In 2013, the world was introduced to the TV series Orphan Black. Headlined by the immensely talented Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black explores the scientific, philosophical, ethical, and social aspects of human cloning. By the end of the series’ five seasons, Maslany had played no less than 17 different characters, breathing life into every single one and earning an Emmy in 2017 because of it. Though it’s been seven years since Orphan Black last aired, the series still leaves a legacy that is hard to beat and shoes that are incredibly difficult to fill.
AMC’s follow-up series, Orphan Black: Echoes, is the latest attempt to match the magic of the original “clone club.” Though it opens on a rough start, by the end of its first season, it proves its worth in the ‘Sestrahood.’ Across its ten episodes, Echoes weaves in multiple storylines, and though not all of those hold as much interest as others, the ones that do take this spin-off into newfound and exciting territory.
Echoes from the Orphan Black Past
Set thirty-seven years after the final events of its predecessor, Echoes follows Lucy (Krysten Ritter), a woman who is simultaneously trying to run from her past and remember it at all. Through a series of bizarre events, Lucy’s life becomes entangled with those of rebellious teenager Jules (Amanda Fix) and a doctor (Keeley Hawes) who Lucy thinks might hold the key to her memories.
As a long-time Orphan Black fan, I was both excited and nervous for this spin-off. Maslany’s talent is not one that is easily copied, and stories like the ones we see in Orphan Black tend to be rare these days. I won’t lie and say Echoes isn’t burdened by the success of Orphan Black. That very burden, in fact, makes the first couple of episodes feel a bit disjointed and weighed down by the fact that this show doesn’t have a Tatiana Maslany of its own. Combine with that the task of having to build and flesh out a story separate enough from and yet still close to Orphan Black’s “clone club,” and the rocky start makes a bit more sense.
As the episodes continue, and the various characters’ lives unfold, though, the show visibly pulls itself out from under the heavy burden of expectation. By the fourth episode, Echoes truly finds its stride both alongside and away from its origins. With continued explorations of scientific ethics and philosophy and how they work with our ever-evolving understanding of life, Echoes stays true to the ultimate Orphan Black questions: what makes us human and what would we do to protect our concept of humanity?
Room to Grow
Though I was initially frustrated that Echoes takes a while to fill out its world and find its stride, I found myself wondering if I ever had the same frustrations when Orphan Black was first airing. Was I so quick to judge then, when I didn’t yet know all it had to offer? With Echoes, if I’d let a few issues in the first episode put me off, I would have missed a beautiful, inclusive story that’s full of Orphan Black heart and the promise of exciting tales to come. I wouldn’t have seen the actors fall into their characters more and more, with Fix becoming the breakout star for me.
Echoes reminds me that good, fun stories don’t have to start off perfectly. They just need room to grow. That’s not an easy feat to accomplish in today’s streaming world. But maybe Echoes will pull through. It still has a story to tell, and I for one hope we get to see the end of it.
Orphan Black: Echoes premieres June 23, 2024 on AMC and BBC America.
