ADD: The Last 'D' is for 'Disorder' is the third episode (of 13) of the one-season-wonder animated series Clone High. The episode is an emotional look at just how cruel kids can be (We can? Thanks, mom) when Gandhi is diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. He is also diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, its hyperactive cousin. He is shunned by his schoolmates who fear the unknown. It's sad.

Plot summary (spoilers)

Joan, Abe and Gandhi are eating lunch in the Clone High cafeteria and discussing normal stuff. Gandhi, however, seems much more high-strung than usual, and keeps putting french fries up his nose. Abe seems to think this is hilarious. Joan is not amused. She isn't amused when Gandhi steals her retainer in an attempt to do an impression of her, either. Cleo and JFK show up and discuss the Awareness Fair ("This year's theme is... awareness."), where Cleo is planning on running an open-mouth kissing booth.

Cleo and JFK get into a fight about the prospect of said booth, and Abe runs off to comfort Cleo. This makes Joan sad, but she is then surprised to hear voices reminding her that God is with her. She immediately assumes she is following in the footsteps of the real Joan of Arc, who also heard voices.

Gandhi, meanwhile, is disruptive in class and sent to Principal Scudworth's office. Scudworth is frustrated with the fact that his robot butler, Mr. Butlertron, is extremely popular with the students and borrows the robot's sweater vest, thinking it to have magical powers. After observing Gandhi's behavior, Mr. Butlertron runs his symptoms through his computer and diagnoses him with both ADD and ADHD. Gandhi is initially terrified, thinking the disorders are fatal. He is reassured that they are treatable. But...

Rumours of Gandhi's condition are quickly spread through a catchy musical number:

(snap, snap, snap snap snap)
Students:
Did you hear, did you hear?
Gandhi has ADD!
Incurable disease!
Did you hear, did you hear?
Gandhi is contagious!
Totally outrageous!
A disease with initials! That's the worst kind!
ADD has warped his mind!
Did you hear, did you hear?
Don't tell Paul Revere!
Don't tell Paul Revere!
Don't tell Paul Revere!

Paul Revere:
Too laaaaaate!
Gandhi has ADD! Gandhi has ADD!
You get it from toilet seats!
Use a protective sheet!

Students:
Attention deficit
Disorder!
ADD!

At first, the students are in disbelief. But then Abe points out that the song rhymed, so it has to be true. People begin to freak out about ADD being contagious, and Cleo in particular doesn't want to be anywhere near Gandhi in case he tries to bite her. Joan, meanwhile, has been hearing religious voices with growing frequency and asks Jésus Christo, a clone of Jesus, what he thinks. Jésus tells Joan not to worry because God has a plan for everyone — "a painful, painful plan."

Gandhi shows up at the Awareness Fair because his dance troupe, the Solid Gandhi Dancers, is scheduled to perform. Upon his arrival, the clone of Marie Curie informs him that he shouldn't perform in case he has an ADD attack and can't remember the moves. In an attempt to prove how ridiculous that really is, Gandhi breaks it down, inadvertantly destroying the stage and killing the clone of Gene Kelly. Dejected, Gandhi goes to the Grassy Knoll diner hoping to see Abe, who is there with Cleo. Cleo is freaked out about being near Gandhi and Abe, not wanting to alienate Cleo, ignores his best friend. Gandhi is heartbroken and leaves, at which time he is captured by an angry mob of parents concerned that he will infect their own cloned foster children (I don't want that diseased freak going near my Atilla!). He is brought to an infirmary.

Abe tries to visit Gandhi in an attempt to make things right, but Gandhi is cool to the prospect. They recall their childhoods together in a flashback montage featuring a song called "Remember the Memories." Abe decides to visit an ADD centre to expand his mind. While reading a book about ADD by actor Tom Green, he runs into Tom Green himself. Tom, who also has ADD, says he enjoys taking the time out from being a mega-watt Hollywood star to teach kids about the realities of ADD and ADHD, its hyperactive cousin. Abe tells him what's been happening to Gandhi, and Tom agrees to come down to the Awareness Fair to help educate the masses. But first, he dances around singing about being an albatross.

Back at the infirmary, Scudworth is preparing to conduct scientific experiments on Gandhi, who has lost the will to live. Unsatisfied because Gandhi is ready to accept a large drill into his brain, Scudworth levels with him. Upon Gandhi's saying that there doesn't seem to be any hope for guys like them, Scudworth says "There's always hope, Gandhi. When life gives you lemons, you clone those lemons and make superlemons." Scudworth encourages Gandhi to go down to that Awareness Fair, stand up for what's right and bring him back a funnel cake, and hands him the keys to the infirmary. Never one to miss a beat, Gandhi breaks out of the infirmary by throwing Mr. Butlertron through the window.

Joan is preaching at the Awareness Fair, egged on by the voices in her head. After a while, her retainer flies out of her mouth and it becomes clear that she's been picking up radio signals from a Christian rock radio station. Gandhi shows up at the Awareness Fair and attempts to buy a kiss from Cleopatra's open-mouth kissing booth. The assembled masses are horrified, at which point Abe attempts to quell the situation through education. By discriminating against Gandhi, he says, the Awareness Fair has become an Awareness Unfair.

Unmoved by criticism, Abe makes out with Gandhi to most everyone's horror. Gandhi declares the act "not cool. Not cool. And because of that, I am only paying you four dollars." Cleo is moved by Abe's "brave homoerotic gesture," and the general student/parent population opts to accept Gandhi and shun Abe instead. All is well once again. Marie Curie invites Gandhi to come to the stage and dance, which he does. Abe tosses him his half of their "Best Dudes Forever" necklace, which Gandhi proudly shoves up his nose.

Historical references

Joan hears voices. Gandhi is shunned. Jesus accidently nails himself to a piece of wood using a nailgun. Genetically mutated DNA has led the clone of Marie Curie to become grotesquely deformed.

The real reference in this episode, however, is to after-school specials aimed at teens that deal with serious topics. While the entire series parodies this to some extent ("Tonight... on a very special Clone High"), this episode seems to be directly mirroring a number of TV episodes from the '90s. I specifically recall an episode of Captain Planet wherein a young teenager becomes infected with HIV and his shunned by his peers, many of whom believe HIV to be AIDS and that it can be contracted through toilet seats (sound familiar?).

As previously noted, the episode features Tom Green as himself.


Resources:
http://www.clone-high.com/episodes.htm
"ADD: The Last 'D' is for 'Disorder.'" Clone High: The Complete First Season. DVD. Owned by me.

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