Orphan Black 4.06
The first episode this season I’m really dissatisfied with.
In a word: cheap. It almost makes me afraid we’ve arrived in later seasons Fringe or last season of Alias territory, where there are only twists for twists’ sake, things get repetitive, and sensationalistic in the bad way. Or maybe I should call it Game of Thrones syndrome?
Crystal still being lied to? Is condescending and asinine, and only there so we can get more comedy relief scenes. Felix had been ready to share most of the truth with Adele, who isn’t a concerned party (unless she’s a plant), yet he keeps lying to Crystal, who already got kidnapped twice because of being a clone? Nope.
Death of Kendall, complete with heartstringpulling goodbye words: saw that coming, because “the hunt for the original” was so last season, so was the reconciliation with Siobhan, and there wasn’t much more they could do with Kendall. Granted, I did not see the second twist - that it wasn’t Ira but Evie - coming, but this brings me to:
Evie ursurps Susan: didn’t we go there last season, too, with Delphine and Rachel?
Beth’s death being retconned revealed to not have been a suicide out of despair, but a sacrificial death to save her Clone sisters, Paul and her parents: probably would have touched me except for the part where I was wondering why she believed Evie and Corrupt Cop that this would work. Because these two are so trustworthy and would never lie to her? But okay, Beth was also having guilt issues due to Maggie Chen and having a break down in general, I can handwave. Otoh, what I can’t handwave and what infuriates me is: did we need this last minute reveal that Beth’s adopted father molested her? Why? Because Beth’s life wasn’t bad enough? What does this add to the story, save a continuation of the incest theme started last week with Ira and Susan? It smacks of Game of Thrones syndrome, see above.
Don’t get me wrong: if the show wanted to explore what it means to be sexually abused by a parent, beyond a short reveal and via a storyline, I’d be on board, because yes, this happens, and it’s a valid narrative choice to do this with one of the characters. But I suspect we’ve just seen the last of the Beth flashbacks, so it won’t be explored with her. (I’m starting to wonder whether the writers are even aware this is true for Susan and Ira as well, or whether they just wanted to signal that Susan is omg evil some more and don’t intend to do anything further with it.) It’s just a “oh, and this awful thing ALSO happened to Beth” addendum, and that’s so - cheap.
And speaking of “and also” feelings: Susan wishing Rachel had a mind like Cosima’s. While this actually is part of Susan being less evil scientist and more truly-fascinated-by-her-creations scientist this week which adds a bit, I still groaned when she said it, because I’m pretty sure she’ll tell this to Rachel as well. Because we didn’t do a parent preferring Cosima (and the other Clones) to Rachel last season with Ethan, no.
In conclusion: please be better again next week, show. Every series has weak episodes, I know, and they don’t have to mean a general loss of quality, but they’re still very irritating to sit through.
This entry was originally posted at http://selenak.dreamwidth.org/1172820.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.
In a word: cheap. It almost makes me afraid we’ve arrived in later seasons Fringe or last season of Alias territory, where there are only twists for twists’ sake, things get repetitive, and sensationalistic in the bad way. Or maybe I should call it Game of Thrones syndrome?
Crystal still being lied to? Is condescending and asinine, and only there so we can get more comedy relief scenes. Felix had been ready to share most of the truth with Adele, who isn’t a concerned party (unless she’s a plant), yet he keeps lying to Crystal, who already got kidnapped twice because of being a clone? Nope.
Death of Kendall, complete with heartstringpulling goodbye words: saw that coming, because “the hunt for the original” was so last season, so was the reconciliation with Siobhan, and there wasn’t much more they could do with Kendall. Granted, I did not see the second twist - that it wasn’t Ira but Evie - coming, but this brings me to:
Evie ursurps Susan: didn’t we go there last season, too, with Delphine and Rachel?
Beth’s death being retconned revealed to not have been a suicide out of despair, but a sacrificial death to save her Clone sisters, Paul and her parents: probably would have touched me except for the part where I was wondering why she believed Evie and Corrupt Cop that this would work. Because these two are so trustworthy and would never lie to her? But okay, Beth was also having guilt issues due to Maggie Chen and having a break down in general, I can handwave. Otoh, what I can’t handwave and what infuriates me is: did we need this last minute reveal that Beth’s adopted father molested her? Why? Because Beth’s life wasn’t bad enough? What does this add to the story, save a continuation of the incest theme started last week with Ira and Susan? It smacks of Game of Thrones syndrome, see above.
Don’t get me wrong: if the show wanted to explore what it means to be sexually abused by a parent, beyond a short reveal and via a storyline, I’d be on board, because yes, this happens, and it’s a valid narrative choice to do this with one of the characters. But I suspect we’ve just seen the last of the Beth flashbacks, so it won’t be explored with her. (I’m starting to wonder whether the writers are even aware this is true for Susan and Ira as well, or whether they just wanted to signal that Susan is omg evil some more and don’t intend to do anything further with it.) It’s just a “oh, and this awful thing ALSO happened to Beth” addendum, and that’s so - cheap.
And speaking of “and also” feelings: Susan wishing Rachel had a mind like Cosima’s. While this actually is part of Susan being less evil scientist and more truly-fascinated-by-her-creations scientist this week which adds a bit, I still groaned when she said it, because I’m pretty sure she’ll tell this to Rachel as well. Because we didn’t do a parent preferring Cosima (and the other Clones) to Rachel last season with Ethan, no.
In conclusion: please be better again next week, show. Every series has weak episodes, I know, and they don’t have to mean a general loss of quality, but they’re still very irritating to sit through.
This entry was originally posted at http://selenak.dreamwidth.org/1172820.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.