Echoes Showrunner Explains Absence of Tatiana Maslany Cameo in Season 1

The first season of Orphan Black: Echoes wrapped up on Sunday after ten episodes that challenged fans’ expectations. The series, set decades after the original Orphan Black from BBC America, introduced a new cloning conspiracy while nodding to its predecessor. Although Echoes featured appearances from fan-favorites like Felix Dawkins, played by Jordan Gavaris, and Delphine Cormier, portrayed by Evelyne Brochu, it did not include Tatiana Maslany in any of her iconic roles. However, a recent interview with the show’s showrunner, Anna Fishko, revealed that efforts were made to bring Maslany into the spinoff.

In an interview with TVLine, Fishko confirmed that Maslany was approached to reprise her role as one of the Leda clones in Echoes‘ first season. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts due to Maslany’s commitment to AMC’s now-cancelled adaptation of Invitation to a Bonfire prevented her from joining the cast.

“Yeah, she was,” Fishko explained. “We talked about it a lot actually. We had a whole episode set aside for her in the back half of the season, but it just didn’t work out in terms of schedule. Unfortunately, she was shooting at exactly the same time we were shooting and we just couldn’t make it work out.”

Fishko remained optimistic about the possibility of having Maslany in future episodes. “We’d still love to have Tatiana come back,” Fishko added. “If we could bring one of the original sister clones back, I think that would be fun and we’d love to do it. So maybe in a second season, the stars would align in terms of scheduling. That would be really great.”

Orphan Black: Echoes follows a group of women who gradually become intertwined in each other’s lives, embarking on a thrilling journey to unravel the mystery of their identities and uncover a poignant story of love and betrayal. Leading the cast is Ritter, who stars as Lucy, a woman with an extraordinary origin story trying to find her place in the world.

Fishko serves not only as the showrunner but also as a writer for Orphan Black: Echoes. The original series’ co-creator, John Fawcett, returns as an executive producer and director. The series also features performances by Keeley Hawes, Amanda Fix, Rya Kihlstedt, and Avon Jogia.

Currently, the first season of Orphan Black: Echoes is available for streaming exclusively on AMC+.

Source: TVLine