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AMC Networks has canceled Orphan Black: Echoes, the sequel series to one of the best sci-fi shows, after one season.
The news comes just weeks after the Orphan Black follow-up aired its series finale on August 25, concluding its first and now only season on AMC Plus (those in the UK can find it streaming on ITVX, while it's available on demand on Stan in Australia). While the exact reason for the show's cancelation is unclear, we can guess that it's because Orphan Black: Echoes failed to spark the same cult following as the original Orphan Black series.
Orphan Black: Echoes has an above-average 60% Rotten Tomatoes score, scoring lower than Orphan Black, which has 93%. Considering Orphan Black's stellar reputation of being one of the most popular sci-fi shows, the sequel was obviously going to be faced with tough expectations from audiences, especially since Tatiana Maslany won an Emmy for her role as the series' clones, something that was incredibly unique on TV.
As a result of this, Variety wrote in their review: “Echoes doesn’t stand out, making it a middling spinoff. From the beginning, this new series, which oddly aired in its entirety in Australia last year, doesn’t quite possess the urgency of its predecessor."
What is Orphan Black: Echoes about?
In 2052, 37 years after the original series, Orphan Black: Echoes explores the scientific manipulation of human existence. It follows a group of women as they embark on a gripping journey to unearth the mystery of their identity, exposing a harrowing story of love and betrayal. It's been said to draw similarities to one of the best Apple TV Plus shows Severance.
Orphan Black: Echoes centers on the life of now-adult Kira (Keeley Hawes), the daughter of Sarah (Maslany) from the original show, and her wife Eleanor (Rya Kihlstedt) as they help amnesiac Lucy (Krysten Ritter), a woman with an extraordinary origin story.
The original series has five seasons and developed a devoted fanbase known as the "Clone Club". Throughout the five seasons, Orphan Black created a spectacular futuristic world where cloning technology is capable of creating life and raises moral questions of these activities.
While Orphan Black: Echoes is set within the same world as the original, it serves as both a sequel and a stand-alone project for new and old Orphan Black fans by bringing in a new cast and having a time jump, so I'm surprised the sequel didn't bring in a bigger audience to the franchise.
Orphan Black: Echoes isn't the only show to be axed this week, with one of the best streaming services Apple TV Plus canceling the fantasy series Time Bandits after one season.