ORPHAN BLACK: An Ode to Felix, The Best Brother Ever

“Orphan Black”

Everyone is talking about the mesmerizing chameleon work of Tatiana Maslany as her various incarnations in the series ORPHAN BLACK, but one of the more fascinating characters making up the clone-club world is Sarah’s right-hand man, Felix (Jordan Gravari’s).

Sarah would literally be up a creek without the one person who has her back, her foster-brother Felix; even Paul (Dylan Bruce) had not been solidly on Sarah’s side to support her and help her until last week’s episode “Parts Developed In An Unusual Manner.”  Before that, Paul was really just monitoring Sarah’s increasingly erratic behavior.  It had been Paul’s job to only watch, not assist.

“Orphan Black”

But Felix, through the familial bonds of being her brother and the bonds of friendship forged over decades growing up together, has consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty.  When Sarah appears out of the blue after a 10-month absence, Felix drops everything to be at her beck and call, including: planning a fake funeral to throw Sarah’s dubious ex-boyfriend Vic (Michael Mando) off her trail; hiding and selling the illicit cocaine that Sarah stole from Vic; covering with Sarah’s adoptive mother Mrs. S  (Maria Doyle Kennedy) and Sarah’s daughter Kira (Skyler Wexler); nearly getting shot in head; playing faux bartender for Sarah’s clone Allison’s block party; and then in last week’s episode, Felix infiltrated the goth Neolution club to scope out the set up for Sarah before she stuck her neck out.  Felix also anxiously waited to see if Sarah was successful in rescuing Paul, being her backup in case she didn’t make it out.  That’s Felix’s biggest job, having Sarah’s back.  He is literally the only person she trusts enough with her own well-being.

However, Felix is not just her back-up plan and her brother; Felix is really the only one that Sarah knows will always be there no matter what.  He may be the first to tell her that she’s out of her mind, but when things really start to get weird or out of hand, he is there.

“Orphan Black”

On the lighter-side, Felix is an outrageously fun character in his own right.  He is not just the loyal brother, the confidante, and the fixer; Felix is Mr. Party.  He doesn’t live just for his sister. He sneaks in flings with every good-looking guy that crosses his path – morticians not excepted.  His sense of style and fashion would put most runway models to shame.  And he knows exactly what to say, no matter what the occasion; a few favorites include: “Impersonating a dead officer – that’s like a whole new crime” and “I’m beginning to realize crazy is genetic.”  Sassy one-liners and eye-popping fashion aside, Felix is the kind of person we all want in our lives.  Someone who is so self-possessed and confident that we can lean on them when our lives go to hell.  In Sarah’s case, that is pretty frequently, so perhaps Felix has learned to be the reliable and secure one in their relationship out of necessity.

Sarah brings the adventure to ORPHAN BLACK, but Felix brings the fun.  The show would be just another gripping drama series without its perfectly timed moments of levity and the reminder that there is a family at the heart of the show.  Sarah and Felix’s relationship is stronger than most siblings.  Their time in the foster care system raised under the strong-willed and stringent Mrs. S taught them that they needed each other, and yet they also appreciate the other for the person they have become.  Neither Sarah or Felix seeks to fix or curb the lifestyle of the other.  When Sarah announces she is taking over the identity of her clone Beth, a cop, Felix barely bats an eyelash.  In turn, Sarah takes it in stride with the constant parade of lovers leaving Felix’s place.  These are the norms in their lives and they accept each other wholly as who they are.  The core of their relationship is founded on love. They love each other for exactly who they are and what they may do.  Though we suspect Felix’s love must be the stronger given the craziness that tends to rain down as a result of Sarah’s life choices.  Felix is Sarah’s “constant” – the one person she depends on when everything goes to pieces.  Wouldn’t we all kill to have a brother like that?

Kudos to Jordan Gavaris for bringing such joie de vivre to his portrayal of Felix.  Even during the more over-the-top moments, we sense that there is a feeling of love underlying the performance.  Jordan clearly loves playing Felix and we feel that radiant joy and embrace it.  He lights up the screen and we are riveted watching him.  For what would Sarah , with all her clones, be without her one person to call in a pinch?
Here’s to many more Felix moments, whether it is sitting in the car with the police on speed-dial, posing as a straight bartender, parading around in his erotic kimonos, or playfully reminding Sarah that pretending to be a cop doesn’t actually make her a cop.  He’s the cherry-on-top of this spectacular new series.  It may be clone-club on the show, but count me for the Felix-club.

To see what wondrous antics Felix is up to next, be sure to tune in for an all new episode of ORPHAN BLACK on Saturday, May 18^th at 9:00 p.m. on BBC America.

“Orphan Black”

“Orphan Black”

“Orphan Black”

“Orphan Black”

“Orphan Black”

DOCTOR WHO Redux: The Mystery of ‘The Name of The Doctor’

There is no greater mystery in DOCTOR WHO than the name of The Doctor (Matt Smith). That is until The Doctor met Clara Oswald (Jenna Louise Coleman) – “The Impossible Girl” who kept dying on him. As the show’s seventh season comes to an end this Saturday, fans are going to be wondering which of the two massive mysteries will DOCTOR WHO answer. Given the unlikelihood that a show that has been on for over 50 years would choose to reveal it’s grand mystery as to The Doctor’s identity, it is more likely that we will instead find out how it is possible for Clara Oswald to keep popping up in The Doctor’s life. But it will be a shame if they do for it has provided a grand mystery for the past season.

 

“Doctor Who”

From the minute Jenna Louise Coleman popped up on screen as the mysterious Oswin in “Asylum of the Daleks,” we knew something significant was going on. Our brains told us that she was destined to be The Doctor’s next companion, but then Oswin died. Then when Jenna appeared in the annual Christmas episode, “The Snowman” as Clara, we just knew she was around to stay this time – particularly after Amy and Rory’s tragic departure in “The Angels Take Manhattan.” Yet, we were wrong again – and we wept giant tears along with The Doctor over Clara’s lifeless body. That blasted girl had the audacity to die twice. And so the hunt was on.

Thus, we were breathless with glee watching The Doctor unknowingly encounter Clara as a young child in prequel to “The Bells of Saint John” and even more ecstatic when he heard her voice in at the beginning of “The Bells of Saint John.” The time had finally come and we would find out why Clara had died twice before. Yet in great agonizing fashion, the seventh season rolled right along with nary a clue as to the answer of why Clara had been destined to have died twice before and whether she was on the cusp of dying yet again. These past seven episode were instead tantalizing teasers as to the mystery of “The Impossible Girl.” Our brains and emotions raced right along with The Doctor as he fervently tried to keep Clara safe and out of harm’s way. Nary a Spoonhead, Ice Warrior, parasite, molten creature, ancient leeches, or wayward Cyberman was going to get in The Doctor’s way. It made for an grand adventure spanning the course of the entire season. The sassy Ms. Oswald seemed perfectly normal, and had we not seen her live two entirely different lives, we would have been none the wiser. Yet we had; and like The Doctor, the mystery keep tugging on our brains ‘til we felt as if we may also go a bit mad.

 

“Doctor Who”

Yet as The Doctor and the audience were struggling to fathom the mystery of Clara, Clara had her own mystery to unravel. One of the few companions to try to look a bit deeper into who The Doctor actually was, Clara’s curiosity was insatiable. In her mind, everyone had a name and the name of The Doctor was just the perfect mystery for her to solve. Quite by accident she discovered it in a book in the episode “Journey To The Centre of the TARDIS,” but that precious discovery was washed away when time reset itself at the end of the episode. But just because time reset does not mean that Clara forgot that she really wanted to know the name of The Doctor. For surely he must have a name – why hide it?

In a massively big tease, executive producer Steven Moffat entitled the finale episode of this season “The Name of The Doctor.” That coupled with the spoilerish slip announcing that Alex Kingston would be back to reprise her role as River Song, the heightened expectations have begun to reach a frenzy. Would the show actually tell us his name – after all these years? And if we do get a name, what does it mean that The Doctor kept it hidden for nearly a millennium? What power does a name wield? For Time Lords it just may give someone the power of them? But what is the true answer?

We are just dying of curiosity to find out. But if forced to choose between the two burning mysteries, The Doctor’s name and the reason that Clara is “The Impossible Girl,” which shall weigh out?

To see which is answered and which remains for another day, be sure to tune in for the seventh season finale of DOCTOR WHO on Saturday, May 18th at 8:00 p.m. on BBC America.

“Doctor Who”

“Doctor Who”

“Doctor Who”

“Doctor Who”

“Doctor Who”

 

 

 

 

ORPHAN BLACK Redux: A Romance So Twisted

“Orphan Black”

Last week’s episode “Variations Under Domestication” cranked up the insanity that had broken out as a result of Sarah’s (Tatiana Maslany) impersonation of her clone twin Beth (Tatiana Maslany), which then led to Sarah having to impersonate yet another clone in a pinch:  Allison (Tatiana Maslany), the seemingly idyllic housewife with the perfect life.  But Sarah had already learned the lesson of all that appears perfect on the outside maybe rotten to the core once you peel back someone’s personal life.

“Orphan Black”

For Sarah had already discovered that Beth had a good reason for jumping in front of that train that fateful day when their paths crossed.  Beth’s life had begun to close in around her and she took her own life to both escape it and protect those she cared about. Beth had not only found out that she was part of a large cloning experiment, she found out that her boyfriend Paul (Dylan Bruce) was nothing more than someone sent to spy on her – a “monitor.”  Added into that toxic mix was the horror over having purposely killed a woman who was perhaps connected to the company that had made the clones, though in Beth’s defense, she had done it to protect her sister clones.  Then as if those three terrifying reasons were not enough to make one wish they were dead, Beth also found out that one of the clones was a deranged renegade operating under a religious delusion that it was her duty to kill them all to right the balance of nature. Beth may have been a cop, but nothing had prepared her for the life she suddenly found herself thrust amongst.

So imagine Sarah’s confusion and horror after she began to put together the pieces of Beth’s life and realized that she had gone from the “frying pan into the fire.”  Beth’s life looked all shiny and inviting from the outside, the glistening apartment, great car, devoted boyfriend, solid career and a bank account flush with cash.  It was just too tempting and Sarah gratefully slipped in Beth’s shoes that day on the train station, casually picked up Beth’s purse with her I.D. and just as ignorantly slipped into Beth’s life – impersonating the clone sister she never knew she had.

Yet that illusion was soon marred by the fact that Beth’s life was only perfect on the outside.  Sarah found herself having to explain where the large sum of cash had come from, whether Maggie Chen’s death was truly an accidental shooting, and having to fend off the overly inquisitive questions from both Beth’s partner Art (Kevin Hanchard) at work and her boyfriend Paul at home.  The walls had begun to close in on Sarah just like the prison-cage that Beth felt compelled to jump out of as she hurdled her body before that train.

“Orphan Black”

But when Allison called demanding that Sarah cover for Allison by hosting the neighborhood block party while Allison interrogated her husband Donnie (Kristian Bruun) to see if he was her “monitor,” Sarah could hardly refuse after Allison had covered for her with Kira (Skyler Wexler).  As if that was not enough to keep both Sarah and Allison busy, both Sarah’s ex Vic (Michael Mando) and Beth’s ex Paul had decided to make uninvited appearances at Allison’s house.  Vic wanted in on whatever scam Sarah was running; and Paul just wanted to know what the hell was going on – especially after he found Allison passed out on the couch.

Clone-club had suddenly become a little to crowed and visible — and the secret was getting harder to contain.  But here’s the latest twist:  Paul may be falling for Sarah.

Paul had been protecting Sarah since he first began to suspect that she was not Beth.  Maybe he was drawn to the hot sex, or perhaps he was just curious, or perhaps he was feeling a bit protective of this new woman suddenly in his life, but Paul began to behave in ways not expected of a mere “monitor.”  Even Sarah had begun to wonder what was his true motives were for wanting to be around her as he had not killed her or revealed her impersonation to his superiors.  Paul had even proposed that they leave the country together even before he found out that she was not Beth.  Whether she was Beth or Sarah, Paul had stepped outside the bounds of his “monitoring” status and taken a decidedly personal interest.  His one task had been:  “As long as the subject makes her own decisions, there are no wrong choices.”  But Paul had not been content to let her make her own decisions or perhaps Paul thought that edict did not apply to Sarah, since she was not Beth.

“Orphan Black”

In last week’s episode “Variations Under Domestication,” after a confrontation where Sarah had finally confessed that she was not Beth, Paul had followed Sarah to Allison’s house – conveniently intervening when he thought Vic needed a strong hint to get lost.  Alas, for poor Vic, this was not just another con that Sarah had set up and Paul was not the kind of person to try to negotiate with.  Sarah’s quick thinking got Vic out of there before too much physical pain was inflicted, but Vic really is not the sort of person to get the hint – even one as obvious as having holes drilled into his hand.  After Vic was out of harm’s way and having convinced Paul to leave Allison’s house before anyone else got hurt, we last saw Sarah and Paul back in Beth’s apartment ready to share a drink. Fortunately, Paul had second thoughts about drugging Sarah and pulled out the untainted booze instead.

Just what is going through Paul’s mind?  His primary function as a “monitor” should have compelled him to report Sarah’s impersonation and the fact that Beth was dead. Yet he continues to help Sarah in her charade. But why?  What is in it for him?  Now that Paul knows that he is part of an experiment to monitor clones, where does his primary duty lie?  He should be reporting the breach of protocol, yet he hesitates.  Is it possible that he really has fallen for Sarah, the woman who nearly seamlessly impersonated the woman he had monitored for 2 years?  If it is love, then what kind of twisted love is it?  His conduct is not exactly a testament to the kind of love where you would do anything to protect the person you love – or is it?  That’s the answer we’re dying to find out.

Hopefully this week’s new episode “Parts Developed In An Unusual Manner” will shed some light on Paul’s true intentions – whether his feelings are rooted in love or in a darker emotion.  With only four episodes remaining this season, not a single moment is to be missed.  So be sure to tune in for an all new episode of ORPHAN BLACK on Saturday, May 11^th at 9:00 p.m. on BBC America.

Where to find this article:

 

http://www.thetvaddict.com/2013/05/10/orphan-black-redux-a-romance-so-twisted/

 

 

“Orphan Black”