The first season of Orphan Black wowed audiences for a handful of reasons. There was the overarching sci-fi mystery surrounding the clones, the intriguing characters, and of course, the incredible performance of Tatiana Maslany. It takes a lot to portray multiple identical people and make it so each of them feels unique.
When season two rolled around, it felt like the series truly hit its stride. Judging by the ratings for the episodes on IMDb, nearly every installment was packed with something special. It widened the scope of the show while still delivering the tense action that made it special in the first place.
Variable And Full Of Perturbation (Episode 8) – 7.9
The only episode of the second season to not score at least an 8.0 rating was “Variable and Full of Perturbation.” It is most remembered for introducing Tony, a transgender clone who meets with Felix and Sarah. While the idea was strong, the character of Tony was met with criticism.
That was mostly because Tony felt more like a prop or a gimmick, rather than a real character. However, this still wasn’t a bad episode. Maslany was again praised for her acting. Some even suggested they just hand her the Best Actress award on the spot.
Mingling Its Own Nature With It (Episode 3) – 8.3
“Mingling Its Own Nature With It” turned out to be a pretty huge episode in terms of revelations. One of the biggest mysteries of the show surrounded Kira and what made her so special. Fans knew that her mother was a clone but here, they got to meet her father, Cal Morrison.
Sarah, Felix, and Kira go on the run and hide out in a house that belongs to Cal, who is also informed that Kira is his daughter. Cal would go on to be a popular recurring character. Elsewhere, a drunk Alison fell off the stage during a performance, while Cosima and Delphine investigated Cosima’s disease.
To Hound Nature In Her Wanderings (Episode 6) – 8.4
The first of three episodes tied with an 8.4 rating, “To Hound Nature in Her Wanderings” ranks last of them due to the fewest number of reviews. If you want to ensure that fans of Orphan Black will enjoy an episode, it’s usually best to put Sarah and Helena together.
In this episode, the twin sestras go on a road trip that is filled with both funny and heartwarming bonding moments. There’s also the surprising twist of Alison befriending Vic while in rehab together, though she’s unaware that he’s an informant for the police.
Ipsa Scientia Potestas Est (Episode 5) – 8.4
For those unaware, “Ipsa Scientia Potestas Est” translates to “Knowledge is Power.” This marked another big moment of bonding for Helena and Sarah. Helena guided Sarah and Art to important information but they then found her on the verge of assassinating Rachel, who was in the midst of relations with Paul.
Sarah talked Helena down due to the importance of Rachel but their conversation was a touching moment for them. Rachel dove further into villain territory by withholding the stem cell treatment that could help save Cosima’s life.
Governed By Sound Reason And True Religion (Episode 2) – 8.4
In terms of viewership, this was the most-watched episode of the entire series. “Governed by Sound Reason and True Religion” gave audiences the revelation of what happened to Kira and Mrs. S at the end of the first season, showing that Mrs. S snuck off with her out of protection.
Art’s partner Angela began her crusade to uncover more about the clones. Alison started suspecting Donnie of being her monitor again and resorted to drinking after Aynsley’s death. Cosima worked with Delphine to find out more about her sickness. A lot was set up in this hour.
Governed As It Were By Chance (Episode 4) – 8.6
Here’s an episode that did a ton to shed light on the mythology of the series. It explained a bit more about Susan and Ethan Duncan, as well as Project Leda. The real kicker and highlight of the installment revolved around Helena following her escape from the ranch.
With Sarah tied up and in danger at the hands of Daniel, he was murdered off-screen to her shock. That’s when Helena, covered in blood, stepped into the picture. Maslany nailed the absolute fear in Sarah’s entire body as her thought-to-be-dead sestra walked up to her carrying a knife. It’s one of the show’s greatest scenes.
Nature Under Constraint And Vexed (Episode 1) – 8.6
The long-awaited premiere after season one ended on a pretty big cliffhanger. Believing that Dyad kidnapped Mrs. S and Kira, Sarah confronted Rachel for one of their earliest scenes against each other. Fans also got to see Sarah impersonate Cosima, which was a rarity.
This was a notable episode as it really got closer to bringing Art fully into the growing “Clone Club.” The biggest moment came right at the end, as Helena stumbled into a hospital having survived getting shot by Sarah at the end of season one.
Things Which Have Never Yet Been Done (Episode 9) – 8.7
It’s always important to deliver a great penultimate episode, which Orphan Black did for its sophomore season. For starters, burying Leekie brought Alison and Donnie closer together, especially after Donnie sent away Vic and Angela, getting them off the trail of the clones.
Helena burned down the farm, while Kira agreed to donate her bone marrow to possibly save Cosima’s life. Rachel did what was feared at the end of season one when she posed as Sarah to abduct Kira and set things in motion for an emotionally charged finale.
Knowledge Of Causes, And Secret Motion Of Things (Episode 7) – 8.8
This was about as big as episodes got at the time. “Knowledge of Causes, and Secret Motion of Things” brought most of the characters together at rehab. That came after Alison confessed to Vic that she let Aynsley die and he agreed not to tell Angela if he got to see Sarah.
When Sarah showed up, everything got out of whack and it ultimately led to Donnie discovering that clones were real. He also explained that he was Alison’s monitor but he didn’t know anything else. Donnie confronted Leekie and accidentally shot him in one of the show’s most shocking moments.
By Means Which Have Never Yet Been Tried (Episode 10) – 9.1
Orphan Black saved the best for last in season two. This finale saw a desperate Sarah literally surrender to Dyad to save Kira. She ultimately got help escaping with Kira, which included a tremendous scene where she stabbed Rachel in the eye with a pencil.
The best part had to be what is now known as the “Clone Dance Party.” Sarah, Alison, Helena, Cosima, Felix, and Kira all got together and began dancing in what is one of the show’s more impressive technical feats, as well as being a heartwarming scene. The final twists revealed Charlotte, the only surviving clone from a second batch, and Castor, the group of male clones.
