Orphan Black 5×02 Review: “Clutch of Greed”

Is anyone else’s jaw on the floor?! I can’t believe we just saw that. Orphan Black threw us a big curve ball in the second episode by killing off one of its clones in a heartbreaking way. This might be the most shocking and devastating death yet in the series. You could say I’m feeling a little…crushed. (I’m sorry! I love puns.)

M.K. is dead. She’s been CTRL + ALT + DELETED from the story at the hands (or more like the boot) of Ferdinand. I’m not going to exaggerate and say I didn’t expect this to happen. She was on my prediction list as one of the LEDA clones who I thought would bite it this season. M.K. was always mysterious, she seemed omnipotent, and she disappeared after closing her story in the fourth season of Orphan Black. I had a feeling she, and her sheep mask, would be making a return soon. However, her death this early on was unexpected. There could’ve been a few more tech solutions and assistance up her sleeve, but at least she had a heroic send off.

What’s most troubling is Ferdinand. His S&M fetish has never been a secret; we’ve seen plenty of it when Rachel is in charge of the whip. Though, after Rachel’s latest personality change and lack of evil, Ferdinand took his anger out on M.K. and it was terrifying. I think we all can agree that he is FURIOUS at Rachel! While M.K. did try to kill Ferdinand last season, his anger this time was more directed at Rachel. The things he was saying, and the rage he was inflicting, were clearly him venting his frustration. I wouldn’t be surprised if he enacts this again but to someone else. Even though Rachel is a big bad villain, I do like the character. She needs to be careful.

Speaking of Rachel, what is going on with her attitude lately? Ever since she met with P.T. Westmoreland, it’s like a clone’s version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. She’s acting nice. It’s creeping me out; she needs to stop. There’s got to be a hidden secret looming in Revival, or a greater purpose from P.T., because Rachel is more focused on helping the clones than mass producing the LEDA. My money is on Kira. There’s a twist surrounding her and Rachel knows this! It must explain why she was so dead set on getting scientific studies from Kira and bringing her to the lab.

I’m glad Kira stood up to Sarah and made a choice regarding her future. The character of Kira has (mostly) been a victim and hid in the background as her family dealt with the big issues. We never got any answers into what made Kira so special. It’s great to see the Orphan Black writers mention Kira’s special abilities again once M.K. died. She has this connection and no one knows why. I can’t wait to see this explored more in the season, even if it puts a strain into the family relationship she has with Sarah, Felix and Mrs. S.

“Clutch of Greed” also confirmed another big Orphan Black theory: Helena’s babies are definitely special too! The one fetus healed itself inside the womb when it was stabbed with the tree branch. These babies from clones have genetic capabilities that could change the world, and this ties back to my theory that P.T. Westmoreland and Rachel want to discover these properties and harness its ability. We learned this revelation and that a needle puncture to the face will ALWAYS be cringe-worthy, even if it’s just CGI. (Why did you do that, Helena?)

I’m conflicted over Cosima’s and Alison’s stories. Cosima met P.T. and was introduced more to the ways of Revival while Alison was trapped in her craft room, dying to get back into her Type-A management style. When it comes to Cosima, I can’t shake this feeling that she’ll be drawn to the ways of Revival and want to side with him for genetic prosperity. Scientific discovery has always appealed to her and I hope this doesn’t corrupt her.

Alison…look, I like this character, her BFF relationship with Felix, and she’s a great comic relief, but it might be time for her to get her happy ending. We only have eight episodes left in the final season and her storyline doesn’t fit with the main adventure – it’s shoehorned in. It’s a nice distraction and we need a resolution with her; we can’t simply say goodbye. However, as of now, I somewhat don’t want her to be with Donnie, but at least send her off with Helena’s babies, so that she can protect them and she can be with her own children again.

“Clutch of Greed” built off the momentum we got from the season premiere. I liked that the characters were finally off the island and dealing with the drama on the mainland. M.K.’s death was a tragic moment and we’ll always miss her, but it served the purpose of the story – not everyone will (or should) survive the final chapter. She went out a hero. I can’t wait for next week’s episode, “Beneath Her Heart,” to answer the question we got during the cliffhanger. Delphine is definitely hiding something and now Mrs. S is acting shady too.  I can’t even with the anticipation right now.