OB Rewatch: Insolvent Phantom of Tomorrow
“It’s the wife!”
I loved:
Helena teaching Gemma how to beat someone by gouging their eyes out. Those twins of hers are going to have some interesting skills, I think!
Helena’s joy at making soap and singing along to the oldies.
Scott trying to be the voice of reason that Shay might not be a spy. So, so often, the woman is the voice of reason in a TV ensemble, but here it’s Scott.
Helena’s concern for Donnie and his face. “A post made of fists, I think.”
“Alison” has a cold. One of those “really really bad ones that messes with your syntax.”
“You should not threaten babies...” followed by “I got refund.” Also, I hope that the makeup or design people actually just splattered Tat with fake blood (although it seems that none got in her hair - interesting).
It was a great decision NOT to show the actual murders, though. Just seeing Helena lock the door, then emerge a few scenes later splattered in blood, was enough.
The transition from Delphine silently threatening Shay while the bath water ran to Helena washing her hands in the sink. It made me think, though, that Helena, in Delphine’s place, would have shown much less restraint.
The boarding school story. I know that it’s not stated directly in the show that Delphine was talking about herself, but I like to think that she was, because it gives her character so much more nuance and depth, and Evelyne’s acting, of course, sold the hell out of it.
I liked:
The contrast of Siobhan singing a rock song with Terry getting beaten to an inch of his life.
I always love an aerial view of London.
The contrast of Donnie’s face with the decorative mirror.
Helena knows something is up when Gracie hugs her goodbye.
Ksenia Solo is good throughout her time on Orphan Black, but her performance in this episode really sold me on her as an actress. This is also the only episode where I’m actually attracted to Shay, physically. Whatever that says about me...
Delphine’s face when Cosima calls her mid-interrogation and opens the conversation with “Heyyyy, how’s it going?” Plus, Delphine’s answer. “Wonderful.”
I didn’t like:
The early scenes in the pub didn’t do it for me. I don’t know if it was the writing, the direction, or something else. It seemed forced and unnecessary, and nothing more than an excuse to get Maria Doyle Kennedy to sing an entire song.
Sarah blatantly going against S’s command to wait at the pub, even as Siobhan grieved over the tortured body of Terry.
Donnie being so completely, dangerously oblivious to his position in the drug-dealing hierarchy. Donnie, you should know by now that trying to be cool is a Bad Idea.
Other notes:
I don’t trust ANYONE who’s not already a member of clone club. Certainly not Siobhan’s friends in London.
I like to imagine that the goop Tatiana put on Kristian’s face was actually tartar sauce.
The family dynamics are interesting when Terry dies and Sarah and Felix are left standing awkwardly, asking Siobhan what to do.
Delphine has removed the nice red nail polish Krystal put on her.
You know, when I am very busy, and I don’t want to be disturbed, I put my phone on silent, and if it buzzes, I ignore it. Thankfully for everyone involved, Delphine drops everything to answer (when she sees that it’s Cosima calling, at least).
Shay might never feel totally comfortable being barefoot, or running a bath, ever again.
Delphine, also, will need to wrestle with the demons that this particular little episode brought up and created.
I have questions:
Were the London scenes filmed in Toronto? I mean, I know they were, but were they?
How exactly did Shay view her relationship with Cosima at the start of this episode? How serious did she think they were? How did she feel about Cosima, exactly? A fun little fling, a serious love interest, something in the middle?
How long did Delphine spend in this position, for dramatic effect, once she knew Cosima was coming up to see her? Did she take a few extra minutes to place her hair just so behind her ear?
Along the same lines, how much time did Delphine spent planning out her little confrontation with Shay?
Does Delphine have a little razor-blade pocket in her boot? If I tried smuggling a razor blade that way, it’d end up under my heel or wedged against my ankle bone.
Seeing how Felix tags along with Sarah no matter what fool fucking thing she does, I wonder what kind of person he’d be if he’d landed with a different foster family as a little boy.
What prompted Gracie to call Cosima, exactly? She didn’t call Mrs. S, or Felix, or Alison. She called Cosima.
Did Shay call the cops after Delphine left? If not, why not?
I would’ve liked to have seen:
How exactly Delphine extracted herself from Shay’s apartment. Did she drain the water from the tub for her? Apologize? Say anything at all? She would’ve needed to save face in front of the two guards she brought with her, of course. Maybe she said that something urgent came up elsewhere, and they just needed to go.
