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When one looks in the box, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the cat.

Reactor

“Entangled Bank”
Written by Karen Walton
Directed by Ken Girotti
Season 1, Episode 8
Original Airdate May 18, 2013
Re-air date: November 2, 2013

What Happens: Art compares a photo of Sarah Manning on a PC to Beth’s ID—he and Deangelis throw around the term doppelganger and ask about any sisters Beth might have. The two officers leave the station and we cut to Paul and Sarah embracing in Felix’s bed. Clearly these two are getting along very well. Paul says they can’t go back to the townhouse and tells Felix they’ll need to hang out at his place for a while. The clone phone rings—Alison calls to let Sarah know that she and Donnie are getting a divorce. Hanging up the phone, Alison notices Aynsley walking in, claiming she’s just there to pick up the mail. Meanwhile at Mrs. S’s house, Kira is painting when somebody knocks on the door.

Kira runs to the door, but Mrs. S stops her and reminds her that she’s not to open the door for strangers. Mrs. S then answers the door to find Art and Deangelis. They tell her that Sarah was shot two weeks ago and ask if Sarah had any problems with anybody, women in particular. They also ask if Sarah had a sister, but Mrs. S says it would be news to both of them.

On Skype, Cosima and Sarah argue about Neolution and the crap starts hitting the fan. Cosima blames Sarah, but Sarah and Felix think Cosmia’s still culpable because of her association with Leekie. Felix thinks Sarah should cut ties with Cosima and shares his concern for Alison, because “when normals divorce, they lose their fake happiness.”

Sarah and Felix both assume that Aysnsley is Alison’s monitor. Alison does too, and she begins to try to interrogate Aynsley. Aynsley says she is concerned for Alison, and offers to step in for her at the kids’ ice skating practice that night, but Alison asks Aynsley to return her spare keys. Aynsley says she just wants to help as Alison kicks her out.

Delphine enters a car to speak with Leekie and admits that Cosima made a pass at her. Leekie encourages her to play along, as he needs to know with which clones Cosima has been communicating.

Helena sits in what looks to be an empty warehouse while eating paper and looking at letters and photos she stole from Sarah…as one does.

Sarah and Felix are pestering each other (reverting to what many brothers and sisters likely do when lounging around) when Beth’s phone rings—it’s Art. Seconds later, Mrs. S enters the apartment and tells them both that Art and Deangelis visited her. Mrs. S. is not happy, understandably, when Felix asks if anybody wants a mimosa. Mrs. S wants answers, but Sarah says she doesn’t want to lie so no she’s not telling her anything just yet. Mrs. S. warns Sarah that if it gets one step near Kira, Sarah needs to yell so they can burn the proverbial house down.

Art has questions about “Beth’s” work on the Jane Doe case and ask her to come in to the station. Sarah-as-Beth arrives as Art is reviewing paperwork regarding Beth’s train suicide. Deangelis and Art keep Beth in a room away from everybody else and shove a picture of Sarah all punked out in her face. Deangelis and Art are playing good cop bad cop, with Art in the “good” role. Sarah asks if she needs to lawyer up, and Art hints that she might before Sarah exits the room. The detectives’ ruse to get Sarah’s fingerprints was successful as Art drops the photo Sarah put on the table into an evidence bag.

At the skating rink, people are concerned about Alison. As she walks down the hall, she sees Aynsley and Chad arguing. Aynsley is being intrusive with her helpfulness, and Alison warns that if Aynsley wants to mess with her life, she’ll mess with Aynsley’s. Later when Alison walks out of the ice rink, she finds Chad smoking weed in his van; she takes a puff before climbing in and sharing another joint. They share a drink over Alison’s “failed marriage.” Their talk gets a little intimate when Alison tells Chad “he could bench press her…he could bounce her like a ball.” They start to make out and undress one another. When Meera comes walking by the van moments later with her kids, she turns her kids away to abide by the old rule that “if this van is a-rockin’ don’t come a-knockin’.”

Olivier is face down on a medical table in a hospital having his castrated …er, amputated tail tended to with Paul in the room. Olivier realizes Paul is playing both sides, but Paul tells Olivier that it was risky blackmailing an ex-military guy, before telling Olivier “what happened last night.”

In Cosima’s apartment, Delphine enters and apologizes for being so forward, not realizing Delphine wasn’t into girls, and insists that she just wants to do science with her. Delphine admits to curiosity before taking Cosima’s face in her hands as the two embrace and begin making out.

As Alison drives home in the evening, she’s rocking out to “I’m a Bitch!” by Meredith Brooks. Aynsley waits for her in the middle of the street and begins yelling at Alison, shouting “you have no idea who you’re dealing with!” A slap fight ensues before Alison gets out of the car and the two ladies get into a more serious fight.

Bell and Deangelis walk into the morgue and ask Felix’s boy pal Colin about Sarah Manning. When he recognizes the name as the “suicide by train” victim, Deangelis asks for the address of the person who identified the body. After the police leave, Colin calls to warn Felix. They try to come up with a plan, but a drunk Alison interrupts by knocking on Felix’s door. Sarah picks up Alison to drive her home, and Alison admits that she hates all the lying and doesn’t want to divorce Donnie. Sarah is getting more paranoid about who will turn on her; all she wants to do was return to Kira and fix things.

Helena is rolling around mumbling as she stares at pictures of Kira and Mrs. S.’s address on the letter Kira sent to Sarah.

Cosima and Delphine are in bed, basking in their post-coital moment. Delphine asks for ice cream and while Cosima leaves to get it, Delphine rummages through Cosima’s apartment and finds the bag with all the information about the clones Cosima has thus far gathered. She is shocked to discover that Sarah has a 7-year-old daughter.

At the hospital, Paul admits that he’s doctoring the video feed from the previous night just before Leekie walks into the hospital. Olivier plays along with the plan Paul laid out for him before the doctor enters warning that visiting hours are over. As Paul and Leekie walk out of the hospital, Leekie’s phone rings. It is Delphine, who shares what she found about the other clones after snooping in Cosima’s home. Leekie seems especially interested in Sarah Manning, but Delphine withholds the information about Kira.

Sarah arrives at Mrs. S’s house and introduces her to a drunk Alison Hendrix. Alison tells Mrs. S. about her life as they all share drinks. When Alison informs Mrs. S. about college, Mrs. S. can’t resist a cheap shot at Sarah “Where’d you go wrong.” Mrs. S. realizes that Alison came once as Sarah, and when Sarah says she is a mess-up, Alison immediately defends her, saying that Sarah can say “Eff it,” and that she (Alison) tried to say ‘Eff’ it today and her whole life is effed.

Art and Deangelis arrive at Felix’s place and ask him about Sarah. Art looks at some of Felix’s paintings, noticing his picture of Cosima. As the detectives leave, Art redials the number of the anonymous caller from the previous night (the man who claimed to have information about Beth) and realizes it was Felix.

Back at the hospital, a “doctor” sticks a needle into Olivier’s foot, saying that Dr. Leekie sends his regards. Olivier is now tail-less and dead.

Sarah and Mrs. S. are looking through photo albums; Sarah indicates there is more between the lines. Mrs. S. asks what kind of help Sarah needs. She says Alison, Cosima, and Beth’s mothers all used in vitro fertilization, so why did Sarah’s give her up after going through so much trouble? Mrs. S. said there were rumors that some of the kids who passed through Mrs. S.’s network—those that came from Carlton’s pipeline—were part of medical experiments. Sarah asks if Carlton might know anything about Sarah’s mother and if she can do some digging. Meanwhile Kira walks quietly down the stairs towards the front door. Helena is peeking into Mrs. S.’s house, urging Kira to sneak out (DUMB KID! DON’T DO IT!). Sarah is concerned about who she is and Mrs. S. tells her she’s a survivor. Sarah then notices the door is open and Kira’s jacket is gone “It’s Helena!”

Sarah runs out to the snowy streets, she sees Helena and Kira in the distance. Crazy Aunt Helena and Kira are talking, and Kira says Helena is just like her mom. Kira asks what happened to Helena, perhaps realizing how batshit crazy she is, and then hugs Helena in what is probably the first nice gesture Helena has ever received. Kira says she should go home. With tears in her eyes, Helena agrees. Kira sees Sarah, and crosses the street towards her mother only to be hit by a car.

Commentary: DAMN! Double DAMN! Why the hell do kids have to so damned precocious and not listen to their elders? Mrs. S. pointed out on more than one occasion that Kira is not to answer the door and Sarah warned Kira about Helena, so of course when these two “warnings” come together in one instance, Kira ignores both.

“Entangled Bank” was a more linear episode than the previous episode, which made putting this breakdown a little bit easier even if there was the standard intertwined scenes of all the clones. At least here, Alison and Sarah shared the screen at times and Cosima and Sarah shared the screen, too. For the first time, I think since Alison introduced Sarah to Cosima, we had three clones in the same location at Mrs. S.’s house even if they weren’t on the screen at the same time.

More intersection of the clones lives here as Beth’s life (and death) finally reaches Sarah’s family in a real way, both Felix and Mrs. S. had to deal with Art and Deangelis. I still get a sense that Art is more curious at this point than angry, though how much of his approach to the situation is based on him covering up for Beth isn’t crystal clear yet. It seems he viewed Beth as more than just simply a work partner…or maybe that could be me hoping that Sarah has an ally outside of her clone sisters.

This episode, on the whole, to me had as one theme consequences showing up at Mrs. S’s home. Apparently, Mrs. S.’s home is where all things of the past can be revealed since we learn a little bit more about Alison’s life prior to the events of the show. The consequences of Beth’s death come to Mrs. S.’s doorstep in the form of Art and Deangelis, the consequences of Alison’s tryst explode into tears in Mrs. S.’s kitchen.

Alison becomes more unraveled and erratic with each episode, there was chemistry between her and Chad in the past. Well, at least Chad showed major signs of being physically attracted to her and Alison acted out first with the marijuana puffing then with the fun in the backseat of the van. Her coming to physical blows with Aynsley wasn’t too much of a surprise since Alison’s frustration soon grew to hatred. Alison’s breakdown in tears was only natural and it lead to a great scene of her defending Sarah to Mrs. S.

One of the villains is disposed of; no more creepy Olivier. Really, do henchmen last long anymore these days? This does bring up some concern for Paul if Olivier, who assisted Leekie, can be disposed of so quickly where does that leave Paul?

A more subdued Helena in this episode, but the little bit we did see showed a pained young woman who yearns for positive human connections, again.

Random question: Which of the clones is most difficult for Tatiana Maslany to portray?

Clone Count (episode): 4—Sarah, Alison, Helena, and Cosima
Clone Total (series*): No change from last week, still at 6—Sarah, Beth (deceased), Alison, Cosima, Katja (deceased), Helena
*I’m only counting those we’ve met in a physical sense, not just names on a sheet of paper

Clone Layers: No pretending this episode, all the clones were themselves.

Sexy Time: Well yeah! Lingering sexy time from Paul and Sarah and then the big Sexy Time in the van between Alison and Chad. Plus Delphine gets physical with Cosima in order to spy on her.

Hey, it’s that guy/gal!: Nobody new at this point.


Rob Bedford lives in NJ with his wife and dog. He reviews books and moderates forums at SFFWorld and runs a blog about stuff and contributes to SF Signal. If you want to read random thoughts about books, TV, his dog, beer, and hockey, you can follow him on Twitter: @RobHBedford.

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