Summary
Orphan Black: Echoes features a new cast of characters in the same universe as the original series, set in 2052.
The mystery-driven plot follows Lucy and Dr. Kira Manning, offering a fresh take reminiscent of the original series.
Notable actors like Krysten Ritter and Keeley Hawes bring depth to their characters in the sci-fi-infused storyline.
The sequel to a hit sci-fi TV series, Orphan Black: Echoes features a unique cast of characters — though long-time Orphan Black fans will recognize a few names and faces. Created by Anna Fishko, the sequel is set in 2052 and shares the original series’ universe. Instead of centering on Emmy-winning actor Tatiana Maslany’s array of clone sisters, Echoes follows the stories of Lucy (Krysten Ritter), a young woman with amnesia, and Dr. Kira Manning (Keeley Hawes). Notably, Kira is the now-adult daughter of Maslany’s Sarah Manning, the only Leda clone to have a child.
Despite taking place thirty-seven years since the end of the original series, Orphan Black: Echoes maintains many of the original show’s best elements. For starters, the propulsive mystery at the show’s center — Kira and her wife try to help Lucy and understand who she is — is reminiscent of the Leda clones’ journey in Orphan Black. Over the course of its 10-episode first season, sequel Orphan Black: Echoes reminds viewers of why the original series became so hugely popular — and much of that is due to the incredible cast of characters.
Orphan Black: Echoes Character
Actor
Lucy
Krysten Ritter
Dr. Kira Manning
Keeley Hawes
Jules Lee
Amanda Fix
Jack
Avan Jogia
Paul Darros
James Hiroyuki Liao
Dr. Eleanor Miller
Rya Kihlstedt
Krysten Ritter As Lucy
December 16, 1981
Actor: While Ritter has appeared in everything from Gilmore Girls to and Veronica Mars to 27 Dresses, she’s best known for playing characters with either a dark or sarcastic streak — or, in the case of some projects, both. After having a breakout moment in Breaking Bad as Jane, a woman whose death is the catalyst for Walter White’s (Bryan Cranston) descent into true villainy, Ritter landed the lead roles in the comedy series Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 and the Marvel-Netflix hit Jessica Jones.
Character: The core protagonist of Orphan Black: Echoes, Lucy’s experience with amnesia propels the show’s mystery forward. Much like Orphan Black’s Sarah, her determination to figure out what’s really going on unravels the show’s sci-fi-infused plot.
Notable TV Shows & Movies
Ritter’s Role
Breaking Bad
Jane
Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23
Chloe
Marvel’s Jessica Jones
Jessica Jones
Keeley Hawes As Dr. Kira Manning
February 10, 1976
Actor: A British actor who rose to fame in literary adaptations, including Our Mutual Friend and Tipping the Velvet, Hawes went on to lead the BBC spy series Spooks and Ashes to Ashes, which blends fantasy with crime drama and police-procedural elements. On the voice acting side of things, Hawes played video game icon Lara Croft in several games, before Tomb Raider recast Lara Croft in its 2013 reboot. Needless to say, the actor’s diverse array of genre-spanning roles makes her a perfect fit for Orphan Black: Echoes.
Character: Sarah Manning’s daughter in Orphan Black, a young Kira Manning becomes a valuable resource for the scientists trying to unravel the mystery of the Leda clones’ origins as well as the key to solving the sisters’ ongoing chronic health crisis. Although Sarah tries hard to keep Kira from becoming a pawn, she doesn’t have the easiest childhood. Still, Kira would do anything for her family, and that spirit seems to translate to her now-adult character in Echoes.
Notable TV Shows & Video Games
Hawes’ Role
Spooks (2002–2004)
Zoe Reynolds
Ashes to Ashes (2008–2010)
Alex Drake
Tomb Raider: Legend, Tomb Raider: Underworld
Lara Croft
Amanda Fix As Jules Lee
The Relative Newcomer Stars In The Orphan Black Sequel
Actor: A relative newcomer, Amanda Fix has appeared in several big-name projects in very recent years. Notably, she played Maya in High School, the Amazon Freevee adaptation of Tegan and Sara’s bestselling memoir of the same name, as well as a younger version of Margaret in Amazon Prime Video’s Emmy-nominated Daisy Jones & the Six.
Character: An adoptive teenager of wealthy parents who looks startlingly like Lucy, Jules only deepens the mystery surrounding Orphan Black: Echoes’ protagonist and her identity.
Notable TV Shows & Movies
Fix’s Role
Daisy Jones & the Six
Margaret (age 14)
High School
Maya
Avan Jogia As Jack
February 9, 1992
Actor: Actor, singer, director, author, and activist Avan Jogia has played characters in films and TV shows that span across many genres. His big TV hits include projects like Caprica, Victorious, Twisted, Ghost Wars, and Tut. On the movie side, Jogia has appeared in Zombieland: Double Tap and played the iconic Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. Jogia also founded the LGBT advocacy organization Straight But Not Narrow.
Character: A former Army medic and single father, Jack kind of fills the roles of Cal and Paul from Orphan Black — he’s caring and dependable, but he also has some pretty useful military training.
Notable TV Shows & Movies
Jogia’s Role
Twisted
Danny Desai
Tut
Tutankhamun
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
Leon S. Kennedy
James Hiroyuki Liao As Paul Darros
February 6, 1976
Image via amc+
Actor: From Prison Break and Bones to House and 24, James Hiroyuki Liao is a character actor who has appeared in virtually every big-name network TV show. More recently, he landed roles in the HBO dark-comedy hit Barry and the ultra-popular Blue Bloods. The actor also provided the voice and motion-capture performance for Kenji in the 2020 video game Ghosts of Tsushima.
Character: A powerful self-made billionaire who runs the mysterious Darros Foundation, Paul is the Echoes’ answer to figures from the original show’s Dyad Institute.
Notable TV Shows & Movies
Liao’s Role
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins
Yasuko
Cowboy Bebop
Tanaka
Blue Bloods
Lieutenant Fleming
Rya Kihlstedt As Dr. Eleanor Miller
July 23, 1970
Actor: As a younger actor, Kihlstedt starred in Home Alone 3, but, more recently, she’s become known for appearances in hit shows like Dexter, Nashville, and Heroes: Reborn. From network dramas like NCIS and Criminal Minds to character-driven gems like One Mississippi, Kihlstedt has an incredibly wide-ranging filmography.
Character: Kira’s wife and a fellow scientist, Dr. Eleanor Miller is a neuroscientist who certainly feels like an echo of the original show’s Delphine.
Notable TV Shows & Movies
Kihlstedt’s Role
Superman & Lois
Ally Allston
One Mississippi
Caroline
Dexter
Dr. Michelle Ross
Other Supporting Cast In Orphan Black: Echoes
Other notable supporting cast members in Orphan Black: Echoes include Reed Diamond, who plays Tom — the head of corporate security for the Darros Foundation — and Tattiawna Jones, who plays Darros security agent Emily. While the sequel series doesn’t feature too many characters from the original series, Orphan Black fans will be excited to know that Jordan Gavaris returns as Kira’s uncle, Felix Dawkins, while Evelyne Brochu returns as Dr. Delphine Cormier, Kira’s aunt and the long-time wife of Cosima, one of the core Leda clones. So far, Orphan Black: Echoes doesn’t feature Tatiana Maslany.
Orphan Black: Echoes season 1 premieres in the US on Sunday, June 23, 2024 on AMC.
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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