The male Castor clones (Ari Millen) have been a pain in the Leda clones’ (Tatiana Maslany) sides for much of Orphan Black’s new season. For the most part, the Castor clones’ presence hasn’t seemed to be much more than an annoyance for Sarah and her sisters, albeit a dangerous one. Still, it seems like this has the potential to change now that one crucial fact has been unveiled: the Castor and Leda clones are siblings (the mythology behind these names has hinted at a connection). Will this revelation change the way the Castor clones view Sarah and her sister clones? Might the siblings form a type of alliance later on this season?
There’s already been a brief introduction to Sarah forming a type of alliance (though quite brief) with Castor clone Mark, actually going as far as to save his life from Gracie’s (Zoe De Grand Maison) Prolethean, rifle-wielding mother, Bonnie (Kristin Booth). If Sarah lacked the gumption to drag Mark’s bullet-riddled body through that corn field, Bonnie would have undoubtedly executed her daughter’s new husband without hesitation. This raises some interesting questions about Sarah, like would she have saved Mark even if Cosima didn’t alert her that they’re related to the Castor clones? It’s difficult to say with certainty.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Marisa Roffman points out that “while Sarah has fiercely embraced her new sisterhood, the discovery [of her being related to the Castor clones] will lead to her own mixed feelings on the matter.” Co-creator John Fawcett further stresses that “it certainly adds a massive layer of complexity for Sarah, especially.” This also brings a new outlook on family to Sarah’s life, as she’s gone from being an orphan to discovering she has quite a lot of siblings, some she may prefer not to be related to. But even if the Castor and Leda clones remain at odds, it won’t be long before they realize they’re all they have, and no one will ever understand their predicament better than they do.
A great example of this empathetic connection occurs when Helena stumbles upon a lab located in the desert military base where she’s imprisoned, somewhere in Mexico. An unfortunate Castor clone is fastened to a chair, wired up to devices, with his brain exposed. He looks at her pleadingly and begs her to kill him. Fully understanding the pain he’s going through as she too has endured tortures and guinea pig abuses, she punctures his brain, killing him. At this point, both sets of clones seem to be on an even playing field, both victims of their own genetics, trapped in worlds filled with mad scientists and terrible danger that they must fight to escape and survive. Castor and Leda clones needn’t be enemies; it’s the corrupt corporations, religious groups, and abusers of science they need to keep an eye out for.
If Leda and Castor clones do ever decide to work together or simply call a truce, it’s not something that will be an easy adjustment. Understandably, there’s plenty of distrust and confusion holding them back. It’s not like the Castor clones will be winning over Sarah and her sisters with their charm; it’s becoming difficult to count how many times they’ve held Sarah at gunpoint. As bad as the Castor clones may seem, though, there’s always another enemy who plays far dirtier, like Dr. Coady (Kyra Harper), who’s got the Castor boys wrapped around her finger and may not have their best interests at heart. Co-creator Graeme Manson notes the challenges of Leda and Castor clones uniting, as the Castor clones “have not acted like family to this point, and we’ll have to wait and see if they learn to.”
Danielle Callesen & Dicky Continental 