Title: “Orphan Black Season 5 Episode 6: Manacled Slim Wrist
Genre: Science fiction, Biopunk, Drama, Thriller
Platform: TV – BBC America
Director: Grant Harvey
Writer: David Bezmozgis
Rating: TV-PG
Release: July 15, 2017
Cast: Tatiana Maslany, Jordan Garvaris, Maria Doyle Kennedy
Feature image: Source
[SPOILERS]
Mainland
“Your support just gives us the strength and courage to keep exposing the lies of Big Cosmetics.” Krystal –Orphan Black
A beauty vlog, Kay-Bee Natural Beauty, starring Krystal Goderitch (Tatiana Maslany) and her bestie Brie (Cara Ricketts) is on. The two beauties are thanking their 50,000 subscribers for watching them. Krystal: “Your support just gives us the strength and courage to keep exposing the lies of Big Cosmetics.” They are giving an exhibition of using Bendy straws as hair rollers. As they take the bendy straws out of Brie’s hair, some of Brie’s hair is still wrapped around the straw. The two vloggers scream in horror. They show their vlog to Detective Art Bell (Kevin Hanchard) and Scott (Josh Vokey). The two sympathize with Brie’s hair falling out but don’t understand why Krystal is bringing it to them. Krystal: “She’s been poisoned. by Big Cosmetics. What about that is confusing?
“Did Krystal just fall ass-backwards into something big again?” Sara –Orphan Black
Mr. Frontenac (Andrew Moodie) comes to pick up Kira Manning (Skyler Wexler). Sarah Manning (TM) and Siobhan Sadler (Maria Doyle Kennedy) tell him that Kira has the flu. Kira proves it by throwing up on his shoes. Kira took ipecac syrup to throw up. The information Delphine gave Siobhan told them it was important not to let Dyad get Kira. They know about LIN28A but they don’t know about Dyad’s plan to harvest her eggs yet. Siobhan looks at the research Felix and Adele have found so far in Switzerland. Dyad is buying up health care companies and cosmetic companies. Sarah gets a call from Art. He has Krystal and Brie on video chat. They tell Sarah that Brie was poisoned by ‘Big Cosmetics’. Krystal tells her she is cultivating the CEO of BluZone Cosmetics. Brie giggles that he is hot. Krystal: “So what? My Deep Throat’s totally hot. Get over it.” Krystal continues, he sold his company and ghosted her. Brie assures her that no one would ghost her. Scott helpfully adds, “It’s difficult at first, but you get used to it eventually.” Siobhan shows Sarah that BluZone Cosmetics is on the list Felix sent. Dyad bought it. Sarah asks why Dyad would buy a cosmetic company. Siobhan points out that it is a 700 billion dollar industry. Sarah: “Did Krystal just fall ass-backwards into something big again?” Siobhan thinks it is possible.
Back at Dyad, Mr. Frontenac tells Rachel Duncan (TM) that Kira has the flu and that she threw up on his shoes to prove it. He didn’t want to drag her out of the home, causing suspicion. Rachel agrees, even though Westmorland wanted to start her hormone treatments. They will let Kira rest for now.
Back at the Sadler/Manning household, Sarah impersonates Krystal to get a laugh out of Siobhan and to show Siobhan her idea. Sarah calls Art, she and Siobhan think that Krystal’s CEO might know something about LIN28A, they want Art to get Krystal to set up a meeting for Sarah (impersonating Krystal) to meet. Kira is working on code names, the island is a Wonderland. She promises her mom she’ll hustle Rachel. Sarah hopes it won’t be necessary. Sarah tells Kira she loves her in Krystal’s voice. Kira squeals in laughter. Meanwhile, Krystal can’t believe that Len would sell his company to ‘Big Cosmetics’. Art asks her to set up the meeting. She doesn’t want the ‘Austrian’ girl involved. Krystal: “Is she actually necessary? Because she’s so rude, every single time.” He is her contact and she should talk to him. Art tries to convince her by saying that she should stay with Scott and Brie. Scott will be running test and she should stay to support Brie. Krystal makes the call. Scott is telling Brie about the tests. Krystal suggests she take off her sweater to keep her blood off it. That flusters Scott. While Scott isn’t looking, Krystal mouths and gestures to Brie to keep him busy while she sneaks out. Brie asks Scott to help her take off her sweater. While he is assisting her, Krystal sneaks out.
Art calls Krystal, he and Sarah (who is disguised as Krystal) are in a car parked across the street from her apartment. They know she has snuck out. Krystal is back at her place ready to meet Len. She has set up her own surveillance camera and mike; she gives Art and Sarah the passcode. She informs them that she is the lead on this and they are her backup. She wants to know if he lied to her, they want to know why Dyad bought his company. Leonard Sipp (Tom Cullen) CEO of BluZone Cosmetics walks in. Krystal tells him he ghosted her, he apologizes. Against Sarah and Art’s wishes, they make out. She asks him why he didn’t return her calls. He tells her he closed a huge deal and was out partying. He gets a call and walks out of the room to talk. Art and Sarah try to give her instructions. Sarah: “Ok, steer him to Dyad. Don’t make it obvious.” When Len walks back into the room, Krystal states “Len, you sold your company to Dyad.” He asks how she knows, Krystal quickly answers that they are both beauty industry insiders. Why would he sell to them, they test on bunnies and humans.
Scott tells Brie she wasn’t poisoned and she isn’t going bald. She hugs him and tells him that lately she is into smart guys. She likes his style, normcore. Scott is pleased, but he continues his duty. He asks if she had a change in diet or has tried a new product. She admits she stole something from Len’s house during a party. Back at Krystal’s interrogation; Art asks her to keep it in her pants. Krystal to Len: “Stop it! You’re making me wet and I’m super mad at you.” She asks him why he sold his company to Dyad. They were crusaders against ‘Big Cosmetics’; when they met at the trade show, they connected because he liked her vlog. He laughs and says that he liked the dress she was wearing. Krystal goes to the bathroom; she is hurt because he is a liar, he didn’t like her vlog.
Scott calls Sarah; he tells her that Brie stole facial cream from Len’s party and it caused her hair to fall out. Sarah contacts Krystal who is peeing. She tells Sarah she plans on kicking him in the balls when she gets out. Sarah asks her not to, she tells her what Scott found out. They want her to find the cream before Len does. Len accidently finds the cream and orders Krystal to come out of the bathroom. He asks her if she stole the facial cream. She tells him that Brie stole it and it made her sick. He calls them both stupid. She kicks him in the balls and following Sarah and Art’s instructions (this time) asks him what the facial cream is for. Writhing in pain, he tells her it is a dermal delivery system and it works on a cellar level. Krystal kicks him some more and rubs the cream in his beard. As he attempts to crawl out of her apartment, Krystal gives him a final boot to his arse. Art and Sarah love it.
“Rachel. Look at me. There will come a day when you need us.” Siobhan –Orphan Black
Rachel is in her office when P.T. Westmorland (Stephen McHattie) calls, she is surprised because he told her he doesn’t like using phones. He angrily asks her why Kira isn’t at Dyad. She is surprised he knows. Without Kira, the investments she has been making will go for naught. Rachel assures him she’ll take care of it. Rachel and Mr. Frontenac arrive at the Sadler/Manning household with their guards. Siobhan asks them to leave the armed men outside the house. They are there to picks up Kira for a ‘benign’ sleep study. Siobhan won’t give her consent, but Kira can tell they have no choice. She agrees to go along and tells Siobhan to tell her mother she will be working on her stories. Angrily Siobhan says, “Rachel. Look at me. There will come a day when you need us.”
The Island
Cosima (TM) is still in the cage. Mud (Jenessa Grant) is bringing Cosima her meal, wearing a cow bell as self-punishment for Yannis. Cosima asks Mud where her home is, it is Seattle. Cosima begs Mud to let her out so she can protect her niece Kira, because Westmorland plans on experimenting on her like he did on Yannis. She runs out of the room.
“She is not a Neolutionist. She is a maniac. We do not need to cull segments of the population to genetically advance the human race!” Susan –Orphan Black
Susan Duncan (Rosemary Dunsmore) is telling Westmorland that they need Cosima’s help. Mud rolls in with his dialysis machine. Susan is concerned that he is getting worse. He asks her if she remembers when they met, she calls him John and says she does. He spent money to buy scientists like her and created a myth. In walks one of the scientist he bought, newly escaped mental patient Virginia Coady (Kyra Harper). She tells a shocked Susan that you weren’t expecting me. She accuses Susan of buying her from Ferdinand and putting her in the mental hospital. Susan argues to Westmorland, “She is not a Neolutionist. She is a maniac. We do not need to cull segments of the population to genetically advance the human race!” Virginia: “Well, it sure would speed things up.” Westmorland tells them that thirty years ago on Susan’s request, he separated Leda and Castor, now they will work together. Susan welcomes Coady aboard.
Coady walks down to the basement to talk to Cosima. She tells her that Kira and Helena’s offspring will be exploited by them and there is nothing she can do to stop it. Instead, she should join them. She has a pet project that Cosima could work on, Dyad has developed a new delivery system (we know it is the facial cream from Len’s cosmetic company). Cosima calls them all insane and refuses to cooperate.
Ira (Ari Millen) and Susan discuss Coady’s return. She explains that she locked her away to keep her dangerous ideas from the science. Ira wants to meet Virginia. Susan calls her a monster. He would still like to meet her. Susan slaps him, he begins to glitch. She apologizes for the slap. Ira thinks he can get close to her to find out what she is up to. Susan is afraid that Westmorland is losing his grip and he’ll destroy it all. She tells Ira should have killed Virginia when she had the change. Ira: “You’re not a murder.” Susan: “No, I’m everything but. And that might have to change.”
“We came for the fountain and only found death.” Yolanda –Orphan Black
Ira walks out and sees Coady. She gives him a strange look. Yolanda (Deborah Grover) tells the congregated villagers, “We came for the fountain and only found death.” Coady is drawing blood from a little boy when Ira walks in. There is an ice chest filled with blood bags. She asks Ira if he remembers her. Susan took him away when he was four. She observes that Susan has remade him in her image. He asks what the blood is for. She changes the subject telling him she is close to a cure. She tests him for glitching. She accuses Susan of not trying to fix him. Ira tells Susan about the blood. She guesses that Westmorland is using parabiosis, “young blood for old veins.” She is disgusted by this quack science. Ira tells Susan that Coady said she is close to a cure. Susan tells him Coady is lying; his best chance for a cure is Cosima. Susan has a plan to stop Westmorland, she will need Cosima’s influence over Mud to carry it off.
Aisha’s mother (Homa Kameh) is crying, Aisha (Sirena Gulamgaus) has died. Mud thought she was getting better. Yolanda asks where the founder is now. Mud goes to Cosima’s cell to tell her. Ira walks in and tells Mud they need her help to stop Westmorland. He mentions parabiosis and Cosima explains that Westmorland is taking the village kid’s blood and having it transfused into himself. Cosima asks why she is still with Westmorland. She gives a sad junkie sob story about stealing from her family and overdosing. She woke up out of a coma in Westmorland’s home. “I’m just a girl from Seattle, okay?” she says. “Nobody cares about me.” They still ask her for her help.
Mud is giving Westmorland his dialysis when Susan walks in. Susan pretends to help but injects something in his line. Westmorland shows Mud an ounce of kindness, telling her to take off the cowbell and forgive herself. She has been a comfort to him. Ira set Cosima free but he starts glitching. Cosima is going to get the cure. She and Charlotte (Cynthia Galant) will meet Susan and him at the boat house. He gives her an envelope Susan gave him in case she needs it.
Cosima goes to the medical tent to get her medicine, some of the villagers stop her when she walks out. They think she is working with Westmorland and experimenting on them. Cosima tells them what is happening and shows them a picture of Westmorland and Susan in the 1960s. They are both young. The villagers realize that Westmorland can’t be 170 and that everything has been a lie. They let Cosima and Charlotte go.
Coady to Westmorland: “She was trying to kill you.”
Susan: “No. I was trying to save us all.” Virginia Coady and Susan Duncan –Orphan Black
While Susan recites Wordsmith to Westmorland, the villagers begin to set the village on fire. Coady walks in with a gun. Coady to Westmorland: “She was trying to kill you.” Susan: “No. I was trying to save us all.” Mud snitched on Susan. Cosima and Charlotte make it to the boat. Charlotte is worried they won’t make it to the mainland on this small boat. Cosima assures her they will, she grew up on a boat and knows how to get them there. Charlotte doesn’t think Ira and Susan will make it. Ira finds Susan’s body and decides to stay with her. Cosima decides to leave without them. Westmorland watches the village burn. Mud goes outside and sees the picture of Susan and Westmorland on the ground. It begins to dawn on her she f—ed up.
It looks like the island storyline might be over. Cosima and Charlotte are on a boat heading for the mainland, while Revival burns to the ground. The villagers with Cosima’s help finally figure out their existence on the island was based on a lie. After the Creature killing a few of them, and Aisha dying, they realize this place is death. Their children are being used to keep Westmorland alive. Like Dorothy, they find out the wizard isn’t a wizard after all. So the revolt starts. I would guess that Westmorland has a plane hidden somewhere and he and Coady will come back to the mainland to finish their nefarious plans with Kira and the world. Susan is finally dead this time, it was good she was finally trying to do the right thing, but after all the evil she has done, too little, too late. Mud proves that drugs will ruin your mind. I don’t think we’ll see Mud again, but if we do, I hope she can redeem herself.
The fun was in the mainland. We got to watch Kay-Bee Natural Beauty, and I would subscribe to it, to watch Krystal and Brie expose the lies of ‘Big Cosmetics’. It was good seeing Art again. The highlight of the episode was watching Art and Sarah, disguised as Krystal, watch Krystal take down the lowdown Len. Fun fact, the actor playing Len is actually Tatiana Maslany’s boyfriend. It must have been fun for her to kick his arse. Maybe he forgot to take the garbage out. It was fun and lighthearted until Rachel picked up Kira. Mrs. S warned her there will be a day she will need them. If Westmorland is heading for the mainland, that day is coming sooner than she thought. Here is an article about the science in this episode.
Clone MVP: Krystal
Come pick up your award Krystal Goderitch. You proved yourself to be a valuable member of the sestrahood. Like Alison, everyone underestimates you, usually to their determent. You might not be conventionally smart, but you are a genius in your unconventional way. You figure things out before anyone else, and have successfully been on the trail of Dyad, or should I say ‘Big Cosmetics’. You have made discoveries on your own, that Sarah (the rude Australian girl) and the other sestras needed each other and the rest of Clone Club to make. You are brave and resourceful like the other clones and much needed comic relief. You are my favorite clone (outside the Big 4). Here is a clip of Krystal and Brie’s YouTube channel. Enjoy!
Grade: B+
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