Orphan Black has never been shy about death, but last week's episode was the first time a core character — one that's been with us from the start — was killed off. This episode begins in the grief of Mrs. S's murder, but also the relief that neolution has been exposed. This doesn't mean, however, that the clones' troubles are over. Helena has been kidnapped, and her capture teaches us a lot about her past.
There's a simple explanation for why Helena turned out the way she did, and it's all thanks to a pivotal moment in her childhood when she caught one of the nuns at her school masturbating. In retaliation, the nun waterboards her with bleach (hence her signature hair) before locking her in a tiny room alone.
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During the reception for Mrs. S' funeral, Sister Irina arrives to give Sarah some worrying news. She hands her Helena's journal, and Sarah immediately knows that means her seestra is in trouble — and she is. Coady and Mark have her, and they've decided to induce labor. Mark, who still thinks Gracie is alive (something Coady isn't doing anything to dispute), anesthetizes Helena, and she slips back into a flashback.
Young Helena was rescued from her punishment by Tomas, the person who would go on to train Helena to be the clone-killer Sarah stumbled upon in season 1. "You don't know how special you are," he tells her, pulling her out of the room.
Meanwhile, Westmoreland has totally lost it. He's addicted to morphine, and continues shooting himself up with the drugs that are supposedly extending his life — but not well. His hair is gone, and it's clear his final days are approaching.
To figure out what's happening with Helena, Sarah stays behind to comfort Kira while Felix and Art go in search of Rachel, who will hopefully have more information. Once they find her, Rachel says she doesn't believe they'd take Helena to Revival. Instead, she points them towards Detective Enger, who is devoted to neolution and might know the details.
After visiting the police station, Felix and Art learn that two neolution board members have been found dead, meaning neolution is working hard to cover their tracks. In fact, most of the board members have died — either by murder or suicide — but two are still alive.
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They find one board member in a meeting with Mr. Frontinac, who Art kills after Frontinac threatens him with a gun. This maybe wasn't the best idea, but they quickly move on to the board member. What does he know? Where is Helena?
Speaking of Helena, Westmoreland instructs Coady to induce labor immediately, and to "put down" Mark. They have all they need from him, and they're ready start over. Coady, clearly shaken, protests, but Westmoreland is adamant. She gives Mark an injection, telling him it's just another dose of his cure, that makes him sleepy. She holds him as he dozes off, and he eventually dies.
Helena's first contraction hits hard, and Coady runs to her side just as she slips back into another flashback. She remembers the killing of her first clone, and when she realized they looked exactly like her. However, Tomas told her she's the original, which inspired her to fully assume the form we met her in. Snapping back to present day, Helena begs Coady to let her keep her babies, but Coady responds with something that stings: "What kind of mother could you possibly be?" In response, once she's alone, Helena stabs herself with scissors, figuring no life for her children is better than one with her as a mother.
Back with the other clones, Kira tells Sarah she can feel that Helena's in trouble, that she's about the give birth, and Sarah relays that message to Art and Rachel. The board member they captured, however, knows nothing about Helena's whereabouts. He only knows that Westmoreland wants Rachel — so Sarah decides to assume Rachel's identity and and find him. That's something the board memeber can help with, and he puts them in touch. They figure out his whereabouts, and the plan is in action.
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The thing is, Westmoreland is the father of this whole clone experiment. He can tell who is who, and he sees right through Sarah's disguise. Just as he's about to shoot her, however, Coady rushes in. She found Helena, almost dead, and needs a compatible donor for a blood transfusion. Sarah is safe — for now.
Thanks to their quick work, Helena is revived. Meanwhile, Scott and Art have broken into the facility to help rescue the clones, but they set off the alarm, which means time is running out. Helena grabs a hold of Coady and smashes her face into the metal hospital bed, killing her. She and Sarah stand up to escape — just as Helena's water is breaking. The babies are coming.
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