Reviewing a Pair of Villainesses from "Echo Base"

Tubi has really been bringing it this year with their original films, and the villainesses who have graced them. It reached a point last year where I included Tubi in my year-end list, and this year, well, Tubi's turned it up. Among such amazing films from Tubi this year is the action-packed sci-fi thriller, Echo Base, which begins with an apparent attack on London, with Capt. Skylar Reagan and her partner, Lt. Malik Wheeler, needing to act fast on this mission. However, it's quickly revealed as a simulation, and it went sideways because the pair were at odds regarding what they needed to do.

The word of Reagan and Wheeler's failure reached their superior officer, Col. Kathleen Wolff, who--after voicing her stance about wanting officers who followed orders (as well as her belief that less and less people are trusting the government)--sends both Reagan and Wheeler to the echo base for their last assignment together; the last part being Reagan's request. The pair are joined fellow officers Diaz and Smith, along with Chelsea Lin, who served as security detail, and really proved herself to Wheeler.

However, as the time progressed, things start to go horribly awry. First off, a pair of officers, Barnes and Hendrix, are gunned down. The team is faced with another attack, but this time, it's on American soil. Even crazier, it appears to be an alien attack, at least that's what Wheeler was stating it was. We later see Lin killed in the attack, and just as Wheeler makes his claims that it's another simulation, we see Wolff appear--injured and bruised, but having survived the attack. That was enough to convince Reagan, but Wheeler remained insistent that it was a simulation, and even went as far as to state that Lin was not only alive, she's part of it. It's followed by a summation of Lin actually killing Barnes and Hendrix, doing so under the noses of the rest of the team, while revealing that this whole thing was to get them to actually deliver a real attack on Americans.

Turns out, under all of that ranting, Wheeler was right, as we see Lin alive and well...and panicking. She had been listening in on the conversation and she was frantic over being exposed. Lin wasn't the only evildoer unveiled, as she was told to "calm down" by the surprise mastermind of this whole thing: Col. Wolff herself. Her reveal includes outing Smith as part of her scheme, and as we see Wolff, the scars from her apparent "survival" aren't there. It's all a simulation; she was sitting in front of a green screen, and after talking to Lin, Wolff voices her simulated version and gives the order to fire the missiles, even going as far as berating Reagan for her reluctance. As she's doing this, Wolff's dialogue is not in sync with her lips, and that leads Reagan to finally realize that the whole thing was staged, and that both Lin and Wolff were murderous conspirators.

While Reagan dealt with Smith, Wheeler went to confront Lin, who played off a panicked demeanor before holding Wheeler at gunpoint. Lin stated that the plan was to unite America and convince the government that misinformations are dangerous, while referring to the thousands of innocent people they would kill as a "sacrifice for a better America." Amazing how these villains utter that garbage. Wheeler reminded Lin that his body cam activated and recorded every syllable of Lin's maniacal rant, and it was followed by Wheeler shooting Lin to death. As for the aftermath, Smith's taken down by Reagan, and the simulation scheme is kiboshed.

And now, the villainesses:

Chelsea Lin

Echo Base was released on Tubi on August 11, 2023, and part of the cast included Nina Yang as villainous henchwoman Chelsea Lin. I'm going to be honest, I was not expecting Lin to be a villainess, but even so, I wasn't surprised when she was revealed as one. Lin had that look of a maniacal madwoman who was just waiting for some proverbial Kool-Aid to drink, and boy, did she guzzle it. She was all in on a scheme that would kill thousands of innocent people, and she didn't regret a single second of it. That's just outright cold-blooded. Yang really delivered in this villainous role, especially in her last scenes where Lin is holding Wheeler at gunpoint and making her insane rant; a perfect show of how deranged Chelsea Lin truly was.

Check out Chelsea Lin's profile on Villainous Beauties Wiki!

Kathleen Wolff

While Chelsea Lin was a bit of a surprise, I did completely expect Kathleen Wolff to be evil, and one reason is because of the actress playing her: Carolyn Hennesy. I've seen Hennesy play her share of evil roles before, so I figured she would bring her natural heel look to this film, and she definitely didn't disappoint. Also, Wolff is a high ranking officer, and those are the ones who really go dark side in films like these. When we first see Col. Wolff, she's basically a no-nonsense officer who pulls no punches, though her line about how people are trusting the government less could be seen as a sign of something shady.

I have seen this movie twice, and the first time I watched, I absolutely beamed when Wolff turned heel in the climax. This would be followed by Wolff's true colors coming out while she plays out the ruse, basically ordering Reagan to follow through with her evil plan, and that--ironically--began Wolff's undoing, as Reagan realized the truth. Hennesy stole the entire film as the evil Kathleen Wolff. Her introductory scene with Reagan set the stage for what we would in the climax, and regarding that, Hennesy's portrayal of Wolff's heel persona was golden. She dove gracefully into Wolff's madness and her insanity following her unveiling to the viewers, it was an absolute masterpiece.

The niece of legendary actress Barbara Rush, Carolyn Hennesy's other villainous roles include, but aren't limited two, Rosalyn Harris on True Blood, and Victoria Snow in the 2018 telefilm, A Snow White Christmas. She has also appeared in episodes of Revenge, The Middle, and Devious Maids (among other shows).

Check out Kathleen Wolff's profile on Villainous Beauties Wiki!

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