
Meanwhile, Rudy is also on his way to the motel.
When Sarah arrives at the motel, she finds the box with all of the journals. In one of them she finds out that Johanssen was one of Duncan’s lab assistants. Sarah calls Cosima and shows a page of one of the journals. From it, Cosima learns that Johanssen used the Caster original sample to create a son and used his wife to carry it.
Mark returns to the hotel and Sarah tells him what she found out. So Mark gets Sarah to take them to the former Johanssen home where the son lives. The son died as an infant and Sarah digs up the grave as there is hope to use the baby’s DNA to cure the Caster glitch and perhaps the Leda respiratory illness. Unfortunately for Sarah, Rudy finds them and Mark is useless as he has passed out. Sarah does manage to knock Rudy out and runs to a nearby barn. Rudy taunts Sarah about Kiera as he searches for her. Rudy does find her and is ready to kill her when Mark orders him not to considering he is his superior. Rudy does comply and tells Mark that they never leave loose ends meaning Sarah. Mark agrees and Sarah looks on in fear.
We know from next week’s previews that Sarah is taken to the army base where she will no doubt be reunited with Helena.
That was brutal about them kicking Gracie out because she lost the baby – and after kidnapping her. She’s way better off away from them anyway.
Helena is pretty cagey. I liked how she planned being tranquilized and pretended to be asleep. Brilliant unlocking the door with a bone. I really like Helena.
I so want Mark to side with the Sestras.