Orphan Black Recap: New Trans Clone Makes for Even More the More the Merrier

There’s certainly a lot going on this week on Orphan Black. After several articles appeared about already-dead clone Jennifer before the season even returned, you’d expect something at least some sort of pre-profile for an impending new clone. Surprise! Everyone, meet Tony, a transgender clone (played who else but Tatiana Maslany), who’s in a bit of a pickle right now because his buddy Sammy has been shot and needs him to deliver a message to a mysterious cop, “Beth Childs,” who had contacted Tony a while back. Sammy seems to try to explain some “you’re a clone,” stuff, but he’s dying so coherent explanations of intense scientific processes don’t work out. Looks like you’re on your own with this one, Tony! Welcome to Clone Club.

Sarah arrives at Mrs. S’s, where they’re protecting Ethan Duncan from a potentially dangerous Rachel. In the meantime, the happy family of Felix, Kira, Sarah, and S is reunited. Ethan’s fascinated with Kira, considering she’s Rachel’s age when Rachel was taken from him. But not everyone’s on good terms. Cosima’s still pissed at Delphine for not telling her about Kira’s stem cells and has even locked her out of the Team Sexy Science lab. Cosima and Scott then get down to business studying Kira’s tooth. They briefly discuss that Kira’s bone marrow would be far more effective for treatment. Alas, Kira can’t pull that out all by herself.

While Delphine and Cosima can’t seem to sort out their differences, Alison’s actually a lot more accepting of Donnie since learning he didn’t know about the clone situation. However, Donnie’s struggling a little with the whole post-murdering-Leekie and  has spent the night getting drunk in bed. Insensitive much to your wife who literally just got out of rehab that day? Perfect timing; the kids walk in just in time to see Daddy in his underwear surrounded by empty alcohol bottles. Alison informs them they’ll be staying with Grandma that night.

Tony, on a mission to find Beth, ends up meeting with Detective Bell, who immediately summons Felix over, but Felix and the aggressively brusk Tony don’t exactly hit it off. Tony wants to leave since it doesn’t seem he’s getting any information, but Felix needs him to stay so they can figure everything out. Fun fact: Tony’s not the most cooperative guy. When they inform him Beth’s dead, he wants to leave without relaying Sammy’s message to them. Bell says he’ll go check out Tony’s story while he hangs out with Felix, and then maybe they’ll give him some answers. Oh Felix, always the lucky clone-sitter of the week. 

Considering Leekie’s murder, Rachel has taken his desk and declared Leekie’s death a “heart attack.” Delphine’s not having the excuse, nor Rachel’s request she report to her, even if it means a breakthrough for Cosima. Delphine does visit Sarah (who was previously busy explaining that Helena had to be ‘left to her own devices’) to tell her that there’s away to cure Cosima without Kira’s stem cells, but it requires Ethan and his notes. Sarah’s not sure about this, but Mrs. S insists they didn’t bring him there not to use him and will consider the proposal. Ethan says that yes, he can cure Cosima, and Sarah decides they should move ahead with that plan. Better work fast, because after a seriously adorable sequence where Cosima crushes Scott and Friends at "Runewars," a fantasy role-play game, she gets a debilitating bout of blood-cough.

Tony and Felix have some bonding time, where Felix distracts him while hiding pictures of Sarah n’ friends around the house. Tony wants to take a bath and Felix and him get into a small scuffle over gender identity that ends in, hm...is that flirtation? It’s a little too far-removed to be considered incest, but this was definitely not the turn I thought we’d be taking when I tuned in tonight! When Bell returns, he and Felix catch up on Tony’s history; he was formerly Antoinette and a convicted thief. Felix believes that Sammy, also a thief, was Sammy’s monitor. They decide to get Tony drunk in an attempt to get him to talk (or just to amp this whole flirtation thing). Meanwhile, Tony explores the apartment that has paintings and photos of all the clones hidden around it. When Felix returns, Tony is injecting himself with testosterone. He offers Felix a hit, but Felix declines and they both start a’drinking.

At the house, Ethan reads The Island of Dr. Moreau to Kira while Mrs. S gets ready for them to leave. Sarah gets a call from Felix telling her about Tony. Sarah thinks he’s referring to an entirely new clone batch, but Tony is definitely played by Tatiana Maslany, so no dice. But there is much more important stuff going on then clone details. Exhibit A  is located below (someone on the creative staff has clearly been dying to get these two to hook up for a while). The hook up attempt doesn’t last long, and Tony starts showing Felix all the paintings he found of Felix's sister, who miraculously looks a lot like Tony. However, Felix still won’t explain anything without getting Beth’s message first.

Because there’s a lot going on this plotline, let’s take a moment to visit our favorite reconciled couple who just got high and is inhaling helium for fun (yes, this is actually happening). Following a visit where Delphine informed Cosima that she believes Leekie was murdered, and also that she just genuinely wants to find the best way to help her, Cosima forgives her and says she intends to follow through on the promise she made when they first met; to get baked. Mission accomplished! The girls frolic around the lab in funky peace for a while before settling down for a heart-to-heart where Delphine tells Cosima rather adorably,"Je t’aime." Cosima berates her for betraying her, insisting that if she loves Cosima she has to love all the clones, and if Delphine does go behind her back again, Cosima will destroy her. Oh, and she loves Delphine too. Three cheers for sexy science! Definitely not complaining they got over their issues so quickly.

Poor Alison, just when things are starting to get back on track she wakes up to find Donnie escaping into the night, honestly believing things will be better for her if he goes. She’s not feeling that option, pleads with him to stay, and they end up emotionally divulging everything. Donnie apologizes for the entire 'monitor' situation and Alison ultimately ends up spilling about the Aynsley Incident. This inspires Donnie to tell her about accidentally murdering Leekie - which he proves quite well by showing her Leekie’s body still in their car. He also returned the weapon - Alison’s gun - to her locker. Donnie is officially the worst at murder in this entire show, and that’s a pretty tough race. 

It’s getting late, and Tony wants to leave since it looks like he’s really not going to get any info from Felix, who’s waiting for Sarah to show up. She does, and when the two end up bumping into each other, Tony’s inspired to stay a little longer. Sarah and Felix explain the entire clone thing, and Tony takes it pretty well. He’s thrilled the clones are hot, but also recognizes his own individuality, so his identity remains in tact. He’s also ready to relay Sammy’s message: “Tell Beth, keep the faith. Paul is like me. He’s on it. He’s a ghost.” Tony explains Sammy was ex-military, so it's safe to assume that's how he and Paul must have known each other Take that however you like, because we get no more answers tonight. 

Ethan makes it to the Dyad, but the formerly teary-eyed Rachel is nowhere to be found. Instead, she apologizes for making a scene and informs him their relationship will be strictly professional from now on.  Duncan and Rachel get to work on what they’ll need to get set up in the lab. Rachel stops to ask him why it is that Sarah, out of all the clones, is the fertility success story. Not so, Duncan tells her. Sarah is a failure; the clones were meant to be infertile. Rachel’s less than thrilled with this, which we see in a cutaway montage of her destroying her office. I wasn’t the biggest Rachel fan, but these moments of intense humanity are quite compelling. More Rachel meltdowns, please.

Now that Tony’s got some answers and the cops are still on his trail, Felix and Bell send him on his way out of town. Oh Tony, you only just came into our lives and you’re already being shipped away. Felix gives him a phone with his, Sarah, and Bell’s number in it so surely this isn’t the last of our new clone brother. Adieu Tony, safe travel. 

But of course the episode can’t end on a slightly uplifting note. At the lab, Cosima finally tells Scott that she’s the clone they’ve been studying, and he’s shocked but honored. Delphine enters with Ethan, and it seems like maybe everything is back on track. So naturally, Cosima starts spewing blood and convulsing horribly. Delphine holds her and screams for help as one of the coolest characters on TV possible dies. Can this not happen, please? 

Capping off the very end of the night, we find Kira sneaking off to read more Island of Dr. Moreau, only now we see that it’s covered in Ethan’s notes. Could it be he wasn’t being entirely honest in saying all of his information was on the floppy disks, but instead is hidden on a book he gave to a tiny child? Whatever Ethan, just as long as you  save Cosima, dammit!