Orphan Black type TV Show network BBC America genre Sci-fi

Thriller

It seems every time the clone sestras of Orphan Black find answers as to how and why they exist, those answers only lead to more questions. But Sarah, Cosima, Alison, and Helena may have a new source with new information … if they can just get this person to step out of the shadows. What makes this potential ally even more intriguing? She is one of them.

Season 4 of Orphan Black (which will premiere in April 2016 on BBC America in the U.S. and Space in Canada) will see the introduction of a brand-new clone shrouded in mystery who goes by the name of M.K. (and is played, like all the other clones, by Tatiana Maslany). She has vital information, but getting her to share it is another matter altogether. We spoke to co-creators John Fawcett and Graeme Manson to get the scoop on the new addition.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Okay, gentlemen: What can you say about this new clone?

GRAEME MANSON: Her name is M.K. A mysterious name for a mysterious character.

JOHN FAWCETT: We’re excited about this new character because it really has been fun unpacking and unveiling this story of this slightly traumatized clone who has a deep past.

MANSON: Yeah, she comes out of the shadows and for the first time we’re meeting someone who knows more than us. Sarah is meeting a clone who has got more answers than she does, and yet she’s a slippery character.

FAWCETT: And very elusive. And quite highly skilled and very smart. And it is interesting as Sarah tries to interact with this character who is almost kind of like a Deep Throat kind of character. What’s very cool about it is this is a clone who has been self-aware for some time.

MANSON: Yeah, for longer than any of us.

FAWCETT: And is helpful in some ways to Sarah, but there is a little bit of a dangerous side to M.K. as well. So she is this really fun new character that we’re going to see in season 4.

WANT MORE EW? Subscribe now to keep up with the latest in movies, television, and music.

And when you say she’s a little mysterious is this due to the fact that doesn’t trust anyone, or is it because her intentions and motivation are a little unclear, or is it both?

FAWCETT: It’s a little bit of both. She’s very paranoid. She’s very security conscious. She knows more than Sarah does so she knows how dangerous the whole thing is. She’s purposefully avoided contact with the sisters to keep herself safe, and Sarah is now trying to draw her out of the shadows and trying to utilize the information that she has so that Sarah can follow her own mystery and fill in the blanks and protect Alison and protect Cosima from Neolution. But this girl is very unwilling.

MANSON: Yeah, she’s a reluctant source.

So what do you want to say about the sheep mask?

MANSON: You get it?

FAWCETT: Dolly the sheep.

MANSON: We had a lot of fun going through masks to figure this one out. We saw about 5,000 masks.

FAWCETT: We wanted it to be spooky but kind of childlike at the same time. We wanted a little balance.

The new season premieres in April on BBC America in the U.S. and on Space in Canada — check out another exclusive look at the new clone below. And for more Orphan Black intel, follow Dalton on Twitter @DaltonRoss.

Image zoom Ken Woerner/BBC America

A version of this story appeared in Entertainment Weekly issue #1397/98, on newsstands Tuesday.