Orphan Black: Echoes

The original Orphan Black is one of my all time favourite series. I was delighted when this was announced but it is a terrible disappointment.

The basic storyline is sound. However, the connection to the original Orphan Black is tenuous and in my opinion this is not am Orphan Black story. Using Kira as the main character with an occasional nod to the original clones who never appear is a cop out.

That's not the main issue with this though. The main is issue is the terrible dialogue, which at best is clunky and at worst is cliche ridden nonsense. It's easy to say the acting is terrible but when reliable talent like Keeley Hawes has to try and deliver it and fails what chance does everybody else have? What have the writers got against Felix? In the original series he was an outrageous and fun character. They have turned him into a crushing bore who now affects a stilted posh English accent. Don't even get me started on the fake beard that any amateur dramatic troupe would be ashamed of.

Orphan Black had a bit of everything. This has taken the name, removed all the drama and fun of that series and left us with this drab affair.

If like me you loved Orphan Black and haven't watched this my advice is don't.

There might be a coherent story in there somewhere but you will never find it because the editing is so bad it's beyond comical and moves back into just bad it makes the whole show confusing because you're like what just happened?, did my internet blip out? Did it accidentally skip ahead 40 seconds? I love Kristen Ritter and I thought I could make it through even if it was bad like a lot of the reviews have said but it's just unwatchable. Maybe by some miracle they figure this out in the future but the lack of attention they put into the pilot episode kind of sets the stage for the rest of the series.

After the success and the creative ingenuity of Orphan Black they tried to catch lightning in a bottle. All they got was a lightning bug with a glowing butt. Kristen Ritter is good at times and the show drags when she is not on the screen which is a lot. Other times her character is relegated to be a secondary focus when she should be the main focus. The supporting cast of characters is weak outside of Jules. I didn't care about the other characters which drags the show down. Without the acting progress of Tatiana Maslany to drive things this show has no life. The writing and direction seem amateurish at times. Just an all around disappointing waste of my time.

I'm another lover of the original Orphan Black - it had a fast pace, good character development, and some phenomenal acting. This sequel has none of those.

At best it could be said to be providing detail regarding the creation of the clones, but even that didn't make much sense or even spark some interest. It's just used as a platform for more tiresome melodrama.

While the lead is an experienced actress I've enjoyed seeing in other roles, she simply lacks the range to carry this show. And with such a weak script, that otherwise passable flaw becomes a major failing point.

After 6 episodes of boredom, I finally gave up after another soap opera rendition of attempted dialogue between several characters I simply couldn't care about.

A timely return with a twist. Good story telling and drama that builds on the fantastic Orphan Black.

Not sure I agree with the person who rants about diversity and a lack of spaceships giving the series a 2. The review is as mean-spirited as the mark.

There are some decent ethical dilemmas explored and the main actresses are engaging and play their parts well. Some of the bit part players are - well - bit part players. However, as we saw with Orphan Black in later series - characters were fleshed out when is was appropriate to explore their backstory in the main story line. So there is time yet for additional layers.

Hopefully the series will get renewed and there will be other spinoffs in the Orphan Black Universe.