Orphan Black - The Weight of This Combination - Review: "Project Castor"

   The clones are back ! After a very, very, very long wait, Orphan Black started off its third season, last night on BBC America and it was amazing.
    I had my doubts at first, like many of you, about the introduction of Project Castor and the male clones but it turned out it was exactly what Orphan Black needed and Ari Millen is totally rocking his different parts. The male clones are different from the female ones, Rudy and Seth knew about each other and what they really are from the start. They knew they were an experimentment, something Sarah, Cosima, Allison and Helena only found out some time ago.

   Project Castor is a real and unexpected threat to Dyad and to the sisters. it’s very exciting, and I’m really looking forward more interaction between the different clones. Sarah and Rudy’s meeting was great, he’s so crazy and terryfing. He knew about Sarah, the other clones and Sarah’s family too and we don’t know anything about them. We do know they’re very dangerous.
    Delphine showed Sarah how Rudy and Seth were about to kidnap Krystelle, the other clone. And Seth even attacked Mrs S. That fight scene was really amazing, Mrs S was kicking ass but of course Seth was stronger and really hurt him. Mrs S line about Seth not being the sharpest one was hilarious. Still, I was afraid her injuries were really bad.

    The big threat of Project Castor was actually against Helena. After Mrs S gave her up to them, which Sarah quickly learnt and made her even more determined to find her. Damn you Mrs S, you’re such a great fighter but you always keep on lying ! Anyways, Helena was trapped in a box, a very small box. It kinda took my breathe away literally when I first watched it and I’m not usually that claustrophobic.
    Helena’s interaction with her scorpion were hilarious. It was really weird, but it was classic Helena. Her dream in the opening scene was one the best scenes of the entire show. It was so amazing to watch Tatiana Maslany playing those four characters, completely different with such great talent. Now, I really want to see more of Helena and Miller. I wonder what he has in mind for her next, but they both seem weird and a bit isolated from their brothers and sisters, so I think it’s going to be very interesting to watch those two together.

    Project Castor is the new enemy, they’re dangerous because they’re unknown and unpredictable but actually, in "The Weight of This Combination", the biggest threat came from within Dyad. After what happened with Sarah and Kira last season, a cleaner was sent to investigate at Dyad ; things had changed quite a bit since we last saw Rachel got a pencil in her eyes. Rachel wasn’t dead, because the bitch can’t die, but she was still unconscious and the doctors weren’t sure of the extent of the damages she will suffer; Mariann was in Europe (Where are you Michelle Forbes, I’ve missed you so much last night) but before her departure, she put Delphine at Rachel’s position.
    Delphine’s the new Rachel ! How weird but acutally what a great opportunity for her character. I was really sad last year when she was sent to Germany. I really appreciate Delphine as a character and her torn between Dyad, her loyalties to science and between her loyalty to the sisters, her love for Cosima. Being the new Rachel forced her to make a drastic, painful choice : she broke off with Cosima… How devasting that scene was. Cosima was so thrilled to see Delphine back, and so was Delphine… But she couldn’t keep her special relationship to Cosima, she had to be fair with all the other clones and not to have a “favorite”. Tatiana Maslany and Evelyn Brochu broke my heart in that scene…

    As she was in charge, Delphine had to find a way to make the cleaner go away without noticing what happened to Rachel. So, she asked Sarah to play Rachel’s part for the meeting. Great idea ! I always love the switch clones scenes. First, it demonstrates just how great and perfect Tatiana Maslany is and secondly it’s just so funny to see one clone trying to impersonate another one. It must be a bit schizophrenic for Maslany to play but it’s exquisite television to watch for us. It was crazy to see Sarah playing Rachel, she looked like Rachel, same voice but the way she walked, her facial expression it was clear it was Sarah. Amazing.
   Of course the best part happened when Ferdinand asked to see Sarah. I was a bit stressed but Delphine saw him coming and asked Allison to play Sarah. And that was hilarious. The whole scene with two clones impersonating another was just brillant. I loved Allsion's fake British accent, her rebellious behavior and her hair. Sarah slapping Allison was just the cherry on the cake.
    Ferdinand was convinced by Delphine's little show but he had another agenda, way more dangerous for the sisters. It turned out Rachel and Ferdiand were pulling a “Helinski” against the sisters. They were planning to kill them; all of the clones and it was about to start with Allison. Holy Molly, not Allison ! A killer was coming for her while she was working out, thinking about her new challenge : school trustee (I’m sure she will be hilarious during the campaign, let’s hope she won’t kill her opponent).

    Sarah, still posing as Rachel, tried to inform Allison but Ferdinand didn’t let her much alone time. He was more than a crime partner with Rachel, they were also lovers… So Sarah pulled a 50 shades of Rachel on Ferdinand. It was so good. She took all of her rage and anger against him and made him really suffer, still he enjoyed it. She was about to kill him until Delphine showed up and stopped her. She knew about Helinski since she tortured Rachel on her hospital bed. That was so surprising from Delphine to do that. Never expected her to be so cold and cruel. Rachel sure deserved it but still… Well, she's the new Rachel, it's the kind of things she will have to do.
   Ferdiand aborted the Helinski mission and went home. Things were back to normal at Dyad for now. Project Castor was Delphine’s top priority and she asked Sarah to stand down until she get smore intel… Which was a bit naive from Delphine. Sarah has now only one objective : get Helena back. It means she has to face Project Castor and first Miller. Can’t wait for that to happen.

    "The Weight of This Combination" was an excellent season premiere. The male clones storyline is actually a great way to reinvent the show, to shake up things while keeping its original and unique universe. I’m really excited and thrilled about this new season, I can’t wait to see where Project Castor, the military, and all the surprises coming, will lead the sisters. It’s a great enemy they’re facing this year, because their enemy shares one face, just like them. But are they really the enemy ? Nothing is sure about them for now.
   Did you enjoy "The Weight of This Combination"? What do you think of Ari Millen’s performance and the males clones storyline ? Hit the comments !

Clones notes:
-  How gorgeous Evelyn Brochu is with her new hair style :)
- “I’m keeping my promise to love your sisters equally… But to do that, I can’t do this”
-  So Donnie quit his job… Will he work for Dyad ? He was great with Lekkie… LMAO
- Cosima showed Scott the book ! Can’t believe she picked him… But, I have a bad feeling about it. She should have kept it hidden IMO.
- “Welcome to the Dyad Instituate. Enjoy your ovairectomy” Sarah as Rachel was perfect
- “You’re a legend Sarah Manning”. True words.
- The naked Buddha was my favorite part from the male clones : p
- Paul ! Where are you ?
- Sarah and Felix enjoying some quiet time by the beach was so nice to watch.

About the Author - Romain Ossust

I'm a 28 TV addict. Here is a non exhaustive list of my favorite shows : 12 Monkeys, Ab Fab, 24, Alias, American Horror Story, Banhsee, Bates Motel, Black Sails, Carnivale, Daria, Dead Like Me, Desperate Housewives, Dexter, ER, Fargo, Fringe, Game of Thrones, Girls, Grey’s, Hannibal, Homeland, HIMYM, HTGAWM, Looking, Lost, Agents of SHIELD, Medium, OUAT, OUAT Wonderland, Orange is the New Black, Orphan Black, Pan Am, Penny Dreadful, Person of Interest, Power, Pushing Daisies, Raising Hope, Rectify, Reign, Scandal, Sex & The City, Six Feet Under, Sleepy Hollow, Spartacus, The 100, The Affair, The Americans, The Big C, The Fall, The Killing, The Leftovers, The Missing, The Strain, The Tudors, The Walking Dead, Transparent, True Blood, True Detective, Tyrant, Ugly Betty, United States of Tara, Utopia, V, Veronica Mars, Weeds.
For SpoilerTV, I'm reviewing The Walking Dead, Banshee, American Horror Story, Looking, Girls, & Orphan Black

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