In a way, I wish that they had broadcast the first two episodes together, because the first one did not impress me at all. I found that it had way too much running around in the woods and not nearly enough character or plot. Last week's instalment left me thoroughly underwhelmed, which is why it was such a pleasant surprise when this one turned out to be one of the show's best.
This episode contains all the elements that have worked well for Orphan Black in the past, such as betrayals, secrets, reveals, clones pretending to be other clones, and most of all steadily rising tension that ends in a violent climax. All the best episodes of the show have had some of these elements, and this one had them all. It also advances the plot significantly and sets the final season off to a roll, something which the premiere failed to do.
Even with the tense action-packed main plot of the episode, we also managed to squeeze in a resolution to the P.T. Westmorland cliffhanger from last season. While I still find the idea of a 170 year old man inherently ridiculous, I liked the actor a lot and thought the scene was well written. However, one thing confused me. He says that he created the clones, but I thought that Ethan and Rachel Duncan created them. Maybe they were working for him, but at the moment the whole situation seems a little muddled and confused. I'm hoping for some clarification down the line.
This episode managed to renew my confidence in Orphan Black. I'm now really looking forward to the remaining 8 episodes. I hope they can pull together a satisfying conclusion to it all.