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The Best Episodes of Orphan Black

Every episode of Orphan Black ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Orphan Black!

The Best Episodes of Orphan Black

A streetwise hustler is pulled into a compelling conspiracy after witnessing the suicide of a girl who looks just like her.

Seasons5

  1. Background image for The Scandal of Altruism
    9.2/10(1.9k votes)

    #1 - The Scandal of Altruism

    S4:E6

    When Cosima admits doubts about finding a cure in time to save her life, Sarah makes a lone decision that exposes Kendall to those she’s spent years hiding from. Meanwhile, Art and Felix team up to protect naïve clone, Krystal Godderitch, from herself.

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  2. Background image for Endless Forms Most Beautiful
    8.9/10(2.3k votes)

    #2 - Endless Forms Most Beautiful

    S1:E10

    Sarah’s last chance to bring her nemesis back to sanity slips away as Art intervenes to get answers of his own. Meanwhile, the Orphans must decide whether to make peace with their creators, as Sarah is forced into a deadly confrontation with their enemy.

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  3. Background image for By Means Which Have Never Yet Been Tried
    8.9/10(1.9k votes)

    #3 - By Means Which Have Never Yet Been Tried

    S2:E10

    The war with Dyad is all but lost when Rachel’s latest ploy forces a broken Sarah to concede. The Clone Club springs into action, uniting in a reckless gambit to save Sarah. As they fight to gain their freedom, Sarah encounters a new ally and uncovers a terrifying new dimension to the conspiracy.

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  4. Background image for Knowledge of Causes, and Secret Motion of Things
    8.6/10(1.6k votes)

    #4 - Knowledge of Causes, and Secret Motion of Things

    S2:E7

    When a rehab confidante betrays Alison and threatens to expose the truth about Aynsley’s death, she goes into free fall on the eve of Family Day. With Donnie and the kids set to visit, it’s all clones on deck to contain the fallout.

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    Director:Ken Girotti
  5. Background image for The Collapse of Nature
    8.6/10(1.5k votes)

    #5 - The Collapse of Nature

    S4:E1

    After two months of respite, Sarah’s hard-won refuge in Iceland is shattered by a Neolution attack. Once again forced to flee, she realizes no matter how far her family runs it will never be far enough.

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  6. Background image for From Dancing Mice to Psychopaths
    8.6/10(1.3k votes)

    #6 - From Dancing Mice to Psychopaths

    S4:E10

    When communication with Cosima is cut off and Neolution appears to be within striking distance, Sarah's alliance with Rachel goes out the window. Sarah lures a high-level Neolutionist into a trap, and sets out to bring down Neolution once and for all.

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Orphan Black

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  8. Background image for Unconscious Selection
    8.5/10(2.0k votes)

    #7 - Unconscious Selection

    S1:E9

    After Kira’s life is threatened, Sarah is on the warpath, but Dr. Leekie makes her think twice about her plans for revenge. Meanwhile, Cosima faces the truth about Delphine, forcing her to choose sides. Now, it’s up to Sarah to decide the killer’s fate, but the truth about where Sarah came from changes everything.

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    Director:T.J. Scott
  9. Background image for Things Which Have Never Yet Been Done
    8.5/10(1.5k votes)

    #8 - Things Which Have Never Yet Been Done

    S2:E9

    Cosima takes a turn for the worse, forcing Sarah to take desperate action which results in tragic consequences for those she loves. The Proletheans set their ultimate plan in motion, while Alison and Donnie tangle with the law.

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    Director:T.J. Scott
  10. Background image for The Mitigation of Competition
    8.5/10(1.2k votes)

    #9 - The Mitigation of Competition

    S4:E9

    With Susan Duncan deposed, Sarah finds herself in the same position as Rachel — under the heel of a new HBIC — causing the archenemies to come together for the greater good. Cosima and Susan butt heads on the ethical implications of human experiments. Meanwhile, when the Hendrixes' legal counsel, Adele, further investigates Donnie’s case, she begins to suspect Felix is keeping deep secrets. Helena’s arrival forces Felix to make a difficult decision.

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    Director:David Frazee
  11. Background image for Variations Under Domestication
    8.4/10(2.1k votes)

    #10 - Variations Under Domestication

    S1:E6

    Sarah’s hunt for answers is interrupted by a trip to the suburbs. Alison’s paranoia has boiled over, putting all the Orphans at risk. But when Sarah, Alison and Beth’s worlds dangerously collide, Sarah must decide who to trust with her secret.

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    Director:John Fawcett
  12. Background image for Entangled Bank
    8.4/10(2.0k votes)

    #11 - Entangled Bank

    S1:E8

    Sarah's actions pit the Orphans against each other as she tries to plan her next move. As Paul tries desperately to cover up Sarah’s existence, Alison takes vengeance on her suspected monitor, which could cost her everything she holds dear.

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    Director:Ken Girotti
  13. Background image for Nature Under Constraint and Vexed
    8.4/10(1.9k votes)

    #12 - Nature Under Constraint and Vexed

    S2:E1

    Sarah is out of options, on the run, and pursued by deadly adversaries. Desperate to find her daughter Kira, Sarah suspects ruthless pro-clone Rachel is behind her daughter’s disappearance and sparks an all out war against her. Alison and Donnie attend the funeral of her fallen friend, Aynsley, causing Alison to sink into guilt and despair. Cosima is faced with a perplexing decision that may have dire consequences.

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  14. Background image for Governed As It Were by Chance
    8.4/10(1.7k votes)

    #13 - Governed As It Were by Chance

    S2:E4

    Sarah comes home looking for answers, and with the help of Cosima, they begin digging into the origins of the clone experiment. The hunt for answers takes her right into the belly of the beast, but getting out could cost her more than she knows.

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  15. Background image for Transgressive Border Crossing
    8.3/10(1.3k votes)

    #14 - Transgressive Border Crossing

    S4:E2

    After evading a Neolution attack in Iceland, Sarah returns home to track down an elusive new ally. As Cosima struggles with Delphine’s disappearance, Alison and Donnie host a pregnant and ever-hungry Helena. Meanwhile Felix, feeling like an outsider, embarks on his own journey of self-discovery.

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  16. Background image for Human Raw Material
    8.3/10(1.2k votes)

    #15 - Human Raw Material

    S4:E5

    Sarah’s day off to reconnect with Kira quickly turns into a sleuthing mission aimed squarely at discrediting Felix’s new ties. Cosima steps up with Donnie to further investigate the Neolutionist fertility research center. While Donnie bumps into an all too familiar face, Cosima makes a shocking discovery that leads her into a dangerous encounter.

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  17. Background image for The Redesign of Natural Objects
    8.3/10(1.1k votes)

    #16 - The Redesign of Natural Objects

    S4:E8

    As Alison is terrified by Neolution threats made against Donnie, Sarah and Mrs. S question her loyalty to her sisters. While Sarah is distracted, Siobhan sneaks out to seek vengeance. Meanwhile, Cosima and Susan Duncan work together in a final attempt to discover a cure.

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    Director:Aaron Morton
  18. Background image for Effects of External Conditions
    8.2/10(2.1k votes)

    #17 - Effects of External Conditions

    S1:E4

    Sarah realizes that the Orphans’ survival is going to take more than police work. But tracking the killer threatens Sarah’s long awaited reunion with her daughter, Kira. As Sarah gets closer to the killer, the killer gets closer to the truth – the ensuing showdown threatens to expose her ruse as a cop.

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    Director:Grant Harvey
  19. Background image for Conditions of Existence
    8.2/10(2.1k votes)

    #18 - Conditions of Existence

    S1:E5

    When terrifying evidence suggests the Orphans are part of a sinister ongoing experiment, Sarah’s suspicions turn to Paul, Beth’s boyfriend. But her probing inadvertently triggers Paul’s own investigation, bringing him dangerously close to the truth. Meanwhile, paranoid Alison piles on a whole new level of complication.

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    Director:T.J. Scott
  20. Background image for Governed by Sound Reason and True Religion
    8.2/10(1.7k votes)

    #19 - Governed by Sound Reason and True Religion

    S2:E2

    While Alison struggles with Aynsley's death and Cosima grapples with the worsening symptoms of her mysterious sickness, Sarah enlists Art’s help to find Kira and is shocked when she learns where the trail leads.

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  21. Background image for Ipsa Scientia Potestas Est
    8.2/10(1.6k votes)

    #20 - Ipsa Scientia Potestas Est

    S2:E5

    Rachel goes on the warpath, lashing out at Sarah's nearest and dearest. While she tries to keep her loved ones safe, an unexpected visitor threatens to derail Sarah's plans.

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    Director:Helen Shaver
  22. Background image for To Hound Nature in Her Wanderings
    8.2/10(1.6k votes)

    #21 - To Hound Nature in Her Wanderings

    S2:E6

    Sarah joins forces with an unlikely and untrustworthy ally, following a trail of clues that she hopes will lead her to the origins of the clone experiment. Cosima and Delphine make a discovery that could prove to be the key to treating her illness. Alison finds herself in unsavory company at rehab.

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  23. Background image for Natural Selection
    8.1/10(2.9k votes)

    #22 - Natural Selection

    S1:E1

    Sarah, a streetwise hustler on the run from a lifetime of bad decisions, witnesses the suicide of a stranger who looks just like her. Sarah assumes her identity, hoping that cleaning out the dead woman’s bank account will solve all of her problems. Instead, the street smart chameleon is thrust headlong into a kaleidoscopic mystery. After taking on the new identity, Sarah quickly finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly conspiracy and must race to find answers.

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  24. Background image for Variation Under Nature
    8.1/10(2.3k votes)

    #23 - Variation Under Nature

    S1:E3

    Rocked by the revelation that she and her fellow "Orphans" are clones, Sarah just wants to get her hands on the money and skip town. But Sarah’s fake detective ruse stretches thin when the cops find the body she buried and assign “Beth” to the case. As Sarah closes in on the killer, the hunter becomes the hunted.

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  25. Background image for Parts Developed in an Unusual Manner
    8.1/10(2.0k votes)

    #24 - Parts Developed in an Unusual Manner

    S1:E7

    With Paul missing, Sarah is forced to confront the conspiracy head on. But when Paul learns Sarah has kept essential information from him, the fragile trust between them threatens to shatter. Meanwhile, Cosima grows closer to Delphine and the dangerously fascinating Dr. Leekie.

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  26. Background image for The Stigmata of Progress
    8.1/10(1.2k votes)

    #25 - The Stigmata of Progress

    S4:E3

    As Sarah reels from the shocking discovery of Neolution’s biotech, she’s desperate to find answers. Rachel receives a visit from her keeper and takes a fraught step forward towards recovery. Meanwhile, Helena is mistaken for “Mrs. Hendrix” when she answers a visit from suspicious visitors.

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    Director:Ken Girotti

Best Episodes Summary

"The Scandal of Altruism" is the best rated episode of "Orphan Black". It scored 9.2/10 based on 1916 votes. Directed by Grant Harvey and written by Chris Roberts, it aired on 5/19/2016. This episode scored 0.3 points higher than the second highest rated, "Endless Forms Most Beautiful".