The sci-fi show Orphan Black: Echoes just had a crazy episode that explains a lot. In a flashback scene we find out the character Lucy is actually a clone of this other lady named Eleanor!
Eleanor was married to the main character Kira. But it gets even more interesting – Eleanor was Kira’s college professor before they started dating. They seemed super in love. But then Eleanor was diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s, just like her mom. That’s what made Kira start looking into human cloning as a way to save Eleanor, I guess.
The actress Krysten Ritter plays both the younger Eleanor and the clone Lucy. She said this episode was her favorite to film. It really dives into how hard it was for Eleanor to deal with the Alzheimer’s. And now Lucy is struggling because she has Eleanor’s memories but doesn’t fully feel like herself.
The creator of the show said they wanted to tell a simple love story between the two women before complex stuff happens. That helps us understand why Kira and later Lucy make some sketchy decisions. The director even compared it to that famous “San Junipero” episode of Black Mirror since they both deal with love against mortality.
It was cool to see two actresses playing the roles at different ages too. I bet revealing this backstory will have people invested in where the whole cloning plot heads next. If the episode has feels this early on, count me in for the rest of the season!
