Clone Club never really died. It just moved to our headphones. When the original TV series wrapped up in 2017, there was this massive, gaping hole left in sci-fi. We’d spent five seasons watching Tatiana Maslany pull off the impossible, playing a dozen different women with such distinct personalities that you genuinely forgot it was one actress in a wig. Then came the audio series. If you haven't dove into it yet, the cast of Orphan Black The Next Chapter isn't just a trip down memory lane; it’s a full-on expansion of the "Leda" lore that picks up years after the show's finale.
Honestly, it's a bit of a miracle this exists.
Most TV-to-audio transitions feel like cheap cash-ins. Not this one. This project, produced by Realm (formerly Serial Box), managed to snag the one person who makes the whole universe work. Without her, it's just a generic conspiracy story. With her, it's Orphan Black.
The One-Woman Army: Tatiana Maslany Returns
It’s impossible to talk about the cast of Orphan Black The Next Chapter without starting and largely staying with Tatiana Maslany. She is the engine. In the first season of the audio series, she handles almost the entire voice workload herself. Think about that for a second. She’s voicing Sarah Manning, Cosima Niehaus, Alison Hendrix, Helena, and Rachel Duncan, but she’s also taking on the supporting roles and the narration.
She’s basically a vocal chameleon.
Hearing her slip back into Sarah’s South London grit or Helena’s raspy, terrifyingly sweet Ukrainian accent feels like coming home. But it’s harder in audio. On screen, she had hair, makeup, and distinct physical posture to help the audience differentiate the clones. In The Next Chapter, she has to do it all with inflection and breath.
There’s this specific nuance she brings to Cosima in the audio version. Cosima is older now. She’s living with Delphine. There’s a maturity in her voice that wasn't quite there in the early seasons of the show. Maslany captures that passage of time perfectly. It isn't just a rehash of the old voices; it’s an evolution of them.
Season Two and the Expanding Ensemble
While the first season was largely a solo tour de force, things shifted for Season 2. This is where the cast of Orphan Black The Next Chapter really started to feel like a proper reunion. Fans were rightfully hyped when it was announced that more of the original TV cast would be joining the booth.
Jordan Gavaris came back as Felix Dawkins. Thank god. You can’t have the Sestras without their "brother sestra." Gavaris brings that same flamboyant but deeply grounded energy to Felix, who is now an established artist dealing with the fallout of the clone secret being leaked.
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Then you have Evelyne Brochu as Delphine Cormier.
The chemistry between Maslany (as Cosima) and Brochu is legendary in the fandom. Hearing them together again—even just through audio—adds a layer of authenticity that the first season was slightly missing. Their relationship remains the emotional heartbeat of the series. Kristian Bruun also returned as Donnie Hendrix, providing the much-needed bumbling, suburban comic relief that made the Hendrixes the best part of the later TV seasons.
New Blood in the Clone Club
It isn't all just familiar faces—or voices. The story introduces a new generation. We get to meet adult Charlotte and a teenaged Kira.
In the audio series, Kira Manning is voiced by Maslany in Season 1, but the narrative focus shifts heavily toward the consequences of her upbringing. The plot kicks off because the "Big Secret"—the fact that there are nearly 300 Leda clones out in the world—is no longer a secret. This puts the cast of Orphan Black The Next Chapter in a weird position. They aren't just playing characters in hiding anymore; they’re playing public figures or targets.
The introduction of Vivi Valdez is probably the biggest shake-up.
Vivi is another Leda clone, but she’s an operative for the CIA. She didn't grow up with the others. She’s a "clean" clone, unaware of her origins for a long time. Playing a new clone after we’ve already met so many is a tall order, but the writing team (led by Malka Older) gives Vivi a distinct, clinical edge that separates her from the "core four" we love.
Why Audio Works for This Universe
You’d think a show known for its visual effects—those seamless "clone dances" where four Maslanys shared a frame—would struggle in a medium where you can't see anything.
Actually, the opposite is true.
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Audio allows the story to go places the TV budget never could. We travel globally. We see the larger geopolitical impact of human cloning. The cast of Orphan Black The Next Chapter can perform high-octane action sequences that would have cost millions to film, but in your ears, it’s just a matter of tight sound design and breathless voice acting.
The intimacy is the real draw. When Sarah and Helena have a quiet moment, it feels like they are standing right next to you. You hear the catch in their throats. You hear the subtle shifts in tone that indicate when someone is lying. It’s a masterclass in voice performance.
The Characters You Might Have Forgotten
- Rachel Duncan: Still the "proclone" we love to hate. In the audio series, she’s in a strange state of exile. Maslany’s performance as Rachel is always the most "clipped" and controlled, and hearing that control slip is incredibly satisfying.
- Art Bell: Kevin Hanchard’s absence in the first season was felt, but the spirit of the character remains as the clones deal with the legal and physical threats of their new reality.
- The New Villains: Without spoiling too much, the antagonists in The Next Chapter aren't just corporate suits like Leekie. They are more ideological, which makes the stakes feel much more modern and "black mirror-esque."
Understanding the Timeline
If you're confused about where this fits, it's set eight years after the series finale. Sarah’s daughter, Kira, is now a young woman. The cure that Cosima and Delphine worked on is out there, but it’s not a magic fix for everything.
The world has changed. People know about clones.
This creates a "post-reveal" world that the original show only hinted at in its final moments. The cast of Orphan Black The Next Chapter has to navigate fame, stigma, and a new kind of hunt. It’s less about "what am I?" and more about "how do I live in a world that knows what I am?"
Technical Excellence in Performance
The recording process for this was a bit of a marathon. Maslany has mentioned in interviews how exhausting it is to record these sessions. She isn't just reading lines; she’s acting against herself. When Sarah talks to Alison, Maslany has to record Sarah's side, then switch her entire physicality and mindset to record Alison's response, often reacting to a playback of her own voice.
It’s a technical nightmare that she makes sound effortless.
Most audiobooks have a single narrator who does "voices." The Next Chapter is a full-cast audio drama. The difference is the soundscapes. You hear the clinking of glasses in a bar, the hum of a lab, the rain in London. The cast of Orphan Black The Next Chapter works in tandem with high-end Foley work to make it feel like a movie for your ears.
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Is It Canon?
Yes. 100%.
This isn't fan fiction. This is the official continuation of the story. If you want to know what happened to Sarah and her sisters, this is the only place to get it (aside from the Echoes spin-off, which takes a very different path further in the future).
For many, this is the "true" sequel. It keeps the focus on the original sisters, whereas other spin-offs move on to new characters. If you are attached to the Manning family, the audio series is essential.
How to Get the Most Out of the Series
If you're looking to jump in, don't just put it on in the background while you're doing dishes. You'll get confused. The plot is dense. It’s got that classic Orphan Black complexity—layers of conspiracies, double-crosses, and scientific jargon.
Listen with good headphones. The spatial audio and the nuances in the cast of Orphan Black The Next Chapter performances are much better when you can hear every whisper.
Quick Tips for New Listeners:
- Brush up on the ending of Season 5. You need to remember the state of the "sestrahood" and who ended up where (e.g., Helena in the backyard with her babies, Rachel's redemption-ish arc).
- Start with Season 1. Even though Season 2 has more of the original cast, the story is linear. You’ll be lost if you skip the first ten episodes.
- Pay attention to the names. Since you can't see the characters, keep a mental track of who is who, especially when Maslany is switching between three clones in one scene.
The legacy of the show is safe here. It’s rare that a series gets a second life that actually honors the original's depth. By bringing back the core cast of Orphan Black The Next Chapter, the creators ensured that the soul of the show stayed intact, even without the cameras rolling.
It's a weird, wild, and incredibly emotional ride.
Whether you're here for the science, the sisterhood, or just to hear Tatiana Maslany talk to herself for hours, you won't be disappointed. The transition to audio didn't weaken the story; it just gave it a different way to get under your skin.
Next Steps for Clone Club Members:
- Download the Realm app or find Orphan Black: The Next Chapter on Spotify/Apple Podcasts to start Season 1.
- Look for the Season 2 credits to see which of your favorite supporting actors returned for the full-cast expansion.
- Compare the storylines with the Orphan Black: Echoes TV series to see how the two sequels handle the legacy of the Leda clones differently.