Summary
- Orphan Black: Echoes
lacks the magic of Tatiana Maslany’s myriad performances that made the original series shine so brightly. - Fans are torn about the new show, which exists in the same universe but is missing the crucial element of Maslany’s incredible talent.
- Orphan Black: Echoes
must stand on its own to succeed. Viewers need to approach it as a separate entity despite its ties to the beloved original.
Orphan Black was arguably one of the best yet most underrated shows of the 2010s. The Canadian sci-fi thriller stars Tatiana Maslany as a woman who discovers that there are several clones of her. Confused, angered, and desperate for answers, she heads out on a journey to learn how and why. This leads her on a dangerous path with an organization responsible for questionable genetic human cloning.
Seven years after the series ended, a new show set in the same universe called Orphan Black: Echoes is set to debut in the U.S. But fans have mixed feelings. On the one hand, Orphan Black: Echoes, which premiered on Stan in Australia back in November 2023 and will premiere in the U.S. and Canada on June 23, 2024, marks the return of a fabulous concept. It will exist in the same universe. But on the other hand, it’s missing many elements that made Orphan Black such a success. Namely, that’s actress Tatiana Maslany, who not only successfully portrayed the lead character in the original show, she hit it out of the park, portraying numerous clones.
Tatiana Maslany Is the Heart of Orphan Black
The plot in Orphan Black was centered entirely around Tatiana Maslany in more ways than one. When Sarah Manning (Maslany) sees police detective Beth (Maslany) die by suicide, and she sets out to find out who this doppelganger is, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Episode after episode, storyline after storyline, a new clone is introduced. Each time, she’s played by Maslany, but each one is unique. From the look to the personality and even the mannerisms, Maslany fully dives into every character as if they were a completely different person. So much so that fans even have a hard time accepting that they’re all played by the same person.
Love for Maslany was so strong, in fact, that fans of the series campaigned for her to receive a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for the role. Along with the show receiving critical acclaim, Maslany took home that much-deserved statue. Unlike other shows where a story can swap its lead character and move on, Orphan Black was so heavily reliant on Maslany that it’s difficult to imagine another show bearing the same name existing without her.
How Orphan Black: Echoes Ties to Maslany’s Characters
Orphan Black: Echoes does stand on its own, but it has some ties to several of Maslany’s characters. Set in the future, in the year 2052, one of the main characters is Dr. Kira Manning (Keeley Hawes), Sarah Manning’s daughter. She’s now an adult and works as a scientist. Krysten Ritter, who also serves as an executive producer of the new series, plays the lead as a woman who has undergone the cloning procedure but doesn’t remember who she is. Some characters from the original return in recurring roles, including Jordan Gavaris as Sarah’s foster brother (and Kira’s uncle) Felix and Evelyn Brochu as Dr. Delphine Cormier, wife of clone Cosima (Maslany) and Kira’s aunt. Both are aged up to reprise the roles.
Maslany is noticeably absent, and this might be purposely to keep the story separate from the original. But it could also be to its detriment. Maslany and her mesmerizing performance, rather performances plural, made Orphan Black shine. The script, story, supporting performances, and directing were all fabulous on the show as well. But Maslany was the shining light that brought it all to life.
Maslany tied everything together by making viewers believe that Alison Hendrix really was an uptight suburban housewife with an edge, Rachel Duncan was a stuck-up, power-hungry executive, Helena was a troubled assassin, and even Krystal was a stereotypical “dumb blonde.”
How Has Orphan Black: Echoes Been Received So Far?
Orphan Black: Echoes isn’t arriving in the U.S., the U.K., and Canada until June 23, 2024. But the series, as noted, premiered on November 3, 2023, in Australia via the network Stan. So, there has been some feedback on it already. And reviews are mixed. Craig Matheson of The Age says there’s “enough tension and uncertainty here to make it interesting to devotees and neophytes alike.” Audiences give the show a 6.5/10 on IMDb, and it appears the numerical value increases from each episode to the next, which is a good sign.
Orphan Black Producer Hints at More Potential Spinoff Series After Echoes
Boat Rocker Studios’ exec teases that Orphan Black: Echoes marks the start of a new universe, with AMC on board for more potential spinoffs.
In a Reddit discussion about the show, not surprisingly, much of the criticism lies in fans being unable to separate the show and its concept from Maslany, even if Orphan Black: Echoes isn’t technically a reboot, revival, or sequel. “It made me miss Tatiana putting on a masterclass acting performance on TV,” writes beemugler. Ok-Topic1139 agrees, noting, “Tatiana is one of the best performances I’ve seen.”
SHEditor83 perhaps provides the most succinct opinion: “It lacks original magic, probably because, even if I love K.R., Tatiana Maslany was something else, something unreachable, and I find it hard not to compare them.”
Orphan Black: Echoes Has to Succeed on Its Own
Orphan Black: Echoes has potential, and it’s worth a watch for fans of the original series or the sci-fi genre in general. But truly enjoying it requires going into the show as if it were completely separate, even if it exists in the same universe. It’s akin to The Walking Dead franchise. All the shows exist in the same world, with Easter Eggs and even crossover characters that tie them together. But they are all, by and large, their own shows.
Tatiana Maslany might be the Rick Grimes of the Orphan Black world, but considering The Walking Dead spin-offs were able to survive without him, even the original series for its final seasons, maybe Orphan Black: Echoes can survive without her. But that doesn’t mean fans won’t miss Sarah, Cosima, Helena, Alison, Rachel, and all the other clones. It will be near impossible not to compare the characters in this new show with those.
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If Orphan Black were truly to make a reboot, it would have to be a near-future story about the Leda ladies in Clone Club and what they’re up to now. Anything less is Orphan Black in name alone, a show with a similar concept and a lead character with massive pairs of shoes, boots, and heels to fill. Stream Orphan Black: Echoes on AMC+ and Orphan Black on AMC+.
