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Orphan Black Series Finale Recap: “To Right the Wrongs of Many”

By Kelly Shanaphy

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Orphan Black chooses to slow down its pace in a satisfying but surprising series finale — “To Right the Wrongs of Many.”

Usually, Orphan Black speeds to an epic conclusion, where it shows the triumphant clone sestras taking down the villain, instead, the action is wrapped up in about the first fifteen minutes of the finale leave the next forty open to show the clones adjusting to normal life. It’s a weird decision for the show, but nonetheless a fulfilling ending for fans of every one of them.

The action of “To Right the Wrongs of Many,” primarily consists of Sarah’s and Helena’s escape from Dyad after the latter goes into the labor. From the minute the episode opens up, the pressure and danger are palpable, giving viewers a real reason to fear for the safety of four major characters. Sarah leaves her sister in the basement in search of medical supplies while Art finally gets the opportunity to take down his awful partner who arrives to help the Neolutionists. With the clones separated and vulnerable, each is confronted by their own villain with Helena facing a bloodied Coady and Sarah against a dying PT Westmoreland. Luckily, Art is on hand and able to trick Coady one last time so that Helena can stab her in the throat to finally finish off the villainous doctor.

Meanwhile, Sarah’s confrontation with Westmoreland will always be remembered by fans as the final victorious stand she made against Dyad. Every line she offers up shows how far Sarah has come since the beginning of Orphan Black where she asserts he is not responsible for her or her sister’s success and will never be able to stop them. “I survived you. We survived you. Me and my sisters together. This is evolution.” are Sarah’s most poignant words, and the ones that will most likely live on as the series most memorable. She kills Westmoreland and runs off to help Helena knowing that they’ve finally escaped the doctors chasing down their kids.

There are a lot of memorable scenes in “To Right the Wrongs of Many,” however Helena’s birth is the strongest of the bunch as well as a guarantee that Tatiana Maslany wins another (very much deserved) Emmy. While Sarah helps her sister give birth, it’s intercut with scenes of Siobhan doing the same for Sarah. It’s the most heartwarming and heartbreaking scene that comes to memory to be able to see the sisters be there for each but have the fresh memory of losing Siobhan mean such a beautiful moment is tearing Sarah up inside.

While she didn’t get much time to grieve in the episode before, this finale gives plenty of moments where she finally has to deal with the loss of her mother. It’s a reminder as to who Sarah was before she was aware of her clone identity, and how despite everything S was there to clean up her messes. Now, she feels alone, no longer rushing forward trying to save the day but is stuck standing still, and afraid she will regress back to being a let down drifter.

It would be easy to give all the other clones their happy endings but have Sarah end “To Right the Wrongs of Many” suffering just because she’s the main character. However, Orphan Black knows that her sisters would never allow her to slip back into her old self without fighting to save her. Although she’s trying to sell the house and is too afraid to take her GED test, it doesn’t stop her Clone Club from staying by her side.

After a successful baby shower for Helena’s twins (a nice call-back to an earlier episode), the clones finally gather around outside to talk about their lives. As Alison reminds them all, they fought for this sisterhood and the right to live in peace with one another. The women bonding over their poor parenting skills and Helena’s aptly named novel, Orphan Black, is a beautiful moment for the show as well as cementing the foundation of the series.

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Also, Tatiana Maslany shows off, once again, how terrific she is at playing every clone in their own unique way with all the characters sitting in different positions while relaxing.

In the end, every clone does get their happy ending, including the 274 (!!!) other LEDAs that are out there in the world. Cosima and Delphine are off to cure the rest of the sisters as well as finally get a stable relationship built on trust. While Charlotte’s whereabouts are never mentioned in “To Right the Wrongs of Many,” here’s hoping the long running fan-theory that she would be adopted by the two of them came true! Alison and Donnie are still doing hilarious strip teases for one another, a reminder of how loving their marriage has become since they started doing their crazy antics together. Helena finally has to give names to her twins, (sorry but Orange and Purple were not great options), she fittingly calls them Arthur and Donnie as an ode to the men who helped keep her children safe.

Sadly, Rachel isn’t allowed to regroup with the Clone Club, but she is able to live off the grid knowing that she’s helped save many women’s lives by leaving Dyad. Her ending is fitting for a character who’s been a villain a majority of the show, but hopefully, she’s able to finally make amends with Sarah so the two can become friends. As for our main clone, Sarah ends up not selling the house and instead is seen taking Kira to the beach with Felix in the closing shot showing that she finally learned to relax.

Orphan Black may have been bogged down by its elaborate plot and conspiracies at times, but “To Right the Wrongs of Many,” focuses on what made the show great: its sisterhood. Yes, the pacing shift in the finale was a bit jarring but it’s a small sacrifice to make so that every clone gets a proper send off.

Next: Orphan Black Recap: “One Fettered Slave”

While it would have been nice to see Krystal, Cal, or a flashback to Paul, it’s understandable as to why the show chose to spend its entire hour saying goodbye to the foundation of the show. Unlike any other show on television, Orphan Black will always be remembered for its powerhouse lead in Tatiana Maslany and its unabashed fight for equality for all. It’s hard to say goodbye, but these characters will live on in the hearts of the extremely loyal fan base, and maybe a movie reunion in a few years.

Thank you, Orphan Black, for the wild ride, it was a fun one to take.

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