Why does Arby ask Jessica Hyde, "Where is Jessica Hyde?"

Question

Before I start, I'm going to warn you that this contains spoilers of the first part of season one of Utopia, because I don't feel like sticking this whole question in a spoiler tag.

In episode 1x03, at the end of the scene in Alice's house (around 44 minutes in), Arby speaks to Jessica:

Arby: Give it me.

[Jessica hands him the manuscript]

Arby: Your father was Phillip Carvel.

[Jessica nods]

Arby: What was he like?

Jessica: I don't know. That's why I wanted that.

Arby: Where is Jessica Hyde?

Why does he ask her this? I get that it's a callback to him asking everyone else, but I don't understand why he'd ask Jessica Hyde where Jessica Hyde is.

Answer 1

What we know about Arby: He was experimented on as a child and had his memories erased.

What we don't know about Arby before his memories were erased:

• Did he know that he had a sister?
• Did he see her often?
• Was she ever referred to as Jessica Hyde during this time?

It is possible that he has some deep memory associated with the name Jessica Hyde. This would mean he has a reason to be looking for a Jessica Hyde besides that fact that The Network told him to, he just might not know why.

It is possible that he recognized her general appearance once he saw her and became disoriented by the association with his lost memories.

With an empty mind and being completely focused on finding Jessica Hyde for so long he may have become a bit overwhelmed when he actually found her.

Any combination of these could explain why he doesn't kill, capture, or continue questioning her and rather just walks away in a daze repeating the same thought (one of only a few) that has been running through his mind for such a long time.

As he walks away he is likely now asking himself "why was I looking for Jessica Hyde?".