Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0
4
You can’t keep a copy down when it comes to the characters of Orphan Black: Echoes.
The series has done a fantastic job separating itself from its parent series. Until now, I have been reticent about making too many comparisons between the two.
However, Orphan Black: Echoes deserves praise for distinguishing itself from the original Orphan Black.
Sure, there’s a bigger budget, but a show is much more than its money.
While Orphan Black: Echoes doesn’t have nearly as much camp as the original, it boasts a more robust, cleaner story.
By focusing on multiple aged versions of printouts, the series adds a different kind of depth to the idea of multiple copies of a single individual.
Orphan Black: Echoes Brings A New Kind Of Depth And Complexity To Its Characters
The mystery of who Lucy was and where she came from was a strong premise for a follow-up to the cult classic.
Rather than slow-burning viewers into the concept of printouts, Orphan Black: Echoes took the direct route.
That was incredibly smart because it made it easier for viewers to focus on Lucy, Jules, and Eleanor’s complexity.
By having three clones from various points in the original’s life, audiences can make a more personal connection, both in terms of similarities and differences.
That also means it will be even more devastating if one of the “Printout Posse” should end up dead.
I don’t wish for anyone from Lucy’s (Krysten Ritter) team to get cooked, but it would make for an exciting plot down the road. Especially if printing again is an option.
And the fact that Kira is the sole reason for this new catastrophic technology is wild.
After everything her mother went through, it’s still hard to wrap my head around, but the thought of losing the love of your life is a massive motivator.
Grieving people are well known to do some truly crazy things.
Orphan Black: Echoes Has Made Massive Stride To Connect To The Original Series
Now that Kira has seen the error of her ways, what does that mean for the series?
On the one hand, they need to stop Darros, but on the other hand, can Orphan Black: Echoes keep things interesting without any new printouts?
Everyone on the creative team has clearly been working their butts off to keep the story fresh.
They deserve praise for bringing in familiar faces from the original Orphan Black.
No doubt, once fans of the cult classic finally get the chip off their shoulder and give Orphan Black: Echoes a try, they’ll appreciate the writers for connecting the two.
Between Uncle Felix and Aunt Delphine, Orphan Black: Echoes is spoon-feeding nostalgia to fans.
Seeing these original characters years later in this new series makes it feel like Orphan Black grew up and evolved into the show it was always meant to be.
That’s not to say the original wasn’t perfect exactly as it was. Just that Orphan Black: Echoes is, in a way, a tribute to everything that the original story and characters achieved.
It is hard to believe that the little girl from the first season of Orphan Black grew up to be a brilliant scientist who cloned a distraught Lucy.
Krysten Ritter Continues To Be A Beacon Of Talent For The AMC Series
It also doesn’t seem like Lucy is going to catch a break any time soon.
Did anyone else feel like they were being water-boarded with Craig’s possible death?
At first, I thought, “Oh, good. Craig is fine. Lucy won’t be devastated.”
Then you all know that he spent the entire episode bleeding out. Only he didn’t notice it because he thought he had peed on himself.
And we have to give it up to Krysten Ritter because she really went in on the acting. You can’t tell me she wasn’t actually sobbing and crying in front of Craig.
I genuinely thought he was going to die, but I’m glad he didn’t because that would’ve been lazy writing for AMC. And mean.
Thank goodness for Jack because Craig’s stubborn ass would’ve never made it through the night.
Sadly, it was a bad news/good news situation. Jack seems done with Lucy, and I can’t blame him.
Lucy never meant to bring so much chaos to Jack and Charlie’s lives, but what’s done is done.
There’s no going back, and everything is coming to a head that will likely force Lucy to make some hard decisions.
Jack, however, has it a little simpler. He wants to keep Charlie safe.
It’s Bodies On Bodies On Bodies With The Printout Posse Looking At The Possibility Of More Clones
I can’t believe they had Charlie absent for so many episodes just to bring her back to get kidnapped.
They lightly “fridged” her.
For those who don’t know, that’s when a female character is attacked in one fashion or another to motivate the male character.
That being said, kidnapping a child is precisely something that a douche like Tom would do.
And it happened after I thought there could be a decent person under that basic-bro.
What kind of person likes Celine Dion and snatches kids in their free time?
In my previous episode review, I said that Craig’s death would galvanize Lucy.
I was clearly thinking too small because this situation will probably bring out Lucy’s “mama bear” side.
So, while Lucy and Jack deal with Darros’s henchmen, Eleanor (Rya Kihlstedt) and Kira can figure out what Paul Darros is doing.
Jules (Amanda Fix) can continue to babysit Xander’s unhinged ass as he deals with his existential crisis.
At least we have a better understanding of Paul’s plan now. I had said that it was doubtful that his plan involved money. He’s already a billionaire.
We know twelve body scans have been pre-picked for printing.
Now, we need to find out who those people are and why they are so important.
If the series gets picked up for another season, it’ll probably revolve around finding these printouts.
It would also be great to see Kira’s (Keeley Hawes) mother, Sarah.
However, that’s a tall order since whoever plays the elderly leader of the “Clone Club” will have to face scrutiny from fans of the original.
We’re down to the wire with the last episode. It’s all coming to a head.
I am already at the edge of my seat with the possibilities.
Orphan Black: Echoes has been such a fantastic series.
As a spinoff, the creators crafted the perfect story for new viewers while still trying to cater to the OG fans.
That said, if anything happens to Charlie, I will absolutely lose it!
Do you have theories about what Paul is planning with the body scans?
What do you think Lucy will do once they stop Darros?
Drop a comment below to let us know, and join me again when I review the next episode of Orphan Black: Echoes.