American Horror Stories season 3, episode 6, Clone, is a story about narcissism, obsession, and love. The episode tells the story of a gay couple, David and John, who have been suffering because David has an illness that’s left him nearly paralyzed. John does everything he can in his power to keep David happy, but David wants John to work on his own passions. It almost seems like he’s mad at John for trying so hard to be there for him. John works at a school, but David once sent him to culinary school because it was something he’d enjoy. As you can imagine, the power dynamic between these two is that of a “sugar daddy” and his princess. David clearly has the upper hand in this relationship; he’s a rich science guy, whereas John is just a young guy he fell for. On the other hand, one of John’s fellow teachers, Jordan, is quite a prick and tries to hit on John any chance he gets. John thinks they’re friends, or at least tolerates him as much as he can, probably because they’re work buddies. John’s supposed to go on a marathon, so Jordan gets them a tracking app that will allow them to see each other’s progress and track each other’s “jogs.” Lowkey feels like Jordan just wants to be a stalker, but anyway. Now, things get messed up when John gets a call at work saying David’s had a stroke.
Spoiler Alert
Who Is The New Guy In John’s Life?
When John gets to the hospital, a woman who works at David’s lab is already there, telling the doctor that David had requested to be moved to his own lab in such a situation. John thinks he’s got the right to handle the situation, but in truth, he’s got no authority on paper over David, as the lady reminds him. As you can imagine, it seems like David made a plan way back without a word to John, so this obviously makes him upset. But what’s worse is that David’s also left behind an AI-powered clone of himself, that John must train while David gets better in his own lab. So not only is he going to get better and back to normal, but he’s left John a toy while he waits. So while the android is near perfect, there’s one thing it’s missing, and that is the ability to “love” or care for somebody; this is an emotion that only John can invoke in David, and so the android must spend time with him in order to become perfect.
It takes some time for John to get used to his new buddy; a robot that looks so much like his lover but is so completely different. He goes back to the real David undergoing treatment and tells him how this is difficult for him and how he’s irreplaceable. However, John soon starts appreciating AI David’s presence in the house. He gives him a massage the way the real David used to but nearly chokes him because he doesn’t know how far is too far. But, somehow, this gets John talking to him about David and how he’s scared about what’s going to happen. AI David tells him that he’s grieving and it’s best to share those feelings, and with whom better than a clone of the guy himself?
At night, AI David offers to cut up some onions for John and reminds him that he’s not human, but John invites him to dinner anyway because AI David tears up after cutting the onion. This will come back at the end of the episode, but at the moment, AI David doesn’t know what John’s talking about; he’s just happy to have dinner with him. John has a lovely dinner date with AI David, and the next morning AI David starts to make breakfast for John before John gets a phone call from Jordan. Now things get interesting.
What Happens to Jordan?
Jordan wants to take John on a run, and he ends up letting himself into the house while John’s getting ready to meet him. Jordan even steals David’s lotion while using the washroom. When he steps outside, AI David is standing in front of him, which of course freaks him out. John explains the deal to him. After Jordan touches the android to see how real he feels, they leave for their jog; only the jog becomes a whole-day affair, and John returns home heavily drugged with Jordan. They’ve taken edibles, and Jordan tries to force himself on John when he’s feeling dizzy. Fortunately, John’s able to push him off, and Jordan insults him for being with David and cusses at him. By the time John’s awake the next day, Jordan’s gone, but what happened to him?
Well, we know AI David is in love with John, and seeing as Jordan tried to hurt his man, he kills him, then chops him up and puts him in the fireplace, even grinding up his teeth (yikes). The next day, John needs some space, and David reluctantly leaves him to it, but he gives him a “chicken” sandwich before he leaves. The episode definitely hints this is no ordinary sandwich, and John’s reaction after taking his first bite certainly makes it seem like a little piece of Jordan just might be in there. Anyway, John then decides to take a run, and he notices Jordan’s tracker is somewhere nearby. He finds himself at the fireplace, where the watch with the app is. John immediately realizes what AI David has done, but he tries to pretend otherwise. In fact, AI David expresses his love to John and tells him he wants to be perfect for him, which makes John cave, and he kisses the bot (yikes). John takes AI David out dancing, and they hang out in public like a real couple. I suppose the real David would’ve never gone out with John, so this is probably why he feels so overjoyed by this outing. Back home, when things are wonderful, John gets a call from the lab saying David’s perfectly well now. This makes John sad, because he just found his footing with the AI, and now he has to go back to boring old David, who doesn’t actually care for him. I guess what he’s realized is that he doesn’t actually love David; he only loves the idea of him.
What Happens to John?
At the end of American Horror Stories episode 6, John meets David in the lab for dinner. He then starts to express how he’s been feeling of late, and how it hurt his feelings when David made such big decisions without so much as consulting him. John’s been left a puppet, seeing as he’s basically “trained” a robot, and now he has to go back to pretending like nothing’s different. It’s almost like a breakup, no? David, of course, doesn’t care about this at all and proves how he’s really the bad guy in all this at this moment. David has John killed because he knows about his AI tech. All he cares about is the AI race and how he’s created something perfect. Additionally, David is obsessed with himself, so he never really needed John; all he needed was “himself” (bleh). The episode ends with AI David and David in bed together (I know!), but AI David notices the pictures John took with him back on that night out and asks David who he is. David tells AI David that he’s never met the man in the picture. This leaves us with the opening that AI David will eventually learn the truth and probably kill David because he was madly in love with John. I suppose at the end of the day the monster isn’t the AI but David himself.
