Home – The show begins with Leni McCleary (Michelle Monaghan) pretending to be Gina. She returns home after a run to find Charlie Davenport (Daniel Sujata) getting out of his vehicle. They kiss before going inside.

Leni leaves her sister, Gina (Michelle Monaghan) a voicemail when she doesn’t answer her call. After a meeting with publishers, she gives Gina another call but still no answer. She voices her concern to Charlie that it’s been 36 hours since her last contact with her sister. A loud noise inside their office draws her attention. They enter her office to discover two raccoons making a mess. Jack Beck (Matt Bomer) calls to inform her that Leni went missing following a break-in.

During a diary recording, Leni has a flashback of Child Gina (Ginger Mason) and child Leni (Hazel Mason) touching hands while swinging.

Leni’s missing person posters can be seen hanging around town. When Leni arrives at Jack’s home, the area is littered with police officers, EMTs, and search and rescue personnel. Samida (Deja Dee) informs her that Leni’s best friend, Meg never showed up.

Upon entering the house, Leni encounters a girl who identifies herself as Natasha (Maddie Nichols), a babysitter for Mathilda “Mattie’ Beck. Leni tells her that Mattie doesn’t have a babysitter. Natasha claims Jack hired her several months ago.

Mattie mistakes her for her mommy. Leni promises to find her when a commotion outside draws their attention. Jack asks about her and Leni’s conversations. She tells him that Leni spoke of breaking in a new colt last weekend. He claims it happened a month ago, not last weekend. She says it was posted online by Leni, herself. When Mattie calls, he refuses to speak further.

Leni demands Sheriff Louise Floss (Karen Robinson) and Deputy Paula Martinez (Rosanny Zayas) explain why the search is being called off. Floss tells her it isn’t safe to search the rough terrain after dark. Leni asks if there is any evidence of what happened to Leni. Floss informs her of 13-inch footprints discovered at the crime scene. Leni asks if it is possible that her sister was abducted. Floss suggests Leni may have taken her horse, Prince out for a ride, or the perpetrator released Prince to create a distraction while ransacking the stable office.

Leni questions why she is doing nothing while her sister may be lost in the woods. Floss questions if she’s finding it hard to be back in Mount Echo after the way she left. She tells her it’s difficult that no one is searching for Leni.

An unfamiliar man gets Floss’ attention as they drive away from the house. She tells Martinez to take a mental note of the man’s truck.

Leni visits her father, Victor McCleary (Michael O’Neill). Claudia (Ali Stroker) suggests she join the search instead of Victor. He assures her that he’ll never stop working on the farm until they bury him. Leni asks what his doctor told him but he refuses to answer. When she asks about Jack, Claudia gets hostile.

As Leni walks to her room, she records a diary entry about being portrayed as the bad sister. In a flashback, Maria (Tyner Rushing) gives her and Gina a charm bracelet. A premonition of a young girl brings her back to the present. She follows the girl to the bathroom but finds it empty. After returning to her room, she discovers her doll’s head is missing. When she confronts Victor and Claudia, they claim Jack and Natasha go in the room sometimes. Claudia suggests she doesn’t talk to Leni daily because she doesn’t know everything. Leni informs them that she will stay at Riverside Inn instead of there.

Leni informs Charlie of the doll being decapitated. He tells her it’s common for old dolls to fall apart. She claims Leni never told her that she cut ties with Meg and Jack hiring Natalie. He suggests she get some sleep. Instead, she searches a tree knot to find a doll’s arm. While driving past a church, Leni has a flashback of being a child in front of Maria’s coffin.

In a recorded diary entry, Leni admits she is losing it. While running water for a bath, she imagines seeing someone drowning in a tub.

As Floss explains the search plans, Prince returns home. Jack tells them that the horse is covered in blood. Floss requests assistance in getting the search party moving.

Leni asks Jack if it was her sister’s blood on Prince. He tells her that he doesn’t want to jump to conclusions. She questions if their relationship was in trouble. He sarcastically asks what could possibly be wrong. She describes her last massage as being “sentimental” when someone discovers a dead horse. Leni imagines the horse is a girl. Jack informs Floss that he was boarding the horse on his farm. Floss tells the search party that the horse has a gunshot wound to the head. Jack suggests someone shot the horse after it fell. After discovering the microchip missing, Floss orders him to get the horse’s record together as soon as possible.

Floss suggests Leni would know if Jack was involved in some type of criminal activity. Leni denies knowing anything except her sister is missing. Floss says there is a possibility that Leni ran away. Leni asks what would she run away from.

Leni approaches as Jack talks on the phone. He informs the individual that Floss is requesting documents that can’t be dated. While they embrace, Gina promises to be there for him. When she tells him that Leni claimed to be working 12 hours a day, he says she was hardly there. She asks if that is why Natasha is there. He says someone needed to care for Mattie.

Mattie tells her that her mommy disappears sometimes. Lina asks her to explain what is happening inside her dollhouse. She says the mommy is dead. Leni assures her that her mommy is still alive because they have a unique connection. She records a diary entry pleading with Gina to tell her secrets.

Leni updates Charlie on the investigation. He offers to get on a plane but she refuses.

After a nap, Leni compares the doll from the tree knot with a doll arm in Leni’s wooden box. One of the arms has a burlap bracelet while the other has a silver bracelet. She has a flashback of being a child inside a cave with Gina. As she prepares to leave, Jack passionately kisses her. When she identifies herself, he says she shouldn’t be there.

Leni passes through a waterfall into a cave, where she discovers a doll with blonde hair and a cream dress. In a flashback, child Leni promises child Gina that everything will be all right. Back to the present, she discovers an outfit spread out on the ground. Her doll’s head is situated inside the collar of the sweater. She has a flashback, child Gina suggests they switch clothes. Back to the present, she finds a copy of “Echoes.” A message inside the book reads, “Happy birthday, you get both lives, choose. In a flashback, teen Gina (Victoria Abbott) and teen Leni (Madison Abbott) tell each other goodbye until they meet again at which time they will switch back.

Back to the present, Leni puts on the outfit found inside the cave. A short distance from the cave, she clocks herself over the head with a rock. She tells herself that her wounds and dehydration look fairly convincing as she approaches the house. Mattie rushes out to greet her. As they hug, Lini tells Gina that she will figure out what she’s done as the episode comes to an end.

 

Echoes Review

The review may be confusing in that Gina is actually Leni. The sisters switch identities annually. Gina is actually the missing sister.

The atrociously loud soundtrack  is overpowering and distracting. I had high hopes for the show but it failed in every way possible. The empty script appears to have been written by a kindergarten class.

The wooden acting is unbelievable, other than Michelle Monaghan and Matt Bomer. I pity any actor who would have to be subjected to this tripe. Who writes an impersonal screenplay about a missing person case?

The setting is a fictional town called Mount Echo in Virginia. It is unfortunate, but the filming took place in Wilmington, North Carolina. I struggle to see what difference it would’ve made if the setting was the same.

As the episode moves forward, the pieces come together. It is a bit confusing at first but it turns out that Leni and Gena have a habit of switching lives every year. Apparently, no one knows about the arrangement, it just happens when Leni makes the call.

As someone very familiar with the Southern accent, I found the British-Canadian actor’s attempt appalling. Since the setting in a small Virginia town, some of the actors were miscast. Only a small portion of Virginia is set in the Appalachia. I’m insulted by the overuse of the accent in the film industry as of late.

The show has some interesting points, but the poorly written script overshadows them. A few edits here and there and the story could’ve been a success. The subpar cinematography and poor lighting didn’t help matters either.

The episode deserves a 5. Get more Echoes recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by clicking the link.