Travelers, Season One, Episode Eleven: Marcy

Marcy is the penultimate episode of the first season and what a set up it is.  I found myself at the edge of my seat as the episode unfolded.  Earlier in the season, we were informed that not all Travelers are happy following the orders of the Director and that some even feel abandoned by him/her. Essentially, one can only trust the people inside one's cell and that may not necessarily be true because as we saw in the last episode, orders are sometimes given privately to an individual rather than a team. 

It all begins with David and Marcy in bed together.  It's about damn time actually. Because nothing can ever go right for these two, Marcy's nose starts to bleed and she has a seizure.  A worried David takes her to the hospital. This of course is going to be a problem because Marcy's MRI are going to show abnormalities that simply don't make sense. Marcy gets a hold of MacLaren, aware that if she stays in the hospital, the doctors will be running tests on her until the day she dies. Apparently, the technology that allowed Marcy to take over the host's body damaged the brain and the treatment Marcy was using no longer works. 

The call comes for MacLaren at a good time because despite the fact that he tried to make it up to Kat by making her a coffee, Kat's still fuming.  MacLaren leaves to see about helping Marcy and perhaps to take his mind off of the confusing feelings he now has for Kat. 

We get the arrival of a new Traveler when a farmer's legs get caught in his equipment.  The Traveler enters his host's body and frees himself quickly. Like all of the other Travelers before him, he marvels at the air and environment of the past. 

Grace pops into her car only to find Trevor hiding in the back seat.  Trevor quickly injects Grace with something that renders her unconscious. It turns out that the name Trevor recognised on the list of deaths was Grace. When Grace awakens, she finds that her wrists and her legs have been bound and that Trevor has driven her into the woods. I've always found Trevor to be fascinating but even I was absolutely creeped out when he explained to Grace that he kidnapped her to save her life. Trevor chose to take Grace to the woods so that she couldn't be traced by the Director. As Trevor talks to Grace about how she was supposed to die and the fact that he's from the future and following orders of the mysterious Director, it's clear that Grace is trying desperately not to panic. 

Carly is having the same bad luck as the rest of her team.  Carly left her baby with Jeff in order to deal with the plane crash and that is enough for the social worker to decide that Carly isn't actually in need of help.  Carly is told that she effectively abandoned her son and now the social worker is team Jeff. Carly decides to confront Jeff directly and heads to the police station. Jeff grabs Carly's arm and pulls her into an ally. When Carly notices the CCTV camera, she attempts to goad Jeff into hitting her by calling him a horrible father and saying that he didn't fulfill her sexually. Carly's plan almost works because Jeff punches a wall in frustration but before he totally loses his cool, Jeff notices the camera and backs off, and orders Carly not to show up at the station again. 

MacLaren gets a message that he's to greet a new arrival - Traveler 014. This is the lowest Traveler number we've seen to date.  Unfortunately, MacLaren is not given an exact location, so he and Philip decide to scope out  possibilities that will will occur that morning. This new Traveler is deemed important because of the low number and MacLaren hopes they are arriving to help Marcy.  Now we know that the lower the number, the more important the Traveler. This is interesting given that Trevors number is a good deal lower that the rest of his team. 

Trevor is still in the woods with Grace and he tells her that he wants her to survive because he knows that she's a good person. As far as Trevor is concerned, the Director can just choose someone else. In an effort to keep Trevor talking, Grace questions why they cannot just go back in time and kill Hitler if they want to save people. It seems that for the tech to work, Travelers need the exact date and time of a death and that information was only available with the advent of the computer. Trevor even reveals that because of time shifts, the Travelers only have one chance to change the past.

Travelers, Season One, Episode Ten: Kathryn

Thanks to MacLaren's sacrifice, Kat survived the plane crash but now the team must deal with her. Kat is rightfully freaked out to be loaded into the back of the Traveler van and restrained.  Kat is frantic to find out what happened to MacLaren and tells the team that her husband is an FBI agent. After a bit of struggle, Marcy is able to sedate Kat, much to Carly's relief.  Carly actually wonders how Maclaren can stand Kat. Wow, the jealousy here is strong. With Kat now sedated, Marcy calls MacLaren's cellphone and it's answered by the Traveler EMT,s who suggest that the team deal with Kat and then return to the base of operations. 

Kat is taken home and placed in bed. Trevor and Philip empty a couple of wine bottles to make it look like Kat and MacLaren tied one on to explain why she won't remember anything when she awakens. Marcy says that this is necessary because the memory inhibitor is going to feel like the worst hangover ever. 

Back at headquarters, the team is greeted by D13 with D standing for Doctor, or in this case Derek. The Director has sent an elite medical team which flies across the globe taking care of heads of state to treat MacLaren. This suggests that whatever faults the team has, the Director must value MacLaren a lot. MacLaren is in rough shape and even with nanites fast at work, he might not survive. Trevor volunteers to grow new organs for MacLaren, which apparently is quite painful. 

While the team of Doctors and Marcy work on MacLaren, Grant gains access to his hosts memories.  He remembers falling in love with Kat and what a good relationship the original Grant had with Kat. He remembers the pain they had when Kat had a miscarriage and their ongoing fertility issues. MacLaren is confused by these memories because he now feels for Kat with his host felt for Kat.  

As planned, Kat wakes the next day and is completely out of sorts. Kat wanders into the kitchen and is stunned to see the empty bottles of wine. Confused about what happened the day before, Kat texts MacLaren and it's Philip who answers since Grant is still in surgery. There are still loose ends which need tying up so Philip heads to the airport to pick up MacLaren's SUV.  Philip quickly draws the attention of security and he is stopped when he tries to exit the parking garage. Philip is forced to incapacitate the guards but that doesn't stop them from contacting the FBI about what they believe to be a stolen vehicle. Forbes becomes concerned about MacLaren when he learns about the vehicle and starts to investigate. Forbes tracks the car and using dashcam video, is able to see that it's Philip who's driving. With police fast on his tail, Philip is forced to abandon the SUV and contact Carly to help him escape. 

Forbes and Kat meet up at MacLaren's SUV and they discuss the changes in MacLaren. Forbes has noticed that MacLaren is suddenly a perfect shot on the range though sucks at squash. Kat brings up the changes in MacLaren's diet and the fact that he does certain things (read: sex) better. Kat is concerned that Grant is missing but Forbes calms her by saying that it isn't unheard of for MacLaren to drop off the radar for awhile. 

Travelers, Season One, Episode Nine: Bishop

The opening of this episode is clearly meant for anyone who has been with someone who has just irritated the piss right out of them. Secretary Hayes is out for a jog with his wife and he stops when he gets a phone call about pushing through a pipeline, though it will cause environmental damage. Hayes is completely smug and ends the call. Hayes complains to his wife that the exercise is going to kill him but what actually kills Hayes, is his wife throwing him off an overpass that he had stopped to lean against.  Mrs. Hayes looks around to make sure no one is looking and then breaks into hysterics.  And that folks is what they call stone cold extra. 

After having a little chat with David's boss, Marcy thinks that everything is okay but it turns out that David is uncomfortable with the game they are playing. There's a lot of unacknowledged sexual tension between Marcy and David and the strain of going through this day after day has become too much.  David asks Marcy if she can get her own place. I guess this means that Marcy lost her subsidized apartment when the government learned that she's no longer disabled. Marcy promises to leave that night and an awkward David tells Marcy that she doesn't have to rush.

Now that Jeff has made trouble for Marcy and Carly, it's MacLaren's turn. Jeff pays a visit to the FBI field office to have a man to man talk with MacLaren. Jeff makes it clear that he's trying to get his family back together and that he knows that MacLaren has been paying visits to Carly.  Jeff even questions how MacLaren's wife would feel if she knew that MacLaren was spending time with a woman half her age.  That's enough for MacLaren to tell Jeff to back up and that he knows that Jeff used to beat Carly.  MacLaren suggests that Carly no longer has any time for a beat cop who thinks it's okay to leave her bruised and bloodied. A frustrated Jeff decides to leave but he's not done messing with the Travelers yet.

MacLaren heads to his car to find a package and a note which says that he is to keep the package with him at all times. Inside the package is some kind of device but having no idea what it is, MacLaren takes it to Philip to be scanned. When Philip doesn't come up with any answers, MacLaren hops in his car to head back to his office only to have another Traveler hop in the back seat of his car. MacLaren is given a solo mission.  MacLaren is to board a plane and save someone's life. MacLaren is concerned by this because he's never been on a plane before. 

In an effort to win the custody battle with Jeff, Carly decides to apply for a job at a landscaping firm. Carly has no experience and she doesn't even have a GED but her enthusiasm is enough to persuade the owner to give her a shot. Unfortunately, when Carly arrives for work the next day, she's told the job is no longer available. Carly asks to be considered for the next opening and is told that there will never be a job there for her there. It turns out that a background check on Carly revealed that she has pending charges for assault an officer. That's right, Jeff decided to charge Carly, even though he had been regularly beating her. Carly tries to explain but her justification falls on deaf ears. 

Missing the make up mid term has some pretty bad consequences for Trevor. His mother is out of town and so it's Gary who informs Trevor that they've decided to send him to military school, so that he can pull up his grades and gain some discipline.  Trevor wants to talk this out and see if they can come up with some kind of compromise but Gary will not budge an inch. I think in this case we are only sympathetic to Trevor because we know that he isn't the same person any longer but when you consider everything his parents have been through, it really isn't any wonder that his parents are at their breaking point. None of this is to say that sending someone to military school against their will is a good idea.

Moving on with operation fuck with the Travelers, Jeff decides to pay a visit MacLaren's home.  Smiling like the Cheshire cat, Jeff tells Kat that MacLaren has been having an affair with Carly. Because Kat already believed that MacLaren was up to no good, she buys Jeff's story hook line and sinker. Kat's next move is to call MacLaren to confront him about Jeff's story but given that he has a plan to catch, MacLaren has no time for explanations.  Kat decides that MacLaren is probably having a rendezvous with his mistress and books a seat on the same flight.

Orphan Black. Season Five, Episode Seven: Gag or Throttle

Orphan Black is winding down as a series which means that secrets are coming out, history is being reflected upon and sides are being chosen.  Will the sestras triumph after everything they've been through? To some degree the sestras are all having an episode which heavily focuses on them and this week, it seems that it's Rachel's turn, though I really don't see her as part of clone club. 

Cosima

With the help of Ira, Cosima managed to get off the island with Charlotte. Cosima and Charlotte navigated with a map and compass and made it safely to shore before set the boat adrift, to be found by Neolution. Cosima makes her first appearance at the hideout and is reunited with Scott. It's been a minute since these two have seen each other and the reunion is short but touching.  Cosima's first task is to have a video chat with Sarah and Allison about Dyad's plans to harvest Kira's eggs. Because Kira has just had the hormone injections that means that they have a little bit of time before the procedure is performed.  What clone club needs is something they can leverage to assure Kira's safety.  This is when Cosima reveals that truth about Westmoreland and promises to work with Scott to find out who he really is. After doing some research, Scott and Cosima discover that Westmoreland's real name is John Patrick Mathieson and that he was presumed dead in 1967.  Scott and Cosima quickly send this information to Sarah, although it isn't immediately clear to me how knowing Westmoreland's real identity is a huge bargaining chip, given all of the resources available to him.

Helena

We really haven't seen nearly enough of Helena this season. Yes, Helena who "kills Gods creatures" is easily one of my favourite clones. At any rate, Helena has been hiding out in a convent waiting to give birth to her twins.  Helena gets a visit from Gracie.  Yeah, Gracie, Mark's wife.  Grace of course is there at Mark's request. 

Mark is brought to the island wearing a cloth bag over his head and handcuffed. He's described as Virginia's guest. With Ira now dead, Mark is the last Castor clone left. It's not really a friendly reunion because Virginia wants a semen sample from Mark and is quick to remind him that he is a traitor and only alive because he's useful. The semen sample freaks me out because it makes me wonder if they are planning on using Mark's semen to fertilize Kira's eggs. Mark tries to forestall Virginia's demands by saying he has information to trade: Helena's location.  Perhaps Mark hasn't heard what happens to snitches. 

Sarah

Sarah has learned that she's got to do things differently and this becomes evident when Sarah stops S from a full on frontal assault on Dyad to free Kira. At this point, Sarah is convinced that they need to be smart and come up with a plan. When Sarah is finally able to talk to Rachel, she reveals that she knows exactly who Westmoreland is but it doesn't seem to have a big impact on Rachel who nonchalantly comments that it's nice to know P.T.'s real name. 

Orphan Black, Season Five, Episode Six: Manacled Slim Wrists

I know that fans of Orphan Black were freaking out when Krystal appeared on their screen.  It's fair to say that outside of the original seistras that Krystal is the favourite clone of many. For me however, Krystal is an irritant at best who took away screen time for Felix Helena and Allison, who I am far more interested in. With so little time left in the series, it feels a shame to waste it on the clone for which I have the least patience and interest. 

Krystal 

Krystal hasn't changed much since we last saw her. She's presently hard at work with her roommate Bree on V Blog about the corruption in big cosmetics. Who's surprised that this is how Krystal had been occupying her time? 

Today's lesson involves using straws as curlers and as to be expected, it doesn't end well. When Bree starts to remove the straws, a heap of her hair comes with it. Yeah, I'm not impressed that the Black chick got her hair messed up while the ever so White Krystal stayed looking on point. Dear white people, stop messing with our hair. 

Krystal immediately assumes that Bree has been poisoned and decides that to invoke clone club. Krystal's assertions are blown off as nonsense by both Art and Sarah, until her interactions with Blue Zone Cosmetics , a company recently purchased by Dyad, is revealed. Effectively, the writers have retroactively made Krystal right about Neolution to jam her irrelevant, irritating character into the plot. 

Now they need to find out if Dyad is interested in Blue Zone Cosmetics because of  LIN28A. The plan is for Sarah to masquerade as Krystal to pump information from Blue Zone Cosmetics CEO Len.  At this point in the story, I started getting excited for another round of clone playing a clone but alas, it was not to be. 

Of course, Krystal being Krystal, just had to wreck a perfectly good plan by deciding that she didn't want anyone, "particularly that Australian girl" (read: Sarah) messing with her source. I suppose Art and Sarah should be thankful that Krystal set up surveillance for them to listen in and see what's happening when she meets with Len. 

The word subtle seems not to be in Krystal's vocabulary.  Despite being told not to make out with Len, she jumps on him passionately.  When Art and Sarah ask her to bring up Dyad, shes broaches the subject like an elephant entering a china shop. Len of course claims ignorance as to Dyad's true goals.

Orphan Black, Season Five, Episode Five: Ease for Idle Millionaires

Ease of Idle Millionaires is absolutely a Cosima centric episode. It seems to me that as we prepare for the finale showdown, Orphan Black is going to center on each clone individually and remind us of their strengths and what makes them who they are. Cosima may have landed in a rough place, but does anyone actually doubt that she'll be able to to make her escape? 

Sarah 

We actually only spend a little bit of time this week with Kira, Sarah and Mrs. S. As we always expected Kira, the unexpected second generation, is the key to this all.  Unfortunately because Kira is only a little girl, there's much she cannot be told and much quite simply that she cannot understand. Like all children, Kira is highly inquisitive and resentful of adult conversations from which she has been excluded, even if it is for her own good.  Having acknowledged that the connection Kira has with all clones is real, Sarah really needs to tap into this and understand how and why this works. The only way for Sarah to get Kira to willingly give up the information is to start her early introduction to Clone Club, a move that Mrs. S most certainly does not agree with.  The introduction turns into mother and daughter bonding time, with Kira giving the clones code names. I'm not sure that elephant for Rachel works all that well though. 

While Sarah is busy bonding and prying information out of Kira, Mrs. S heads to the lab and instructs them to look into men who may have died in the 1950's - the time that neolution underwent a revival. Finally, someone is thinking about the obvious.  There's no damn way that Westmoreland is 170, they didn't have the science back then. 

Rachel

Rachel doesn't have much of a role to play this week, though she does manage to assert her dominance over Susan, like the power hungry asshole that she is. Actually, at this point, I don't like either Susan or Rachel, so it's hard to root for either one of them to end up ahead. The reunion between mother and daughter isn't at all pleasant, so I suppose it's a good thing that Ira hid the knives first. Susan knows all to well that as much as Rachel would like to be rid of her, her input is vital.  Rachel, who isn't one to be cowed, jabs Susan in her still healing wound and makes it clear that corporate, which she controls, will be in charge of the science. Really Rachel? How is that possible when you know so little about science?

As a reward for her good behaviour, Westmoreland gives Rachel the treatment that Cosima came up with to help deal with the genetic flaws in the Leda clones. 

Cosima

The real action happens on the island this week. The writers spent a lot of time on the science and at times it's to the detriment of the plot. Not being a science geek myself, despite many years watching science fiction, hearing “Lin28A” repeatedly didn't actually do lot for me, nor did hearing about the manipulation of Aiesha's tumor actually cause me to invest more in the plot. I'm also just a little bit confused by all the work to seemingly humanise Cosima this week, which is something that I don't think that was really needed, given that they've spent five years fleshing out who she is as a character and what she will and will not stand for. My only real frustration is the ongoing relationship with Delphine. Okay fine, do all the booing and hissing that you want. I will acknowledge that Delphine is working behind the scenes to keep her promise to Cosima to find answers but that doesn't make her any less manipulative.  I'm not one who is in denial about the fact that this relationship, no matter how much fans seem to love it, is based on lies. 

Just as she promised, Cosima is following the science. To that end, Cosima decides to get DNA from the tooth of Westmoreland's badly treated science experiment. Cosima however is interrupted by the people of Revival because it's been discovered that a resident has been killed. At this point, none of the residents of Revival are buying for a minute that the predator in the woods is a bear and they are determined to kill it, despite Mud's protests. Mud explains to Cosima that at one point, Wesmoreland's failed experiment had his own room at the house and wasn't always this vicious. Apparently, this is what happens to a person when a few experiments go wrong. While chatting with Mud, Cosima sees Delphine arrive.  Rather than heading to speak with Cosima, Delphine rushes to the big house.

Orphan Black, Season Five, Episode Four: Let the Children and Childbearers Toil

Figuring out what is going on with Neolution has been like putting together the pieces of a puzzle which are all the same colour. We've never really known who all the players are and how they are related to each other. All we've really known is that this is science based, and that all the elements are looking for power and to change the path of human history.  With the arrival of PT Westmoreland, we are now finally getting into the inner chamber of Neolution and a closer look at the competing individual aspirations.  PT Westmoreland is like a marionette master as he manipulates people to tackle the same problem from different angles, all benefiting him in the end.  I'm predicting right now that the series finale will absolute include the end of Westmoreland's allegedly long life. 

Susan

Yes, I know we all thought that we saw the last of Susan when Rachel got with the stabbing in last years season finale but as it turns out, Westmoreland still has work for her to do and so she was saved. Even though Susan survived Rachel's attack, she's not pleased with Westmoreland because she believes that he turned Rachel against her. Really? It has nothing to do with the years of lies, manipulation and Rachel's own desire for power? Westmoreland however does offer up a peace offering in the form of Ira. Am I the only one who is creeped out by the idea of Ira and Susan as a couple? 

Once Ira and Susan are alone, the info dropping starts.  Ira's got his back up a bit because he's clearly jealous of long history between Susan and Westmoreland. Susan explains that while she agrees wholeheartedly with Westmoreland's objectives, she hasn't always agreed with the means he chose to achieve them. Of course Susan is alluding to Virginia and Castor.  Susan responded by having Virginia placed in a mental institution to keep her away from Westmoreland (more on that later). Susan however does believe that Westmoreland may have made a breakthrough with Kira.

When Susan gets Westmoreland alone, Susan takes the opportunity to throw shade at Rachel, as a hidden Ira listens in. Susan makes it clear that she believes that Rachel is far too messed up to have such a prominent position and inquires about getting access to the research Rachel has collected on Kira. Westmoreland clearly sees through Susan's attempt to unseat Rachel and so he grants her request for access but keeps Rachel in her seat of power for now. Westmoreland is going to play Susan and Rachel against each other just as he played Virginia and Susan against each other. As long as the women are fighting each other, they're too busy to keep track of what Westmoreland is up to. Considering that both Virginia and Susan are scientists, they really should have been to smart to fall for such an obvious play. 

Sarah

Sarah is still extremely upset that Kira has shut her out and won't discuss what's being done to her at Dyad, in any real detail.  Things come to a head when Sarah discovers a nasty cut on Kira's arm. It turns out however that the wound was self inflicted because Kira wanted to know how long it would take to heal.  The fact that Kira self harmed and was not in fact by Rachel, doesn't assuage Sarah's fears in the least little bit, furthermore; knowing that Kira has to return to Dyad in three days further inflames Sarah's maternal concerns. It turns out that they still have some cards to play because Mrs. S has a lead to follow. We all know that this lead stems from Siobhan's little visit with Delphine. Mrs. S arranges for Felix to take care of Kira which he agrees to do, even though he has an art show coming up. Yes, I get that this is life and death but Felix is never given the opportunity to pursue his own interests because he always has to put clone club first.  

Mrs. S and Sarah set up a sting on Dr. Elizabeth Perkins, by posing as mother and daughter.  Apparently, Perkins is in town to do some case studies and she has a meeting with Alex Ripley, a high-level Neolution defector, who is potentially being held against her will at a nearby mental health facility.  Mrs. S and Sarah stage a fight, with Sarah throwing a drink in Siobhan's face, using the argument as a distraction for Sarah to steal Perkins wallet.  Seeing that Siobhan is upset, Perkins, who doesn't exactly have a healthy relationship with her own daughter, invites Siobhan to sit down and have a drink to calm down. While Siobhan and Perkins chat, Sarah looks through the wallet and snags some ID.  Sarah stages yet another scene to return the wallet and give Siobhan an exit from her little chat with Perkins.  

Orphan Black, Season Five, Episode Three: Beneath Her Heart

For much of Orphan Black the Hendrixs have been the comic relief.  While dealing with Neolutionists, Allison has attempted to uphold the facade that she's just another suburban WASP. This means she's taken her kids to soccer games, participated in community theater, volunteered at her church and even run for local office.  Trapped in what many would think of as suburban hell, Allison has always sought to maintain her image and exert power wherever possible.  However, the truth of the matter is that despite everything that's going on, Allison's world is very very small.  At best, she's been a big fish in a tiny pond and in Beneath Her Heart, the realities of Allison's life and past are explored. 

Beneath Her Heart begins with a flashback to the Hendrixs hosting a dinner part with Aynsley and Chad (could there be two more WASP names?) as their guests. It's about as typical as you would expect, with Allison refusing to share her desert recipe while fielding calls from Beth.  It's an early sign of Allison trying to hold her life together, even as the clone world is trying to intervene. Allison is in complete denial and makes it clear that she won't even say the C word. Since we are talking about Allison, the C word of course means clone. 

With the desert finished and the dishes cleared away, the Aynsley and Chad suggest that they shake things up a bit.  This quickly weirds the Hendrixs out because they clearly assume that their friends mean sexually.  It turn out Aynsley and Chad have brought some mushrooms.  Allison is reluctant at first but she takes the plunge, leaving a sober Donnie to watch over his wife and friends.  Of course, as soon as Allison is higher than a kite, this is when Cosima shows up. It seems that Beth thought that meeting another Leda clone would bring Allison on side. This is the first meeting between Cosima and Allison. Because Cosima is just so naturally zen, she realises that Allison is high but doesn't make a big deal out of it. 

Aynsley and Allison end up at the front lawn looking at the stars wrapped in blankets. Allison starts to wonder if her life in suburbia is all there is for her. She actively thinks of all the things that she could have done instead of serving mini pizzas and playing chauffeur to the kids. It's a great reminder of exactly why Aynsley and Allison were friends and why letting Aynsley die continues to haunt her.

In the present, things haven't become any easier for Allison.  Donnie and Allison get a visit from Mr. Frontenac, demanding to know Helena's whereabouts. Frontenac makes it clear that of all the clones, he thinks that Allison is the most expendable.  Cosima is a scientist, Sarah and Helena are both fertile and Helena's unborn twins have shown remarkable abilities to heal themselves.  There's also Kira, who has special skills. Because Allison is supposedly just a housewife, she doesn't have much power or much to barter with as far as Frontenac is concerned. Frontenac makes it clear that Allison had better have a good long think about exactly how valuable she is.

It's time for M.K.'s memorial which Allison watches via skype.  Allison is upset that she was unable to do anything to save MK. The clones decide with everything going on to just take it easy for the day.  Sarah ends up spending time with Felix sulking when Kira makes it clear that she doesn't want her mother to come to Dyad with her. 

With no official clone business to take care of, Allison heads to the Church Fall fair which she is not running this year. It doesn't take long for Allison to have a little run in with Nona Walker, who has been selected to run it.  Naturally, Allison is not down with this at all and so she pours several lorazapam pills into a bottle of ice tea and gives the bottle to Nona, claiming that it's a reconciliation drink. Before Nona can down it however, the minister pops by and starts talking about moving forward. Allison's conscience kicks in and she grabs the bottle before Nona can drink it. 

Allison conscience is picked at again when she runs into Chad and his kids. It seems that Chad blames himself for his wife's death, saying that if Aynsley hadn't kicked him out for cheating, he would have been there to save her.  We all know that Aynsley died because Allison didn't stop the garbage disposal when Aynsley's scarf got stuck in it. Allison also only had an affair with Chad to get back at Aynsley because she thought that Aynsley was her monitor at the time. 

Orphan Black, Season Five, Episode Two: Clutch of Greed

There's a lot happening in this second episode of the final season. Our favourite clones are in a lot of danger and though they've been in precarious situations before, because this is the final season, the writers have amped up the situation and now the struggle for autonomy is quite literally between life and death, as at least one clone discovers this week. Central to the story line is who the Leda clones are and what there purpose is.  Rachel believes that at least for her, it's to lead humanity down a different road genetically; whereas, Cosima isn't interested in being a subject in petri dish.  Kira may not be a clone herself but being a daughter of one makes her connected.  Kira may be young but she's reached the point where she's unwilling to run and wants some answers.  Rachel sees Kira's search for the truth as a betrayal because it means that Kira's willing to go with Rachel.  Helena, perhaps the fiercest clones, is going to save her babies at all costs. 

Cosima

Cosima and Charlotte are in Revival and seem to be settling in. This however doesn't mean that Cosima is ready to take the mystery vitamins that they are given with their food. The first chance Coisma gets, she decides to speak to Aisha about her illness. Cosima learns that Aisha was told by PT that she has a Wilms Tumour. Cosima has to pretend that she's educating the kids when Mud interrupts to say that PT wants to see her. 

This is a huge reveal for Orphan Black because PT is behind the creation of everything. PT's home really screams about how relevant he sees Cosima because it's filled with animal skeletons stuffed under glass. Cosima is just another one of his experiments over his very long life. There are pictures of Westmoreland with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1894. PT credits his long life to his unique genetics and of course Neolution and suggests with luck the same could be true for Cosima.  I don't know about you, but I began hearing Queen's Who Wants to Live Forever in my brain. Westmoreland kind of reminds me of Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood. Westmoreland reports that the results of Cosima's treatment seems promising and suggests that she might want to stay and follow the science after she is cured. It's clear that this isn't as much an invitation, as an order. 

Allison

Last week, Allison was abducted by Engers when Donnie abandoned her while Helena was out killing God's creatures. Yes, I'm still so much in love with that line. Allison has been taken home and she's being guarded by Engers and her unwilling accomplice Art.  Rather than fretting about her situation however, Allison is more concerned that she's been usurped as the chair person of her church's fall fair.  Yes, it's typical Allison. 

Helena

I know it's bizarre but Helena, though she is creepy as all get out, has become my favourite clone.  Last week, my big rallying cry was save Helena's babies. As promised, Donnie has taken Helena to the hospital. Fortunately, the surgery was a success and the tree branch has been removed from Helena's womb, though the doctors are still concerned that at least one of the twins might still be in danger. Helena is immediately concerned when the nurse talks about bringing in a neo-natal specialist to talk to her, causing Donnie to promise that neo doesn't mean what Helena thinks it does. Helena is super suspicious and resistant to having a nurse examine her and so it's Donnie who has to pull down her blankets.  It's a sign of how far they've come that this scene is actually somewhat tender. 

When an ultra sound reveals that the wounded twin is actually quite fine, this fascinates the Doctor, who at this point I'm starting to believe is a secret Neolutionists.  The Doctor decides that Helena needs an amniocentesis, thus setting off alarm bells for Helena. Helena whispers to Donnie that she is going to escape and warns him that on pain of death that the only person he can tell where she is is Sara. Donnie is then taken away by security, who want to interview him regarding Helena's injuries. The moment she's alone with the doctor,  Helena stabs the doctor with the amniocentesis needle.  It is brutal and violent, yet somehow funny.  It speaks of how far Helena has come that her violence is now acceptable and we root for her to succeed. Helena makes her escape from the room with her bare arse hanging out, in what proves to be the funniest moment of the episode.

Orphan Black, Season Five, Episode One: The Few Who Dare

This is it, the final season of clone club and I don't want it to end. These characters have grown so much in the last five years and though they started out as strangers, they are absolutely family now. Neolution is kicking their arses and they are desperate to get some answers and find a way to survive. 

Allison and Helena

Let's start with Allison and Helena because they are absolutely my favourite paring. The Hendrixs decided to take shelter in a provincial park, complete with roll away luggage. You can bet Allison packed her crafting supplies just in case something needs a touch of glitter. Felix has tasked the Hendrixs to stay put and keep an eye on Helena. Naturally, Allison isn't going to listen to Felix and so she orders Donnie to start packing up their things.

Surprisingly, Donnie is doing much better in the wilderness than Allison and he has even learned to communicate in bird calls with Helena.  When Helena sees people walking through the woods she does the emergency loon call. Coward that Donnie is, he quickly hides when he sees the men and watches as Allison is captured. 

Allison is stuffed into a van and brought to Art and his new supposedly misogynist partner Detective Engers.  Engers makes it clear to Allison that she has promised not to harm a single hair on a clones head but she is determined to bring them all in.  Engers asked about Donnie and Helena and Allison responds, "Helena was out murdering God’s creatures and my husband abandoned me". Engers is not satisfied and wants to know what the back up plan is.  When Allison doesn't answer, Engers assaults Art and puts a gun to his head.  Allison professes that she doesn't know and fortunately for Art, Engers believes her. Since Allison doesn't have any information to give she's taken home to wait for her fellow clones to be gathered up. 

While Allison is being questioned, in the woods, Donnie grabs their luggage and heads to their vehicle.  Before Donnie can get away, he is stopped by yet another neolutionists.  It seems this season there are more neolutionists than there are fleas.  Fortunately for Donnie, Helena sneaks up on the Neolutionists, causing him to drop his gun when she jumps on his back and puts him in a choke hold. Donnie knocks the neolutionist out with one punch but when Helena goes to stand up, she cannot because she's been stabbed in the stomach by a tree branch and is bleeding. Donnie promises to get to Helena to the hospital and she informs him that one of her babies has been hit.  Dear writers, you better save Helena's babies. I'm not playing around on this one. 

Cosima

I go back and forth between wanting Cosima and Delphine to be a couple and for Cosima to kick Delphine to the curb permanently. From the very beginning of their relationship, Delphine has lied to Cosma. I don't doubt that the two women have feelings for each other, it just seems that so much of their relationship is based on deception.

12 Monkeys, Season Three, Episode Three: Enemy

2046

Ramse brings Olivia into the facility and Cole is stunned that he's managed to capture Olivia.  Olivia has a long list of crimes to pay for because she served the Witness. Cole is anxious to get to Ramse but Jones stops him to point out that they need to know which Ramse they are dealing with; the grieving father or the loyal friend. Jones reminds Cole that Ramse spent decades taking orders from Olivia and wonders if Cole is even capable of discerning exactly who he is dealing with. Ramse puts a gun to Olivia's head and demands to be allowed further inside the facility. Jones makes it clear that she believes Ramse is a hell of a hunter but at this point, they aren't sure who caught who. 

Ramse and Olivia find themselves surrounded by armed men and are quickly disarmed.  Jennifer warns Jones that Olivia is not a woman but a chameleon who displays what the viewer wants to see. Jennifer adds that if Olivia smiles at you, it's because she wants you dead. Jennifer advises that Olivia has never been anyplace that she didn't want to be and so Jones decides to have a cell built specifically for Olivia.  Olivia is then place in a cell with an electrified chain link fence and is chained to the ground but she keeps a smile on her face the entire time. As the camera moves to follow Olivia's movement, she walks right up to the fence and waves at the camera. This unnerves Jennifer, who is watching on CCTV. 

Jones heads to see Ramse and his first question is, "where is Cole"? Jones quickly explains Cole's conflict of interest when it comes to Ramse and so Ramse begins to explain exactly how it is he ended up at the lab with Olivia. Ramse explains about the rift between Olivia and the Witness but Jones points out that Olivia has had thirty years to reach out to them. Jones is quite disbelieving of Ramse, until he informs her that Sam is dead. Ramse points out that Jones got Hannah back while he lost his son twice and though he knows he is going to die, he is determined to stay alive to get the Witness. Sam's death is about the only way he could have convinced Jones where he stands because Jones is intimately familiar with what it feels like to lose a child, even if she hasn't been sympathetic to Ramses plight before this moment. 

Cole heads to see Olivia, as Jones and Adler watch on CCTV. It turns into a song and dance with Olivia telling Cole that he's not actually an adversary but an annoyance at best.  Olivia still has the smile pasted to her lips, clearly enjoying whatever game she's playing. Olivia knows that even though Cole is asking about Titan, what he really wants to know is where Cassie is. It seems she also has some resentment about being left behind. It turns out that Olivia was the little girl they ran into in Berlin in 1961. Jones, who has been listening the entire time, orders Adler to run a fulls series of tests on Olivia. Olivia charges Cole with feeding her to the Witness and his promise of a timeless forest. Olivia tells James to think about exactly why he's still alive considering that there have been so many opportunities to kill him.  Adler interrupts to get his blood sample and to inform Cole that Jones wants to see him. 

Titan 

In a flashback scene, we see Deacon sacrificing himself for Jennifer. In the present, Deacon is covered in blood Mallick is sewing his open wounds shut. Mallick tells Deacon that he is his secret to keep.  Deacon is so out of it that he hallucinates his father. 

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Deacon is still very injured and is covered in bloody bandages in his cell.  Food is slipped under the door for Deacon while his father questions Deacon's decision to eat because nothing is free. The next thing slipped under the door is a syringe. Deacon's father advises him not to be weak and not to be the pawn of other men but Deacon injects himself anyway. While Deacon is out of it on the drugs, Mallick enters the room and start to clean up up again, explaining that one day in the future, Deacon will be called upon. Alone again, Deacon hallucinates his father and attempts to attack, only to be reminded that he's actually alone. Deacon picks up a rock and uses it to scratch a marking on the wall. Clearly, Deacon is not going to start to count the days of his captivity.

2046

The results are in on Olivia's test and Jones is quick to call them impossible because no one should be that strong. Jennifer is busy playing with the light coming from the Splinnter machine.  We get a flash of an adult Olivia confronting herself as a child and then a flash to present day Olivia in her cell.

It's Jones's turn to have a chat with Olivia. Olivia talks about her childhood and makes it clear that her father turned her into a golem and that Jones made her golem out of metal. Olivia says that she wants a place in the past free of Jones and safe from the Witness and if Jones does this, she'll hand over the Witness. Jones points out that if Olivia handed over the Witness, then she wouldn't need to run. Olivia questions if Jones would send James back even though James has a habit of creating the problems he's sent back to solve. Olivia says this while smiling into the camera, clearly aware that Cole is listening in. Olivia is very good at her game play and she taunts Katrina about Hannah and how Jones has lost everything but her machine.

Olivia is marched into the splintter room and Jones orders Adler to prepare the machine. Katrina takes the safe guard off the splintter machine and uses it to torture Olivia. 

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Deacon is still in very rough shape but he's quite far since Mallick first stitched him up. Deacon is however still hallucinating his dead father, who has no problem reminding Deacon that he's a bad man and has not found redemption. Food is slid under the door and Deacon's father once again reminds him that nothing is free. Rather than jump on the food when offered, Deacon uses a bar in his cell to begin some very painful pull ups.

12 Monkeys, Season Three, Episode Two: Guardians

1921

This episode begins Paris, where 6 people dressed in dark clothing approach the Eiffel Tower with a box.

Jennifer is in Paris and she's writing postcards which she gives to a priest and asks him to mail them to America in 95 years.  The priest of course is incredulous at Jennifer's request. Jennifer does not give up on her desire to send a message to the future.  Jennifer tries to talk the owner of a theater into helping her and makes her way inside and onto the stage.  When Jennifer begins to tap dance, she catches the attention of the owner.  Jennifer does a show pretending to be the little tramp, stealing from Jaws, Aliens and other popular movies.  Finally, Jennifer gets around to telling the story of a time traveler fighting against the Witnesses. She talks about the army of the 12 Monkeys and traveling back in time with a splinter machine. Of course, by this time, her popularity has waned and people are no longer paying attention. Jennifer's performance of the Army of the 12 Monkeys is a failure. All over Jennifer's dressing room are drawings of the people from the future and she talks to them about her fear that they are not okay.

One of the men who was carrying the strange box at the beginning of the episode happens to come across one of Jennifer's drawings of the Monkeys. He decides to pay Jennifer a visit. He is adamant that Jennifer is not supposed to be there and moves to attack but Jennifer tries to escape. The man uses some sort of magnet on his chest to draw Jennifer back to him and question her about who is with her. Before he can kill her however, he is shot several times by Cole and Jones. 

Cole shows Jennifer the news paper clipping and of course she takes issue with the fact that she's described as an obscure actress. Cole questions what happened to Ramse and Deacon and Jennifer is pissed off that she's been stuck in 1922 for five years and hasn't asked about how she is doing.  Jennifer is also pissed off at Jones as well for not picking up on all of the messages she left for Jones in time. Jones of course points out that Jennifer used a stage name.  Jennifer pulls out a drawing of the men carrying a paradox in the box and refers to them as the four horsemen of the apocalypse. 

Jones checks out the machine on the dead man and declares that he is wearing splinter technology. Jones is convinced that something important is happening with the 12 Monkeys. Now they have to figure out where the hell the other three horsemen are. 

Titan

Cassie dreams about her labour and when she awakes, she's no longer pregnant. Mallick visits Cassie and explains that she was sedated for her own safety and that she will be escorted to her son.  Cassie enters a room where a gramophone is playing but instead of a child, she's presented with one of the 12 Monkeys masks and told that this is her son. Mallick says that this is her son's history and that these items represent who her son will become. Cassie of course denies this because her boy is just a child.  Mallick says that the child is many things and is present now but also in the past. Mallick promises that soon the Witness will return to Titan and lead the faithful to salvation. Mallick confides that some have lost fate and that he's offering Cassie a chance to leave Titan soon. Cassie doesn't want to leave without her child but Mallick argues that now that Cassie has given birth, her life is no longer as precious as it once was. Mallick warns Cassie that she must prepare herself for what must come. Cassie once again begs to see her son. 

1922

Cassie, Jones and Jennifer are still in the theater and Jones examines the device that the dead man is wearing, saying that it changes the game entirely. James explains that the future him was wearing the same device.  James then asks Jennifer to summon up some primary powers and help them out. This rightfully sets Jennifer off because all she's ever done was to help Cole and instead of thanking her, he's treating her like some kind of servant and throwing his weight around. Jennifer points out that she spent WWI in a POW camp. Cole argues that they didn't come all the way to 1922 to rescue her. Jennifer asks Cole what he needs and if she should just go and draw some more of her insanity for them. Jennifer is hurt that Cole and Jones don't see her as part of the team and she walks out.  Jones isn't interested in following Jennifer because she is certain that the device is going to change things.  Jones argues that the enemy is here doing God knows what with the technology, meaning that they don't have time to deal with Jennifer's hurt feelings

2046

Ramse is at a camp fire having a drink with Olivia. They talk about their concerns with the exiles. It's clear that these two have teamed up. Ramse talks about his son Sam, who is now a man and how Olivia had his son for decades. Ramse attacks when Olivia claims that she has been protecting Sam for decades; however, Olivia is not concerned because killing her will get Ramse nowhere. Olivia promises Ramse that his son is safe and that he only needs to be patient. 

12 Monkeys Season Three, Episode One: Mother

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Cole looks out at the ruins of a city.

2046

Because there's so much going on with the plot and so much time shifting, Jones has to give us a recap about what has happened up until now. It's really necessary because of how in-depth this conspiracy has become over the seasons but it's still not making a lot of sense if you ask me.  We know now that The Witness is actually Cassie and Cole's son and several characters are lost in time.  Cole is now looking for them in 2163, by chasing the temporal signature of the enemies machine. Cole at this point is desperate to save Cassie at all cost and his hope is fading. Jones questions how they can defeat an enemy from their own future because time is no longer on their side. 

After planting yet another beacon, Cole returns from his trip to be confronted by Jones, who believes it's time to stop searching.  Jones believes that Cole's loyalty is distracting him from the truth, which is that Cassie isn't the mission. Cole brings up Ramsey and Jennifer and so Jones is forced to point out that they need to stop the plague and potentially save everyone. When Cole refuses to listen, Jones actually threatens to put Cole down.  Cole is holding out hope because of a spike in the temporal energy at a place he stopped at. Jones finally consents to another mission but decides that this time, Cole won't be going alone. 

Hannah is engaged in a battle straight out of the thunderdome when she's approached by Jones.  Hannah doesn't want to go anywhere because she is concerned about the security of the facility and feels that she has a responsibility to her sisters.  Jones however argues that they might lose Cole and therefore, someone must keep an eye on him. Hannah is insistent that she went to Titan for Goines and that this is not her mission. Jones finally convinces Hannah to go by saying that the greatest danger to Cole is himself.

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Hannah trails behind Cole as they search for Cassie. Hannah makes it clear that she doesn't trust what he's become - a man unwilling to face the hard choices. Cole finds the beacon in question, only to find that it's run out of battery. Hannah of course wants to splinter back but Cole is not having any part of that. Before they can come to blows, the machine powers up again and starts flashing red. Hannah steps into Cole's path, and points out that they almost died the last time they were in Titan. Hannah suggests they head back to the facility. Cole however is worried that if they don't go now, they will lose the signal forever. Hannah attempts to inject Cole with the syringe her mother gave her and when that fails, a fight breaks out between the two.  Hannah is savage as fuck and it seems as though she gains easily gains the upper.  What Hannah doesn't realise until too late, is that Cole has injected her instead. Cole keeps moving until he comes to the outskirts of Titan.

A heavily pregnant Cassie is now dressed in red and she's clearly despondent. Arianna lays out a feast of food in front of Cassie, encouraging her to eat to nourish the child growing in her belly. Magdalena enters the room to tell Cassie that she has a chance to show her love for the Witness. It seems that Magdalena feels that Cassie should display love for the man he will become because the Witness chose Cassie as his vessel. It turns out that Magdalena was raised to raise the Witness and it's she who the Witness will see as his mother figure. Cassie apparently is just a womb. It's as creepy as it sounds. Magdalena holds a knife to Cassie's throat and warns her to mind herself.  

2046

Hannah has returned, thanks to Cole injecting her.  Hannah quickly announces that they found Titan and that need to bring James back before he can approach. Unfortunately, because James's tether was used to bring Hannah back, the machine thinks that James is already in 2046. Before they can bring James back, the system has to be rebooted.

Penny Dreadful, Season 3, Episode 7: Ebb Tide

Let’s start with a really cringe worthy storyline. Ethan and his “dad” Kaetenay – who is desperate to get Ethan to join in this way through a series of really really really bad tropes.

He compares Kaetenay with his biological father both fighting the same war which really really badly handles the invading perpetuator of genocide and the people

And Kaetenay decides that he has predicted that an Apache will save the world from darkness. An Apache will save the world. An Apache is prophesised to save… oh that’s Ethan

Ethan? Yup, Ethan is an Apache because the Native American mentor character has declared Ethan an Apache. The White man who slaughtered Native Americans and then felt sad about it.

He also performs some woo-woo – of course he does – to see Vanessa and gasp that she’s half damned and going to cause the end of the world! To the ship!

We have a far better moment with Ethan and Malcolm with Malcolm pretty much embracing his own damnation and considering killing Ethan’s father an act of mercy because it’s a terrible thing to have to kill your own family. He also considers it a good sign that Ethan couldn’t kill his dad – it shows Ethan is still redeemabl and basically good.

Now to Vanessa. Beautiful, amazing, tragic Vanessa. Oh how I love Vanessa. How I love her acting, her amazing intensity. My sheer fragile glee when she manages a smile, that delicate beautiful smile and that joy for deciding to be happy (though the awesome Dr. Seward believes she is a split personality)

And she will be torn down again, of course. But first she meets with John Smith to try and discuss the past he no longer remembers. She encourages him to find happiness, she praises his gentleness and kindness and above all, both of them decide to dare to be happy.

John goes to his wife, Marjorie – and in a rejection of the tragedy that consumes this show, she embraces him as the husband she loves who has come back to her. She hears his story and doesn’t reject him and brings him to their son who accepts him. On any other show I would probably say something snarky about tweeness – but bring on the twee. We could use some happiness on this painful show.

Except there’s a downside – when Catarina Hartegan shows up to give some more information about Dracula she finally realises who he is. Yes, she confronts Dr. Sweet – when they were so happy the night before.

The confrontation is, of course, epic. With Vanessa furious, outraged, deeply grieving and Dracula making excellent points about night creatures, broken things, outcasts and the continued excellent image of the scorpion.

Penny Dreadful, Season 3, Episode 6: No Beast So Fierce

In the US, Ethan and his dad are still having a battle of wills with Daddy Talbott wanting Ethan to repent and Ethan having gone full-dark-sideish and not really into the repenting thing. The stand off is delayed a little when Rusk and the Marshall turn up and decide to arrest everyone. Just the two of them. While Daddy Talbott has a small army

It doesn’t go well for them

After The Most Awkward family dinner in which Ethan is forced to recite the Lord’s Prayer and rather childishly blasphemes it instead while Malcolm is sat there chanting “he’s a good boy really”, the Marshall decides to dispel with pleasantries

I’m sure shooting one’s dinner guests before pudding is not good etiquette. I thought murder really should wait until the brandy is poured.

After everyone eats without a care about the bloodstains on the flooring (really, think of the housekeeper) all hell, inevitably, does break loose. Lots of disposable goons are shot, Malcolm is also shot but Kaetenay launches himself out of nowhere (nope, no-one actually thought he was dead. You’re kidding if you did) to save him. Hecate is shot ending her rather shallow non-characterisation (what did she want? Why was she there? Did she care for Ethan or just the demon wolf? And why? Yup none of that) and also we all belatedly realise season 2 would have been a WHOOOOOOOOOOOLE lot shorter if just SHOOTING the witches worked consistently.

This leaves the inevitable Ethan, Kaetenay and Malcolm left (Rusk got shot. And until I see a body I’m going to assume he’s going to get up and come after Ethan AGAIN) with a handful of disposable extras and Daddy Talbott in a showdown in the chapel where Ethan’s family was slaughtered.

Guess how long the extras last?

Still Ethan can’t kill his dad as his moral compass has hastily jerked back the other way and killing daddy in a house of god is too far now Hecate is dead. He walks away, refusing to be taunted, refusing to be a brutal killer like his dad

Malcolm shoots him instead. Problem solved.

I know it’s the problem with Penny Dreadful having such terribly short seasons with such a lot to squeeze in, but this whole storyline felt rushed. Characters were introduced, morality yo-yoed back and forth and then death.

Back in London we have another storyline picked up with Lily and Dorian and Justine and now a large number of other followers. Only all is not peaceful among their little murderous gang: Dorian is getting bored

Penny Dreadful, Season 3, Episode 5: This World is Our Hell

While last week’s episode was the awesome story of the awesome Vanessa who is awesome, this week’s story is of Ethan’s which is… fraught. We have Ethan and Hecate, low on water with dying horses (hey Hecate likes horses, total redemption guys!) who totally hates mankind and god and would really really like Ethan to join her in dark awesome evilness. Kaetenay and Malcolm – with Kaetenay happily willing to cut a swathe through everything to get to Ethan. And we have Marshal Franklin, his men and Rust who politely reveals some back story to let us all know he is an implacable force of endless tenacity that cannot be slowed or stopped and who you really really really don’t want to fuck with.

It’s a… volatile combination.

Thanks to various people we do learn Ethan’s backstory (partly while sharing terrible parent stories with Hecate. Hecate’s “I was given to satan as a 5 year old” totally wins, for the record). Ethan was sent to the army by his dad and his commander then ordered him to slaughter innocent Apache. Which he did – then killed his evil commander and reported to the Apache – Kaetenay in particular – to turn himself over to be executed for his crimes

Kaetenay decided far more usefully to make Ethan fight against the United states to protect the Apache. Which meant facing overwhelming numbers and, in Kaetenay’s words, resorting to greater and geater evil

Which… ugh. Look, we’ve said before that drawing on real life horrors like the genocide of Native Americans is something to be handled with great care and caution and respect, if at all. Further to this, even while this depiction doesn’t shrink away from the brutal genocide of the Native Americans, there’s then a whiff of blame for what Ethan become (and Kaetenay feeling a level of guilt and obligation towards him). And… really taking the massacre of Native Americans and making it a werewolf origin story is everything we spoke against.

Ethan and Hecate also talk morality with her all for evilness – and pointing out he’s kind of being led into this eternal guilt by the orders of others. He says his guilt is the best thing about him while she points out god won’t forgive him and if he ever wants to be free from guilt he needs to embrace his sins, praise satan.

Y’know this would be great advice if we were talking about shaming of innocent acts by an oppressive church and awful advice when it comes to “hey murder and massacres are totally ok!”.

Penny Dreadful, Season 3, Episode 3: Good and Evil Braided Be

Ethan and Hecate continue their wandering through the old west which is all full of deserts and death as we’re reminded frequently. No really, everyone has to tell us how deadly the landscape is probably because we’re not seeing a lot of said deadliness.

Except Hecate. She totally wants to follow Ethan to his dad’s and kill lots of people so they can all be super dark and evil rulers of… everything? It’s an ambitious albeit vague plan. Ethan is against this and her murdering people to get their horses (though he still takes the horses and supplies. That’s a convenient evil companion to have around – don’t want to do anything morally questionable? Let your evil companion do it, judge them and then enjoy the result).

Hecate isn’t exactly on side with his judgement, or moral grey areas. She doesn’t particularly see a whole lot of moral room between her choosing to kill people and Ethan losing control and killing people – the bodies are still on the ground. Obviously there are flaws in her reasoning but it also begs the question of how much Ethan must restrain himself before the murders he causes are intentional. Especially when they are convenient – like escaping his captives.

They’re being followed by Inspector Rusk who continues to have a lot of class and coolness. He tries to introduce Marshall Franklin Ostow to the concept of the occult.

They’re also being followed by Kaetenay, the endlessly cryptic and Malcolm. Kaetenay predicts all kinds of spooky bad things happening if they can’t keep Ethan on the side of goodness. His prediction sounds almost apocalyptic… albeit vague. It isn’t helped when he discusses Hecate’s presence with Michael and they find the bodies she left behind

Malcolm also champions Kaetenay against some nasty racists… there really feels like a kind of forced redemption narrative with Malcolm this season. Taking the imperialist explorer with the characterless Black servant and now making points about how imperialism is wrong and racist segregation is terrible? I mean, obviously they are wrong and terrible, but it feels more like an attempt to make it clear Malcolm isn’t like Those Imperialists more than anything else.

Penny Dreadful, Season 3, Episode 2: Predators Far and Near

Time to catch up with Dorian and Lily who are going to extreme places where rich men get to see poor women brutalised for their amusement and for lots of money. Upon arrival they promptly murder all of the nasty rich guys and save the woman they were abusing.

Lily and Dorian, vigilantes for oppressed women!

Let’s say now that Lily is definitely leading this crusade. She has another of her awesome, amazing speeches as she reflects on her own abused, desperate history. And in between being in awe of her you also need to be very afraid:

“We will have, my dear, a monumental revenge.” Ohh this is going to be terrifying. And awesome

She also tells her stalker, Victor, to go away, he isn’t going to like where she’s going. She also, beautifully refers to his memory as a “fiction”.

To Vanessa with my continuing to love her and Dr. Seward. Her desperate hope, her vulnerability and Seward both caring and being professionally detached while refusing to let her evade the questions. Her terror of having her voice, her history, her life recorded and not being able to forget is stunningly well done and powerful. There’s so much that Vanessa would rather forget. But Seward pushes for her full story, despite Vanessa’s warning what a bad bad idea it was to hear what happened to her: especially if she believes Vanessa.

The result of this telling leaves Vanessa in tragic tears… and Seward visibly shaken and moved (can I say yet again what amazing acting we have here? Because it’s incredible)

She also tells Vanessa to do something to make herself happy. And I have to say how important this is, especially since the Vanessa is so obviously tormented, guilty and inclined to punish herself. Vanessa is not a woman, because of this, who would ever seek out happiness for herself. Telling her to seek happiness gives her permission – compels her – to see what she would never grant herself. That is so important. And it makes her smile – and I’ve become so invested in Vanessa and her horrendous story over the last two seasons that that smile is incredibly beautifully precious. It says so much about the power of this show that I value that smile as she and Dr. Sweet continue to have their scorpion and adventure themed outings.

Bitten, Season 3, Episode 6: Rule of Anger

So last week Karl Marsten was captured by one of Roman’s wolves and is now being brutally tortured by the Red Eyed Wolf. This guy is Roman’s chief torturer/executioner and is generally not a nice guy since he kills people for funsies and is very very very good at it.

Elena being Elena, of course she wants to run to the rescue with very little back up. This doesn’t exactly go to plan as the Red Eyed wolf is very very very dangerous indeed but eventually she, Clay and an extra manage to free Karl – but only after many many fight scenes in which the Red Eyed wolf pretty much takes them all on and kind of wins. He’s not dead. This eats a large amount of the episode full of a great deal of drama and ominousness

Meanwhile Rachel has been allowed out of the plot box! Because Nick wants to use her home (where she has her newborn baby) as a safe house for Katja. Yeaaah that deserves several slaps upside the head

But they’re distracted by another issue –little baby Rocco is apparently making his toys fly around and messing with the electricity. The baby has magic – which is a little ominous (babies + magic = KILL IT WITH FIRE).

Thankfully the gang doesn’t follow my advice (really, more problems are solved if you just resolve to kill things with fire) instead the call in Paige who has Unresolved Issues with Nick still since they had an aborted romance last season. She pokes at the whole weird magic stuff and discovers baby Rocco isn’t a witch!

Rachel is. Looks like Alistair’s experiments have turned her into a magic user. Rachel is duly freaked – after all being in the supernatural world has utterly destroyed her life – her husband, her son is a werewolf and she lives every day waiting for Jeremy to decide whether to kill her and kidnap her son. But rather than run from her magic, as Nick expects, she embraces it – this will give her more power. This will give her the chance to make her own decisions for her own life and her own family. She wants that

Lost Girl, Season 5, Episode 16: Rise

So last week Bo pretended to go all evil – and of course it was pretend. In addition to locking up all her friends in a burning buding, she also left them the protect-against-Bo horseshoe and called Bruce – the huge fae, to come knock down the wall and get them all out. Of course it’s only luck that they weren’t all squished anyway during the fire – but as far as Lost Girl goes this is a genius plan

Step 2 on this genius plan is for Bo to pretend to drain Tamsin to death by draining her chi – while actually sneaking her the key to her cage allowing her to escape

The plan doesn’t last because Hades, calling on the big dark awful inside her, and appealing to her rocky rocky oh-so-rocky relationships and presumably doing some dark woo-woo (I’d hate to think Bo is one weepy movie away from going all dark side) drives her over the edge to unleash her inner evil and his master plan – to drain the entire city with her chi sucking. The entirety of Toronto is being nommed on by Bo – including the elders that have finally gathered to actually do something

Not only does Bo put everyone on the ground (including all the police who had conveniently gathered in one place), but Hades then raises these people as his own little slaves – I think this is raising the dead but not mainly because the show doesn’t want Bo to have actually killed the city of Toronto (because that would require one hell of a redemption train).

Of course the good guys are all kind of doubting and worried about what this means and Bo going dark – but Kenzi is adamantly pro-Bo throughout. Because she’s Kenzi and that’s who she is.

They’re also protected by this surprisingly multi-purpose horseshoe which stops them being among the drained and enslaved masses and also stops bullets fired by said drained and enslaved masses. It’s a pretty nifty horseshoe but since it was forged by the gods we can’t exactly argue against that.

Bo herself arrives to turn the tide and, despite an emotional and nonsense laden appeal by Kenzi (honestly, Kenzi’s sarcastic commentary and nervous babble completely makes this episode – as it always has. Oh Kenzi you were missed), she drains her friends. In doing so she is hit by a whammy of all the love and emotion she has shared with them – specifically Tamsin, Dyson, Kenzi and Lauren – and the power of love shatters his control. Normally I say that sarcastically but in this case it completely works, especially following awesome pep talks from Lauren and Tamsin