The first beat of the tale was a surprising one with the introduction to Jason (Jack Donnelly) taking place in the present day. Establishing our hero as a rootless young man in search of his father, we soon descended in a mini-sub and found ourselves drawn in the world of Atlantis. And it is a world, rather than the past, we are led to believe.
The third episode of Orphan Black puts Sarah’s motivations under the spotlight while revealing some elements of the show’s larger mysteries. When the body of Katja that Sarah previously buried (rather shoddily, she soon learns) turns up and Sarah-as-Beth is put on the case, things begin to get much more complicated for her, especially as she’s just been told she’s a clone.
As Mel Brooks fans already know, ‘It’s good to be the king’. And despite living over 60 years before the movie History of the World: Part 1, Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) knows it too. Shame he’s building his power on such a massive foundation of enemies. Keep at it though, Tommy – it makes for great drama.
The second part of this face-skinning story begins at quite a pelt, as our witness link from the previous episode is made within the first few minutes. After her input, Buchan’s disgust is palpable at a link to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, drawing on a work of lurid fiction rather than his treasured archive of fact.
Following the Christmas episode of Downton Abbey, which did for Matthew with a car what childbirth did for Lady Sibyl, you could have been forgiven for thinking that there was only so much melodrama one series could take. But stately homes – and big budget ITV series – don’t go off course so easily.
If it wasn’t already obvious after the first episode, the way ‘Instinct’ ends makes it clear Orphan Black is a show that is primarily about clones and that this story thread is what the plot will be mainly be focussed on.
The mystery of why Beth killed herself remains an interesting addition, and it’s guaranteed to end up connecting to the cloning conspiracy in some way further down the line.
After last week’s supernatural shenanigans, we are back to the gruesome bread and butter of Whitechapel with a serial killer who has a penchant for skinning their victims.
Tony Basgallop is a talented man. And a cruel writer. Indeed, we might never forgive him for luring us into his dramatic attic three Sundays ago. Because as we’ve been stumbling through the shadows trying to guess the murderer, he’s been busy sharpening his final script into an arrowhead; all so he can fire it right into our heart.
From the big screen to the small screen comes this spin-off from Marvel’s cinematic universe, all under the careful gaze of executive producer (and co-creator) Joss Whedon.
Striking a decidedly supernatural tone, Series 4’s opening two-part tale drew to a close with a rational, scientific explanation for the Witchfinder murders, before expertly throwing all the cards up in the air once again.