One of the prevailing themes in Orphan Black has always been that knowledge is power. Because it’s so hard to remember which characters know what, we thought we’d break down some of the season’s most important revelations and secrets.
The entire series so far has been a sort of game of “Who knows what?” Those with more information always have the upper hand and those who we thought knew everything are constantly revealed to know much less (case in point: the season 2 finale). This show is a very complicated series of events, especially considering that there are only 20 episodes to date and that the show’s actual timeline is actually pretty short.
So, in order to get an upper hand on Orphan Black itself, check out the current standings on who knows what (and how much).
Cal is Kira’s father
We got the answer to one of our most pressing questions about Kira this season when we learned that the handsome and mysterious Cal is, in fact, Kira’s father. For years, Sarah has refused to tell anyone who Kira’s father was for reasons unknown. However, if the way he cared for and looked out for Kira (and Sarah) this season is any indication on how good of a father he can be, there’s no question that Cal is up for the task. However, his identity as a father, as well as his mere existence, is still a mystery to most (or so we assume because the Clone Club didn’t say anything about it at their slumber party when they met Cal).
Who’s in the know: Sarah, Felix, Cal, Kira, Paul, Mrs. S, and Marion (We think that’s who Cal was hacking and chatting with?)
Tony’s existence
Tony (“born” Antoinette Sawicki) was definitely among one of the largest and most surprising reveals during Orphan Black this season. Introduced in episode 8, Tony added a whole new level to the nature vs. nurture complexity among the clones because he is a transgender male. Not only did his mere existence make waves, but his message that he relayed to some of our favorite characters caused quite a stir as well. His friend Sammy’s dying words, which he then relayed to Felix and Sarah (the only ones in the Clone Club who know he exists), were “Tell Beth keep the faith. Paul is like me. He’s on it. He’s a ghost.” Even now that we have an idea about what Paul’s character has been up to, we still aren’t quite sure about what Sammy meant, and we’re pretty sure none of the characters that are in the “know” do either.
Who’s in the know: Art, Felix, and Sarah
Donnie killed Dr. Leekie
One of the most shocking moments this season on Orphan Black was when bumbling Donnie accidentally pulled the trigger on the mysterious Dr. Aldous Leekie. Well, actually the most shocking part was the way that Leekie’s head exploded all over the car, but we digress… Scared of the consequences, Donnie tried his best to cover up what he had done and asked Alison for assistance (after rolling around in their bed with mini booze bottles for a while). The rest of the characters think he has either run far away (Rachel), had a heart attack on an airplane, or died at the hands of the Dyad.
Who’s in the know: Donnie and Alison
Alison ‘killed’ Aynsley
On a less significant but no less horrible note, very few people know that Alison was involved with Aynsley’s death. While the fallout of her death and Alison’s guilt was dealt with this season, only Felix and Donnie know what happened that day. It’s curious that the rest of the Clone Clubbers thought that Alison going off the deep end was a sort of natural progression for her character from what they knew about her. While we doubt that we haven’t seen the last of the effects that the murder has had on Alison, we doubt any more characters will learn her secret.
Who’s in the know: Alison, Felix, and Donnie
Duncan put the key in ‘The Island of Dr. Moreau’
Before he was taken to the Dyad, Dr. Ethan Duncan gave his copy of The Island of Dr. Moreau to Kira, which apparently had the entire clone genome sequence (and a way to figure out the key) scribbled across all of the pages. At that point, Duncan must’ve had the feeling that the chances of him making it out of the Dyad while refusing to give up all of his information would not be all that great. Kira, being the smart and intuitive girl that she is, didn’t tell anyone about what was in the book until she asked Cosima to read it for her. Luckily, Cosima figured out the significance of the book right away. We’re curious how long the two of them are going to keep the contents of the book to themselves, seeing as it’s important for the majority of the Clone Club’s survival.
Who’s in the know: Kira and Cosima
Continue reading to find out who else knows what at this point on ‘Orphan Black.’
Gracie is carrying Helena’s child
While Sarah may or may not know that Helena is pregnant, she and the rest of the Clone Club definitely don’t know what the Proletheans were up to on that farm, especially when it comes to Helena’s eggs. Since fertility and the ability to have children is really important to a lot of Orphan Black characters, Gracie’s pregnancy is most certainly going to come back into play in a big way. After all, she’s not only on the run with a newly-revealed male clone but she’s also carrying her father’s child (which is super gross).
Who’s in the know: Gracie, Helena, Mark, and (possibly) Henrik (We have no proof that he actually died, so we’re keeping him open as a possibility.)
Paul is a double agent
Paul has been one tough cookie to get a read on. First, we think he’s with the Dyad, then we trust him to do the right thing because it’s the right thing, then he’s Rachel’s pet, and now we come to find out that Paul is a Dyad-infiltrating double agent. How’s that for a mind-bender?
We have two theories on his role with the military. The first being that the military staged his friendly fire in hope that he would be taken in and blackmailed by the Dyad so he could learn more about Project Leda. Tony’s friend Sammy’s message about Paul being a “ghost” could definitely have had something to do with his double agency. Our other theory is that Paul learned about Project Castor by putting together clues (such as seeing not-Mark’s face around the military yards) and bargained his way back into the military (with a sweet promotion at that). But, no matter how deep he gets in either side, it does seem like he truly cares for Sarah’s well-being. The same can’t really be said for Helena because Mrs. S trader her for help getting Sarah and Kira out of the Dyad, but so it goes.
Who’s in the know: Paul, Mrs. S, Cal, and Marion
Project Castor
We, along with the Clone Club characters, should have looked further into the myth of Leda and the swan. If we all would have, we may have had an idea that Leda was just one branch of cloning experiments. In the Orphan Black season 2 finale, we were all shocked to find out about the military’s equivalent of Project Leda, called “Project Castor.” While Leda focused on female clones, Castor raised male clones that happen to look just like Mark the Prolethean. And guess what Mark’s background is? The military. He’s AWOL from the army, and Paul actually called him on it in the scene where the two meet in a bar and watch Helena. We definitely think he could be another double agent like Paul, infiltrating the Proletheans to assess the threat they pose to Project Caster. Oh, and he’s marrying the woman who’s carrying a female clone baby.
Who’s in the know: Paul, Mrs. S, Marion, and Sarah; possibly Cal and Rachel (because she is so high up in the Dyad), but probably not
The existence of Topside
As explained by Marion, Topside is a cabal (which is defined as “a secret political clique or faction”) that is like the Dyad’s mother corporation. It’s essentially interested in scientific research and development that meets their needs and desires, which are mainly selfish and evolution-based. From what we gathered, Topside oversees and controls multiple projects, which could all have something to do with cloning. So basically, this shadowy organization has been pulling the strings all along and they’re in a race against other organizations to develop scientific breakthroughs, mainly for the wealth involved.
Who’s in the know: Marion, Sarah, Rachel (mostly, probably); probably Mrs. S as well just because she seems to know everything.
The Project Leda cloning experiments didn’t stop after the Clone Club’s ‘batch’
At the end of the Orphan Black season 2 finale, we met Marion’s “adopted” daughter Charlotte. She looks exactly like the young Rachel figure we’ve been watching in old videotapes all season. We came to find out that the Project Leda experiments didn’t end with the lab fire. They tried numerous other times to create another clone (400, if we remember correctly) and Charlotte was the only survivor. While she may not be a perfect clone specimen because of whatever ailment she has with her leg, it’s interesting to know that they tried to carry on without Duncan.
Who’s in the know: Marion, Sarah, and Charlotte (who seems to know a lot about the situation for a little girl); possibly Rachel (because she dealt with Topside)