Sadly, the potential of “Echoes” starts to drain before the premiere is even over as it gets goofier and goofier in a way that’s not entertaining but frustrating. And then it makes the opposite mistake, over-explaining everything about its story through dull flashbacks and interrogation scenes. For four episodes, “Echoes” defiantly makes almost no sense, and not just in a traditional thriller/mystery nature but because of shallow writing and choppy editing. And then, almost as if the writers know they need to pull the reins on this runaway horse, the show unfolds the most expository episode of TV I’ve seen in years, explaining it all in the fifth chapter, before limping along for two more. By the end, it’s impossible to care about any of these people or what has happened to them, other than to hope the talented cast puts it behind them quickly.
Monaghan plays twins Leni and Gina, living very different city/country lives when the show opens. Gina is in Los Angeles with her therapist husband Charlie (Daniel Sunjata, tragically miscast), and she’s carved out a successful writing career. Leni stayed back in Virginia and married her high school sweetheart Jack (Matt Bomer). The two had a daughter named Mattie (Gable Swanlund), and Leni seems well-liked in her rural community while her identical twin enjoys the high life in Hollywood. Well, sorta.
“Echoes” opens with Gina’s disappearance, sending Leni home to figure out what happened to her sister. The main secret (in a show full of them) that drives the narrative is that Gina and Leni have been switching places every year on their birthday, allowing one to live the mirror life of the other. They’re kind of both married to Charlie/Jack and kind of both mother to Mattie. Yes, it’s weird. It’s also a great hook because it should not only give Leni dueling motives of finding Gina while also keeping everyone around them unaware of the ruse but allow us to question her own sanity given what the sisters have been doing for years. Most importantly, what could Gina have run from that Leni wouldn’t know about already? Changing identities requires complete honesty, right?