Say Goodbye to Paul on 'Orphan Black'

There's been something bugging me all season on Orphan Black . What's up with Paul? One second he's in cahoots with Castor, the next he appears to be working as a double (triple?) agent trying to free Sarah. I've been trying to figure out his motivation all season, and now it's crystal clear: he love Sarah. It's because of that love that he makes the ultimate sacrifice: Paul dies on Orphan Black. While we don't necessarily see a body, we do see the grenade he's clutching in his arms, and you know what that means. Kaboom. And you know what kaboom means? Castor's research goes with him.

I've always really liked Paul, even after we learned that he was original Beth's monitor, and even after we learned he was actually working for the government, and then, even after he took Helena away. I always felt like he had some sort of ulterior motive in the works, and in "Certain Agony of the Battlefield" we learn the truth. He's working for Castor, but he's really reporting back to someone on mainland United States. He's feeding them Castor information and Paul's recently uncovered some big stuff.

In the prior episode, he comes across one of the clone's intimate log books, and realize that something bigger is at play. After relaying this back to his real boss (not Castor, but rather an unnamed dude in a trench coat) an extraction for everyone on the base is ordered. Paul tries to uncover as much dirt on Dr. Coady as possible. However, it doesn't go as planned, because this is Orphan Black we're talking about, and there need to be twists within twists upon twists.

First, while Paul and Sarah are trying to get off of the base, they come face to face with Miller (he's the clone that's been on the base this whole time, in case you have trouble figuring out the male clones, like I do). Paul kills Miller, but not before he deals a fatal blow to Paul's stomach. He's wounded real bad, and knows this is the end. He gets Sarah to safety — but not before he professes his love to her, however not in as many words — and drags his bleeding body to the Castor research room.

That's when Dr. Coady SHOOTS HIM A BUNCH. I kinda had a sinking feeling that something would happen to Paul this episode. This felt like a Paul-centric episode, to begin with, so I kinda felt like something big would happen to him. I thought he would be betrayed by everyone, honestly. Like, finds out that he's not the double agent he thought he was. Or find out that he's a clone. I didn't expect to lose Paul.

So Dr. Coady shoots Paul in the chest like, six too many times. OK, Coady, we get it. You don't like him. He's a goner for sure (aside: if he doesn't die, he comes back to life for a hot second, just to profess his love to Sarah again, leaving her ridiculously conflicted). If there's any question about his death, he then lowers his arms to reveal that he's got a grenade there. In shooting Paul, she shot the grenade, and everything is going to blow.

Paul's intent was to destroy the Castor research, so yeah, he's succeeded there. He's caught onto the fact that Castor is up to something — but what, that's still not clear. However, Paul know it's not what he signed up for, and it's certainly not what the government's looking for, either. If you can't beat 'em, and you've already joined 'em, might as well destroy all their research to try and save the other clones, huh?

This is the end of Paul, and yes, that's sad. There goes another pretty face from the Orphan Black roster. I guess this means that Cal needs to come back ASAP, so the Attractive Man In Love With Sarah quota can be filled. Goodbye, Paul. You will not be forgottoen.

Image: Steve Wilkie/BBC AMERICA