Echoes Is A Perfect Reminder To Check Out This Underrated Franchise Sequel Series From 3 Years Ago

As Orphan Black: Echoes season 1 releases weekly on AMC, it’s the perfect time to revisit an underrated franchise sequel that debuted three years ago. While Echoes may be the only for-TV Orphan Black sequel, it isn’t the only follow-up to the five-season sci-fi thriller about the moral and ethical implications of human cloning. The original show centers on Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany), a troubled young woman who discovers that she’s one of many genetically identical human clones. Soon enough, Sarah teams with her clone sisters to take on the corporations that wish to own them.

Although Orphan Black ended in 2017, the series boasts an ever-passionate fanbase, which has led to tie-in comic books and even a Japanese remake. Now, Orphan Black: Echoes — more of a spinoff than a proper sequel — picks up in the Orphan Black universe 37 years since the end of the original series. While Orphan Black: Echoes‘s cast of characters features some familiar names and faces, including a now-adult Dr. Kira Manning (Keeley Hawes), it centers on a brand-new mystery tied to its original characters, Lucy (Krysten Ritter) and Jules (Amanda Fix).

Orphan Black: The Next Chapter Podcast Is A Proper Orphan Black Sequel

The Audio Drama Picks Up After Orphan Black’s Series Finale

Although Orphan Black: Echoes is a stunning spinoff, it may not be the definitive follow-up for fans of the original series. On the other hand, Orphan Black: The Next Chapter picks up with Maslany’s cast of clones where the original Orphan Black season 5 ended. Announced in 2019, The Next Chapter is a two-season audio series that serves as an official continuation of Orphan Black‘s story. Despite the change in mediums, the audio drama is a must-listen for completionists who want to delve into the full breadth of Orphan Black‘s canon.

Co-produced by Realm and AMC Networks, Orphan Black: The Next Chapter is set 8 years after the ending of the original show, and centers on Orphan Black‘s core Project Leda clones as they live in anonymity. Unfortunately, that life isn’t all they’d hoped it would be. For Cosima, living in relative secrecy means she’s unable to pursue her life-saving research, while Kira (Skyler Wexler), Sarah’s daughter, feels suffocated by her mom’s paranoia. Meanwhile, the youngest Leda clone, Charlotte (Cynthia Galant), begins to wonder if they have a duty to save their fellow clones from a genetic illness.

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Orphan Black: The 10 Best Clone Swaps

Over five seasons, Orphan Black had a number of clone swaps—one clone taking on the identity of another. These swaps became integral to the story.

Tatiana Maslany & Other Cast Members Returned For Orphan Black: The Next Chapter

Maslany Does Not Appear In Orphan Black: Echoes Season 1

A true sequel to Orphan Black, The Next Chapter delivers more on what fans want than Echoes does, especially where Emmy-winning actor Tatiana Maslany is concerned. While there are many ways the original show’s star could join the spinoff, Tatiana Maslany doesn’t return in Orphan Black: Echoes season 1. That decision helps the Ritter-led spinoff stand on its own, but it’s also somewhat of a shame. After all, Maslany played 17 clones in Orphan Black, with her dynamic and nuanced performances being a key reason to watch the series.

In Orphan Black: The Next Chapter, Maslany adds another clone to her impressive roster: CIA agent Vivi Valdez. Once Vivi discovers the truth about her identity, chaos follows, with one of the original Clone Club members being accused of murder. The gripping thrill ride once again puts the clones and those they love at the center of a dangerous conspiracy, which is made all-the-better by the return of other Orphan Black actors. In addition to Maslany, Jordan Gavaris (Felix), Evelyne Brochu (Delphine), and Kristian Bruun (Donnie) all reprise their TV show roles.

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Is Orphan Black: Echoes A Prequel Or Sequel? Timeline & Connection To Original Show Explained

Orphan Black: Echoes promises to build on the world of the original series, but how it connects to the original show may not be explicitly clear.

Why The Next Chapter Is A Better Sequel Than Orphan Black: Echoes

Orphan Black: Echoes Follow’s Orphan Black’s Kira Manning As Well As New Characters Lucy & Jules

It’s difficult to compare a spinoff with a direct sequel, but the fact that Orphan Black: Echoes is a full-fledged TV series — much like the original show — will no doubt have viewers setting The Next Chapter and Echoes side-by-side. While Orphan Black: Echoes uses its connections to the original series wisely, fans looking for a familiar Orphan Black experience should consider listening to the audio drama. When it comes to carrying on the legacy of the Leda clones post-Orphan Black series finale, Orphan Black: The Next Chapter is the definitive sequel in the franchise.

New episodes of Orphan Black: Echoes premiere in the US on AMC on Sundays beginning June 23, 2024.

Orphan Black: Echoes

Orphan Black: Echoes is the sequel series to the original that aired in 2013. In Echoes, Krysten Ritter stars as Lucy, a woman trying to find her place in the world. She will soon discover that she may be part of the clone experimentation process that former protagonist Sarah Manning and her “sisters” were.

Cast

Krysten Ritter , Keeley Hawes , Amanda Fix , James Hiroyuki Liao , Avan Jogia , Zariella Langford

Release Date

June 23, 2024

Seasons

1

Streaming Service(s)

AMC Plus

Writers

Anna Fishko , Sharyn Rothstein , Amy Louise Johnson , C. Quintana , Alex Delyle , Anayat Fakhraie , Julian Camillieri

Showrunner

Anna Fishko

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Creator(s)

Anna Fishko

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