What would happen if Rachel and Rebecca met? How badly would that go?
What a truly fantastic question.
Because you’re right. It would go sooooo badly. Rachel’s need for control meets Rebecca’s need for autonomy? It’s a disaster waiting to happen.
In fact, this collision was such a tempting disaster that our team actually planned out how we would execute it were OBspec ~Season 4~ to ever happen (which, it won’t, sorry friends).
But, I’m always willing to share OBspec trade secrets. First -- some science:
OBspec Science Fact #1: According to OBspec backstage canon, Rebecca produces more drugs than any of the other clones due to epigenetic differences. This is the reason why she contracted her own bizarre form of the clone sickness at a young age, the reason why she managed to miraculously cure herself (if you want to get really specific, the choline in the Alzheimer’s drug methylated her genome), and the reason why DYAD keeps such a close eye on her (Rebecca gets tested and harvested every 3 months instead of every 6).
*We now interrupt this program for some thunderous applause for @cosima-geekmonkey-niehaus who never gets any credit for that one since no one ever sees it*
OBspec Science Fact #2: the gene therapy that Cosima develops out of the Castor sequence does, indeed, cure the clone sickness. Hooray! However, the side effect that no one knows about yet is that this gene therapy also disables the drug production. Dun dun dunnnnnnn.
As a result of OBspec Science Fact #1, Rebecca is effectively a pot of gold. As a result of OBspec Science Fact #2, Rachel is effectively worthless.
To keep things interesting, we decided Topside might want to bring Rebecca into the fold. Smooth the waters. Keep her happy so she doesn’t disappear. But, with all the shady activities going on with Topside, there’s no way we’re sending Rebecca into that lion’s den. No sir, no thank you. And so, the ever-experienced Sarah would be due for another cloneswap.
And, as always when Sarah gets her feet in one of her sisters’ shoes, Rebecca would come out of the affair with something more than what she went in with.
In this case: let’s just say that we never planned on Charlotte staying with Rachel forever.