The opening scenes of Orphan Black: Echoes on Stan will leave you leaning forward in your chair, immediately drawn into this new sci-fi-driven world.
The new series, which is now streaming on Stan, tells the story of Lucy (played by Krysten Ritter), a young woman who awakens in a seemingly charming country cabin with Dr Kira Manning (played by Keeley Hawes) asking her if she knows who she is.
Lucy becomes understandably alarmed when she has no recollection of who she is, where she came from, or how she came to be locked in this "cabin" with people she doesn't recognise.
In a compelling storytelling twist, Lucy's backstory is far more terrifying and complex than just a case of memory loss. It turns out that the 'cabin' she is locked in is, in fact, a secure facility and the reason she has no memory of her past is because she is the product of a complex process that produces high-resolution 'scans' that look and act like normal people.
Throughout the rest of the 10-episode season, the audience follows Lucy as she escapes the organisation that created her and goes into hiding, attempting to build a new and peaceful life for herself. But when Lucy and her boyfriend Jack (played by Avan Jogia) are attacked by the people who created her, Lucy decides she can't run any longer.
In a bid to finally discover where she came from, and hopefully live a normal life, Lucy joins forces with a group of women who are on the same quest for information as she is. Together they embark on a tense and thrilling mission to discover the truth about why they were really created.
Take a look at the trailer for 'Orphan Black: Echoes' on Stan.
Orphan Black: Echoes is set in the same universe as the critically acclaimed TV series Orphan Black, which ran for five seasons from 2013 through to 2017.
Along with being beloved by fans, the show was also a strong awards show contender throughout its run, even winning a Peabody Award in 2013. The show's lead actress, Tatiana Maslany, also won a Primetime Emmy Award and two Critics' Choice Television Awards for her performance in Orphan Black, in which she played multiple characters across the seasons.
In the original series, we are introduced to Sarah Manning (Maslany), a British con artist living in Toronto who one day comes across a woman who looks exactly like her, about to end her life. Sarah then discovers that she is a clone and there are many different versions of 'her' out in the world, all in danger from the same organisation.
While the original Orphan Black is an excellent series, and I highly recommend you watch it at some stage, you don't need to have watched it in order to enjoy Orphan Black: Echoes on Stan, as this new phase of the story very much stands on its own as a compelling series.
Orphan Black: Echoes is an action-packed ride from start to finish, with each episode in the series allowing viewers to unravel a little more of the mystery. But just when you think you really know what is happening within the world of Orphan Black: Echoes, another plot twist will be thrown your way and soon you discover that there's much more to this story than just a machine that is 'printing out' humans.
So much of what makes Orphan Black: Echoes an unmissable new series is the performance of Krysten Ritter as Lucy.
The actress first came to our attention as a scene-stealing supporting character in TV shows such as Veronica Mars, Breaking Bad and Gilmore Girls, before moving on to star in TV shows like Don't Trust the B---- In Apartment 23 and Jessica Jones.
In Orphan Black: Echoes, she is perfectly cast as Lucy, thanks to her unique ability as an actor to make you instantly invested in every character she plays, while also boasting a commanding on-screen presence and excelling at stunts and fight scenes.
From the first moments of Orphan Black: Echoes, you'll be instantly drawn into Lucy's story and the group of women she teams up with.
For fans of Orphan Black, you'll be happy to see a few familiar faces from the original series appear in this new story.
And for viewers who are introduced to this world for the first time through Orphan Black: Echoes, you'll instantly become addicted to these characters and this story.
If you're a fan of thrilling sci-fi shows, with complex female characters and thrilling plot twists, then you need to watch Orphan Black: Echoes on Stan.
The brand new series Orphan Black: Echoes is now streaming, only on Stan.
Feature image: Stan.
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