‘Orphan Black’ Recap: Rachel Rising

(Photo: BBC America)

Warning: This recap for the “The Mitigation of Competition” episode of Orphan Black contains spoilers.

Three episodes ago, the Evie Cho-led evil Empire struck back against with lethal force against the Clone Club and devout Neolutionist Susan Duncan. Tonight, on Season 4’s penultimate episode, “The Mitigation of Competition,” that tentative Rebel Alliance returned fire, blowing up Darth Cho’s plans to take Bright Born public in the same way that Lando and Nien Nunb made the second Death Star go kablooey. Actually, Rachel was the one to take down Evie, appearing to betray her clone sisters by striking a deal with their nemesis. The terms? Not revealing damning video footage of Bright Born’s collateral damage in exchange for a high-ranking position within the Neolution hierarchy.

Little did Evie realize she was going to be the frog in this particular telling of “The Scorpion and the Frog.” Rachel stung her badly in full public view, leaking that footage to the journalists who showed up to cover what should have been Cho’s victory lap. And Jessalyn Wanlim, for one, thinks that Evie really should have seen that betrayal coming. “You really can’t beat Rachel!” the actress — who has loved her season long stint as the most hated person on television — tells Yahoo TV about Evie’s devastating setback. “I definitely think Evie’s career has been hindered, and the clones have the upper hand.”

(Photo: BBC America)

Wanlim also disavowed Evie’s involvement in the episode’s final big reveal, which finally gives us visual proof that Cosima’s lover, Delphine, is alive and well. Um… make that “alive” anyway. “Evie wasn’t lying to Cosima; she truly believed that Delphine died. She should have been dead! Somebody messed up.” Delphine’s fate will almost certainly play a big role in next week’s finale, which appears to pit a furious Evie against the united Leda clones and eternal wild card, Rachel. “Evie’s full of rage and ready to prove everybody wrong,” Wanlim teases. “I think there’s going to be some resolution, but I’m not going to say on whose end!”

Related: Catch Up on ‘Orphan Black’ With Our Recaps

We did get resolution for certain storylines and characters in this penultimate hour. For example, Helena made her long awaited return from the wilderness to put an arrow through the neck of Neolution enforcer, Frank, just as he was poised to stick one of those gene-altering maggots inside Alison’s mouth while Donnie watched, horrified. And Felix had a sweetly sad farewell with his biological sister, Adele, who recognized it was time to back away from an exceptionally complicated situation. (My fingers remained crossed that she’s not revealed to be a secret Dyad mole in the finale; she’s too enjoyable a character to see corrupted.)

But there’s still so much we don’t know! Who is responsible for Rachel’s ongoing visions of dying swans, and what are they trying to communicate? Is Sarah still going to experience the “transformation” that Kira prophesied, even though her cheek is now worm-free? Will Mika finally join the Clone Club fold? While you ponder those questions, read over this week’s clone power rankings.

1) Rachel
That pencil jab to the brain may have slowed her speech, but it hasn’t stopped her cunning. After weeks of the Clone Club absorbing Evie Cho’s body blows, Rachel unleashed a swift uppercut that puts her, though maybe not her sisters, in TKO position.

2) Helena
How soon can we get that Arrow/Orphan Black crossover? Helena’s bow-handling skills make her a perfect angel… of death.

3) Sarah
Sarah went back to her Season 1 roots one more time, heading into the field alongside Art to track down two missing Bright Born mothers. They locate one, but are outmaneuvered by Rachel, seeming to conform what Sarah says at the top of the hour: “This is a bad idea.”

4) Cosima
Cosima continues to grow the all-important Clone Club-saving blastocyst in Susan’s island lab. Here’s hoping she moves hell or high water for a face-to-face reunion with Delphine.

5) Alison
Alison got her faith back, but almost lost her life. Praise Helena, she lives to perform “Jesus Christ Superstar” another day.

6) Mika
When will the Finnish clone get off the bench and into the game? She can’t be a ghost in her sisters’ computers forever.

Non-Clone MVP: Evie Cho
You fought a good fight, Evie, but the Clone Club was gonna catch up to you eventually. At least we know that when you go down, you’ll go down swinging.

Orphan Black airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on BBC America.