10 Reasons Alison Hendrix Is a Total Badass

There's a reason why Alison Hendrix is one of the most popular clones on Orphan Black. Well, a long list actually. Not only does she come off as unexpectedly hilarious, her cold, matter-of-fact way of dealing with obstacles never fails to shock. When we first met this clean cut, orange-slicing, gun toting mom of two, I doubt any viewer ever thought she would turn out so brilliantly badass. What exactly makes her so badass?  

[SPOILER ALERT if you haven't seen the first episodes of the season!]

10. She's the perfect soccer mom on the outside...

 

With her perfectly practical soccer mom van and suburban housewife wardrobe, Alison can throw a mean potluck and manage the kids' activities without blinking. Yet, just like we've found out about the perfect parents around her, Alison has a dark side. Eh, it's a little bit different from the other pill popping moms, I'd say, but it's what makes her so dangerous.

9. ...but a fierce woman hides under all that pink.

 

Alison doesn't shy away from doing what it takes to protect her family or her sisters. If anything, Alison is the least intimidating of all the clones. Sarah has hella streets smarts, Cosima has the scientific know-how (and Delphine), Rachel has (or had) the power of DYAD, and Helena is, well, Helena. Alison has guts and intelligence, but she hides it oh so well in her suburban playground.

8. She's not afraid to take matters into her own hands...

 

Once provoked and pushed to her limit, Alison isn't going to take things lying down. Her innocence makes it even more shocking when she acts to protect herself or her loved ones. Nothing about her tactics is normal, but girl knows how to intimidate. I'm sure that hot glue incident felt even better when Donnie came clean, and I'm not sure that Donnie will ever be willing to lie to his wife again as he becomes more away of what she's really capable of.

7. ...or tell you exactly what she thinks.

 

When Alison first meets Sarah, she doesn't shy away from showing her anger nor from threatening to shoot her while her kids are upstairs sleeping. She gets straight to the point. When confronted by Donnie and her neighborhood friends for an intervention, she makes sure she says her piece. When she comes home to a drunk Donnie, he better be happy she hit him only with words and a pillow. Alison can come off as insecure and unsure, but boy does she have balls. She's like a tame Jekyll and Hyde.

6. She knows how to handle a pistol...

 

Beth Childs did a really good job of teaching Alison how to shoot a gun. With her lady grip in hand, Alison is a scary sight because you know she isn't afraid to use it. Vick is lucky she only had pepper spray that day. The clone club's resident gun guru, she and Helena would probably have a good time on the shooting range. A woman with a temper and a weapon should never be dismissed. Especially if your immediate family's body count is at two.

5. ...and she doesn't shy from criminal activity.

 

Alison can get what she needs when she needs it. Heck, now she will probably have an arsenal at her disposal if she gets all of Ramon's inventory and contacts. Sarah needs a gun? Sure, take your pick! I even have a sniper rifle for Helena if you're interested. How does she have these contacts and what else don't we know about Alison? See, a badass never gives away all her secrets. You never know when you'll need the  element of surprise, and if we've learned anything about Alison, it's that she is full of them.

4. She's killer, but in a completely Alison way...

 

There's no doubt that Alison is fully capable of protecting herself or dishing out some sweet revenge, but everything she does is done in a way that is exactly her. She has such built up anger that when she has the chance to save Aynsley's life, she watches in...horror? Not exactly. The opportunity to rid her life of someone she just knows has been manipulating her overpowers her, and she lets things happen as they may. It's the perfect crime. It's so...Alison.

3. ...and even better, she can clean up the worst mess.

 

Who was surprised that Alison knew exactly what to do with Leekie's body? Decorative shower curtain, pink duct tape, and food piled on top, she stored the body until she had the burial site ready. She manned the jack hammer, she oversaw the digging, and she covered the hole with concrete. The scary part isn't that she did these things. The scary part is that it only took her an instant to figure out what to do and then she even didn't blink an eye. Sarah buried her body next to a quarry. Alison tied hers up all nice and pretty with pink tape (of course) and made sure they'd have to look really hard to find it.

2. She stays out of the spotlight...

 

Alison pretty much stays off of the radar until she's needed and that's what makes her so powerful in her own right. She acts in the community theater, she takes the kids to soccer practice, and she stays involved in her community. When given the chance, she tries to take the chance to have a normal life. Alison supplies funds and guns, but she avoids getting involved in the day to day danger that keeps Sarah running. She's the undercover clone who can get everything done because no one sees it coming and that's why she is so brilliantly dangerous.

1. ...but she when her sisters really need her, she's there.

 

There aren't many times when Alison is brought into the direct line of fire, but when she is, she stands her own. In episode one of season three, we see her violated by Ferdinand and slapped by Sarah to help save her life and the lives of her sisters from the cleaners. She almost cracks, but I think she realizes she is stronger than she thinks. She knows what is at stake, and if anyone can take care of business, it's this little spitfire. Alison takes the incident in stride and keeps on rolling to her next fight...in the election for School Board Trustee. I know who I'm voting for, do you?