Entertainment

Here's What We Know About The Male Clone Disease

by Rachel Paige

The female clones are sick, the male clones are sick, and oh yeah, something about the male clones disease is making humans sick, too. Well done, Orphan Black Season 3, because I did not see that twist coming, and now I'm probably never leaving my apartment ever again. Turns out, whatever is happening to the clones isn't just reserved for the clones anymore. In the final moments of "Scarred By Many Past Frustrations" it's revealed that the male clone disease can transfer to humans, aka non-clones, aka people like you and me. I guess this is goodbye, because I'm seriously never leaving to go outside ever again.

While I'm locked up in my apartment for the est of my life, this at least this give me plenty of time to sort through everything we know about the male clones on Orphan Black. Looking back over the past episodes of this season, Orphan Black has slowly laid the groundwork for this big reveal at the end of "Scarred By Many Past Frustrations." I should have guessed something was up. I kinda thought something was up, but I thought it was still related to the fact that they're glitching, and dying, and having their brains cut open, and also mercy killing each other. I did not expect it to be a clone-to-human disease transfer, OK? This is next level clone terror.

Can you even imagine how much Sarah will bug out when she learns? Can you imagine how excited Cosima will be when she learns she's got a whole new defect she can study? I'd throw Allison in there, too, but she's off becoming a drug kingpin right now.

Here's what we know about the male clone disease so far:

The Males Are Glitching

But, we don't really know what exactly this means yet. For the females, we know their "defect" lies with respiratory issues. The males, though, just kinda twitch and go crazy, and they're used to it happening, and are OK with being killed because of it. They're also given evaluations from time to time, and asked a series of questions which they have to answer, while their monitor watches their pupils. Whatever that does, I guess. Their glitch as a whole still remains a mystery.

Their Disease Is Sexually Transmitted

OK, it's still not 100 percent proven that it's sexually transmitted, but it can be inferred. The woman that Seth and Rudy sleep with, Patty, becomes sick. Gracie also falls victim to it, too — and an episode ago her and Mark slept together for the first time.

They Have Little Black Books

More proof that it's sexually transmitted: the male clones have to keep little black books. Really. This is a thing that they're taught, in-between being government weapons and stuff. Dr. Coady calls it a "log book." Ant intimate contacts go into the log book.

Not only that, but the logs are detailed descriptions of the different females, listing everything from height, weight, and any piercings.

For Some Reason, They Keep Strands of Hair

That is still unexplained. I'm going to guess it has something to do with hair follicles, and DNA stuff? Maybe? I am not a doctor, let alone a clone doctor. They could just keep hair as weird mementos. But that might even be too weird for Orphan Black.

The Clone STD Has Side Effects

Oh, like what, you ask? Oh you know, just incredibly red bloodshot eyes, that I'm willing to guess is actually just blood pooling in the eyes until you bleed out blood. Was that too much? I just assume this clone STD is literally the worst thing ever.

Patty says that she's "sick" and the doctors don't know what's wrong with her. When Gracie gets hit with the sickness, she gets stomach pains and collapses onto the floor.

So, Why Are The Male Clones Still Sleeping Around?

Good question, is it because they're awful?

Or, is it possible that they're trying to find a cure? I keep coming back to the fact that Sarah had Kira, and then Kira gave bone marrow to save Cosima. I keep thinking that scenario will play in again. Maybe if one of the male clones gets a non-clone pregnant, that child might hold a key to figuring out their glitch? At this stage in the game, nothing is too wild or crazy of an idea.

So What About The Females They've Made Sick?

That's what we've got to wait and find out. If there's no cure for the male's glitch, there sure isn't a cure for whatever sickness these females have come down with. Now I'm starting to think that this is why Mark didn't want to sleep with Gracie right away. He knew doing so might kill her.

Also, think about the fact that Mark and Gracie slept together, and then Gracie lost the baby. Could that have anything to do with this sickness? Why are the male clones literally the worst?Images: Steve Wilkie/BBC; BBC (screengrab, 2); orphanblack/tumblr (3); Giphy (2)