‘Orphan Black: Echoes’: AMC's sci-fi thriller fails to recreate the magic of its predecessor
Contains spoilers for 'Orphan Black: Echoes'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The sci-fi genre is notoriously difficult to explore, and when you approach a project while drawing inspiration from a hit show, the stakes are bound to rise and this is exactly what happened with 'Orphan Black: Ehcoes,' which draws inspiration from the 2013 smash-hit drama 'Orphan Black.' While the core premise of both shows remains the same, despite a prominent premise, 'Orphan Black: Echoes' fails to deliver its intended impact, failing to carry on Orphan Black's legacy.
The plot of 'Orphan Black: Echoes' follows the struggle of our protagonist Lucy (Krysten Ritter), who is living an underground life unaware of her origins but knowing of the fact that she is different from humans and is a clone. As the show progresses, a deadly attack forces Lucy to confront her past and discover the truth about her origins. Now, things were moving quickly in Episode 1, which piqued the audience's interest; however, the same magic was missing from the subsequent episodes, which were mostly slow and felt more like fillers as nothing significant took place in the show.
Despite its potential 'Orphan Black: Echoes,' fails to deliever
There is no doubt that the first episode of 'Orphan Black: Echoes' was a strong start, with an engaging introduction to Lucy's dilemma. However, the show unexpectedly falters in maintaining its momentum. There was plenty of filler in an episode, as well as an entire episode dedicated to the characters's pasts.
While this could have been a great idea to maintain a sense of connection between the characters and the viewers, I believe it was overdone and failed to keep fans glued to the show and functioned more like a repellent. The plot also becomes disjointed in the last few episodes leaving the show struggling to keep the audience interested.
Orphan Black: Echoes's direction captures a visually striking world, complete with a neon-soaked aesthetic and an atmospheric score. The show manages to create a sense of intrigue and modernity while retaining some of the original series's visual appeal. However, while the direction creates a visually appealing look, it does not compensate for the series's narrative shortcomings.
Krysten Ritter fails to impress with her cloning act in 'Orphan Black: Echoes'
One of the most disappointing aspects of 'Orphan Black: Echoes' is its protagonist, who fails to elicit a sense of intrigue in me, as neither I could feel Lucy's predicament nor did she feel like a lead in the show's later episodes. Krysten Ritter's performance as Lucy struggles to match the character's expected depth. Her dialogue delivery is stilted, which is another flaw in her performance. While her acting isn't entirely bad, she did deliver in high-octane scenes like the one where she faces Jules Lee (Amanda Fix) for the first time but that's it. As a lead of a much-anticipated show, she fails to carry 'Orphan Black: Echoes.'
On the other hand, Keeley Hawes gives one of the standout performances, even though the writing did her dirty. Hawes's character elicits emotions from you as she tries to reunite with her lover, making her one of the series' most engaging elements. Having said that, 'Orphan Black: Echoes' had the potential to build on the original series's legacy, but it fell short due to its incoherent plot and underdeveloped characters. I wanted to fall in love with the 'Orphan Black: Echoes' so badly, but it lacked the edge that could have made it much more appealing.
'Orphan Black: Echoes' trailer