Echo is definitely not the most moral character or someone who is always easy to admire. In fact almost as often as she makes me proud she makes me shake my head in disappointment. But as a character, I find her really interesting. I genuinely think that if this story were being told from the Azgeda perspective, Echo wouldn’t seem so different from Clarke. While I think she is less bothered by the moral implications of her actions, she has always put loyalty to her people above all else and done everything she can to protect Azgeda. And yes, she’s made some terrible mistakes along the way. And yes, the way she took advantage of Bellamy’s trust in 3x03 was truly awful. I don’t think these things should be overlooked, but I think that just like everyone else, she is so much more than just the worst things she has done.

I read an interview at some point with Tasya that I will probably never be able to find again, but in it she described Echo as childlike. That word jumped out at me right away because it’s certainly not the first adjective that came to my mind. But after reading what Tasya had to say and thinking about it, I think that it really is true in a way. When I think of the way she seems to be intrigued by Bellamy, who is this new person who fell from the sky, or the way she becomes dejected when she tries to the best for her clan but is scolded by Roan, or how she is fearful of going to space but still has that tinge of curiosity, I can see what Tasya is talking about. Also, I don’t know any adults who get their face painted as often as Echo. She’s been a warrior serving a ruthless queen for so much of her life that I think the idea of being a good person is a genuinely new concept to her. I see her as a character that has so much potential to learn and grow. She’s a character who I almost expect to let me down, but I still have hope that she’ll do better. So despite everything, I’m really looking forward to see how she develops more as a character in season 5 and I’ve really enjoyed what we’ve seen of her so far.