Villains are exposed, the truth about Kira’s disappearance is revealed, and Mrs. S’s true motives are in question this week on Orphan Black…but is it enough to keep the show on its “A” game?

Helena wakes in a hospital bed (ugh), as the doctors and police try to figure out who she is. A quick look through her pockets only yields sugar packets, lollipops, and a picture of a baby, natch. In a scene right out of a horror film, Prolethean “Pastor” Henrik impregnates a cow as he discusses Helena’s status with creepy diner dude Mark. Turns out Mark saved Sarah’s twin sis and got her to the hospital just in time. Completely negating the beautiful conclusion to her arc from last season…but I digress.

Art grills Sarah on the reasons the Proletheans want her daughter as Felix shows up. “Can’t believe you let a cop into the ‘Clone Club,’” gotta love Felix. But honestly, it makes more sense that Sarah and the gang would learn more info on the Proletheans, the Neolutionists, and whatever evil entity hide behind door number three with someone like Art in their rank. It adds a layer of reality in the midst of insanity we lovingly call Orphan Black. Kira gets to a phone and calls Felix first thing, but the creepy captor hangs up before she can give Sarah any details to her whereabouts. Art is able to trace the call to a motel. The two former partners race there only to find Kira gone. A quick search of the room finds a drawing by the little girl not much else. Daniel shows up to occupy Art while Sarah finds a conveniently placed trail of Kira’s clothes leading to a laundry room, where Kira’s captor orders Sarah into the trunk of his car. He drives her out to the woods…to Mrs. S. Apparently, she has had Kira all along, staging the kidnapping. Banner adoptive parent, she is, but she assures Sarah that she’s always been on her side. The network that helped Mrs. S, Felix, and Sarah disappear once is helping again. Hiding out in the same house where the family escaped to years before, Mrs. S is planning to take Kira to the UK. Sarah is pissed, rightfully so, and confronts Siobhan with the photo Amelia gave her. Mrs. S denies knowing anything about it, but the look on her face tells a different story. Later, when Sarah gets Kira alone, the two agree to escape – neither trusting Siobhan after Kira tells Sarah that Siobhan was snooping in Amelia’s things before she died. When mother and daughter try to escape, Siobhan’s crazy “friends” try to take them down, and Mrs. S dispatches with them, allowing Kira and Sarah to drive away. Mrs. S was trying to spare Kira, but the people she chose to help them sold them out to the Proletheans. Sarah calls Felix, and along with Kira, they plan to leave town.

Daniel attempts to get Art suspended for meddling, but Deangelis has news to cheer him up: She found Helena. Art orders her not to get involved, but of course, this one-note cop doesn’t listen. When she arrives at the hospital, though, Helena is gone, whisked away mere seconds before by Mark. Generic Cult Central takes Helena and Tomas in, though there is an obvious rift there. Henrik assures Tomas that Helena is a miracle, all of her organs a reverse of Sarah, and not an abomination as the “father” would believe. He wonders if Helena, because she is Sarah’s twin, might also be able to conceive a child. Henrik has Mark do his best Anton Chigurh imitation and take Tomas out with a cattle gun.

Over in suburbia, Alison attends Aynsley’s funeral, attempting to put on a brave face brought to you by MAC cosmetics, among the many whispers from attendees. Ali is determined to make it through clearheaded, but her plans are thwarted when she finds incriminating messages on Donnie’s phone, exposing his monitor-status. She downs a shot immediately, and we’re off to the races! After another all-too-quick rehearsal scene from the upcoming play that I MUST secure tickets from for opening night, boozed and slightly molested by her director, Alison reveals her suspicions about Donnie to Felix…and she, quite hilariously, confesses her role in Aynsley’s death. Felix suggests the two set a trap for Donnie to see if they can out him as Alison’s monitor. I have to say that I love these two as a team even more than Felix as Sarah’s sidekick. The two are enough trouble and comic relief to keep the show’s drama in relative stasis. The trap is set, and Alison ambushes Donnie. I find it a little hard to believe – though this is the plot in the episode – that a man so adept at fooling Alison for so long would fail this miserably. I guess we should just go with it. Donnie covers his tracks in an obvious lie, but Alison lets him think he has the upper hand. Alison reaches out to her BFF Felix, who is on his way out of town with Sarah; realizing she is all alone in a bed of her own making, the housewife crumbles.

Back at The Dyad Institute, Cosima and Delphine try to convince Leekie that Sarah conned them all, and the pair were not complicit in the Brit’s attack on Rachel. Leekie warns Cosima that Rachel holds a grudge, but he just wants to get back to science and again aims to have Cosima work there. Leekie gives her the guided tour, and shows Cosima a lab that could be hers, all her questions answered, if she signs on the bottom line. While Delphine and Cosima get cozy in the new place, Rachel shows up in all her ice queen glory to give Cosima her first orders: find out if Cosima is sick like Katja and discover the reason why Sarah is different.

Final Thoughts: In its second season, Orphan Black has managed to create new threads while answering enough questions to expand the world authentically. Though a bit wonky on the details, mostly Donnie’s inconsistently inept monitor and the decision to reanimate Helena, the show continues to entertain and excite. The clichéd villains take a backseat to the fascinating science, and I hope that continues. I have to say that if the show persists in spotlighting the Prolethean Warren Jeffs Henrik, I might check out a bit. There are cracks, but I’m still on board…for now.

Questions for the new season: Is Clone Club no more? What is up with Siobhan? Is the show slowly going Alison-centric? (Please…) MORE CLONES?!

Grade: B