Ep 3. Variation Under Nature

Sarah Manning continues trying to uncover more information about her clone status and her mysterious connections to the other female clones. In this episode, she decides to pose as her clone Alison Hendrix in order to try and learn more about her. She attends a meeting for Alison's neighborhood watch group, where she discovers that Alison is much more tightly wound and paranoid than she initially appeared.

Meanwhile, Sarah's foster brother Felix struggles with his own identity crisis. He meets up with an old flame and gets caught up in a dangerous, high-stakes art heist. This subplot is more light-hearted than some of the show's intense clone-centric storylines, but still provides an interesting contrast to the main plot.

We also learn more about Cosima, another one of the clones. She is a brilliant scientist and university student, and meets with Sarah under the guise of helping her with her genetic testing. Cosima has a more carefree attitude than the other clones we have met so far, but she worries that her intellectual curiosity might have put her in danger.

The episode's title, "Variation Under Nature," refers to the concept of natural selection. We see examples of this throughout the episode, from Alison's obsession with keeping her home secure to Cosima's academic pursuits. The clones are all adapting to their circumstances in their own way, just as different species evolve and adapt to their environments.

Overall, "Variation Under Nature" is a strong entry in the first season of Orphan Black. It balances the show's many different plot threads and character arcs while still managing to move the overall narrative forward. The episode also keeps the audience guessing with its many twists and turns, making it clear that this show is anything but predictable.