I have what might be a controversial take about the whole “is Lark actually Normal’s dad” which is that I recently realized that I don’t really care either way and I kind of hope we never find out.
From the start the show has been hammering down on the idea that family is what you make of it and is a lot more about the connection you have with someone than it is about biology.
In season 1 we see this theme mainly with the Stampler (mostly the growing relationship between Ron and Terry), but by the end of season 1/ the beginning of season 2 we see a bunch more familial relationships that are not based on blood relation (Glenn as Nick’s dad in spirit(?), Terry as Scary’s step dad, Grant and Marco as Link’s adoptive parents), and those relationships are not perceived as any less valid.
In a similar way I feel like it doesn’t really matter which one of the twins is Normal’s biological father because at the end of the day it changes nothing about their relationships.
they both serve as a father figure to him and I think in a way it’s pretty valid for him to view both of them as fulfilling that role in his life.
But even if we were to look at it differently and decide that only one of them can be the true dad it still wouldn’t really matter because than it’s just Sparrow, who cares if biologically normal is his, or Larks, or Scam Likely’s for all I care.
They view each other as father and son so THEY ARE father and son.
TL;DR: I think that in sticking with the theme of “sometimes family is just the people who love you” it shouldn’t really matter which of the Oak twins is Normal’s bio dad.
I agree, biology definitely doesn’t mean that much in terms of who your family is. But to me, the conflict with Lark being Normal’s dad isn’t “he’s my real dad, not you,” it’s more of a “you’ve been lying to me for my entire life” kinda thing.
Lark being Normal’s dad isn’t a “I just learned that I’m adopted and my dad is no longer my dad,” scenario, it’s a “I thought my parents were happy together, but maybe they aren’t, cause either my mom can’t tell her husband from his brother or she was cheating on my dad with my uncle and I might be the embodiment of that failing relationship and maybe that’s why my dad isn’t proud of me” scenario.