Character Relationship Map: Orphan Black

Characters

• Sarah / Cosima / Alison / Helena / Rachel (played by Tatiana Maslany) — protagonist

  Sarah Manning is a British con artist who assumes a dead police detective's identity and discovers she is a clone. Cosima Niehaus and Alison Hendrix are fellow clones who help uncover the clones' orig...

• Felix 'Fee' Dawkins (played by Jordan Gavaris) — supporting

  Sarah's foster brother, who helps her and her fellow clones discover the origin of the clones and the Neolution movement.

• Scott Smith (played by Josh Vokey) — supporting
• Siobhan 'Mrs. S' Sadler (played by Maria Doyle Kennedy) — supporting

  Sarah's foster mother, involved in a political network connected to the intrigues surrounding the clones and Project LEDA.

• Detective Arthur 'Art' Bell (played by Kevin Hanchard) — supporting
• Donald 'Donnie' Hendrix (played by Kristian Bruun) — supporting
• Mark / Rudy / Miller / Ira (played by Ari Millen) — supporting

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Siobhan 'Mrs. S' Sadler → Felix 'Fee' Dawkins (Foster Parents) — Parental bond marked by sacrifice and strict oversight.

  "As foster parents, they raised Sarah, Cosima, and others, maintaining a protective but sometimes overbearing dynamic."

• Sarah / Cosima / Alison / Helena / Rachel → Detective Arthur 'Art' Bell (Detective Partner) — Law enforcement partnership evolving into a covert alliance.

  "Art investigates the clone murders alongside Sarah, balancing his police duties with his growing alliance with the Orphans."

• Sarah / Cosima / Alison / Helena / Rachel → Felix 'Fee' Dawkins (Siblings) — Protective sibling dynamic balancing care with boundary management.

  "Felix protects Helena after her rescue, helping her adjust to civilian life while managing her volatile tendencies."

• Detective Arthur 'Art' Bell → Felix 'Fee' Dawkins (Informants) — Law enforcement partnership leveraging complementary skills.

  "They team up to investigate clone-related crimes, combining police resources with Felix's street knowledge."

• Detective Arthur 'Art' Bell → Siobhan 'Mrs. S' Sadler (Interrogation Target) — Art's police work intersects with Mrs. S's knowledge of Sarah's past, creating professional friction.

  "Episode 3 mentions cops find the buried body and assign the case to the investigation, inevitably touching Mrs. S."

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Felix 'Fee' Dawkins → Scott Smith (Friends) — Platonic friendship built on technical expertise and shared loyalty.

  "Scott assists Felix with technical support and investigations, becoming a trusted friend within the Clone Club."

• Sarah / Cosima / Alison / Helena / Rachel → Donald 'Donnie' Hendrix (Strategic Partners) — Pragmatic alliance leveraging suburban access and financial resources.

  "Donnie assists Sarah and the Clone Club with resources and safe houses, bridging the suburban and underground worlds."

• Sarah / Cosima / Alison / Helena / Rachel → Siobhan 'Mrs. S' Sadler (Support Network) — Mutual support system balancing scientific ambition with emotional grounding.

  "Mrs. S supports Cosima's medical needs and scientific work, acting as a stabilizing force for the group."

• Sarah / Cosima / Alison / Helena / Rachel → Scott Smith (Supporters) — Steadfast friendship providing stability amid chaos.

  "Scott provides emotional and logistical support to Alison, helping her maintain her community center and family life."

• Mark / Rudy / Miller / Ira → Sarah / Cosima / Alison / Helena / Rachel (Fellow Fighter) — Comrade-in-arms who fights alongside Sarah against shared enemies, relying on mutual tactical support in combat scenarios.

  "In episode 4, Mark is taken down in a Prolethean shoot-out and Sarah must step in to help."

Story Analysis

Overall narrative architecture across all 5 seasons tracking clone identity, corporate conspiracy, and familial survival.

Plot Progression

1. Season 1: Identity & Discovery — Sarah Manning steals a dead woman's identity, only to discover she is a clone. She reunites with fellow Orphans Cosima and Alison, forming the Clone Club while evading police and a ruthless killer. Th...
2. Season 2: Pursuit & Fracture — Rachel launches a brutal campaign against Sarah, kidnapping Kira and targeting the Orphans' loved ones. Sarah and Cosima infiltrate Dyad to uncover the experiment's origins, while internal trust fract...
3. Season 3: Castor & Reunion — The Castor boys emerge, hunting Leda clones for tissue samples. Sarah rescues the imprisoned Helena, reintegrating her into the family. Alliances shift as Prolethean threats escalate, forcing uneasy t...
4. Season 4: Neolution & Adaptation — Neolution attacks Sarah's Iceland refuge, exposing advanced biotech research. The Orphans adapt to civilian cover identities while Cosima races for a cure. Corporate power struggles and ethical debate...
5. Season 5: Island & Siege — Trapped on a Neolution island, the clones face monitors, corporate tyranny, and a final siege. Rachel assumes command, shifting from rival to ally. The Clone Club unites for a bloody last stand, secur...