Orphan Black S2E5 - "Ipsa Scientia Potestas Est" Recap

Rachel's apartment now has a bloody mess, which the Dyad Institute's clean-up crew is tending to. Rachel is none too pleased about the death of Daniel and Leekie blames his death on Rachel's heavy handedness. She promises she's only just begun, no doubt spurned on by the apparent snooping that took place into her past.

Sarah has brought Helena back to Felix's place and though he objects to this, he's willing to help Sarah out. Sarah explains to Helena that Felix is her brother and therefore one of their sisters. "He is sestra?" It's effective, as Felix even gets a thank you from Helena.

Cal is still looking after Kira and he's shown to have a stash of cash, a concealed weapon, and a some IDs for running away? Look like Cal has his own share of secrets; it must run in the fmaily.

Rachel and Leekie tell Paul that he's being "promoted" to be her full-time personal security. Leekie updates that they have discovered a new stem cell line that could help treat Cosima but Rachel puts a halt to this course of action, stating that until Sarah surrenders herself, Cosima must suffer.

This secret isn't kept from Cosima, as the science gets accidentally sent to Delphine, who of course shows the cultures to her lady-love and lab-partner Cosima. Cosima says she'll try anything and Leekie's going against the terms of their agreement, to share all of the science, does not escape Cosima. Of all the clones we've seen, Cosima is the genius of the bunch; perhaps it's not such a good idea to try to pull one over on her.

Felix brings Helena to Art, who gives her a pat down and finds Felix's pen that she had swiped. Felix takes off and lets Art know that food is a good way to try to improve his relationship with Helena.

Rachel reviews her childhood videos and tells Paul that Sarah is trying to learn everything about her. Paul is to report Rachel's data to Aldous, but he reports directly to Rachel. Paul is just as confused about that as we are. Rachel then shares a bit about her back story. After her parents died, Leekie became a sort of guardian to her but now that she has worked her way up in the company, she outranks him. Leekie gets too attached; a weakness Rachel doesn't have a propensity for. She sends Paul to plant Daniel's gun, that will be tied to the murder of a police officer, on Felix.

Art is trying to question Helena about Maggie Chen and what the Proletheans did to her while she was with them. She's largely unresponsive, choosing instead to watch his fishes swim.

Gracie is dealing with the repercussions of her attempt on Helena's life. Her mouth has been sewn shut as punishment and she continues to refuse to talk.

Art makes up a grilled cheese sandwich for the handcuffed Helena, who shares the story of being raises by nuns who believed she had devils in her. "Sister Olga locked me in cellar. She gave me darkness. But, I gave her darkness," and pantomimes gauging her eyes out, punctuating it with a popping noise. She says that "swan man" played God and just when Art thinks he'll get some answers, Helena expresses displeasure at not being able to help Sestra and declares that she likes the mini-doughnuts he has given her.

Poor Felix is about to get his sex on with his morgue-lover-boy from last season but then the police come barging in with a search warrant and Big Dick Paul. Felix berates him for playing with Team Rachel and Paul forces Felix to hold Daniel's gun, thus transferring his prints onto it. Paul calls Sarah from Felix's new clone-phone. Sarah has been waiting outside to avoid being seen by the corrupt law enforcement. Paul tells Sarah that Felix will be charged with murder unless Rachel gets what she wants: Sarah, Helena, Kira, everything. Now Sarah has until the following morning to turn herself in.

Sarah calls Art to get help but he simply says to not doing anything crazy and he will do what he can with his resources to try to help her. Helena has picked the lock on her cuffs and holds Art at gunpoint, just as set as ever to help her Sestra.

Gracie has her lips unsewn and tells the Prolethean leaders that she was just trying to help and likened killing Helena to putting a wild coyote down. Unfortunately for her, they now seem set on having her carry Helena's fertilised egg to term.

Cosima and Delphine sneak into Leekie's office to try to get those stem cell samples but are caught by him. He's not all that upset and quickly informs them that Rachel is the one that wanted her denied access. He then informs them about a fire that happened twenty years prior that killed several scientists and destroyed the original genome. "The entire project is essentially an orphan." The map is lost and finding the sequence has proven highly difficult. Leekie says that he's willing to disregard Rachel and proceed with the treatment, as a measure of good faith.

Little Kira begins drawing her mother and the clones, telling Cal that they're "new, all look the same, but I can tell them apart." Police officers come knocking and demands to see Cal's license and registration. His suspicions of Cal, who uses a fake ID, are extinguished when Kira comes over and plays up the part of cute-daughter.

Sarah makes it back to Art's place, gives him the keys to set himself free, and together they set off after Helena. They arrive at a storage unit where they find a photo of "Swan Man," the leader of Project LEDA whom Helena had been speaking about and may have survived the explosion. This is information Sarah could trade for Felix and she's ready to call Cosima but then they realise that a sniper rifle is missing and Sarah quickly deduces that Helena plans to kill Rachel.

Rachel tells Paul to get two glasses of '63 Margeaux and Helena is chopping hair off a doll head to mimic Rachel's bob. She's gotten a nice vantage point with a view of Rachel in her apartment and Paul. Helena's putting lipstick on the severed doll head and then on herself. Helena continues to watch as Rachel orders Paul to remove his clothes Rachel isn't the affectionate type, punctuating a kiss with a slap.

Rachel proceeds to have her way with Paul on a chair while Sarah and Art reach Helena who has her rifle fully set up. Sarah goes over to talk Helena down. Helena says that "Rachel is problem. I fix problem." But Sarah lets her know that Rachel has Felix, or as Helena calls him, "Brother Sestra." If Helena kills Rachel, there will be no getting Felix back. Helena tells Sarah to look through the binoculars and seeing Paul's infidelity. Sarah gets right in the pats of the rifle and in what appears to be an honest, heartfelt plea, she tells Helena that she killed her and couldn't tell anyone what she had lost. She cries and Helena also tears up and puts the gun down. "You make me cry, sestra," and we're all crying with her. Sarah has also dubbed Helena "meathead," to which Helena usually replies, "Don't call me this."

Cosima receives her first injections from Leekie, while loving Delphine stays right at her side. Cosima then offers Leekie a meet with Sarah at a little dive bar. Sarah shows him the photo of Professor Ethan Duncan and offers to retrieve him in exchange for Felix being set free. Leekie says he can pull the levers to counter Rachel and get him off while ensuring Cosima will continue her treatments. Only problem is, Sarah didn't even Cosima was sick to begin with. Leekie says he can buy her three days and Sarah promises to sick Helena on him if anyone follows her. Paul approaches Leekie after Sarah leaves and Leekie tells him to follow Sarah and report to him first, before Rachel. Outside, Helena tells Sarah to drive to "Cold River: the place of Screams."

There's no shortage of interesting plot points at this point on Orphan Black. The sexual power-play with which Rachel forces herself on Paul is indicative of her obsessive need for domination. Paul is stuck between Rachel and Leekie and he appears so far brainwashed into taking orders that it's truly difficult to see where his allegiances lie. Lest we not forget that he covered for Sarah and let her go following her attack on Rachel. Things are too far complicated for him to simply switch sides and join up with the Clones, but I wouldn't rule out that possibility further down the line. Sarah and Helena's blossoming sestrahood is a surprising but nonetheless touching development and although Alison was absent from this week's episode, the preview shows she'll be back in all her high-strung recovery next week. Although Orphan Black is an action-filled, thrilling drama, it also continues to showcase its fantastic comedic timing. This week's gem came when Helena began narrating Rachel's domination of Big Dick Paul: "Do you like my hair, Paul? Very pretty, dirty, sexy Rachel. Like my mother."

Orphan Black airs on BBC American on Saturdays at 9PM.