Orphan Black S2x02 "Governed by Sound and True Religion"

I share my thoughts on “Governed by Sound and True Religion”, the second episode in the second series of Orphan Black, starring Tatiana Maslany.

Orphan Black’s second episode continued from the high level of form that the first episode gave us. Once again, it’s proving why this is such a good show and as expected, it doesn’t let us down, proving that this serialized drama can be fun, entertaining and engaging, balancing moments of comic relief with some great, serious stuff. Seriously, this show has it all.

This episode sees Sarah reunite with Mrs. S and Kira at a supposed safe house, whilst Art, who’s now part of the Clone Club, does his best to prevent Angela from discovering the truth. We don’t completely ignore the other clones either, as Cosima is struggling to fit in to her role at Dyad Institute. And this was also a big episode for Alison, who’s struggling with the fact that she’s responsible for Aynsley’s death (having to attend her funeral hasn’t helped matters), and the discovery that she may have killed the wrong monitor after all. We’re also not done with Helena just yet, as she’s rescued by the mysterious Proletheans.

This was another packed episode of Orphan Black that failed to disappoint. Once again Tatiana Maslany delivers some stunning acting as she makes us root for the clones that the show wants to make us root for. We’re sympathising for Cosima’s struggle, Sarah’s struggle and Alison’s. It’s still incredible to see just how well these characters are fleshed out over the course of the series, just how well developed they are – to the point where it’s hard to believe that they are played by same person.

It proves that the show’s creative team aren’t afraid to burn through the plot with an episode like this. They’re dealing with long term plots effectively and not wasting time for filler, ’monster of the week’ type episodes, that prove that this show has accomplished more in the space of two episodes then most do in their whole season. This show’s just that good at handling plot, and it never lets up over the course of its run. If you want an example as to how to handle your plot, then look no further than this show. It’s just that good.

I was glad to see that the “finding Kira” plot that started with Season 1’s cliffhanger was not dragged out as I feared it would have. There’s also plenty of material to speed through as well, and with more revelations about Mrs. S being brought into play. It proves that she’ll do anything to protect Sarah and Kira, and it’s good to see her character becoming more involved in the central plot.

Alison once again gave us some great comic relief moments in the form of the musical, which looks like it would be horrible to watch. Her exchange with Felix was also one of the highlights of this episode, when she confessed that she killed Aynsley. And another rewarding moment was also to see Art join the Clone Club as well, and hopefully he’ll continue to be involved in the series going forward. One thing is for sure though, is that next Thursday can’t come soon enough.

VERDICT: 4.5/5