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Review: Gains and losses on Orphan Black

SPOILER ALERT: Please do not read on unless you’ve seen the Season 3, Episode 2 of Orphan Black, titled “Transitory Sacrifices of Crisis.”

One down already, and we’re only two episodes in!

Deranged and obviously defective Project Castor clone Seth was shot to death by his brother Rudy, who either couldn’t bear to see Seth suffer anymore, or couldn’t be bothered to continue cleaning up his messes. Seth, we hardly knew ye. I will miss that moustache. It seems rather early in the Orphan Black season to bid farewell to such a potentially rich character (not to mention the possible dynamics between he and his brothers), but it might be a device to draw our attention to the obvious comparison pairing: Helena and Sarah.

I could argue that Helena is “defective” like Seth, but I don’t really see her that way. I see her as a product of abuse, hyper-intelligent, and street-smart. Yes, her one confidante at the moment is a scorpion, but you try being in a crate for an extended period of time and see how you’re doing! Anyway, we can see how much Sarah is driven by her desire to save her sister—no matter what the cost. Enough, in this case, to send Kira to Iceland with Cal (oh, Cal) so she can resume her Helena search-and-rescue without endangering her daughter.

And Helena, even though she’s been sold to the bad guys by Mrs. S., is still loyal to her sisters. When Dr. Coady (“Mommy”) tries to sway her with platitudes and compliments, Helena simply utters “I don’t believe you.” At this point, she still believes she has an ally in Sarah and the girls, and there’s no way Sarah betrayed her. She’s right, of course, but it’s only a matter of time (and waterboarding) before Helena is reprogrammed to go against her fellow Project Leda members. Lest we forget that she’s pregnant, too—a very valuable thing to every camp on the show.

Seeing Cal, Paul and Art for the first time in Season 3 reminded me just how weak the male characters are (with the exceptions of Felix and Donnie). Cal exists as a device to take care of Kira and physically protect someone when he needs to, plus he’s easy on the eyes; Paul is also the stereotypical “hot” guy, but he doesn’t really do much of anything other than threaten on occasion and lurk in the shadows; and oh man, Art. I can see he’s no better at policing than he was in the series premiere.

On one hand, as I’ve expounded above, it’s irritating to have all these fringe male characters (other than the clones) just popping up when necessary to move the plot forward. But on the other hand, it’s interesting to see the gender flip, and I wonder how many current TV shows have unjustifiably weak female characters, merely there to be eye candy. On a show like Orphan Black, which is female-strong, I think it’s an acceptable thing (for now) to have these supplemental people contribute now and then.

Ari Millen was more prominently featured in this episode, and that was a pleasure. Obviously an outstanding actor, he brings a lot of charisma to the male clones. He is at once convincingly scary (as Rudy) but also sincere (as Mark). I think it’s going to be fun watching him unpack the characters over the remaining eight episodes. His scenes with Tatiana are just a joy.

I am also a big fan of the nerd duo, Cosima and Scott. With Delphine “away in Europe” (a.k.a. Evelyne Brochu shooting another TV show), the two scientists are working together to figure out where they stand with Dyad. They’ve got the key to Ethan’s work, and that’s their ace in the hole. We’ll have to wait and see how they wield it.

As for the Alison, Donnie and Ramon side-plot, I don’t want to spend too much time on it because I think it’s ridiculous. As much as I love to watch the married couple bicker and be silly, the idea of running for school-board trustee while being everyone’s drug dealer just makes no sense. Why would anyone willingly elect their drug dealer in a position involved with their child’s education? Alison would have no power over these people. Sure, she knows that they do drugs, but so what? Surely there are other ways to get money. I don’t know, the whole thing just seems very random.

We’ve trudged through the beginning here, but the through-line for the season seems clear: Sarah is now on the hunt for Helena, phalanxed by Mrs. S., Felix and her sisters, and Project Castor (along with Mommy) and Dyad are after them. Like Sarah says: “Now we find Helena and finish this shit.”

Keep it simple, Orphan Black.

Clone of the Week: Rudy. Convincingly terrifying and engaging, I wanted to see more of him. Also, second episode in a row featuring Ari Millen’s ass.

Random Thoughts:

  • Anyone else counting the minutes until Mrs. S. and Mommy throw down? Mother-figure fight!
  • Thanks to the readers for pointing out my errors last week—I could swear Alison said “diddle,” but apparently it was “doodle.” Also, the new Leda clone is spelled “Krystal,” not “Crystal.” Love you Orphan Black fans, so dedicated!
  • Felix on the new clone phones: “Blue as the skies of Lesbos!”
  • Donnie: “Fist me.”
  • The fake moustache budget for this show has now substantially declined.
  • That hockey-in-the-house scene with Cal, Kira and Sarah was so contrived I had to hold in my laughter.
  • Michiel Huisman (Cal) is so drastically underused on this show, it’s almost criminal. See: Game of Thrones.

Orphan Black airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on Space.

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Poll: Who are your favourite Canadian TV cops?

Have you heard the news, Rookie Blue fans? Season 6 of Global’s homegrown cop drama returns on Thursday, May 21, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Andy, Swarek, Oliver, Dov and the rest make up the latest crop of cops created for Canadian TV shows. How do the Rookie Blue folks stack up against Det. Murdoch and the Toronto Constabulary? Where do Haven‘s east coast coppers rate against B.C. boys and girls in blue?

We’ve put together an exhaustive list of current and past Canadian TV cops for you to choose your three favourites from. If we missed any, type them up in the comments section. Let the voting begin!

Who are your favourite Canadian TV cops?

  • Ed Lane, Flashpoint (30%, 5,737 Votes)
  • Sam Swarek, Rookie Blue (19%, 3,636 Votes)
  • Davis Quinton, Corner Gas (8%, 1,542 Votes)
  • Mike Sweeney, Durham County (8%, 1,465 Votes)
  • Karen Pelly, Corner Gas (5%, 995 Votes)
  • Gail Peck, Rookie Blue (5%, 898 Votes)
  • Andy McNally, Rookie Blue (4%, 757 Votes)
  • William Murdoch, Murdoch Mysteries (2%, 375 Votes)
  • Nathan Wuornos, Haven (2%, 334 Votes)
  • Oliver Shaw, Rookie Blue (2%, 333 Votes)
  • Benton Fraser, Due South (2%, 332 Votes)
  • George Crabtree, Murdoch Mysteries (1%, 216 Votes)
  • Jules Callaghan, Flashpoint (1%, 175 Votes)
  • Tamsin, Lost Girl (1%, 161 Votes)
  • Dyson, Lost Girl (1%, 153 Votes)
  • Traci Nash, Rookie Blue (1%, 127 Votes)
  • Nick Collins, Rookie Blue (1%, 126 Votes)
  • Greg Parker, Flashpoint (1%, 119 Votes)
  • John Constable, The Beachcombers (1%, 117 Votes)
  • Thomas Brackenreid, Murdoch Mysteries (0%, 95 Votes)
  • Ray Kowalski, Due South (0%, 91 Votes)
  • Mike Scarlatti, Flashpoint (0%, 89 Votes)
  • Sam Braddock, Flashpoint (0%, 82 Votes)
  • Michelle Kenidi, North of 60 (0%, 77 Votes)
  • Ray Vecchio, Due South (0%, 73 Votes)
  • Kevin Wordsworth, Flashpoint (0%, 71 Votes)
  • Chloe Price, Rookie Blue (0%, 66 Votes)
  • Dwight Hendrickson, Haven (0%, 60 Votes)
  • Kiera Cameron, Continuum (0%, 60 Votes)
  • Angie Flynn, Motive (0%, 54 Votes)
  • Leslie Bennett, Republic of Doyle (0%, 51 Votes)
  • Kerri, Sunnyside (0%, 50 Votes)
  • Dov Epstein, Rookie Blue (0%, 48 Votes)
  • Donna, Sunnyside (0%, 47 Votes)
  • Art, Orphan Black (0%, 39 Votes)
  • Ben Chartier, 19-2 (0%, 36 Votes)
  • Ben Sullivan, Shattered (0%, 29 Votes)
  • Oscar Vega, Motive (0%, 27 Votes)
  • Chris Diaz, Rookie Blue (0%, 26 Votes)
  • Eric Olsen, North of 60 (0%, 25 Votes)
  • Tinny Doyle, Republic of Doyle (0%, 22 Votes)
  • Carlos Fonnegra, Continuum (0%, 22 Votes)
  • Henry Higgins, Murdoch Mysteries (0%, 21 Votes)
  • Mick Leary, Da Vinci's Inquest (0%, 20 Votes)
  • Slugger Jackson, Murdoch Mysteries (0%, 18 Votes)
  • Aidan Black, Cracked (0%, 17 Votes)
  • Nick Barron, 19-2 (0%, 15 Votes)
  • Harding Welsh, Due South (0%, 14 Votes)
  • Ali McCormick, Cold Squad (0%, 14 Votes)
  • Joshua Nolan, Defiance (0%, 12 Votes)
  • Leo Shannon, Da Vinci's Inquest (0%, 12 Votes)
  • Brian Fletcher, North of 60 (0%, 11 Votes)
  • James Harper, North of 60 (0%, 8 Votes)
  • Jessica King, King (0%, 7 Votes)
  • Kat Loving, Strange Empire (0%, 7 Votes)
  • Angela Kosmo, Da Vinci's Inquest (0%, 7 Votes)
  • Mary Spalding, Intelligence (0%, 7 Votes)
  • J.M. Brouillard, 19-2 (0%, 6 Votes)
  • Mark Cross, Motive (0%, 6 Votes)
  • Audrey Pouliot, 19-2 (0%, 5 Votes)
  • Liz Carver, The Border (0%, 5 Votes)
  • Inspector Dillon, Continuum (0%, 5 Votes)
  • Brian Lucas, Motive (0%, 5 Votes)
  • Gray Jackson, The Border (0%, 4 Votes)
  • Ted Altman, Intelligence (0%, 4 Votes)
  • Poppy Wisnefski, Cracked (0%, 4 Votes)
  • Diane Caligra, Cracked (0%, 4 Votes)
  • Tyler Joseph, 19-2 (0%, 3 Votes)
  • Ed Oosterhuis, Blue Murder (0%, 2 Votes)
  • Isabelle Latendresse, 19-2 (0%, 2 Votes)
  • Mickey Kollander, Cold Squad (0%, 1 Votes)
  • Frank Leo, The Bridge (0%, 1 Votes)
  • Jack Pogue, Blue Murder (0%, 1 Votes)
  • Amy Lynch, Shattered (0%, 1 Votes)
  • Beatrice Hamelin, 19-2 (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 13,495

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Comments and queries for the week of April 24

Orphan Black feedback
I wouldn’t bet on Rachel killing Delphine if only because she clearly has brain damage, so possibly some physical struggle as well as speaking. I sort of felt badly for Rachel during the eye socket torture but went back to hating her by the end for the Helsinki plan. Anyone who threatens Alison is on my bad side instantly.

Clone of the week: Sarah as Rachel. Also, the scene of Felix turning her into Rachel felt like a behind-the-scenes look at the make-up department.—Dan


No love for Coldwater Cowboys
Most of these boys/woman should be put in a rubber room so as not to cause injury to themselves and others around them. The way these people carry on makes me ashamed to be a Newfoundlander. They have more troubles in one season than most people have in their entire fishing carrier. You truly paint a sad pic of Newfies.—Ern


More Murdoch finale chat
Wow! Careful, concise and constructive comments regarding the interview and the possibilities that the course of the show might take, without devolving into name-calling and random political diatribes … how is this possible?! Oh … right … you folks are from Canada, where rational differences of opinion are possible and even encouraged and no trolls allowed! Must be nice. I do have some hope, however, since Sharon appears to be American; between the two of us, we may be the beginnings of a civility movement in the States. All joking aside, I recently discovered The Artful Detective by happenstance and find it charming. Although I have read the synopses of the first six seasons (in order to make some sense of the relationships), I will have to delve into my Netflix account to watch the episodes, as time allows. All the actors look like they are enjoying themselves immensely and they “play it straight,” with only an occasional scandalous wink (think of Julia removing her black wool bathing stockings at the lake) at their audience. I hope the ensemble wants to remain together for many more seasons of Murdoch! P.S. I really enjoy how the show entwines actual historical figures and events with the characters’ story lines … great fun!—Susan

Got a comment or question about Canadian TV? greg@tv-eh.com or @tv_eh.

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Review: King of the Vikings conquers Paris

“I win.” Ragnar Lothbrok certainly did. He pulled the wool over the eyes of the French Emperor, his own followers and I’m sure more than a few viewers when he faked his death in order to gain access to the heart of the city.

Sure, Ragnar used his love of Athelstan’s religion to his advantage, but that’s what you do in war, right? What I found interesting is that Ragnar was content with simply getting into Paris and having the Vikings do a little bit of looting before retreating rather than attempting to gain control of the city outright. He doesn’t really have the manpower to run Paris, but I was expecting a lot more violence than what happened during Thursday’s season finale.

By all accounts, it looked like “The Dead” was going to be all about the death of Ragnar. He’s been peeing and coughing up blood for the last several weeks, so I was expecting his death. And when Bjorn came forward with tears in his eyes, I fell for the act. Instead, Ragnar lay inside that beautifully carved ship-shaped coffin and listened to what his key followers said to him. There weren’t many surprises—my favourite quotes are at the bottom of this review—but it was still cool, in retrospect, to hear Floki admit he’d killed Athelstan. That closing scene where Ragnar revealed he knew Floki had done it was wonderfully dramatic and left me chortling with glee.

But despite all of that, I’m most excited to see what happens with Rollo. He chose to winter over outside Paris so that the Vikings have a presence there until spring when Ragnar plans to return. The Emperor smartly offered Rollo land, the title of Duke and Princess Gisla’s hand in marriage in exchange for Rollo agreeing to defend Paris against Ragnar. This is just the latest power play pushed in Rollo’s direction and it appears he’s on board. History documents Rollo really did marry a French princess as part of an agreement to stop attacking the capital, so I’m chuffed to see what Michael Hirst does with Rollo’s story.

Actor Travis Fimmel told me Vikings would go on without Ragnar and he was just a small piece of the story. And while that’s true, Fimmel’s shoes are tough to fill. Ragnar is compelling, funny, serious and easy to cheer for and it’s going to be tough for Clive Standen’s Rollo and Alexander Ludwig’s Bjorn to shoulder that load once Ragnar does make the journey to Valhalla.

Notes and quotes

  • “I am dying. But at least I’ll see Athelstan again.” — Ragnar
  • Floki has been on a fascinating journey this season. Far from the giddy genius, we saw his deep, dark side and commitment to the gods. He was willing to kill the man he looks up to, Ragnar, to appease the gods.
  • “If you have gone to Heaven, then we will never meet again.” A killer line from Lagertha.
  • “I’m sorry you’re dead, but it happens to all of us sooner or later.” Rollo’s matter-of-factness was snicker-worthy.
  • “I hate you Ragnar Lothbrok. And I love you with all my heart.” — Floki
  • Count Odo certainly has some odd tastes, doesn’t he? #whipsandchains

What did you think of this season of Vikings overall? What were some of your favourite moments? Let me know via the Comments below or @tv_eh.

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Interview: Want to break into TV? Try Bell Local

Bell Local is definitely not your usual community television. The service, available to those in the Toronto area who subscribe to Bell Fibe, allows fledgling and established filmmakers to spotlight the people and places in Canada’s largest city in a new and unique way.

Ian Daffern, a producer at Bell Local, is always looking for new talent to showcase, and views it as a great way for newbies to get into the TV business. That was certainly the case for the boys at Touring T.O. and their offbeat comedy series about two guys pulling tourists between strange Toronto landmarks.

We spoke to Daffern about three unique series offered on Bell Local, and got the details on how people with ideas can get their content on the air.

What is the mandate of Bell Local?
Ian Daffern: We’re looking to celebrate the places in the Greater Toronto Area that aren’t seen on television. We want to tell real stories and present original and new ways of doing that kind of television. We’re trying to present a contemporary way of celebrating the GTA. It’s hyper local but also using the latest forms of storytelling.

What do you look for in a pitch?
What really excites us is seeing some personal passion on the part of the creator. Maybe they would be doing this themselves if we weren’t connected with it. Like the Pique project; this guy was doing it himself anyway and out making it. When he connected with us, we were giving him a wider audience and wider reach. And we’re working with him to tell longer features on different artists. What we’re looking for is something that shows the different parts of the city outside of the core in a really interesting way. We’re not exactly like them, but I see what we’re doing as similar to BlogTO.

Slow T.O. is a perfect example of something different. A nice, leisurely ride across the Toronto harbour, looking at the city in a way you don’t get unless you’re on a boat or on one of the islands.
The idea for this was our service comes through the Bell Fibe box and I thought, ‘What if there was something that you could watch through this box that gave you a different experience?’ It didn’t have to be a linear experience. The idea of making ambient television was really appealing to me and it was a different way of experiencing the city using music.

As someone who has lived in this city for over 10 years, it gave me a whole new way to look at it. I’m always looking out at the islands, rather than back at the city.
I was on that boat shooting, and it was one of the more fascinating experiences I had in the entire year. We were out before dawn and seeing the way the colours moved across the sky and trying to figure out when best to capture the sun hitting the different mirrors on the buildings. Our director of photography, Ryan Emond, does hyperlapse photography which is like Slow T.O. but it’s all done in five minutes.

Another series I loved was The Urbane Explorer. Jeremy Woodcock exploring known locations in Toronto—like Pearson International Airport—from a new perspective; he just went out there and hung out and captured some great moments.
He had done this short called Finding Bessarion and we approached him to make it into a series. I like to try and find people who are already creating this kind of content and reach out and ask where else their idea could go. They told us that as they were working on Finding Bessarion they kept getting pitched other subway stations that they should check out. But the point of the series is to look at the city from a whole new way. You’re getting Jeremy’s comedy and his wry point of view.

The last show I want to talk about specifically is Chillin’ with Dylan. How did that show come about? What I liked most about it was the series explored his interests and everyone he spoke to treated him with respect.
We want to change the way people think, and work with filmmakers that want to look at things in a new way. The filmmaker for that is Kire Paputts and we worked with him on a film about Gerrard St. Then he came to us with an idea and that was Chillin’ with Dylan. Kire worked with Dylan on a short film where he was cast as a boy with special needs who goes on an adventure in the city. Then he had an idea for an interview series that was driven by Dylan’s point of view. All the episodes were based on things that Dylan wanted to find out about. It’s kung fu, it’s sex, it’s psychics.

This city has thousands of stories that all fit with what you want to do.
Yeah, and different ways of telling them from a new point of view. Look at what’s right outside your window.

The guys at Touring T.O. told me that Bell Local was the perfect foot in the door for them to get something on the air. Do you view yourselves as fostering new talent as well?
Definitely. We look at ourselves as an incubator for talent. We’re trying to find people who aren’t getting as much reach as they could or maybe they’re lacking the resources to do what they want to do. Having the Bell Local name behind it, I think, gives them a little bit of weight when it comes to booking a guest or something. That’s what I’m most excited about, working with new and established filmmakers. Any time one of our filmmakers moves on and does something else, we feel like we’ve done our job.

How many households are you in?
Anyone who gets Bell Fibe has access to us. I think we’re around half a million households.

Ian, how do I get a pitch to you if I have one?
We have an open call on our website and we ask everyone to send their pitches through the website. You click on the Propose a Program tab and it gives you all the information on what we’re looking for. We’re always looking for pitches.

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