Orphan Black Review: The Collapse of Nature (Season 4 Episode 1)

The Clone Club is back with a blast from the past. Season 4 Episode 1 of Orphan Black brings us back beyond the beginning of the series with an episode focused entirely on Beth Childs.

Beth was the first clone Sarah Manning encountered in the very first episode, right before Beth walked in front of an oncoming train. Throughout the last four years, we’ve gotten snippets of Beth’s life, but we never saw events from Beth’s perspective.

“The Collapse of Nature” changes all of that and introduces a new clone called MK. In this episode, we see Beth work her way through intel, fed to her by MK, a reclusive clone living in a rundown trailer. She hides behind a mask and is hyper-vigilant when it comes to her security.

Through MK’s intel, Beth pursues Neolution as it relates to a dead body found in the wood. As the episode progresses we encounter characters who met their ends long ago including Aldous Leekie, Olivier Duvall and let’s not forget Paul Dierden.

The path the episode traces shows just how close Beth came to uncovering Project Leda and gives Olivier’s introductory line from Season 1,“We need to talk about Beth,” a whole new meaning.

Taking viewers through to the night that Beth shot Maggie Chen, “The Collapse of Nature” takes a huge risk for the Season 4 opener, but it pays off.

It’s hard to forget that Tatiana Maslany isn’t really a clone. The two incarnations of the Leda clones that she creates in this episode are as well fleshed out as Alison, Sarah, or Cosima. Can someone just give this girl all the awards, please?

Beth’s backstory is also great insight as to how Clone Club was formed in the first place. Cosima said that Beth had contacted her with information from a source. It sounded like the source was Katja, but now we find out that Beth’s source was really MK. More importantly, MK didn’t want Cosima and Alison to know the whole truth about what they were because she thought it put them at risk since they weren’t scared enough.

Yes, it was a little confusing at first to see Beth and not one of the regulars. (I for one, expected to see Sarah, Kira, and Mrs. S in Iceland.) In the end, this episode is an inventive way to introduce a new character. Instead of info-dumping the backstory about MK’s partnership with Beth, they present a well-thought-out introduction to MK, through one of the show’s ghosts.

In this way, we get to know a character that has existed only through memory and get to know a character that will probably be central to the Neolution plot.

The last few minutes of the episode draw us into the present day. MK comes out of hiding at the very end of the episode to warn Sarah about an impending Neolution attack on the Icelandic paradise she’s been in with Cal and Kira. MK’s warning says they’re coming for Kendall Malone and sets up for an explosive season.

While “The Collapse of Nature” may not have a high-octane opening, it gives us a bit of insight into how deep Neolution really goes and exactly how scared the Leda clones should be of this new threat. We can’t wait to see where this season takes us.

Stray Thoughts:

• We love the little nods to Cosima and Alison in this episode. Especially Alison’s excitement over shooting a gun. Beth’s role as the mediator between Cosima and Alison is a really sweet moment.
• Beth’s use of Alison’s little “helpers” and her daughter’s pee is also an interesting detail. We know Beth was on suspension after shooting Maggie Chen when the series started so I hope we get some more details about that missing time. Who’s to stay she didn’t pursue leads without her badge?
• Art and Beth! Was anyone else excited to see this relationship? I will admit to not having the best first impression of Art but he’s won me over. Seeing him with Beth just solidified that.

What did you think of this episode of Orphan Black? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Orphan Black airs Thursdays at 10/9 on BBC America.

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