I honestly think that they should have actually killed off Delphine. The reveal was obvious and drawn out and until this episode, she didn't really do anything to make her dramatic exit from and return to the series worthwhile. At least in this episode we got to take a deeper dive into her character and spend some time with her. But I've still yet to be convinced that there was any good reason to bring her back. She had some pretty good moments with Cosima in the episode, but it also feels like that arc reached its natural conclusion a couple years ago. And as for the plot, she has had some small role to play, but I could easily see it being tweaked and given to any other character. All in all, I think it would have been more honest, efficient, and clean to just kill her off at the end of season 3.
I'm also somewhat disappointed at the pace this season has moved at. The excellent second episode aside, this season has not felt remotely like the thrilling final season promised, and we're already halfway through the season. There's a lot of ground to cover, and the time to cover it is shrinking rapidly. It is starting to seem that Orphan Black will never be able to top the phenomenal second season, which managed to make every second count and maintain a near-constant level of tension and suspense.
However, despite all of this, I did quite enjoy the episode. It dealt with some interesting ethical questions, developed Cosima's character, and began tying together some of the season's outstanding mysteries. I loved the juxtaposition of the fancy over-the-top dinner (a fantastic sequence) with the hunt for the "bear," and the way that it exposed the irony and hypocrisy in P.T. Westmoreland's words. He too was fantastic in the episode, and I loved seeing more of him than we ever had before. And most of all, I was happy to see the demise of the "bear," as I always found that plot line to be clichéd, unbelievable, cheesy, corny, and unrealistic. He also reminded me of the Thenns from Game of Thrones, so that didn't help.
In summary, the episode had some pretty strong scenes, but also had quite a few things reminding me of some things that are beginning to really bug me about the show overall.
I'm also somewhat disappointed at the pace this season has moved at. The excellent second episode aside, this season has not felt remotely like the thrilling final season promised, and we're already halfway through the season. There's a lot of ground to cover, and the time to cover it is shrinking rapidly. It is starting to seem that Orphan Black will never be able to top the phenomenal second season, which managed to make every second count and maintain a near-constant level of tension and suspense.
However, despite all of this, I did quite enjoy the episode. It dealt with some interesting ethical questions, developed Cosima's character, and began tying together some of the season's outstanding mysteries. I loved the juxtaposition of the fancy over-the-top dinner (a fantastic sequence) with the hunt for the "bear," and the way that it exposed the irony and hypocrisy in P.T. Westmoreland's words. He too was fantastic in the episode, and I loved seeing more of him than we ever had before. And most of all, I was happy to see the demise of the "bear," as I always found that plot line to be clichéd, unbelievable, cheesy, corny, and unrealistic. He also reminded me of the Thenns from Game of Thrones, so that didn't help.
In summary, the episode had some pretty strong scenes, but also had quite a few things reminding me of some things that are beginning to really bug me about the show overall.
