History YMMV / OrphanBlack

* ShipsThatPassInTheNight: Delphine and Sarah haven't interacted on screen yet but hold a fair-enough amount of supporters for their ship. [[spoiler:In 2.01, they actually kiss, but Delphine thought it was Cosima. They do get a lot of screentime together in 3.01.]]

* OneSceneWonder: Beth counts for this. She only appears for one scene (the very first one of the show in fact) and she dies not long during it and from then on proceeds to appear in a few short video logs but holds many fans who are hoping that she really isn't dead.

* MagnificentBastard:
** [[DoubleReverseQuadrupleAgent Paul Dierden]] is a Major of the military who infiltrated the Dyad Institute and become Beth Child's monitor. When Sarah Manning takes Beth's place after the latter [[DrivenToSuicide kills herself]], Paul sees right through Sarah's disguise and interrogates her for her true identity, before deciding to help Sarah evade Dyad having genuinely fallen in love with her; Sarah in turn would rescue Paul from Olivier Duval, where Paul would {{blackmail}} Duval into helping him maintain his cover in Dyad. Paul would later attempt to coerce Sarah into handing over herself, Helena, and Kira to him by [[FrameUp framing]] her foster brother, Felix, for murder before convincing Siobhan Saddler to hand over Helena in exchange for Sarah and Kira's safety. Revealing his true alliance to Project Castor's goal of finding a cure for the defective clones, Paul turns on them upon learning of their plan of using the clones to sterilize women, [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificing his life]] to ensure Sarah escapes from them.
** [[MamaBear Siobhan Sadler]] is the foster mother of Sarah Manning who smuggled her from London to raise while using her criminal connections and ruthless intellect to keep Sarah and her loved ones safe. Upon learning that Dyad is going after Sarah and her daughter, Kira, Siobhan takes Kira without Sarah's knowledge to ensure her granddaughter's safety before killing her contacts once she learns they've become [[Characters/OrphanBlackTheProletheans Proletheans]]. Siobhan also keeps scientist Ethan Duncan safe from Dyad's reach, only to bring Ethan to them to cause discord within the organization before handing Helena over to Paul Dietard behind Sarah's back to ensure her safety. Siobhan also helps Rachel Duncan switch identities with another clone in exchange for Rachel's knowledge about the Castor original and upon learning that it is her mother, Kendall Malone, Siobhan keeps her safe and hidden before [[PayEvilUntoEvil torturing and killing]] the man who killed Kendall, Marty Duko, and helps Rachel expose the criminal Duko's boss. When Kira gets taken by [[Characters/OrphanBlackTheNeolutionists the Neolutionists]], Siobhan rescues Kira before convincing Rachel to leak all of Dyad's illegal activities to the public, leading to their downfall, before spending her last moments killing the assassin, Ferdinand Chevalier, and [[FaceDeathWithDignity accepting her own death]].

* SpiritualAdaptation: A woman finding out she's one of several clones being hunted down by a nefarious organization? ''Orphan Black'' could virtually be one for the ''Literature/{{Replica}}'' series.

** "The Scandal of Altruism" is one long gleeful line-crossing for [[spoiler:Evie Cho]], though it's actually revealed that she had already crossed the line even before the show started. [[spoiler:She has Kendall Malone murdered in cold blood and her corpse immolated, apparently destroying her genetic material and greatly reducing the likelihood that anyone will develop a cure for the clones' various illnesses. She seemingly has all of Cosima's research destroyed. She is revealed to have {{blackmail}}ed Beth into killing herself by threatening the safety of the other clones. She also states that Delphine is dead and implies that she was responsible. Why has she done any of this? If what she says during her EvilGloating is [[VillainsNeverLie accurate]], it's purely because she believes that [[CloningBlues clones are passé]]]]. Overall the episode reveals her as a GreaterScopeVillain for the whole series, in much the way the season 3 finale did for [[spoiler:Neolution as a whole]].

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: All over the place, both in-universe and out. Specifically, the show involves a mystery where no one knows whom to trust. A few characters who seemed trustworthy turned out to be traitors; a few characters who seemed like traitors turned out to be trustworthy; other characters [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor flip-flop]] between the two. The motivations of most characters remain unclear, as do the extends of someone's involvement in their particular conspiracy- [[RedHerring if they actually are involved]]. Many people have lied about their identities and personal histories for a number of different reasons; other people [[UnwittingPawn have been lied to]] and don't really understand what's going on. And we're only scratching the surface of either conspiracy.

** By the Emmys. Though Tatiana Maslany won the Television Critics Association prize for Individual Achievement in Drama for the first season and the Critics Choice Award for Lead Actress in a Drama Series for both Seasons 1 and 2, she was overlooked by the 2013 Primetime Emmys. Not even a nomination! On the bright side, when news outlets wrote about that year's Emmy snubs, they put Maslany's snub front-and-center. At the time, she was a relatively unknown actress from what was considered little more than a cult show from a country whose shows rarely get any buzz in America-- yet they singled her out as a noteworthy snub. And then, after another year of glowing reviews, many of them talking about how badly she was snubbed and how much she deserved the Emmy, she wasn't nominated in 2014 either. By the

** Seasons 1-2: [[TheFundamentalist Tomas]] is a cruel and manipulative Prolethean fanatic, as well as Helena's [[AbusiveParents adoptive father and mentor]]. Believing [[Characters/OrphanBlackProjectLeda Project LEDA clones]] to be an abomination, Tomas adopted one of them, Helena, and used physical, psychological and emotional abuse to groom her into a killer and keep her under her thumb, lying to her that she is the original to motivate her. Helena would go on to kill other clones at Tomas's behest, and Tomas would often [[YouHaveFailedMe torture her for failure]]. Learning of Helena and Sarah's connection and of Sarah's daughter Kira, Tomas orders Helena to kill Sarah and abduct Kira, locking her in a small cage when she refuses. During a later confrontation, it's made clear that Tomas intends to put Kira through the same treatment as he did Helena, which ultimately turns Helena against him. When later rescued by the Johanssen branch, Tomas makes it clear that he sees Helena as another abomination, and his only objection to the idea of Helena having children is his belief that those children will be monsters as well.

** Seasons 1-2: [[TheFundamentalist Tomas]] is a cruel and manipulative Prolethean fanatic, as well as Helena's [[AbusiveParents adoptive father and mentor]]. Believing project LEDA clones to be an abomination, Tomas adopted one of them, Helena, and used physical, psychological and emotional abuse to groom her into a killer and keep her under her thumb, lying to her that she is the original to motivate her. Helena would go on to kill other clones at Tomas's behest, and Tomas would often [[YouHaveFailedMe torture her for failure]]. Learning of Helena and Sarah's connection and of Sarah's daughter Kira, Tomas orders Helena to kill Sarah and abduct Kira, locking her in a small cage when she refuses. During a later confrontation, it's made clear that Tomas intends to put Kira through the same treatment as he did Helena, which ultimately turns Helena against him. When later rescued by the Johanssen branch, Tomas makes it clear that he sees Helena as another abomination, and his only objection to the idea of Helena having children is his belief that those children will be monsters as well.

* MagnificentBastard: [[DoubleReverseQuadrupleAgent Paul Dierden]] is a Major of the military who infiltrated the Dyad Institute and become Beth Child's monitor. When Sarah Manning takes Beth's place after the latter [[DrivenToSuicide kills herself]], Paul sees right through Sarah's disguise and interrogates her for her true identity, before deciding to help Sarah evade Dyad having genuinely fallen in love with her; Sarah in turn would rescue Paul from Olivier Duval, where Paul would {{blackmail}} Duval into helping him maintain his cover in Dyad. Paul would later attempt to coerce Sarah into handing over herself, Helena, and Kira to him by [[FrameUp framing]] her foster brother, Felix, for murder before convincing Siobhan Saddler to hand over Helena in exchange for Sarah and Kira's safety. Revealing his true alliance to Project Castor's goal of finding a cure for the defective clones, Paul turns on them upon learning of their plan of using the clones to sterilize women, [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificing his life]] to ensure Sarah escapes from them.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: One of very few Canadian series to become a hit south of the border, and gave BBC America its first hit that is neither a [[Series/DoctorWho fifty-year old titan of a franchise]] nor a [[Series/TopGear reality show]] (and ironically enough, with a ''Canadian'' show). The fact that Tatiana Maslany's Emmy snub caused a bigger fuss than any other that year just proves how buzzworthy the show is worldwide. And of course, her Emmy win for the fourth season just took this trope UpToEleven.

* JerkassWoobie: Even though she [[spoiler:kidnapped Kira]] and even at one point tried to [[spoiler:stop all research going into finding a cure for Cosima]] you can't help but feel sorry for Rachel when she starts becoming more and more unhinged over the season in her determination to try and find out what makes Sarah so special from the rest of the clones. Turned UpToEleven in the season 2 finale, when [[spoiler:Ethan Duncan ''poisons himself and dies'' right in front of her.]] It's also pretty difficult not to feel sorry for her in the season 3 première when [[spoiler:Delphine ''outright tortures her'' while she's suffering from apparent mental trauma. Of course, the revelation later in the episode that Rachel was planning to have several of the main characters killed probably erases any sympathy this scene gained her with the audience.]]

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: Any scenes where there are more than one clone featured are done brilliantly to the point where you forget that all of these characters are being played by the same woman. [[spoiler:They get four clones on screen at once in the Season 2 finale ''and'' both the first and last episodes of Season 3, and as usual, it's seamless.]] Series 5 takes it UpToEleven with a scene where [[spoiler:Sarah and M.K. have a long conversation filmed as TheOner, with both of them freely crossing to each other's side of the screen.]] And the series finale features one last bit of pure showing off with [[spoiler:Sarah, Helena, Cosima, and Alison all chatting together, complete with Sarah stroking Helena's hair.]]

** It's extremely unsettling how far-reaching [[spoiler:the Neolutionists]] are. And the whole concept of monitors -- your friends, family, and/or lover might be spying on you. Imagine [[spoiler:a group of scientists capable of watching your every move, performing tests on you in your sleep, or [[AdultFear taking away your child]]]] because someone you trust is working for them.

* FoeYay: Rachel and Sarah. (Particularly impressive given the ActingForTwo involved.) Really, Rachel has this with almost ''everyone'', but especially other clones.

* HollywoodHomely: The show dances rings around this trope. Thanks to superb makeup and subtle performance, it is often impossible to tell the clones are played by the same person, and chances are you will catch yourself calling one of them "the pretty one". This is particularly true of Krystal, the one character whose makeup is specifically designed to enhance her attractiveness. She even {{lampshade}}s this in Season 4, declaring that she can't be a clone of Sarah because "She's a 7 on a good day, and I've been told I'm a 10." Alison lampshades it in the second episode by telling Sarah to "Hide your ugly face on the way out of here."

** Season 4: [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Evie Cho]] is the ambitious [[Characters/OrphanBlackTheNeolutionists Neolutionist]] CEO of [=BrightBorn=]. A survivor of a birth defect, Cho's [[ThePerfectionist perfectionist]] view inspired her goal to control human evolution. Cho developed mechanical, worm-like devices to alter people's DNA which can kill its host if ruptured. When Beth Childs investigated the Neolutionists, Cho tried to get her to kill Susan Ducan, hoping to usurp Duncan as Neolution's leader. Failing, Cho blackmails Beth into killing herself, later having Delphine Cormier shot and seemingly killed. It's revealed Cho is experimenting on pregnant women in [=BrightBorn's=] labs; when these result in the babies being born with imperfections, from deformities to blindness, Cho would [[WouldHurtAcHILD have the babies euthanized]] to cover it up. Cho [[WithholdingTheCure destroys Cosmia's research to cure the clones diseases]], and has Kendall killed and incinerated to erase the cure completely. To [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown further hurt her]], Cho tells Cosmia that Delphine is dead. Cho intends to put her devices into millions of people and alter their DNA without their consent. When two women escape her labs, she puts a kill order on them. When exposed and Neolution gives her the option to resign, absolving [=BrightBorn=] of any wrongdoings, she childishly refuses, her breakdown [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist showing her]] for being a [[ItsAllAboutMe selfish glory seeker]] to their cause.

** Season 4's BigBad, [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist Evie Cho]], is the ambitious, high-ranking, [[Characters/OrphanBlackTheNeolutionists Neolutionist]] [[CorruptCorporateExecutive CEO]] of [=BrightBorn=]. A survivor of a birth defect, Cho developed a perfectionist view, which inspired her goal to control the future of human evolution. Cho developed mechanical, worm-like devices to alter people's DNA and can quickly but painfully kill its host if ruptured. When Beth Childs was investigating the Neolutionists, Cho tried to get her to kill Susan Ducan, so she can usurp Duncan as leader of Neolution. Failing that, Cho blackmails her into killing herself by threatening the other clones. It's also revealed that she had Delphine Cormier shot at the end of season 3. When Cosmia explores [=BrightBorn=] facilities, she discovers Cho is keeping pregnant women in maternity labs for illegal human experiments. When these experiments result in the babies being born deformed, or any other imperfection such as blindness, Cho would have the [[WouldHurtAChild babies euthanized]] to cover it up. Cho has Cosmia's research to help cure the clones diseases destroyed, and has Kendall killed and incinerated in front of Cosmia, making it impossible for the clones to find cures. To further wound her, Cho tells Cosmia that Delphine is dead. She plans to put her devices into millions of people and alter their DNA without their consent. She has Donnie arrested with threats of having him killed in jail to blackmail Allison. When two women escape her maternity lab with evidence that could expose her, she sends assassins after them. When exposed and given the option to resign and absolve [=BrightBorn=] of any wrongdoings, she refuses, her VillainousBreakdown when the project might move forward without her showing she doesn't so much care about controlling human evolution, as much as she cares that [[ItsAllAboutMe she's the one doing it]].
** [[ImmortalitySeeker Percival T. "P.T." Westmoreland]], actually John Mathieson, the BigBad of the 5th and final season, is the [[GreaterScopeVillain ultimate villain of the series]], posing as the founder of Neolution and has been [[TheManBehindTheMan behind all its atrocities]]. Stealing the real Westmoreland's identity, he goes on to create a {{cult}} to his name on an isolated island while he runs Neolution behind the scenes. Seeking {{immortality|Immorality}}, he sustains himself by taking the blood of the [[WouldHurtAChild children]] of his cult, resulting in some of them dying, and even experiments and tortures a boy named Yanis, driving him feral before eventually killing him in front of Cosima. His next plans is to find, harvest and fertilize eight year old Kira's eggs, to spread and study the "Fountain of Youth" gene in her offspring, something he is steadfast in, even when his true identity as Mathieson is exposed. Viewing the project LEDA clones as little more than experiments, he feigns a fatherly affection to Rachel, while secretly spying on her every action through her prosthetic eye. When the truth of Neolution is exposed, he becomes more unhinged; has Helena abducted to force her to give birth to her twins for further experiments; kills his backers to [[HeKnowsTooMuch cover his tracks]] as much as possible; and has Dr. Virginia Coady kill Mark now that the project CASTOR clones [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness served their purpose]]. It's revealed his end goal is to create a serum that would permanently reverse cell damage for the [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain upper class]]--mainly himself--and have the rest sterilized by the CASTOR pathogen. Ultimately, John Mathieson is little more than a selfish madman that manipulates an ideology and orchestrated atrocities for little more than his personal power, and the expansion of his own life.