I've always thought that the character of Rachel had a lot of untapped potential. There are so many rich ideas thematically surrounding her character that have been occasionally hinted at but not really developed in the way they deserve. This is the episode that finally dives right in to her psyche and explores her duality in a way that was interesting and also quite tense due to the way it factored into the story. This tension builds perfectly to an ending sequence that is undoubtedly one of the most disturbing things I've seen on a screen yet also incredibly satisfying.
Though Rachel is obviously the standout of the episode, I was struck by the number of returning characters in this episode. Most notable is the return of Matt Frewer as Aldous Leekie in flashback. I was sad to see him bumped off the series so early on (though his death was fantastic), so it was wonderful to see him again briefly. Also returning in this episode are Mark and his Neolution girlfriend last seen in season 3. I do think the return of Mark could have been handled much better, as I thought for the longest time that he was Ira. The actor is no good at differentiating his characters, and it also doesn't help that they killed Ira off-screen without telling us. At least I think that's what happened. Again, I have a lot of trouble keeping track of the Castor clones mostly due to the actor's performance.
On a similar note, I think that clones should be banned from changing their hairstyle, because it is one of the main things I use to tell them apart. Alison returned in this episode with a brand new hairstyle and it made it hard to look at her as Alison rather than some new character. However, this is also in some ways a testament to Tatiana Maslany's acting ability (especially compared to the Castor guy) because she was still very definitely Alison from a performance standpoint. It really highlights the fact that Tatiana completely transforms for each character.
All in all, a fantastic character driven episode that progresses the story well and finally gives Rachel the screen time she deserves. I hope the final three episodes pick up the pace.
Though Rachel is obviously the standout of the episode, I was struck by the number of returning characters in this episode. Most notable is the return of Matt Frewer as Aldous Leekie in flashback. I was sad to see him bumped off the series so early on (though his death was fantastic), so it was wonderful to see him again briefly. Also returning in this episode are Mark and his Neolution girlfriend last seen in season 3. I do think the return of Mark could have been handled much better, as I thought for the longest time that he was Ira. The actor is no good at differentiating his characters, and it also doesn't help that they killed Ira off-screen without telling us. At least I think that's what happened. Again, I have a lot of trouble keeping track of the Castor clones mostly due to the actor's performance.
On a similar note, I think that clones should be banned from changing their hairstyle, because it is one of the main things I use to tell them apart. Alison returned in this episode with a brand new hairstyle and it made it hard to look at her as Alison rather than some new character. However, this is also in some ways a testament to Tatiana Maslany's acting ability (especially compared to the Castor guy) because she was still very definitely Alison from a performance standpoint. It really highlights the fact that Tatiana completely transforms for each character.
All in all, a fantastic character driven episode that progresses the story well and finally gives Rachel the screen time she deserves. I hope the final three episodes pick up the pace.
