I was interested in watching Echoes because it’s about identical twins, and I’m an identical twin. The fact that it was recommended by Aunt Barb, who is my television guru, made me more interested in watching the show.
Review
I will admit that the cynical side of me was interested in echoes because I was certain they were going to overdramatize the reality of being an identical twin. I had a strong feeling they were going to overplay the connections between identical twins and exaggerate the similarities between identical twins. Before the first episode was over, I knew the same person was playing both Leni and Gina. When I looked it up, I discovered my hunch was right. Michelle Monaghan plays both women. This was necessary, because know twins are so identical that they fool almost everyone in their lives. I mean every person has a different voice. Every person is, even if slightly, physically different from every other person. And, of course, no two people have the same emotional and/or intellectual responses.
Setting aside the reality that Echoes is not at all representative of being an identical twin and that its premise is absurd, I found the show to be very entertaining. If there is a second season of the show, I will watch. I’m curious to see what will happen next.
Spoiler Alert
If you haven’t watched Echoes and you are interested in doing so, stop reading now.
One of the best parts of the plot is how it focused on Leni and Gina’s perspectives in separate episodes. That was necessary because the same person plays both women, but it added something to the show.
At first, I bought the idea that Gina was the bad twin. I accepted Leni’s lie that she was the good twin. But as the story unfolded, it became clear that while both twins have serious mental health issues, Leni is a psychopath. Her degrees of controlling behavior and her violence are outrageous.
My guess is that in the next season, she will try to settle her perceived wrongs and begin killing more people. In keeping with her pattern, she will attempt to blame Gina for the murders.
Since good stories aren’t that easy to figure out, I’m also expecting to be at least partially wrong with that prediction. Either way, Echoes was worth a watch.