The beloved universe of Orphan Black is back for fans in Orphan Black: Echoes, featuring a new story with the same DNA. In this iteration of the universe, a group of women weave their way into each other’s lives, embarking on a kaleidoscopic journey as they unravel the mystery of their identities. Starring Krysten Ritter (Breaking Bad, Marvel’s Jessica Jones) and created by Anna Fishko, the show takes viewers on a brand-new adventure through a near future that feels both familiar and fresh. We spoke to Fishko about Episodes 1 through 5 below as we head into the second half of the season.    
Q: You’re no stranger to AMC having worked as a writer on Fear the Walking Dead, and we’re always so excited to boomerang talent back into the AMC Networks fam. How did you first become involved with Orphan Black: Echoes and were you a fan of the original show?  
A: I was a fan of the original show! It was on in my household quite a bit because my husband was a very devoted fan, and then I got into it with him. We watched it together. AMC and [production company] Boat Rocker approached me not too long after I had worked on Fear. That had been a really fun experience, and I had the opportunity to work on a couple of big episodes, so I was very excited to come back and do another show for the network.
Q: We learn about the Additive Foundation’s ability to 4D print organs for transplant early on, and the possibility of something like this existing in our reality really doesn’t seem that far off. What is it about these types of technological/biomedical advances that intrigue you so much that you wanted to make sure to include them in this incarnation of the Orphan Black universe?  
A: I've always been a bit of a passive science nerd. I think science, medical science in particular, is so amazing. I have a young daughter who believes very deeply in magic, and I often try and explain to her that there is real magic that happens in the world. Some of these scientists and medical doctors are capable of really incredible things! It was exciting and interesting to come across this world of human tissue printing — which actually does exist — and to think about all of the applications and all of the ways in which this incredible technology might change people's lives in the not-too-distant future.
Q: By the time we get to Episode 3 we’ve come to spend a decent amount of time with both Lucy and Jules, respectively. What was the most exciting part of exploring these very different stages of life for these two very interconnected characters?    
A: I think that once we get to know the two characters, it's fun to think about this teen version of Lucy and all of the ways in which Lucy could be frustrated by having to partner up with this very raw version of herself. It was exciting to think about the dynamic that we could create between the two of them. Was it a really sisterly dynamic? Was it more of a parent/child dynamic? And of course, there were the overlaps between the two. That was the hardest to figure out. What were the ways in which they would be really similar and have the same hand gestures or use the same phrases? It was a challenging problem to solve!
Q: There’s an amazing blend of conspiracy, darkness, and humor in the show, both with the character’s idiosyncrasies and more specifically with their dialogue. It all feels very on brand for Orphan Black. Of course, I’m thinking of Tom’s [head of security for Darros] obsession with Celine Dion and the car belt-along we get to witness. Were all those moments of levity baked into the scripts themselves or was there space on set for some of that to happen organically?  
A: Oh, those scenes were in there from the beginning. [Laughs] Tom's character is very serious and heavy in a lot of ways, and I think we wanted to subvert expectations where we could and have some fun with him. So that was something that we had planned to do in the very beginning of the shoot, but for technical reasons, it got pushed all the way to the very last day of shooting. So, Reed Diamond who plays Tom was so excited because he'd been rehearsing this Celine song for months! He knew it in inside and out. When we finally got to do it on set the second to last day, it was just a riot. He'd been saving it up for so long, and I think he brought so much more to it than we could have possibly imagined. Everybody was laughing on set the whole time he was singing and trying to be quiet so that we didn't interrupt the shot. That was really fun to do.
Q: When Episode 5 ends and we finally get some huge answers from Kira about Lucy’s origins, we’re still left with major questions about Jules and what exactly Darros has been up to without Kira’s knowledge. What can you tell us about the latter half of the season and the jaw-dropping insanity we’re bound to encounter as we learn about Jules’ origins?  
A: Well, I think that the fun of the last half of the season is that all of the characters are uniting around knowing that Darros has this technology that they didn't think that he had and they’re all very worried that he might be up to no good with it. Fans will hopefully be surprised by a pretty interesting twist. The thing that Darros is trying to do with the technology is not quite as black and white as we might think it would be. So that’s going to present a tricky moment or two for everyone involved to try and figure out how they feel about what he's really up to.
Orphan Black: Echoes airs on Sundays at 10/9c on AMC. Episodes are available to stream on amc.com (with a cable provider login), and the AMC apps for mobile and devices. You can also watch episodes via AMC+ at amcplus.com or through the new AMC+ app available on iPhone, iPad, Android, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku plus Samsung and Vizio smart TVs. AMC+ can also be streamed through a variety of providers, including AppleTV, Prime Video Channels, DirectTV, Dish, Roku Channel, Sling, and Xfinity. Sign up for AMC+ now.