Tatiana Maslany Should Return As Adult Charlotte In Orphan Black: Echoes
Orphan Black: Echoes takes place more than three decades after the original series ended, but it makes room for a perfect major character return. The story that unfolds in Orphan Black: Echoes season 1 perfectly sets up a major character's return years after the original Orphan Black finale. Not only that, but Echoes, which centers on a now-adult Dr. Kira Manning, pretty much requires a particular Leda clone to make an appearance during the spinoff's sophomore outing.
Since the announcement of the spinoff series, viewers have wondered if Tatiana Maslany will be in Orphan Black: Echoes. Since the show's 10-episode first season premiered in Australia during 2023, it's already clear that Maslany doesn't make a cameo appearance in Echoes' first season. Still, the Kira-centered show, which is set 37 years after the Orphan Black series finale, sets the stage for Maslany to play a now-adult Charlotte Bowles.
Introduced in the Orphan Black season 2 finale, Charlotte is a younger Project Leda clone, who was cloned directly from the villainous Rachel Duncan. Charlotte is 8-years-old in Orphan Black because she was created roughly 20 years after the other clones.
With the original Project Leda genome lost in a fire, scientists attempted to recreate their experiment. The alleged sole survivor of over 400 attempts, Charlotte lives a fairly normal childhood with her adoptive mother, Marion Bowles, who also happens to be Rachel's boss at Dyad. Although Charlotte suffers from early onset of the Leda's respiratory degeneration, Cosima cures her, leading to Charlotte's crucial role in the underrated franchise sequel, Orphan Black: The Next Chapter.
Charlotte Bowles’ Story In Orphan Black: The Next Chapter Is Crucial To The Franchise
Although Charlotte Bowles is a minor character in the original series, the character becomes an instrumental part of the Clone Club in Orphan Black's direct sequel, audio drama called Orphan Black: The Next Chapter. In the podcast, Charlotte is 17 years old — just like Kira Manning. Although Charlotte is technically one of Kira's "aunts," the two have a sisterly relationship thanks to their age. Adopted by Detective Art Bell in the Orphan Black season 5 ending, Charlotte splits her time between her adoptive father's place and Cosima and Dr. Delphine Cormier's house.
Like their aunts, Charlotte and Kira are very interested in science. While researching something for school, Charlotte discovers a new Leda Clone, Dana, who's living in Boston. After the Orphan Black series finale, Cosima and Delphine travel the world curing clones with Cosima's vaccine, ensuring that none of them will suffer from the genetic respiratory degeneration. In The Next Chapter, Charlotte and Alison Hendrix travel to Boston to cure Dana, leading to the discovery of a Clone Virus, which almost immediately infects Charlotte. Without delving into spoilers, Orphan Black's stunning sci-fi spinoff could really benefit from Charlotte's involvement.
Kira Manning & Charlotte’s Relationship Should Be Explored In Orphan Black: Echoes
Throughout Orphan Black: The Next Chapter, Kira and Charlotte's relationship is a focal point, which makes it perfect for further exploration in Orphan Black: Echoes. In the spinoff's first season, both Jordan Gavaris' Felix Dawkins, Kira's uncle, and Brochu's Delphine appear in cameo capacities. Given the Orphan Black: Echoes timeline, both actors are aged with makeup and practical effects. While the same could be done for any of Maslany's Orphan Black characters, it would almost be better for the actor to play a now-adult Charlotte instead. For starters, aging Maslany to be Charlotte would be more believable.
While the Emmy-winning actor could play any clone at any age, there's more narrative intrigue in Maslany returning as Charlotte. It's clear that Kira is still close to Cosima — she calls her aunt for advice at the end of the first episode — and that her relationship with her mother, Sarah, is still incredibly strained. In many ways, Kira's dynamic with Charlotte is much more interesting. The not-quite-siblings grew up together, weathering the same clone chaos amid their coming-of-age. Charlotte feels like someone Orphan Black: Echoes' ever-conflicted Kira could turn to for support.
New episodes of Orphan Black: Echoes premiere on Sundays through August 25, 2024.
Orphan Black: Echoes is the sequel series to the original that aired in 2013. In Echoes, Krysten Ritter stars as Lucy, a woman trying to find her place in the world. She will soon discover that she may be part of the clone experimentation process that former protagonist Sarah Manning and her "sisters" were.
