Orphan Black: Echoes Season 1 Episode 6 Review: Unless You Trusted Someone

The obvious direction after Orphan Black: Echoes Season 1 Episode 5, “Do I Know You?,” would be a focus on Jules. Orphan Black: Echoes Season 1 Episode 6, “Unless You Trusted Someone,” doesn’t only go for the obvious though, introducing another huge twist with the fact that Kira did make another clone.

In fact, she cloned an adult Eleanor, risking the fact her clone using a more recent scan would only be 2 years out from her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Just when you think you know Kira, she is full of surprises. 

Further complicating things is that Kira finds out this version of Eleanor is having an affair because her erratic behavior after everything that has happened is driving them apart.  It’s a complete gut punch you never see coming after the initial shock of learning about her existence.

In trying to save her wife’s life, she ruins their marriage, and it might be the most emotionally devastating thing to happen on the show so far. All season after struggling to make Kira relatable, it’s seeing how much she’s blown up her own life along with Lucy’s and Jules’ that makes you feel for her. 

She may have made some bad choices, but she still isn’t the villain, that would be Paul Darros who also happens to be a huge cliche. Kira confronts her former colleague Josh about his role in making Jules and learns Darros’ true goal was to clone himself to extend his life. Textbook rich, genius narcissist behavior!

There is more to explore than just the clones’ identities, and Darros proves to be a formidable villain despite his pretentiously philanthropic persona. Taking Jules from her parents (thanks a lot James), and keeping her on the compound is pretty damn evil. 

She does get to meet a cute botany-loving boy named Xander, but he turns out to be Darros’ clone. I guess Lucy is the only one who gets to be lucky in love, but even Jack’s patience is wearing thin with Lucy’s desire to protect Jules in addition to herself. 

Even though Lucy and Jack’s chemistry isn’t the strongest, it’s still a good reminder of the emotional stakes of the show, which is two women who have been brought into the world unethically and have to survive the repercussions. Kira, for all her grandstanding, only gets a small taste of the devastating consequences of her science until she witnesses Josh shoot himself over the guilt.

The original Orphan Black also took some dark turns, and it seems this series is embracing that as well. With the three clones separated and only having Kira to tie them together, Orphan Black: Echoes might remain short on the empowering sisterhood moments needed to lighten things up for a while. 

In the span of only six episodes, the show has gone from being a confusing, thin mystery about Lucy to a complex series with compelling characters. The stakes have never felt so real on Orphan Black: Echoes and it seems like it’s going to take the ALL of the new Clone Club to survive this. 

What did you think of this episode of Orphan Black: Echoes? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Orphan Black: Echoes airs Sundays at 10/9c on AMC and BBC America.

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