Orphan Black S5 E5 Ease for Idle Millionaires

Episode 5 of Orphan Black is “Ease for Idle Millionaires.” There’s lots of crazy science this week. We spend our time with Cosima and Sarah. This is a recap. There are spoilers.

Let’s get right to the science. I’ll give you a whole episode’s worth in short order. Then we’ll move on to the character driven stuff. Can’t wait to read what the science writers at The Mary Sue make of this week’s show.

Thanks to the tooth Charlotte brought Cosima (Tatiana Maslany, who is everywhere) we discover the gene LIN28A. Delphine (Evelyne Brochu) returns and Cosima and Delphine talk crazy science for a long time in the tiny lab on the island. Cosima realizes LIN28A is what’s being used to cure the tumor in Aisha (Sirena Gulamgaus) and to heal Cosima herself.

Cosima and Delphine talk about how that gene in Kira (Skyler Wexler) gives her healing ability. She has a self-regulating mutation of the gene.

Cosima talks to Susan Duncan (Rosemary Dunsmore) who reveals that they want to know if Kira’s mutation is heritable. Cosima realizes the reason Rachel wants Kira is to harvest her eggs. There are 1300 surrogate mothers just waiting to give birth to Kira’s children.

Cosima confronts P.T. Westmoreland (Stephen McHattie) over dinner and later in the basement prison of the monster man. He confirms the fountain of youth mentioned repeatedly is LIN28A.

Okay, enough with the genetics. What’s going on with our favorite people?

Some dude sneaking a smoke in the woods has a run-in with Mr. Monster and the whole camp goes on high alert. Men with guns go looking. Mud (Jenessa Grant) wants to protect Mr. Monster, who is actually named Yanis. I can’t find a name for the actor playing Yanis, sorry.

Cosima falls asleep in the lab and dreams about the night when she and Delphine found the notice in her genetic code that said she was intellectual property. Delphine put Cosima’s hand on her heart and promised to protect her. Was that the night they got lesbian cooties in Felix’s bed? We see more of this dream/flashback than we actually saw at the time: a pep talk about how nobody owns Cosima’s humanity or intellect or humor and a lot of kisses.

Cosima is awakened by the ruckus in the camp over Yanis. While everyone shouts at each other about whatever is in the woods, Cosima sees Aisha.

In Aisha’s living quarters, Cosima examines the tumor (smaller), sees the injection site of the fountain of youth in Aisha’s hand, and is given a record of her progress.

Cosima catches Mud before the hunt for Mr. Monster. Mud is the one who let him loose from the basement. Mud says Rachel is here. Cosima looks up toward the big house and sees Delphine climbing the stairs.

P.T. shoots up Rachel with the magic cure. She tells him surrogate selection is complete. She’s so self-satisfied with her position with him, it’s disgusting to watch.

P.T. yells at Rachel a bit about why he doesn’t eliminate the monster in the woods. Then he calls in Delphine, who brought samples from a gene bank in Sardinia. He tells her he needs information about Cosima. She looks at him like you piece of shit, but says, “What do you want to know?”

Rachel is sent to talk to Susan by P.T. “We’ve taken away all the knives,” says Ira (Ari Millen), who is there caring for Susan. Rachel and Susan spar a bit about who is in charge and who gets the benefit of Kira’s genetics. Rachel finally shows her true colors for the first time in season 5 when she pokes Susan in her still healing scar from the knife wound. Rachel means to be in charge no matter what.

Delphine finds Cosima. Cosima’s a bit pissed that Delphine went to see P.T. before her, but can’t resist the opportunity to talk science with her. They begin with Aisha.

Sarah and Mrs. S opened up to Kira a bit about what the adults are up to. Sarah tries hard to get Kira’s trust regarding Rachel’s doings and how Kira can feel the other sestras. They play with the spiny mouse and have mother daughter time.

Mrs. S (Maria Doyle Kennedy) has Scott (Josh Vokey) and Hell Wizard (Calwyn Shurgold) researching P.T., Susan, and Virginia Coady. She wants links between them – people, places, any connection or lead they can find. She wants to know if the guy who disappeared in 1898 is the same guy living on the island right now. Well, that’s an interesting new thread. Is P.T. a fake?

Delphine sees the matching DNA sequence from Aisha and from Yanis’ tooth in the island lab. She gets angry and tells Cosima to stop pushing. She says Cosima is risking everything she’s doing on the outside. Of course, she won’t tell Cosima what she’s doing on the outside. Why change now? Delphine does say that Rachel has access to Kira.

The Messenger (Géza Kovács) comes in the lab. He wants Delphine for dinner with P.T.

Cosima wants to go. To get herself invited, Cosima says, LIN28A to The Messenger. Suddenly, she’s invited.

The Messenger wants Cosima and Delphine to change for dinner. Again, Delphine urges Cosima to play along in order to learn more. They look at the old fashioned dresses in the changing room and Cosima says, “Frock that.” She shows up for dinner in a tux – very appropriate. This image has got to be the best in the entire library of #Cophine imagery.

As everyone is seated at the table, Ira whispers to Cosima, “Your people wish you well.” Delphine telegraphs desperate nonverbal messages to Cosima to be cool. It’s masterful the way Evelyne Brochu’s face falls when Delphine realizes Cosima plans to confront P.T.

Well, at least the tux is cool, even if Cosima won’t play the part.

P.T. responds by asking about Cosima’s parents. Veiled threat, anyone?

Sarah and Kira play on the floor. They give code names to all the sestras, represented by Kira’s toys. Mrs. S comes home and learns her code name is “Home.” Kira’s gonna be a hustler too, just like mom, and learn what Rachel’s after.

Dinner ends abruptly when a helicopter arrives to return Rachel. Delphine must go too, if she’s to get to Geneva. Rachel actually kisses P.T. on the cheek before she leaves. Just when you thought you couldn’t hate Rachel more  . . .

Cosima and Delphine go to the changing room where they argue about Geneva, about Delphine not sharing everything. Delphine puts Cosima’s hand on her heart and reminds her of the promise to protect her.

Cosima finally softens enough to kiss Delphine. She’s distrustful and angry at the same time. Cosima says, “This is what he does, he divides women.” Delphine says, “You go back in there and make him believe he divided us.”

Mud and another hunter find Yanis. Yanis kills the guy. That won’t get him any mercy.

P.T. tells Cosima the story of Yanis. They found him in Latvia. He had remarkable healing ability: their first LIN28A subject. Susan put the gene in the Leda genome.

Emergency! Yanis broke into the big house. Susan, Ira and Cosima are put in a locked bedroom for safety. P.T. takes a handgun and goes where he’s sure Yanis is heading. Cosima won’t stay in the bedroom. As Ira locks the door behind her, she realizes he’s glitching. Dang, I like Ira. He’s a sweet man. I don’t want him glitching.

Cosima finds P.T. with Yanis. Yanis is chained up again. P.T. says he only wanted to come home. Cosima realizes P.T.’s dying and says, “You’re not even 170, that’s all smoke.”

P.T. puts the gun in Cosima’s hand and aims it at Yanis. She can’t kill him. She puts the gun down and goes closer to him. P.T. shoots him with Cosima right beside him. Why do they keep murdering people near Cosima? She’ll have PTSD forever.

The mouse, Kira, Sarah, and Mrs. S are all snoozing and spooning on the floor of Kira’s bedroom when Mrs. S hears a noise downstairs.

It’s Delphine. Mrs. S says Felix and Adele are making progress in Geneva. Delphine tells Mrs. S what they want with Kira. She asks if the deep throat people who found Dr. Coady for Mrs. S can help with Kira.

I was wrong last week when I thought Delphine told Mrs. S about Coady. She told her about Geneva. Never try to predict the mind of an Orphan Black writer – you’ll be wrong every time.

Meanwhile, back at the island, Cosima is locked in a cage. Hey, somebody let her out.

This week’s episode of Orphan Black was directed by Helen Shaver, who has directed other episodes of the series in the past. Glad to see her back.