The Official Dollhouse Thread - Part 1

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=38948

Source: Variety
November 1, 2007


Joss Whedon is heading back to TV along with his "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" star, Eliza Dushku.

Variety says Dushku will star in the Whedon-penned series "Dollhouse," which has been given a seven-episode order by Fox.

Produced by 20th Century Fox TV -- the studio also behind "Buffy," "Angel" and Whedon's late, lamented "Firefly" -- "Dollhouse" follows a top-secret world of people programmed with different personalities, abilities and memories depending on their mission.

After each assignment -- which can be physical, romantic or even illegal -- the characters have their memories wiped clean, and are sent back to a lab (dubbed the "Dollhouse").

The show centers on Dushku's character, Echo, as she slowly begins to develop some self-awareness, which impacts her missions.

Whedon has already hammered out the basic outline for all seven episodes. Barring a strike, Fox hopes to have the show in production by spring, giving the network an opportunity to be so far ahead of schedule by fall that it could potentially air a full season uninterrupted by breaks.

Beyond Dushku's character, the show will also revolve around the people who run the mysterious "dollhouse" and two other "dolls," a man and woman who are friendly with Echo. Then there's the federal agent who has heard an urban myth about the dolls, and is trying to investigate their existence.

Whedon admitted there's a little dose of "The Matrix" in the plot -- "I do have that entire movie tattooed on my brain" -- and said "Dollhouse" will enable him and Dushku to explore some political and social issues.
 
ECHO

The good;
A solid introduction to the workings of the Dollhouse and the various characters we will encounter over the course of the series. Love Echo at the wedding reception and Victor being a doll is sure a shock. Interesting debate between Topher and Boyd, they seem closer here than in Ghost.

The bad;
You can see why the network demanded a reshoot, very little action and kinda hard to like the characters, especially when Echo shoots Agent Ballard. Also stretches credibility that there's no sex involved, reminiscent of the holosuites in ST;TNG

Best line;
Victor's "People are mostly crap!" just beating Topher's "Morality is programming" (or do they mean the same thing?)

Packing heat;
Echo shoots Ballard with his own gun.

Kinky dinky;
Astonishingly in this first ep there's no sex whatsover except for a little kissy kissy at the wedding reception. Addy remarks to the client about hiring girls to dress as cheerleaders for him. Topher justifies him being in the Dollhouse because it is "Cutting edge science in a house full of hot chicks". Personally all the naked showering scenes do little or nothing for me, when the actives don't have their personalities implanted they act like stoned children and I just find it extremely creepy (nudity in itself is seldom erotic, the context is everything).

Capt subtext;
Addy's client is a little too eager to turn down the offer of a male doll. Victor says that he wants to be Doris Day (cut to Sierra looking just like her or actually a little more Jackie O perhaps?)

How'd they get away with that?
The sociopath assassin Echo is programmed with is hard to take, she's loathsome but your heart bleeds for a girl who's been running from the police since she was 5. Still hard to watch Ballard threaten her though but this being a Joss show she turns the tables. Boyd seems pretty callous just abandoning a wounded Ballard but in fairness the police are on their way.

This weeks fantasy;
Echo is a vengful streetwalker, besotted fiance, damaged goods assassin and rehab girl. Sierra is Jackie O, Victor is a Russian gangster

Total number personalitites;
Echo; 4
Sierra; 1
Victor; 1

Total dolls;3
We meet Victor, Echo and Sierra

Addy is a bit British;
Likes her tea

Topher is a bit geeky;
His lab is an ubergeeks playground complete with gumball machine and whack-a-mole arcade machine

Subverting the Hollywood cliche;

Bondage;

Knocked out;

Kills;

Dolls injured;
Sierra with an unexplained cut on her face

Happy hookers;
Essentially the Dollhouse is the ultimate fantasy brothel, amazing that Joss was able to get that onto the screen but I guess The Sopranos, The Shield etc led the way. Here we actually have Echo beating up a pimp and packing his latest working girl off home, rather hypocritical given the nature of the Dollhouse, is what Addy and co do that different to what he does?

Know the face?
2 Joss Whedon regulars, Amy Acker and Eliza Dushku.

Guantanamo;
The conspiracy starts here, the power and reach of the Dollhouse is truly terrifying

Fanfic;
Plenty where Echo and the girls get to dress up as cheerleaders and 'Bring it on'.

Missing scenes;
Interesting missing scenes with Echo saving the girl in a spiral of self-destruction but the Dollhouse seems a bit TOO altruisitic

Reminds me off;
The dolls sleeping pods are very Alien whilst the Dollhouse itself is reminiscent of the Wolfram and Hart set in Angel.

Questions and observations;
Gotta say I prefer Echo to Ghost although I can see why the network didn't. Do we ever meet Ballards ex? Addy seems to imply they're all dammed.

7 out of 10, good enough, intriguing but not brilliant
 
GHOST

The good;
More involving plot, more drama and excitiment and more realistic depiction of the reality of the Dollhouse.

The bad;
The bike ride is stupid, such a Hollywood cliche that they turn out to be racing. Boyd is the worst sniper ever, demonstrating why you should always use a semi-auto rifle. Her client is also way to handsome as Joss and ED comment but if she'd turned up with an ordinary looking guy would we not know something was up? Plenty of pandering to the studio frankly. How does Sierra fire 3 rounds from her pump action shotgun without working the action?

Best line;
Addy "Nothing is what it appears to be" (how true that will turn out to be!)
also like Tophers
"Everybody who's running to something is also running away"

Packing heat;
Sierra with a shotgun and pistol (although she has a carbine in the chopper?), Boyd with a pistol and sniper rifle.

Kinky dinky;
ED dancing is always a treat. especially in her 'decent by half an inch' dress. She also does a twirl around the stripper pole move when she gets into the van (check out her film The New Guy for more in that vein). We also get to glimpse her having bondage sex with her client. On the other hand her sexy librarian look is also quite something. Giles says he has a thing about libraries/librarians, wonder if Tony Head knows?

How'd they get away with that?
All the stuff with the kidnapped girl and what happened to Echo's personality as a kid is horrific. Sierra's first treatment is hard to watch.

This weeks fantasy;
Sierra is a SWAT team commander, Echo is a bike-riding party girl and hostage negotiator.

Total number personalitites;
2 for Echo making a total of; 6
1 for Sierra making; 2
1 for Victor

Total dolls;3
Echo, Sierra and Victor

Addy is a bit British;
It's the tea again

Topher is a bit geeky;

Subverting the Hollywood cliche

Bondage;
Echo ties up her client during sex

Knocked out

Kills;
Sierra kills 2 of the kidnappers

Dolls injured;
Echo slapped around by the kidnapper

Capt subtext
Dr Saunders offers Echo a massage. One wonders how she danced so wonderfully after dropping a motorbike on her leg?

Happy hookers
This time Echo explicitly does have sex with her paying client

Know the face?
Recurring Joss Whedon stars 3 ;Amy Acker, Eliza Dushku and Ballards sparring partner was the 'walking action figure' Spike had to fight in season 6 of Buffy to get his soul back. Also look out for Tim Kellehen who was also in Dark Skies, another conspiracy-fest series where he played a similar character (his Dark Skies co-star Conor Farrell also turns up in Buffy as the soldier who takes over The Initiative)

Guantanamo

Fanfic
Plenty of bondage sex in fanfic

Missing scenes

Reminds me off;
Adele is very Lilah like whilst Dominic is very Marcus. The relationship between Active and Handler very reminiscent of Watcher and Slayer. Ballards FBI contact is called Loomis which may be a Halloween reference.The boat sequence was so Miami Vice I had to check that Boyd was wearing socks. The kidnapped girl stuff is reminiscent of the Angel ep 'Damage'.

Questions and observations;
Caroline remarks 'Like she always said', is this Mrs Dundee whom she refers to in her video? Obviously it's not ED doing all the bike work but can she ride at all? You wonder what the Faith on a motorcycle spinoff would have been like especially with ghost-Spike as sidekick? The first time I ever actually heard Lady Gaga was watching this ep. Caroline says 'Hello mom' in her video, is her family still out there? The kidnap victim's dad refers to 'That reality crap', Joss putting the boot in? ED refers to her first movie with period cars which was presumably 'This Boys Life'. Joss is a fan of BSG AND Millers Crossing, he sure has taste! Obviously the budget is pretty tight to judge by their comments. What does Echo mean when she babbles 'Is it bigger than your thumb?'

7 out of 10, combine this and Echo and it would be much better
 
THE TARGET

The good;
Lots of it, exciting story and some great background. This may be the pivotal ep of Dollhouse as it's the first to suggest Echo is really moving beyond her programming and Alpha is set up as this big bad bogeyman.

The bad;
?

Best line;
Boyd (handing Echo a gun)" Know how to use that?"
Echo (handling it confidently) "4 brothers, none Democrats"
Very cheeky for trendy lefty Joss

Packing heat;
Echo with a S&W 9mm. Boyd has exchanged his automatic for a .357 revolver perhaps in keeping with his backstory as an ex-cop.

Kinky dinky;
Echo and client play the naughty Girl Scout together.

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost;
Echo; 2

How'd they get away with that?
Echo being hunted is horrible but nothing compared to Alpha slaughtering everyone in the pool! Amazing how much blood they got away with.

This weeks fantasy;
Echo is a fun loving outdoor girl and a sweet girl who loves fat guys in flashback

Total number personalitites;
2 for Echo making a total of; 8
Sierra; 2
Victor; 1

Total dolls;3
Echo, Sierra and Victor

Addy is a bit British;

Topher is a bit geeky;
He asks for a gun but no one trusts him with one

Subverting the Hollywood cliche
Hello Mellie, proving that women of a fuller figure can be attractive on US tv. Her real first name is Miracle? Were her parents hippies? Speaking of which in the flashback Echo is hired to be the girlfriend for an obese man as you would expect dolls to be but we never see him.

Bondage;

Knocked out

Kills; Boyd's driver and the Ranger killed.
Sierra; 2 kills
Echo kills the psycho; 1

Dolls injured;
Echo and Boyd badly injured

Capt subtext
Topher expresses 'Big, big man love' for Boyd and describes his eyes as 'dreamy'. Boyd is protective of the actives from the start and Topher tells him it's all about trust.

Happy hookers

Know the face?
4th Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd was Badger in Firefly (and the 2nd BSG star for Jane Espenson to bring with her)

Guantanamo;
Boyd tortures the fake Forest Ranger to save Echo (Jack Bauer/Dick Cheney would be proud)

Fanfic

Missing scenes

Reminds me off;
Joss bascially reuses this storyline from the 3rd season Buffy ep Homecoming, it's derived from the famous short story 'The Most Dangerous Game' which in turn inspired real life serial killer Robert Hansen who hunted and murdered over twenty people after kidnapping them, releasing them into the Alaskan wilderness and giving them a head start. Also reminiscent of ED's horror movie Wrong Turn. Addy uses the term Tabula Rusa which was the name of a 6th season ep of Buffy.

Questions and observations;
Got to admit when Dominic walks away from Echo at the end I thought she just gave him a 'screw you' gesture. It wasn't until I rewatched that I realised she gives him the psycho's 'shoulder to the wheel' action. Is the drug in the canteen the catalyst for Echo's specialness or was there something before? I think if they'd have kept stories at this level Dollhouse would have been much more successful than it was.

8/10 MUCH BETTER
 
You know I've watched The Sixth Sense so many times but it wasn't until I saw the ep of Spaced where she recreates her role that I realised that Olivia Williams plays the cyclist in the movie!

STAGE FRIGHT

The good;
Not much. Ballard is one tough nut to take on the Russian mobsters. If you never watched the ep 'Echo' then Victor's true identity is a heck of shock

The bad;
Such a weak story, you wonder if Joss had to take a week off sick? Must also have been hugely expensive?

Best line;
Rayna (of Echo); "Did they grow you in a lab?"
and
Echo; "*****, you can fire me but don't ever think you can take me!"

Packing heat;
Echo takes the villain's Walther PPK

Kinky dinky;
Rock chick ED and scantily clad Rayna is stunning. Rayna's manager apparently uses twins (male or female?) from the Dollhouse to relieve tension (better than valium?). Topher likes the idea of Rayna and Echo getting romantic

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost;
Echo; 2

How'd they get away with that?
The diva is so blatantly Beyonce it's a wonder she didn't sue?

This weeks fantasy;
Bodyguard and backing singer for Echo, No1 fan for Sierra.

Total number personalitites; 1 each for Echo and Sierra
Echo; 9
Sierra; 3
Victor; 1

Total dolls;3
Echo, Sierra and Victor

Addy is a bit British;
Faced with another British actor her accent goes into overdrive

Topher is a bit geeky;
Keen to know the inside scoop on the gorgeous music superstar

Subverting the Hollywood cliche
The successful Hollywood diva is actually suicidal

Bondage;
Sierra tied up; 1

Knocked out

Kills;
Sierra; 2 kills
Echo; 1

Dolls injured;
Sierra roughed up

Capt subtext

Happy hookers

Know the face? Jim Piddock who plays Rayna's manager was memorable as the Valet in The Trial episode of Angel (also a screenwriter now).
5th Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd, Amy Acker, walking action figure, Eliza Dushku, Jim Piddock

Guantanamo;
Rayna's manager slaps her but possibly she deserves it? Echo then knocks her senseless with a chair and uses her as bait to trap the assassin.

Fanfic;
Plenty where Rayna and Echo do get romantic.

Missing scenes

Reminds me off;
The assassin's crutches scene reminiscent of Day of the Jackal. No1 fan is how Mark Chapman described himself to Stephen King at a booksigning before later shooting John Lennon, a story which inspired Misery

Questions and observations;
Does ED do her own singing? If she does it's a pity she missed Once More with Feeling on Buffy. In lots of little ways Echo seems to be breaking her programming and her kinship with Sierra becomes apparent. Why does the Dollhouse seem to use Victor to set Ballard up yet has Mellie trying to get the inside scoop on him?

Marks out of 10; 5/10, actually enjoyed this more when rewatching than I thought I would
 
GRAY HOUR

The good;
Lovely scene where wiped Echo gazes around in wonder at all the beautiful works of art. Interesting to see Sierra and Echo play the same character 'Taffy' in the same ep.

The bad;
The scenes from the ep 'Echo' are repeated. However this means that Sierra has the scar from that ep on her forehead without any explanation and it later disappears. We never get a proper explanation of how Echo and her friend get out of the vault, even with smoke grenades and the other goon distracting the guards with his shooting.

Best line;
Goon 1 (of a suddenly infantile Echo) "What's wrong with her?"
Goon 2 "I don't know, hysterical woman syndrome?" (un-PC but FUNNY!)

Packing heat;
Boyd shoots the Professor in the kneecap. Echo with a pistol again

Kinky dinky;
Hooker Echo, mini-skirted and black PVC thigh booted in true Pretty Woman style. She considers her own breasts 'spectacular'. The Sierra version of Taffy says that after nearly getting killed on her first job she learned how to lapdance.

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost;
Echo; 2

How'd they get away with that?
Accomplice slapping Echo is nasty

This weeks fantasy;
Midwife Echo and safecracker Echo/Sierra (the two skills not dissimilar, just one normally involves a lot more noise)

Total number personalitites;
Echo; 11
Sierra; 4
Victor; 1

Total dolls;3
Echo, Sierra and Victor

Addy is a bit British;
She's at the tea again.

Topher is a bit geeky;
He seems to eat nothing but junk food to judge by his shopping list. Also worries about a rival programmer from Tokyo

Subverting the Hollywood cliche

Bondage;
Sierra tied up; 1

Knocked out

Kills;
Sierra; 2 kills
Echo; 1

Dolls injured;
Capt subtext;
The baby girl Echo delivers has 'linebackers shoulders' which her father takes to be a sign that she'll be a lesbian.

Happy hookers
The hotel security guard is used to dealing with distraught hookers and offers Echo hush money

Know the face?
5 Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd, Amy Acker, walking action figure, Eliza Dushku, Jim Piddock

Guantanamo;
Topher, at the heart of the conspiracy freaks out about the much larger conspiracy now attacking the Dollhouse

Fanfic;

Missing scenes

Reminds me off;
Echo's alias is Taffy, one of the teen Angels from Captain Caveman. Dollhouse does heist movie just like Buffy in Choices and Angel in Ground State.

Questions and observations;
Good ep, the scene between Addy and Topher at the end where she takes him into her confidence and they both look scared as hell at the idea of Alpha raises it to a better level. Adele seems to drink Tequila, Vodka and Johnny Walker whiskey to judge by her drinks cabinet.

Marks out of 10; 8/10
 
TRUE BELIEVER

The good;
Pretty good story and some nice political campaigning from Adele. The start of Victor and Sierra's relationship is sweet and Topher's reaction to it hilarious. Also like the gag where Ballard asks Mellie to describe the guy who gave her the letter only for her to describe the mailman. Also love Echo/Esther hitting the cult leader with the candlestick.

The bad;
Rather odd that Boyd uses his real name when dealing with the ATF?

Best line;
Topher (on the phone, upon seeing Victor's 'man reaction' to naked Sierra) "I gotta go, somethings come up"
also like
Echo/Esther "God brought me here with a message. That message is MOVE YOUR ASS!"

Packing heat; Boyd/Dominic with an SMG. Oddly in an ep full of guns Echo never uses one
Echo;3
Boyd; 6
Dominic; 4
Sierra; 1

Kinky dinky;
Victor and Sierra, some impulses obviously stronger than brain wiping

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost;
Echo; 2

How'd they get away with that?
Can't watch Echoes eye surgery, very Clockwork Orange. The cult leader has a penchant for underage girls.

This weeks fantasy;
Echo is a blind religious zealot

Total number personalitites;
Echo; 11
Sierra; 4
Victor; 1

Total dolls;3
Echo, Sierra and Victor

Addy is a bit British;

Topher is a bit geeky;
Prefers the term 'man reaction' to errection.

Subverting the Hollywood cliche

Bondage;
Sierra tied up; 1

Knocked out;
Echo by Dominic

Kills;
Sierra; 2 kills
Echo; 1

Dolls injured;
Echo roughed up and slapped around again

Capt subtext;

Happy hookers

Know the face?
5 Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd, Amy Acker, walking action figure, Eliza Dushku, Jim Piddock

Guantanamo;
Big goverment kicking in the door and storming inside...to discover enough illegal weaponry to take Iwo Jima in the hands of those seeking the end of the world. Hard to know who's right or wrong?

Fanfic;

Missing scenes;
Very nice dinner scene on the deleted scenes, actually makes the cult members much more likeable.

Reminds me off;

Questions and observations;
Hard to know what to make of the rights and wrongs of this ep, the ATF agent plays a dirty trick although ultimately he's proven to 100% right and avoids another Waco. The irony that the cult members have sacrificed their free will much more by choice than the Dolls have (or have they?). The difference is that the cultists pose a threat to the outside with their arsenal whilst the Dollhouse doesn't...yet? Dominic shows his dislike of Echo whilst the affection developing between her and Adele also becomes evident
In many ways these eps remind me of early eps of Angel, that it was supposed to be an anthology show with the case of the week but eventually became more a story of Angel Investigations themselves with the cases as incidental. The problem is that with the Doll's wiped every week it's difficult for the characters to develop. Also whilst it's a slick series it lacks the humour and and joi de vive of Buffy and Angel (and even Firefly) it feels too sterile.
Marks out of 10; 7/10, again, enjoyed this more in the rewatch than I thought I would
 
Man on the street

The good;
Wow! Mellie is a Doll! Did ANYONE see that coming? Excellent ep with loads of character development, first meeting of Ballard and Caroline (excepting 'Echo') and a heck of a dust up. The subplot with an abused Sierra is horrible but very well written and acted, you just knew that this would be a problem sometime as Herne says (CHEERED when Boyd punched him through the glass, great stunt from Mike Massa). And Echo has paid sex with her first realistic and sympathetic client.

The bad;
Not much, very good ep. You do think that Adele takes a hell of chance with November by not activating her about 30 seconds earlier?

Best line;
"Perhaps I need to give it to you" Adele gives Boyd a bonus, not because he wants it but because she needs to give it to him to salve her conscience.
also like
"PORN!" (all in the delivery)

Packing heat; Echo takes Ballard's gun off him, Dominic pistol-whips Herne
Echo;4
Boyd; 6
Dominic; 5
Sierra; 1

Kinky dinky;
According to Joss when they asked casting for extras to play the Dolls they were inundated with pictures of porn stars. Must have been hell. Why do we all bother to pay for porn? Why don't we just phone up a casting agency and pretend we need attractive background players for our TV show? Echo's personality thinks her fiancee has suddenly become rich through internet porn.

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost; November beds Ballard (and she's a heck of a screamer) and presumably Echo returns to finish her romantic engagement with her client
Echo; 3
November; 1

How'd they get away with that?
The funny "What a rick!" and the indescribably horrible, Herne abusing Sierra. He's a son of a ***** but November killing Herne makes me wince every time.

This weeks fantasy;
Echo plays the dead fiancee of the Internet mogul and then a hit chick. November plays Mellie and death-in-Laura-Ashley

Total number personalitites; 2 for Echo
Echo; 13
Sierra; 4
Victor; 1
November; 2

Total dolls;4, here's November!
Echo, Sierra, November and Victor

Addy is a bit British;

Topher is a bit geeky;

Subverting the Hollywood cliche;
The client is actually a sympathectic figure and is even concerned about the security guards Ballard knocked out. For once we have a fat client rather than a male model although Mellie actually thinks him kinda cute.

Bondage;
Sierra tied up; 1

Knocked out;

Kills; November kills Herne with her bare hands (never talk flower arranging with HER!)
Sierra; 2 kills
Echo; 1
November;1

Dolls injured;
November badly roughed up by Herne

Capt subtext;
The redneck guy thinks the Dollhouse is a great idea because it allows a guy to be with another guy but means that there's 'Nothing queeny' going on (his wife/girlfriend's expression when he says this makes me laugh out loud every time, just like Echo's 'Porn' line). Dominic punches Herne when he hints that there was something between him and Adele. Jealousy?

Happy hookers
Takana describes Echo as a '****e with a heart of gold'. Herne makes a good point about Adele hiring out the Dolls to be sweating under 'some Emir' (the difference being they'd signed up for that, they hadn't signed up to be sexually abused whilst in their non-programmed state, Sierra actually saying she doesn't want to). Joss refers to Miracle Laurie as 'Being a pro' but rapidly rethinks his phrasing.
Just idly watching '2 and a Half Men' whilst I'm writing this and Charlie and Alan are being treated to a pair of hookers by their future stepfather in Vegas. It strike me how attitudes to prostitution in TV and movies have changed in recent years, Pretty Woman, Belle Du Jour, Patty the daytime hooker in My Name is Earl, Hung etc. In a recent ep of The Big Bang Theory to cheer Howard up Raj and Leonard hire him a working girl. Times have certainly changed, used to be the only time you ever saw prostitutes on screen was when they were murdered or were informants.

Know the face?
5 Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd, Amy Acker, walking action figure, Eliza Dushku, Jim Piddock
Whenever I see Herne I can never help but think 'Is that Dennis Quaid?"

Guantanamo;
The Afro-American woman likens the Dollhouse to slavery. Ballard is pretty damn rough with Takana.

Fanfic;

Missing scenes;
According to Joss plenty of spare material left over

Reminds me off;
The Vulcan grip from Star Trek is mentioned. The internet mogul is very reminiscent of David Nabbit from Angel who also frequents ladies of the night (but likes his a bit more demony). According to Joss' commentary Eliza didn't care much for her housewife look but I think she looks great, reminds me of when The Mayor gave Faith that dress in Graduation Day pt1

Questions and observations;
Interestingly according to the reporter the rumours of the Dollhouse have been circulating since the late 80s? Ballard and Mellie actually make a lovely couple, very sweet. For a moment I wondered if Echo's message was some sort of double bluff but to judge by Joss' commentary the message was real. From whom? We learn there are 20 Dollhouses all over the world. What is the greater, X-files style, conspiracy? Echo demonstrates genuine affection for her client, even after she's meant to have been wiped. Adele knows this but still keeps her in the field.
Absolutely love the scene where Echo thinks her fiancee made his money through internet porn, she may be a Doll but she's no brainwashed sex slave, she reacts in exactly the same way the real woman would have done. The interviews on the street are also interesting, not to stereotype but you look at the blonde girl and kinda wonder if she is a Doll?
Again, this almost feels like the 3rd pilot for the show.
Marks out of 10; 9/10 best ep so far
 
ECHOES

The good;
So we find out how Echo came to the Dollhouse. Hilarious to watch Dominic bossed around by Victor and the other dolls and lovely scenes between Adele and Topher.

The bad;
Why do they use the NSA as cover? Surely they're involved in intercepting communications, not stuff like this?

Best line;
Toper (of Dominic) "He didn't take any, no way would Dominic have any fun"
plus
Again "Nothing is what it appears to be"

Packing heat; Dominic with his Glock (personally I always found them a bit light for my taste?) Sierra and Victor also get one whilst we also see Victor with an M16 in his flashback.
Echo;4
Boyd; 6
Dominic; 6
Sierra; 3
Victor; 2

Kinky dinky;
Echo's knee socks, high heels and micro-mini dress are spectacular, especially when she's on the bike (but is that ED?). Check out her stumble when she chases Sam from the lab. She engages in bondage sex with her returning client.

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost; none unless Echo goes back to finish her engagement. Why are Topher's trousers off? What did he and Adele get up to? He says she's his 'Superior in every way"?
Echo; 3
November; 1
Ballard; 1

How'd they get away with that?
The poor kid headbutting the glass, yeeesh! Tophers ode to drugs is also pretty near the knuckle.

This weeks fantasy;
Echo returns to her biker-party-girl persona which we see in Ghost, Victor is a federal agent and Sierra a goverment scientist

Total number personalitites;
Echo; 14
Sierra; 5
Victor; 2
November; 1

Total dolls;4, but we hear of another Doll, Foxtrot? Sam becomes an active at the end but do we ever see him again?
Echo, Sierra, November and Victor

Addy is a bit British;
"Sarcastic? Unfeeling? British?" She uses the British term crisp. Brown sauce is actually a mix of fruit and spices. Topher also refers to his machines that go 'Ping!' which is a reference to Monty Python's The Meaning of Life.

Topher is a bit geeky;
Topher is so excited to meet the Rostrum head guy he might throw up. He quotes Mighty Mouse 'Here I come to save the day'.

Subverting the Hollywood cliche;

Bondage; no but Echo ties up her client
Sierra tied up; 1

Knocked out;

Kills;
Sierra; 2 kills
Echo; 1
November;1

Dolls injured;

Capt subtext;
Adele's interview of Caroline is reminiscent of seduction. Paul wants to take care of Mellie, just like he wants to save Caroline, always the white knight. Topher and Adele begin to share. Adele says she has a good story about Victor. Dominic hints that there's more to him than just a professional heavy, namely his suits, is he hinting that he's gay?

Happy hookers

Know the face?
5 Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd, Amy Acker, walking action figure, Eliza Dushku, Jim Piddock

Guantanamo;
The press are fed a cover story of a student prank gone wrong

Fanfic;
One theory explored in fanfic is that Caroline is actually Adele's daughter?

Missing scenes;

Reminds me off;
Very reminiscent of the classic 3rd season Buffy ep Band Candy, Adele in particular similar to the wonderful Joyce.

Breaking the programming;
In this ep all the Dolls glitch but Echo starts before she even get's the drug. She actually says 'No' to her treatment.

Questions and observations;
Adele refers to her and Caroline playing this game for 2 years? First return client, the same guy from Ghost. Caroline is an anti-war protester and animal rights activist. My personal theory was that Leo, her boyfriend who was shot was actually Alpha. Boyd plays the piano pretty well. We learn Caroline's full name, Caroline Farrell and Dominic's, Lawerance Dominic.
We find hints of the Dolls previous lives, Victor was a soldier, November is mourning someone

Marks out of 10; 7/10 again, enjoyed this more than I thought
 
NEEDS

The good;
Excellent scenes with the actives planning their escape in true The Prisoner style. Very gratifying to watch Victor beat the stuffing out of the guy abusing Sierra.

The bad;
Seems all very reckless of Adele, Victor throttles one handler and beats up Sierra's client. Echo beats the crap out of another handler before raiding the armoury and threatening everyone with a gun. Perhaps Topher put in blocks to prevent them killing anyone but given how the wipes haven't been working lately this still seems very risky.

Best line;
Dr Saunders; "Let the tide wash in"

Packing heat; Echo with a glock. The Dollhouse has it's own armoury in the handlers room with Glocks, M16 carbines and H&K MP5s.
Echo;5
Boyd; 6
Dominic; 6
Sierra; 3
Victor; 2

Echo kissage;
By request this new topic will be included.

Kinky dinky;
Mike suggests that they've been kidnapped to have sex with aliens, an idea that Mellie is understandably not too keen on (presumably she's seen Alien vs Predator; Requiem or Taboo Comics/Monsters and Angels-internet GOT-fic?). But she's quite ok with the thought of showering naked with both boys and girls unlike Sierra who's more hesitant.

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost;
Echo; 3
November; 1
Ballard; 1

How'd they get away with that?
Dead Echo is plenty frightening! Check out Eliza as undead Bonnie and Clyde here Cutest picture ever (for fans of Buffy/Angel) - The Trek BBS
Victor is also pretty hardcore throttling the handler but that suits his soldier mentality. Echo beating up Sophie is also pretty savage.

This weeks fantasy; 1 each for everyone, their own personalities but without the memories. Echo is still the moral crusader we see in Echoes. Victor the level headed military man, November the maternal free spirit, Sierra kinda prickly and damaged.

Total number personalitites;
Echo; 15
Sierra; 6
Victor; 3
November; 2

Total dolls; 6, we meet 2 more, a blonde girl called Tango (who I think we've seen before as a background player?) and Mike who seems to be a conspiracy theorist and finds himself in the ultimate conspiracy. We also meet handler Sophie who like Topher's assistant Ivy will become a recurring minor character. We see another active in military garb (maybe filling in for Victor?) but we don't get a name.
Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango

Addy is a bit British;

Topher is a bit geeky;
Astonishingly he's afraid of the dark

Subverting the Hollywood cliche;

Bondage;
Sierra tied up; 1

Knocked out; everyone passes out once they've achieved their closure
Echo; 2
November; 1
Sierra; 1
Victor; 1

Kills;
Sierra; 2 kills
Echo; 1
November;1

Dolls injured;

Capt subtext;
Ballard's dream suggests he has a sexual attraction towards Caroline at the expense of Mellie. Victor is appalled by the Village People-style leather chaps he appears to have in his wardrobe (Rid'em Cowboy?). Echo eyes Tango's legs in her stockings and suspenders. Tango closely resembles Liza Minelli's character in Cabaret. Is she off to a hetero client who wants to have sex with her or to a gay guy who wants to sing 'Money makes the world go round' with her as Buffy star Joel Gray (Doc from season 5) did in that movie. Boyd says he would have liked to have seen Echo leading everyone to freedom, he subconsciously wants to free everyone?

Happy hookers
Echo refers to the Dollhouse 'Pimping them out'

Know the face?
5 Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd, Amy Acker, walking action figure, Eliza Dushku, Jim Piddock

Guantanamo;
Dominic suggests that the handlers think of the Actives as pets instead of children? Mike thinks they're goverment prisoners.

Fanfic;

Missing scenes;

Reminds me off;
The Buffy ep Tabula Rusa (a phrase used in this show), the characters all have their personalities and are trapped somewhere but don't have their conscious memories

Breaking the programming;
They all do so Adele allows them all to partially achieve their secret desires under controlled circumstances.

Questions and observations;
Victor very much the military man and does it very convincingly. November has a daughter called Kate who died, did she kill her? Even unprogrammed Caroline is pretty tasty in her fight with Sophie, maybe she retains some of her fighting skills from her imprints? Sierra's loathsome returning client (who appears to have forced her into the Dollhouse in the first place?) calls her Maria but is that her real name or the name of the personality he hires? Is he the guy who gave her the cut on her face in Echo? Victor's love for Sierra seems to be able to overcome even his mindwipe.
Presumably Mike didn't really have an awakening, he's the control entered by Topher to convince the others they have to make their escape quickly.
Marks out of 10; 8/10
 
SPY IN THE HOUSE OF LOVE

The good;
Exciting ep, the first I ever went back and rewatched immediately after again, Very clever mislead in the first scene, we think it's Dewitt getting wiped. The humanisation of Dewitt continues and it's beautifully written and played by all concerned. Good scene too between Ballard and Mellie, your heart bleeds for him.

The bad;
Echo the spycatcher wonders why Dr Saunders doesn't leave the Dollhouse? Possibly HER DISFIGURED FACE?! No commentary which is a real shame. The Sierra stuff is ok but we've seen it all before.

Best line;
Dominic "Sooner or later everyone get's there's" (Here's hoping!)
also like
Echo "I've got a good feeling about you and I've got the whip"
and
Dewitt (on the idea of Victor the imprinted Doll becoming a client of the Dollhouse and hiring another Doll for his pleasure) "I think the universe might just collapse!"

Packing heat; Dewitt pretty handy with her foil, Dominic with his Glock
Echo;5
Boyd; 6
Dominic; 7
Sierra; 3
Victor; 2

Echo kissage;
By request this new topic will be included.

Kinky dinky;
Ramirez wishes to be kidnapped by a pirate (I have a friend with an almost identical fantasy, differs only in that she get's tied to the mast Ulysees style and the whole of Johnny Depp's pirate crew are involved). Suprisingly Dr Saunders says that the actives aren't submissives, I'd have thought that would have been a hugely popular choice for clients (what about Sierra who begs her client to hurt her?).
Ok I'll say it now. Dominatrix Echo is the SEXIEST THING EVER! My god she's gorgeous! Sexier than Mathilda May in Lifeforce, sexier than Athen Massey in Undercover, sexier than Alyssa Milano in The Outer Limits, Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman, than Charisma Carpenter and Mercedes McNab in Playboy, than Ripley at the end of Alien or even ED's own bikini fashion parade in The New Guy. Needless to say it was a sequence that featured endlessly all over the internet, TV and magazines and I earnestly believe was the sole reason that Dollhouse got a second season. If only they'd tried something similar to get a third! (Echo the naughty schoolgirl/stewardess/hot cop etc, we've already had her as a nurse in Tru Calling)
And here it lives forever in cyberspace (plus some interesting comments by ED on how she approached the role and how much she enjoyed playing it); http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gCOGkxg_QA

)
Now if you'll excuse me I just have to lie down for a moment!

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost; Victor/Adele. Not sure if Dominatrx Echo actually had sex with her client or not, some Dominatrixes do, some don't.
Echo; 3 definite, 1 possible
November; 1
Ballard; 1
Victor; 1
Adele; 1

How'd they get away with that?
Dominic getting wiped is hard to watch even after all the things he's done.

This weeks fantasy;
Echo is a dominatrix and a spycatcher. Victor is Roger the romantic, Sierra a spy.

Total number personalitites; 2 for Echo, 1 each for Victor and Sierra
Echo; 16
Sierra; 7
Victor; 4
November; 2

Total dolls; 6
Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango

Addy is a bit British;
Her ideal lover is called Roger, second name Moore perhaps? She also uses the term 'Crackerjack' which will mean a lot to a Briton of a certain age but little to the rest of the world (does she have the requisite pencil?).

Topher is a bit geeky;

Subverting the Hollywood cliche;

Bondage;
Sierra tied up; 1

Knocked out;
Echo; 2
November; 1
Sierra; 1
Victor; 1

Kills;
Sierra; 2 kills
Echo; 1
November;1

Dolls injured;
Echo roughed up by Dominic, Victor cut by Dewitt. Poor Ramirez hurt for a second time by Echo, this time with the whip (which is probably far preferrable to the fire extinguisher for her!) .

Capt subtext;
In the van dominatrix Echo talks of S&M being about trust and surrendering yourself completely to another. This actually is a good analogy of the handler active relationship and what Topher tells Boyd when he first meet Echo. Dr Saunders comments on the many same sex relationships the actives are called out to do. Victor comments that he wants to keep his collection of high powered businesswoman shoes. Ramirez says she'd prefer S&M Barbie Echo to suave ladykiller Victor.

Happy hookers
Boyd considers the Dollhouse 'pimps and killers', himself included.

Know the face?
5 Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd, Amy Acker, walking action figure, Eliza Dushku, Jim Piddock

Guantanamo;
So who is we? Who is sending the messages to Ballard? Dominic and the NSA? That makes no sense and seems unlikely, is there more than one person inside trying to bring it down?
Dominic is intent on torturing Ivy for info. Almost reassuring that the goverment want to control the Dollhouse, the NSA may have little oversight but at least it has some. The idea of the attic is just so scary

Fanfic;
Dominatrix Echo the most popular whipcracker since Calamity Jane. (Birthdate Verification Page if you're 18+ and VERY open minded)

Missing scenes;

Reminds me off;
Mixed segments Quentin Tarantino style. Ballard is reminiscent of season 5 Wes in his obsession whilst sleeper assassin Mellie is like season 7 Spike. Sierra at the NSA is very Mission Impossible but even more Alias.

Breaking the programming;
Echo not only volunteers to help Topher but comprehends the purpose of the chair. Dewitt and Toper know but allow her to continue.

Questions and observations;
Echo waves to Mellie who seems to know her, as Echo or as Caroline from Ballards research? Victor refers Dewitt as 'Katherine', is that her real name? (gives credence to the 'She's Caroline's mother' theory).
The Miss-Lonely-Heart storyline has actually been mentioned a few times in previous eps. Note Topher suspects it's Boyd who has betrayed the Dollhouse but still goes to give him a chance to run before informing Dominic, he really does consider him a friend (or has his own doubts and wants to bring the Dollhouse down)
Fan bloody-tastic, second best ep of season 1
Marks out of 10; 9/10
 
Haunted

The good;
Terrific central concept, imagine waking and being told by your friend that you've died and then getting to attend your own funeral and find out what everyone thought of you. Some lovely scenes too with Topher and Sierra and the continued humanisation of Adele. The story of this ruptured family getting back together is actually very touching especially when the drunken brother reminisces about the first night he and his sister spent in the house together and how glad he was they made up, Gatsby and Nick style, just before she died.

The bad;
If Margaret and Adele were such good friends why doesn't Adele recognise Margaret's family? Exactly how did Margaret know that someone was attempting to murder her? The idea that her handwriting would be enough to prove that a note is genuine takes some swallowing.

Best line;
Adele; "Loneliness leads to nothing good, just detachment"
which would have been comfort to Ballard who has rough sex with Mellie even though he knows she's a Doll
Mellie; "Are you looking for a Dollhouse client?"
Ballard (haunted, looking at himself in the mirror) "I found one"
also like
Margaret/Echo; "Elmo"
Jocelyn; "EMO"
Margaret/Echo; "That's not a word sweetie" (her entire character summed up in that sentence)

Packing heat; Margaret doesn't like guns but is quite prepared to riflebutt her son with one.
Echo;6
Boyd; 6
Dominic; 7
Sierra; 3
Victor; 2

Echo kissage;1
Echo/Margeret kissed by her son.

Kinky dinky;
Incestuous vibe between Margaret and her son, his 'mother's bed' line especially. When the son says that Margaret/Echo "Checked out his body" she doesn't deny it but claims it was 'subconsciously' and she'd had 'too much wine'. He also spies on her voyeuristically through the window knowing her nightime routine and she doesn't appear at all disturbed. Adele is also a voyeur, watching Toper and Sierra. Ballard's violent sex with Mellie borders on rape fantasy. She digs it but doesn't want it all the time (a common reaction amongst most people I think). Echo in jodpurs and riding boots, MMMMMMMMMMMM! Margaret seems a cougar, using the Dollhouse for younger men before getting her own. Sierra seems to fantasise about 'Sexy, sexy aliens' is a she a got-fic fan? (http://www.galaxy-of-terror.com/mainsite/ and http://taboo.eroticillusions.com/free/taboomain.html if you're over 18 and VERY open minded)

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost; does Topher have sex with Sierra? Possibly...
Echo; 3 definite, 1 possible
November; 1
Ballard; 1
Victor; 1
Adele; 1
Sierra 1 possible
Topher; 1 possible

How'd they get away with that?
The nanny story is HORRIBLE! The son murders his mother plus the incestuous subtext. Even though it's all a game and she get's into it you feel for Mellie being treated so roughly by Ballard. Question is would he have stopped if she'd wanted him to?

This weeks fantasy;
A dead woman comes back to witness her own funeral and investigate her own murder. Sierra is a supergeek in a supermodel's body, Victor is a horse expert

Total number personalitites;
Echo; 17
Sierra; 8
Victor; 5
November; 2

Total dolls; 6
Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango

Addy is a bit British;
Margaret says Adele would keep a 'Stiff back and stiff upper lip"

Topher is a bit geeky;
Huge geekfest right down to lasertag and classic sci-fi debate.

Subverting the Hollywood cliche;
The rich turn out to be just like the rest of us only with more money

Bondage;
Sierra tied up; 1

Knocked out;
Echo; 2
November; 1
Sierra; 1
Victor; 1

Kills;
Sierra; 2 kills
Echo; 1
November;1

Dolls injured;.

Capt subtext;
Topher fantisises about Adele and Margaret together. Margaret expresses her admiration for Echo's body and even gropes her breasts. Boyd warns of the collapse of civilisation. Ballard feels self loathing at having taken out his frustrations about the case by ravishing Mellie, even if she enjoyed it. Adele puts the mind of her old friend Margaret in Echo, the Doll she has developed an affection for. Adele indulges Topher his fantasy in the knowledge that she allowed herself her tryst with Victor. The sons jealousy of the mother's new young husband is pretty clear.

Happy hookers

Know the face? Gregg Henry played a Sheriff in Firefly (and every other show you've ever seen! Check him out on IMDB, 132 credits in 34 years)
6 Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd, Amy Acker, walking action figure, Eliza Dushku, Jim Piddock, Gregg Henry

Guantanamo;
Rather sinisterly Sierra wants to interfere with the other sleeping Dolls and make them fight for each other's amusement. Her idea about having them perform comedy skits is a lot more reassuring. That the Dollhouse is able to remotely cyber-wipe the FBI computer is scary beyond belief.

Fanfic;
None for Dollhouse (although they do offer twins) but huge amounts of incestfic on the net, normally Buffy/Joyce/Dawn or the Charmed sisters. (Birthdate Verification Page and
Birthdate Verification Page again if you're 18+ and VERY open minded)

Missing scenes;
Great scene where Adele and Echo/Margaret look at Margaret's body in the coffin and she complains she doesn't like the dress she's being buried in.

Reminds me off;
Topher imprinting Sierra is very Dr Frankenstein right down to the flashing blue lights and his 'It's alive!' schtick. The incestuous subtext is reminiscent of both Oedipus and Hamlet. The whole idea of implanting your memories in a younger person and living forever is reminiscent of an old British horror film 'Nothing but the night' (Christopher Lee is the good guy for once). In Angel we had the father killing the son, here we have the son killing his mother.

Breaking the programming;
None this week, very much a standalone ep but a pretty good one

Questions and observations;
Adele is clearly dismayed at the thought of how people would remember her if she died, she's ashamed of the Dollhouse or just thinks people wouldn't understand? She states that 'Illusions aren't pointless. Note Topher doesn't just want a sex slave, the girl he creates for his birthday is sparky and challenging, beating him at lasertag.
Call me a sap but I was really touched by the ending, despite all appearances to the contrary Margaret was loved by her brother and daughter and is able to tell them that she loved them in return from beyond the grave, the uncle and niece are reunited and are a loving family once again.
Is Margaret really living on? The real Margaret died with her body, surely it's only a copy in Echo? It reminds me of Sheldon's question about the Star Trek transporter, are you really transported or does the real you die and a clone assembled at the other end? When Ballard looks up Novembers prints she seems to have multipile identities, her Dollhouse characters or was she some sort of identity thief? Is it really Eliza on the horse? Adele holds Margaret's hand as she is wiped, does she experience Margaret's life as well?

Marks out of 10; 7/10
 
BRIAR ROSE

The good;
Totally had me fooled with Alpha (partly because his agorophobic uber-geek and Ballard makes such a great team). Stunning performance on both counts. You really feel for Mellie when Ballard dumps her. Great performance from the actress who plays the little girl too. Dominic asking for 'Whiskey' is a masterful bit of foreshadowing and Ballard is one smart cookie with his plan (but not as much as you-know-who).

The bad;
Alpha's plan seems unecessarily complicated? Ballard says he doesn't have a badge any more but then he shows one to 'Kepler' (did he swipe Loomis'?)

Best line;
Adele; "There's indignation enough for everyone to have seconds"
reprogrammed Echo upon seeing Alpha
"My prince"

Packing heat; Both Boyd and Ballard with their pistols again. Ballard also uses a stungun on Topher.
Echo;6
Boyd; 7
Dominic; 7
Sierra; 3
Victor; 2
Ballard; 8

Echo kissage;2
She plants a big old smackaroo on Alpha, so much so it cuts her lip

Kinky dinky;

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost;
Echo; 3 definite, 1 possible
November; 1
Ballard; 1
Victor; 1
Adele; 1
Sierra 1 possible
Topher; 1 possible

How'd they get away with that?
Watching Alpha slicing up Victor is HORRIBLE! The little girl's plight is also horrific but at least she has a chance to recover. Also hard to watch Ballard cruelly dumping Mellie and her near suicide. Plus Alpha's recycled urine.

This weeks fantasy;
Topher has made Echo into a grown up, healthy version of the damaged little girl in order to counsel her, Alpha turns her into a white trash princess. Sierra is a CSI girl (her technobabble may be a subtle joke on them). Victor is Dominic

Total number personalitites;
Echo; 19
Sierra; 9
Victor; 6
November; 2

Total dolls; add Alpha so 7
Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha

Addy is a bit British;

Topher is a bit geeky;
He actually uses the phrase 'All frakked up'.

Subverting the Hollywood cliche;
Amanda lets Echo sit near her, not because she trusts her but because she has flicknife concealed on her.

Bondage; Boyd puts Ballard in handcuffs (presumably his own?)
Sierra tied up; 1
Ballard; 1

Knocked out; Toper get's tasered into unconsciousness by Ballard
Echo; 2
November; 1
Sierra; 1
Victor; 1
Topher; 1

Kills;
Sierra; 2 kills
Echo; 1
November;1

Dolls injured;.
Poor Victor, traumatised by Ballard and Boyd crashing down on top of him and then cut to ribbons by Alpha.

Capt subtext;
Check out the very caring, maternal way Dr Saunders helps Victor who really comes across as a frightened child. The Briar Rose story has a feminist slant on it similar to Buffy, Amanda and Echo prefer the ending where the Briar Rose saves herself. Echo says that Amanda is "Close to moving forwards but it'll hurt" just as she is. Interestingly when Ballard asks Alpha is he Kepler he replies "Well there are a lot of aspects to that question" . He also refers to the Dollhouse as 'The New Eden' which it just might be. He asks Dr Saunders if she always wanted to be a Dr and when she says yes tells her that's a lie.

Happy hookers
The little girl seems to have been exploited as a child prostitute by her mother's boyfriend. All the Dolls in the Dollhouse are above the age of consent but only those we've seen (and only in LA).

Know the face? Alan Tudyk was Wash on Firefly/Serenity
7 Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd, Amy Acker, walking action figure, Eliza Dushku, Jim Piddock, Gregg Henry, Alan Tudyk

Guantanamo;
Drugging and torturing Dominic who's on a day trip out of the attic, very hard to watch (great performance from Enver, really nails Reed Diamond in his mannerisms). Sending Echo to help the little girl is everybodys way of living with themselves.

Fanfic;
The adventures of doomed lovers Echo and Alpha disturbingly popular. The little girl's story reminded me of a Buffy fanfic where we learn why Faith is as screwed up as she is and Buffy, Joyce and Dawn help her get over it and adopt her as a new Summers girl Thanks for taking care of my body, Faith!, a Buffy: The Vampire Slayer fanfic - FanFiction.Net

Missing scenes;.

Reminds me off;

Breaking the programming;

Questions and observations;
So, the headquarters for the whole Dollhouse project is in Tuscon? Can anyone tell me exactly WHY Alpha is hiding naked in a dumpster when he kills the homeless man? Or am I trying to find logic in the actions of a madman? Note when Ballard finally gets into the Dollhouse he says 'It really exists', he'd obviously begun to doubt his own sanity. 'We call that editing' may be a subtle joke on the crew. Alpha thinks the Dollhouse is a good place but with bad people. I hate stairs without risers too, always fear I'm going to fall through them. Note Boyd gives Ballard a way out, he's not going to turn him in if he can help it. Surely consensual slavery is a contradiction in terms, if it's consensual it's not slavery? The Dollhouse we see was only built ten years ago despite the rumours dating from the 80s.

Marks out of 10; 9/10 really good
 
OMEGA

The good;
Got to say I didn't see the Whiskey twist (is that a drink?) coming at all. Utterly brilliant, this storyline lifts the series up and helps it go off on a high. Such a dumb gag but it always makes me laugh out loud when Alpha 'watches his step'.

The bad;
How stupid must the Dollhouse be to use criminals as Dolls? Although wouldn't it be wonderful if we could reprogramme paedophiles and psychopaths so they were no longer either?

Best line;

Packing heat; both Boyd and Ballard (the latter switching to a Colt 45 for some reason) plus November and Sierra
Echo;6
Boyd; 8
Dominic; 8
Sierra; 4
Victor; 2
Ballard; 9
November; 1

Echo kissage;2

Kinky dinky;
Lovely though she is I never really thought of Amy Acker as turn-your-head-gorgeous in the same way as Eliza Dushku, Charisma Carpenter, Sarah Michelle Gellar, (they tried to make her into AI's glamourpuss in season 5 but it didn't really work which is why we got more Mercedes McNab as Harmony who IS turn your head gorgeous),but here she is a revelation, I was firmly convinced that it was Eliza doing the slinky dance to Roy Orbison's dreams but WOW! Also Echo's push up bra and Daisy Duke denim short-shorts as part of her white trash princess look. Bounty hunter Sierra seems to have an instant attraction for Ballard.

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost;
Echo; 3 definite, 1 possible
November; 1
Ballard; 1
Victor; 1
Adele; 1
Sierra 1 possible
Topher; 1 possible

How'd they get away with that?
Killing the girl implanted with Caroline's memories is hideous. Alpha's idea of kidnapping a string of girls, implanting them with Carolines' memories and then killing her over and over again is too horrifying for words. Meeting 'Alpha's' first victim is also very disturbing but not half as much as his bloody rampage in the Dollhouse, especially how he kills his handler. He also refers to Crystal being a 'woman at 13'.

This weeks fantasy;
Sierra and November are bounty hunters, Echo is Crystal and her composite personalities

Total number personalitites;
Echo; 21
Sierra; 10
Victor; 6
November; 3

Total dolls; add some Whiskey to the mix!
8-Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha, Whiskey

Addy is a bit British;

Topher is a bit geeky;
He refers to Solyent Green (Angel also a Charlton Heston fan)

Subverting the Hollywood cliche;

Bondage;
Sierra tied up; 1
Ballard; 1

Knocked out;
Echo; 2
November; 1
Sierra; 1
Victor; 1
Topher; 1

Kills; poor Wendy is killed by Alpha
Sierra; 2 kills
Echo; 1
November;1

Dolls injured;
Echo winged by Alpha's bullet.

Capt subtext;
We finally learn November's real name and she is released from her contract (love Adele's very genuine hug for her). I guess whatever was between her and Ballard was quite real for him to pick her over Caroline? The heartbreaking scene where Dr Saunders tells Victor he's broken and no one will want him any more hardly needs explaining (thankfully the lollipop scene makes up for it). Why did Topher programme Dr Saunders to hate him? Perhaps because of his own self-loathing? Or did the original Saunders already hate him?

Happy hookers

Know the face?
7 Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd, Amy Acker, walking action figure, Eliza Dushku, Jim Piddock, Gregg Henry, Alan Tudyk

Guantanamo;

Fanfic;

Missing scenes;.
Very important, if you have the DVDs be sure to watch them to find out what happened to bounty hunters Sierra and November and how Alpha got away.

Reminds me off;
Echo/Crystal and Alpha/Bobby on the run are very Badlands/True Romance/Bonnie and Clyde. But above all they remind me of Spike and Dru whom Angel once described as "Bonnie and Clyde if they had 100 years to get it right" The idea of violent prisoners being 'cured' by brainwashing sounds a bit 'A Clockwork Orange'? Ponder the fact that this series has a character called Ballard (and indeed Dawn was reading 'Empire of the Sun' for school in the later seasons of Buffy). Alpha digs out the tracker on the back of Echo's neck much like Dark Angel. Caroline refers to Return of the Living dead as Xander did in Buffy. Topher talks of souls in jars which may be an Angel ref. Alpha's madness is similar to Glory whilst the way he kills his handler is reminiscent of Buffy killing Gnarl in season 7. The track 'Dreams' which Whiskey dances to is also used to good effect in Blue Velvet.

Breaking the programming;
Echo as a conglomerate of her personalities breaks away from Alpha's crackers plan, possibly because most of her imprints (Margaret from Haunted, the Dominatrix, Esther from True Believer etc) were good people mixed with her base personality of Caroline. By contrast most of Alpha's imprints were bad people mixed with his underlying personality of a psychopath.

Questions and observations;
Ballard's plan to get rid of the bomb squad is truly inspired. Interestingly despite the bad blood between them Tanaka doesn't arrest him. Great double bluff, we think that Caroline is being let go but actually it's November whose real name is Madeline Costly. More episodes like this and Dollhouse would be a far superior series to what it was.
Marks out of 10; 9/10 really good
 
EPITAPH ONE

The good;
All of it, just terrific stuff. Gritty opening title rather than the normal dreamlike sequence. Whiskey's appearance is especially good, the scene where Adele confronts an imprinted Victor is awesome (lovely touch that he's enjoying shellfish whilst in Victor because he's allergic in his own body).

The bad;
Couldn't we have Joss doing the commentary and not his brother? How does the little girl reach high enough up to attack the girl in the shower?

Best line;
Topher; "Children with matches!"
but also like
Echo imprinted little girl "Great, puberty all over again"

Packing heat; everybody is armed to the teeth (even Adele for the first time apparently at the request of the actress). Weird to see this little girl running around with guns considering how anti-gun Joss seemed in Buffy?
Echo;7
Boyd; 8
Dominic; 9
Sierra; 4
Victor; 3
Ballard; 10
November; 1

Echo kissage;2

Kinky dinky;
.
Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost;
Echo; 3 definite, 1 possible
November; 1
Ballard; 1
Victor; 1
Adele; 1
Sierra 1 possible
Topher; 1 possible

How'd they get away with that?
All of the stuff with the little girl.

This weeks fantasy;
Victor is the Rossum head honcho, Echo is a Russian immigrant

Total number personalitites;
Echo; 22
Sierra; 10
Victor; 7
November; 3

Total dolls; another Doll, Juliet is mentioned but we don't know which one she is. Also November is mentioned but Victor asks 'Which one?" implying that there was the replacement from the girl who played Mellie in season 1.
8-Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha, Whiskey

Addy is a bit British;

Topher is a bit geeky;
The survivors describe Topher's rumpus room as a nursery. Topher from 2 years back is reminiscent of Michael J Fox.

Subverting the Hollywood cliche;
When Zone teases Mag about regretting killing an imprinted person she replies "I wish it could have been you"

Bondage;
Sierra tied up; 1
Ballard; 1

Knocked out;
Echo; 2
November; 1
Sierra; 1
Victor; 1
Topher; 1

Kills;
Sierra; 2 kills
Echo; 1
November;1

Dolls injured;

Capt subtext;
The first thing Dominic notices when he's freed from the attic is that suits have three buttons again. The commentary also seems to hint he might be gay? Adele and Topher almost seem to be like a mother and son.

Happy hookers
Zone comments that the Dollhouse is a brothel built to make better hookers. Apparently the network gave instructions to avoid prostitution in the series. I wonder what went wrong?

Know the face? Hooray! Hooray! It's Felicia, Felicia Day! Whedon veteran from Buffy and Dr Horrible plus The Guild. Zone remind anyone else of Patrick Swayze crossed with Corey Feldman?
8 Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd, Amy Acker, walking action figure, Eliza Dushku, Jim Piddock, Gregg Henry, Alan Tudyk, Felicia Day

Guantanamo;
The imprinted little girl describes Mag and Zone as bigots because they killed anyone imrprinted.

Fanfic; more fic than you can shake a stick at to tide you over until the season 2 DVDs come out
Dollhouse FanFiction Archive - FanFiction.Net

Missing scenes;.
I like the idea of the scene with the bear in the lift, I wonder if it's the same one from the Angel ep Soul Purpose? Anyone know where I can find that clip on the internet? Do they ask it to press the floor button and then it get's frustrated because it's paws are too big?

Reminds me off;
We have an apocalypse in LA just as we saw in Angel season 6. The evil little girl is reminiscent of the annointed in Buffy. Topher's idea of the cyber-attack via the phone is a feature of the Stephen King novel 'Cell'
Topher's rambling like Wes in season 5 of Angel. The photo wall is very BSG. The commentators are Dr Who fans to judge by their 'Don't blink' remark. The butchers resemble the reavers from Firefly who were also the result of well intentioned technology gone wrong.

Breaking the programming;
Echo can now maintain her own personality (pure Caroline or the composite of her imprints?) whilst she's imprinted but still have all the knowledge of her imprint. She seems to have headaches as a result as does Sierra.

Questions and observations;
Great ep, truly, truly great, the first 10 out of 10 for the series. Kepler certainly does nice work, his Dollhouse has survived a remarkably long time. The tension between Topher and Dominic is evident right from the start. Dominic actually warns Adele of the consequences of letting the tech run riot. Whiskey's scars are healed as are Victor's. Is the argument in the kitchen the moment Adele turns against Rossum? Is the life after death idea a transfer of consciousness from one body to another or just a Haunted style imprint? If so, it's not really life after death, it's just making clones of yourself. Sierra's real name is Priva Testrene (Tibetan apparently). Adele strikes you as a very good leader, hope Caroline doesn't kill her. Interesting to see that Victor seems to lead the Dollhouse defence force (which is why Paul is talking to him whilst Dr Saunders is fixing Echo up?). So Dr Saunders blanked herself into Whiskey to avoid the madness of being alone for 2 years?
So, does Whiskey kill everyone and herself with poison gas? Or as the commentary suggests it's just knockout gas, she imprints all the unconscious butcher's with Echo's wedge and creates countless guides to safe haven?

Marks out of 10; 10/10 excellent, they saved the best until last, I wish the whole series could have been this good, can't wait for season 2
 
VOWS

The good;
How gorgeous is bride Eliza? May not have affected ED but made me go awwww! Everything about the Toper/Saunders relationship is fabulous. Love that way that when Khar catches Echo snooping in his desk she almost get's away with her explanation, she's very plausible.

The bad;
What the heck happened to Jamie Bamber's hair? He looks like he's one of the Four Seasons, I keep expecting him to break into 'Oh what a night'. Why does Khar just fire 2 shots at Echo when he has a pistol with 15? When the limo blows up you can clearly see it's nowhere near the airport.

Best line;
Dr Saunders; (of planting rats in Topher's cupboard) "Just dealing with some vermin"
plus
Dr Saunders; "They'll go over your head"
Boyd; "I'm very tall"
and
Topher; "You're human"
Dr Saunders; "Don't flatter yourself"

Packing heat; Echo uses a pistol taken from Khar's goons
Echo;8
Boyd; 8
Dominic; 9
Sierra; 4
Victor; 3
Ballard; 10
November; 1

Echo kissage;3 at her wedding

Kinky dinky;
One of Echo's previous clients was a TV newsreader with a splosh fetish (a desire for sex with people covered in food). We now have Dominatrix Echo in the opening titles each week, much like Buffy and Faith dancing just too damn sexy not to show again and again. Sierra's 50s Princess character likes to be tied up and spanked (so much for Adele's assertion that the actives aren't hired out as sexual submissives). Topher refers to 'deviant excitment'. I never thought Eliza could be more sexy than as the dominatrix but seeing her in her wedding night lingerie she's just stunning and you couldn't pick which you prefer, sugar or spice? (a remark you understand much better if you've seen Batman Forever). Dr Saunders puts on the lacy teddy and puts the moves on Topher. He seems to have erotic dreams about Fozzie bear which is a whole other level of kinky. Topher observes that he could easily have made a willing sex slave but Saunders counters that the real ultimate fantasy is to make someone who initially hated you love you.
Capt subtext;
Note Adele stroking Victor's scarred face, remebering their Miss Lonelyheart time together. Dr Saunders keeps her scars because although she knows she's a doll her physical imperfections make her unique amongst them. Echo's handler telling Paul 'You're the client' really hit's home. Echo flashbacks to her and Whiskey done up like Ava Gardener and about to get all kissy at a masked ball. To my shame the first time around I missed the idea that what triggers this memory for Echo is Dr Saunders giving her a gynecological exam implying they did a lot more than just kiss. Dr Saunder's assertion that the ultimate sex fantasy is to make the person who despises you love and desire you is possibly an allusion to Caroline/Echo, Rossum's greatest enemy surrendering to them and allowing them to turn her into their willing plaything, their's to use and humiliate as they wish for fun and profit. Question is did Topher make Saunder's hate him as an aspect of his own self-loathing?
Echo's remark of 'We are lost but we are not gone' may be an allusion to the whole Dollhouse situation.
Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost; Echo and Khar
Echo; 4 definite, 1 possible
November; 1
Ballard; 1
Victor; 1
Adele; 1
Sierra 1 possible
Topher; 1 possible

How'd they get away with that?
.Echo's husband hitting his wife is a true 'Jeez!' moment. He may be an evil arms dealer but even he seems ashamed when she accuses him of domestic abuse. Sierra's anti-Asian racism towards Ivy is also a little hard to take even if played for laughs.

This weeks fantasy;
We see Echo as a bride/undercover agent and Sierra in her Jackie O/Audrey Hepburn personality. Echo also slips back into Margeret from 'Haunted' and Alpha's 'Badland's' style girlfriend Briar Rose from the end of the last season.

Total number personalitites; one more for Echo, we've seen Sierra's personality before
Echo; 24
Sierra; 11
Victor; 7
November; 3

Total dolls;
8-Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha, Whiskey

Addy is a bit British;
Joss seems to have a thing for British authority figures

Topher is a bit geeky;


Subverting the Hollywood cliche;


Bondage; we don't see any but Sierra obviously has a thing for it
Sierra tied up; 1
Ballard; 1

Knocked out;
Echo; 2
November; 1
Sierra; 1
Victor; 1
Topher; 1

Kills; assuming they die when she shoots them Echo kills two of the arms dealer's henchmen.
Sierra; 2 kills
Echo; 3
November;1

Dolls injured;
Echo with a big old gash on her head and concussion

Happy hookers;
Echo is an undercover agent who wins her mark's confidence by actually having sex with him, the stuff of bad erotic thrillers (Undercover Heat anyone? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114786/ ) something that gives Ballard great moral angst.

Know the face? Alexis Denisoff, another Whedon hattrick
9 Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Amy Acker-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), walking action figure-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Eliza Dushku-3 (Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse), Jim Piddock-2 (Angel/Dollhouse), Gregg Henry-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Alan Tudyk-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Felicia Day-2(Dollhouse/Buffy), Alexis Denisoff-3 (Buffy, Angel and Dollhouse)

Guantanamo;
Paul says he no longer cares about due process

Fanfic;

Missing scenes;.


Reminds me off;
The way Topher has engineered Saunder's phobias to prevent her leaving the Dollhouse is reminiscent of The Truman Show. The idea that Dr Saunders is reluctant to get her original personality back as that will be akin to dying for her is similar to an ep of ST;Voyager where 2 characters are merged by a transporter accident. Echo clinging to the bonnet of the car reminds me of TJ Hooker who was prone to that.
Whedon cliches;


Breaking the programming;
The dolls are noticeably less zombie like and have more personality, I think that was one of the reasons people couldn't take to them in the first season.

Questions and observations;
Echo has a new handler but this is the only time we see him. As Joss says the lighting on the Dollhouse is very different. Topher sleeps at work which seems to be a common thing in the Dollhouse. I think I'm beginning to fall a little in love with Ivy, she's a character who keeps growing on me more and more. In reference to the Jonas Brothers do they mean they're Dollhouse clients or that customers hire the actives out to play their roles? Still weird to hear Jamie Bamber talk with his real accent. Adele knows about Echo's unique nature but wants to watch her develop. Echo's remark of the 'Honeymoon is over' may be her telling Paul that from now on things are only going to get harder for them. Shame we don't get more of Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof etc this season but not enough in the budget (perhaps why they dropped CC/Conor from the last season of Angel so that they could have fan-favourite Spike?). It seems Joss' favourite series is BSG. I love Adele's new hair. Everyone seems to be hitting the booze pretty hard, even Dr Saunders (whiskey?).

Marks out of 10; 7/10 good ep, Joss didn't expect to get a second season so this is a partial reboot for the show
 
INSTINCT

The good;
Very clever concept, that the maternal instinct between a mother and her child is so great that it can overcome virtually anything (anyone else read Stephen King's short story The Breathing Method?) Echo breaking into the house is so sinister she might as well be wearing a Michael Myers mask. Contrast that to the awwww factor of Echo with the baby. Lovely to see Mellie back.
The bad;
Nothing really bad, just not that remarkable.

Best line;
Ballard; (to Topher)"You're a genius"
Topher ; "I'm not as comfortable with you saying that as I thought I'd be"
plus
Echo; (baby in one hand, carving knife in the other) "MOMMY'S HOME!"

Packing heat; no but Echo with a great big carving knife.
Echo;8
Boyd; 8
Dominic; 9
Sierra; 4
Victor; 3
Ballard; 10
November; 1

Echo kissage; 4 her 'husband' Nate

Kinky dinky;
Nursing mother Echo looks noticeably more buxom, the wardrobe department obviously breaking out the wonderbras and padding for this role.
Capt subtext;
Topher repeats to Echo that he is a good man, trying to convince himself. Echo says that feeling nothing would be worse than before, possibly alluding to Mellie and her grief.
Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost; almost certain Echo has sex with her client, naked in bed together and Topher speaks of 'romance protocols'.
Echo; 4 definite, 2 possible
November; 1
Ballard; 1
Victor; 1
Adele; 1
Sierra 1 possible
Topher; 1 possible

How'd they get away with that?
Upsetting to watch Echo so distressed about being seperated from her child, also not good if you don't like needles.

This weeks fantasy;
Grieving widower wants his dead wife back to care for their newborn baby. Cleverer still Sierra is inserted as a supportive best friend for her.
What do we think of the client?
Undoubteldy the most sympathetic yet, a guy devestated by the loss of his wife and unable to accept his own child because of the memories that stirs. In the end almost losing his baby finally makes him appreciate what he has in his son.

Total number personalitites; Echo as the mother and Sierra as her best friend Kelly
Echo; 25
Sierra; 12
Victor; 7
November; 3

Total dolls;
8-Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha, Whiskey

Addy is a bit British;
In response to a crisis Adele sits down and has tea. Keep calm and carry on!

Topher is a bit geeky;
He has developed an 'app' for ventriliquism. What next, barbershop quartets?

Subverting the Hollywood cliche;
The panicked woman fleeing the bad guys actually has the good fortune to walk around the corner and stumble across a police car.

Bondage;
Sierra tied up; 1
Ballard; 1

Knocked out; Topher KO' again
Echo; 2
November; 1
Sierra; 1
Victor; 1
Topher; 2

Kills;
Sierra; 2 kills
Echo; 3
November;1

Dolls injured;
Poor Mellie, not even a Doll anymore and she still gets cracked on the head.

Happy hookers;
Perrin refers to Rossum being involved in prostitution.

Know the face? Kristoffer Pohala seems to make a habit of appearing with Whedon alumni, guest starring in the Angel ep Billy, in Tru Calling with ED, in Mad Men with Vincent Unspellablesurname and in Life Unexpected with Emma Caulfield. Stacey Scowley who plays the senator's wife is also a Buffy Alumni, the girl whom Spike picks up and sires in the bar in Conversations with Dead People.
9 Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Amy Acker-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), walking action figure-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Eliza Dushku-3 (Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse), Jim Piddock-2 (Angel/Dollhouse), Gregg Henry-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Alan Tudyk-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Felicia Day-2(Dollhouse/Buffy), Alexis Denisoff-3 (Buffy, Angel and Dollhouse), Kristoffer Pohala-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), Stacey Scowley-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse)

Guantanamo;
Kinda scary the way panicking mother Echo has no place to go, the police can't help her against Rossum.

Fanfic;

Missing scenes;.


Reminds me off;
Echo can now just walk out of the Dollhouse at will. Much like The Initiative and Wolfram and Hart organisations with impenetrable security never live up to their hype.
Whedon cliches;
Top security installations which aren't secure at all. Loving self-sacrificing mothers who risk all for their children (Joyce, Darla)

Breaking the programming;
. Echo's desire for her baby is strong enough to overcome anything Topher can do to her.

Questions and observations;
This time Topher has not only changed Echo's mind but was able to actually alter her body. Ballard and Topher spar but seem to be developing a workable relationship much as he and Boyd did. For the second time in 2 eps Echo plays a wife rifling her way through her husband's desk. Was Perrin's source at the NSA actually Dominic? We finally find out what happened to Mellie and her daughter. No Victor at all this ep.

Marks out of 10; 6/10-ok, very much a standalone, surprising that Joss bothers with eps like this knowing that he has a short time to play with.
 
BELLE CHOSE
The good;
Ballard and the other handler consoling one another whist waiting for their charges to select clothes makes me laugh out loud every time. Victor's girly dancing is just fabulous as is him as Terry (Enver really is the best actor in the cast). I like the fact that Victor's chip is missing due to bureaucracy and oversight, it has that element of truth to it even in a place as sophisticated as the Dollhouse. Echo/Terry stabbing the professor is a real shocker.
The bad;
I know a lot of people say that you can see the human statues move (as you can in the Angel ep 'Just desserts') but you would expect that, they're not real statues they're parlaysed women and the drugs are wearing off. Why not just let Victor go and track him (when he's got his chip in)? How does a guy as lamely dressed as Terry get into a trendy club? Terry's victims seem to accept the Dollhouse tactical team awfully easily, they don't even have 'Police' written on their overalls.

Best line;
Boyd; "Topher has ethical problems. TOPHER!"
plus
Dollhouse fashion guru; "Not exactly a rocket scientist. Normally that's irony but around here you never know"
and
Echo/Kiki; "I mean how hard can it be, it's medi-eaval, it's not even advanced eaval"

Packing heat; nope, croquet mallets and letter openers
Echo;8
Boyd; 8
Dominic; 9
Sierra; 4
Victor; 3
Ballard; 10
November; 1

Echo kissage; 4

Kinky dinky;
The villain appears to be a fan of ASFR, that is a fetish for transforming people into statues/living waxworks/robots. (I know what you're thinking, "Girl, now you're just making this stuff up" but I'm really not, just type ASFR into your search engine and you'll see what I mean.) The shower scenes are back, the fans must have complained that they missed them. Echo comments 'I'm wet' when appearing naked in front of Ballard but she probably means from the shower. Kiki is hot to trot and is delectable in her mini-skirt and knee socks, lovely sexy dance she does for the prof. Nice analogy of female power in Kiki's discussion with the Professor of Chaucer and interesting use of the term 'whippe', Echo/Kiki also seems a fan of wearing spurs "Nasty!" (where would this assigment have gone had it continued?).
Capt subtext;
Topher once again worries that he's creating a 'man reaction' in another male. The head of the Dollhouse clothing department is extremely fey and obviously in his dream job (I originally thought that this might be Harry Groener, Mayor Wilkins from Buffy but it's not). Victor/Kiki and Paul make a rather cute gay couple "Gotta a problem?".
Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost;
Echo; 4 definite, 2 possible
November; 1
Ballard; 1
Victor; 1
Adele; 1
Sierra 1 possible
Topher; 1 possible

How'd they get away with that?
Women imprisoned and struck on the head with a croquet mallet. The poor Prof knifed in the neck.

This weeks fantasy;
Echo AND Victor are Kiki, a scatterbrained but fun-loving student. Victor/Echo are also the villain, creepy dweeb Terry Karrens.
What do we think of the client?
Hard to know what to make of Echo's professor client. He wants to have an affair with one of his students but rather than do it for real he hires Echo to act out the fantasy for him instead, getting to live the dream without tarnishing his professional ethics. I guess that's actually ok, he can't help how he feels so he's doing this to avoid real temptation. The Uncle also seems not a bad guy, keen to rescue his nephew but also wanting to save his victims.

Total number personalitites; 2 for Victor and Echo
Echo; 27
Sierra; 12
Victor; 9
November; 3

Total dolls;
8-Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha, Whiskey

Addy is a bit British;

Topher is a bit geeky;
Love the face to face scene between him and Ivy as they try to reboot everything, very Juggernaut.

Subverting the Hollywood cliche;
. Victor/Kiki goes from gaybashed to bigotbasher. Nice to see the captured girls are actually escaping on their own rather than needing to be rescued "We're not his toys".

Bondage;
Sierra tied up; 1
Ballard; 1

Knocked out;
Echo; 2
November; 1
Sierra; 1
Victor; 1
Topher; 2

Kills;
Sierra; 2 kills
Echo; 3
November;1

Dolls injured;
Poor Echo get's seriously roughed up by the escapers and the guy in the bar tries to punch Victor.

Happy hookers;
Misogynist creep Terry seems to have a hard time with '****es' (is he related to Mal Reynolds?)

Know the face? Maybe I should start listing BSG alumni, Michael Hogan the 4th
9 Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Amy Acker-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), walking action figure-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Eliza Dushku-3 (Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse), Jim Piddock-2 (Angel/Dollhouse), Gregg Henry-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Alan Tudyk-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Felicia Day-2(Dollhouse/Buffy), Alexis Denisoff-3 (Buffy, Angel and Dollhouse), Kristoffer Pohala-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), Stacey Scowley-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse)

Guantanamo;
Ballard takes great joy in roughing up Terry, freed from the constraints of the FBI.
Fanfic;
All the ASFR you can shake a human mannequin at; http://www.many-realms.net/LTBSA/index1.html
Missing scenes;.
I heard that the original scene between Ballard and Adele at the end was supposed to go a little differently;
Ballard; "You think there's any chance he's ever going to wake up?"
Adele; (hard as nails) "I wouldn't let him leave here if I did"

Reminds me off;
The concept is a little reminiscent of the Angel eps 'Just desserts' and 'Billy' and the Buffy ep 'Ted'.
Whedon cliches;
Rich and powerful famillies who cover up the evil deeds of their wayward sons (like those from the Angel ep 'Billy). Top security installations which aren't secure at all. Loving self-sacrificing mothers who risk all for their children (Joyce, Darla)

Breaking the programming;
Echo is now able to rebel against Terry and save the girls. Topher is now able to do remote wipes although he screws it up royally.

Questions and observations;
Topher can diagnose psychopaths just by looking at their brainscans. Well this seems a useful skill, let's do that with everyone. This client is so twisted he gives even Topher an ethical dilemma. Rather creepy ending implying that the villain lives on inside Echo's mind but I guess Eleanor Penn, Esther from True Believer, Margeret from Haunted, the mom from 'Instinct', the Dominatrix, the midwife etc inside her can keep him outnumbered and pinned down. Kiki confuses 'middle english' with Tolkiens 'middle earth'. What book is Boyd reading in the van? Why not just have Terry hire out Echo, Sierra and co to act out his fantasies, no one would get hurt and it might help him regain his sanity? No Sierra whatsover this ep.
Marks out of 10; 7/10, fairly funny for an ep with such a dark central subject matter.
 
BELONGING

The good;
Very good mislead at the start, you keep trying to figure out the nature of Sierra's assignment. Nice to see Adele with long hair again. Some great acting from Dichen in her madness.

The bad;
If Kinnard has used the LA Dollhouse before in his seduction of Priya isn't he worried anyone will remember her?

Best line;
Kinnard;(of Priya) "I'm a collector, you're the real deal" (collector of what exactly?)
plus
Topher; "I'm not the bad man" (as we shall learn)


Packing heat; nope
Echo;8
Boyd; 8
Dominic; 9
Sierra; 4
Victor; 3
Ballard; 10
November; 1

Echo kissage; 4

Kinky dinky;
Of course you can't go to Venice Beach to film and not have a couple of shapely bimbos in bikinis wander across the screen. Plenty of both straight and gay sex at the art exhibition 'chill out room' along with a few lines of coke. Note that among the pictures in Kinnard's drawer is a picture of Sierra in a schoolgirls uniform.

Capt subtext;
Note how tactile Adele is with Topher, hinting at the mother/son like relationship we saw in Epitaph One.

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost; definitely Kinnard for Sierra
Echo; 4 definite, 2 possible
November; 1
Ballard; 1
Victor; 1
Adele; 1
Sierra 1 definite
Topher; 1 possible

How'd they get away with that?
Boyd and Topher butcher Kinnard and dissolve his body with acid. Yeessh! The whole Sierra/Kinnard fight and Topher's disposal of the corpse is incredibly bloody and brutal, to judge by the commentary it was even more visceral in the first cut, must have been the full Evil Dead 2. More needles, you know some of us suffer trypanophobia Joss.

This weeks fantasy;
Sierra is essentially her original personality of Priya but in love and devoted to Kinnard.

What do we think of the client?
Adele hits the nail on the head, loathsome scum. Essentially the Dollhouse is a high tech brothel (although not every assignment features sex), whatever you think of prostitution it's the choice of the actives to go there. They're all consenting adults, doing it for money and other benefits, Caroline to avoid going to jail, Mellie to help her get over her grief, Victor to presumably help him recover from his traumatic wartime experiences . However we now learn that Sierra ISN'T a volunteer, she's there because the man who couldn't have her despite all his wealth and influence pumped her full of drugs and then had her brainwashed into his submissive concubine. She's a slave pure and simple and what he does to her is rape. And Rossum is quite willing to let this continue. Thankfully Topher isn't.

Total number personalitites; Victor and Echo are a couple of highbrow art fans hired to make Kinnard look good
Echo; 28
Sierra; 12
Victor; 10
November; 3

Total dolls;
8-Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha, Whiskey

Addy is a bit British;
She tells it straight, describing Kinnard as a 'raping scumbag' but still serves him tea with a smile.

Topher is a bit geeky;
He does resemble Shaggy, zoiks!

Subverting the Hollywood cliche;


Bondage;
Sierra tied up; 1
Ballard; 1

Knocked out;
Echo; 2
November; 1
Sierra; 1
Victor; 1
Topher; 2

Kills; Sierra/Priya kills Kinnard with a steak knife to the heart
Sierra; 3 kills
Echo; 3
November;1

Dolls injured;
Poor Sierra nastily knocked around.

Happy hookers;


Know the face? Clyde Katulas, one of those actors you see everywhere on TV. Here he plays the doctor at Pirya's mental hospital and played a very similar role on the Buffy ep 'Nightmares'
12-Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Amy Acker-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), walking action figure-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Eliza Dushku-3 (Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse), Jim Piddock-2 (Angel/Dollhouse), Gregg Henry-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Alan Tudyk-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Felicia Day-2(Dollhouse/Buffy), Alexis Denisoff-3 (Buffy, Angel and Dollhouse), Kristoffer Pohala-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), Stacey Scowley-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse) Clyde Katulas-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse)

Guantanamo;
.
Fanfic;

Missing scenes;.


Reminds me of;

Whedon cliches;
Rich and powerful famillies who cover up the evil deeds of their wayward sons. Top security installations which aren't secure at all. Loving self-sacrificing mothers who risk all for their children.

Breaking the programming;
Echo can now lie and keeps a journal. Victor is already becoming more assertive although he decides he doesn't want to be the leader.

Questions and observations;
Directed by Jonathon '2 takes' Frakes of Star Trek fame. Very much the ep where Topher's conscience comes to the fore and Adele realises that Rossum truly are evil, she just hasn't picked sides yet. We're told that Dr Saunders is a permanent imprint on Whiskey. Does that mean she'll not be restored to her original personality at the end of her contract? Echo refers to Topher as 'Shaggy', can anyone tell me what Adele mouths to Topher afterwards? Topher can 'cure' schizophrenia? I suspect it's reasons like that why Adele became involved with the Dollhouse in the first place. Very little Echo in this ep and no Ballard (can't afford him according to the commentary). Sierra confirms her love for Victor both in her blank state and her Priya personality and they cuddle at the end, awwwww! Poor Sierra, sexually abused by this guy AND Hearne. No wonder she wants to continue as a doll in order to forget. Topher outside the Dollhouse, actually we see him twice, at the mental hospital and at Kinnard's house.

Marks out of 10; 8/10, Topher takes a moral stand and it's nice to see. The rotten underbelly of the Dollhouse/Rossum comes to the fore.
 
THE PUBLIC EYE

The good;
Laugh out loud at the scene where Topher tries out his disruptor only to knock out a random passing doll, sending them tumbling down the stairs. The conspiracy storyline really kicks in and lovely to see Mellie back once again. Masterful bait and switch that Perrin is the doll and his wife is the handler, she seems so threatening to Ballard even when she's a tiny little woman and he's this ripped martial arts expert. .

The bad;
Not much, heck of a good ep. One question, if Perrin is so security conscious how do they dope his drink?

Best line;
Adele; "An emergency measure for when things get hot"
Ballard; "I'd say things are warmish"
plus
Ballard; (pointing to Topher's gizmo) "What is that?"
Topher; (nervously) "It's the thing that if it doesn't work won't get me in trouble"
and
Perrin; "You're a doll"
Echo/Bree; "You're cute too"
also
Echo/Bree; "If you want to do the right thing don't bring your hooker mistress to meet your wife"
not to mention;
Cindy Perrin; "If this plan doesn't work we're going to be demoted to being dead"

Packing heat;
Echo;8
Boyd; 8
Dominic; 9
Sierra; 4
Victor; 3
Ballard; 10
November; 1
Echo kissage; 4

Kinky dinky;
Echo in hookerwear and almost naked Senator Perrin for the Alexis fans. Echo/Bree enjoys it 'a little rough' and whilst she considers Perrin twisted she 'likes that a lot'.

Capt subtext;
Echo/Bree is into the idea of threesomes with the Senator and his wife but charges extra for them. Washington Doll 'Hades' is out servicing a 'closeted' councilman.

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost; Echo/Bree and Perrin
Echo; 5 definite, 2 possible
November; 1
Ballard; 1
Victor; 1
Adele; 1
Sierra 1
Topher; 1 possible

How'd they get away with that?
Bennet tortures Echo very nastily indeed.

This weeks fantasy;
Echo is an extremely kinky but very likeable nympho callgirl Bree.

What do we think of the client?
Adele's plan for Perrin is rather underhand, seducing and blackmailing him. But compared to robbing him of his free will and brainwashing him into their slave it's pretty minor.

Total number personalitites; Echo is call girl Bree
Echo; 29
Sierra; 12
Victor; 10
November; 3

Total dolls; we meet the petite and lovely Kilo
9-Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha, Whiskey, Kilo

Topher is a bit geeky;
He refer to disruptors and Star Trek (weapons that the Romulans use, right?)

Bondage; Echo/Bree offers to tie Senator Perrin up. She is tied up by Bennet at the end
Sierra tied up; 1
Ballard; 1
Echo; 1

Knocked out; Echo twice by Topher's gadget
Echo; 4
November; 1
Sierra; 1
Victor; 1
Topher; 2

Kills;
Sierra; 3 kills
Echo; 3
November;1

Dolls injured;
Poor Echo get's pistol-whipped then brutally tortured by Bennet.

Happy hookers;
Echo is imprinted as call girl Bree, a very happy hooker who wanted to be a dancer but found escort work more lucrative and likes what she does.

Know the face? It's hot in here, it must be summer! Summer Glau, another hattrick. Also Maurissa Tanchon who in addition to being a Dollhouse writer featured on Dr Horrible
14-Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Amy Acker-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), walking action figure-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Eliza Dushku-3 (Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse), Jim Piddock-2 (Angel/Dollhouse), Gregg Henry-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Alan Tudyk-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Felicia Day-2(Dollhouse/Buffy), Alexis Denisoff-3 (Buffy, Angel and Dollhouse), Kristoffer Pohala-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), Stacey Scowley-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse) Clyde Katulas-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Maurissa Tanchon-2(Dollhouse/Dr Horrible), Summer Glau-3(Angel/Firefly/Dollhouse).

Whedon cliches;
Characters with just one arm (like Lindsey in Angel). Rich and powerful famillies who cover up the evil deeds of their wayward sons. Top security installations which aren't secure at all. Loving self-sacrificing mothers who risk all for their children.

Breaking the programming;
Echo can now refuse the offer of a treatment and is aware of her past personalities even when imprinted. She speaks of being able to see the patterns of her past imprints as though they are 'seams'

Questions and observations;
Perrin is an interesting comparison to George W Bush who also came from an influential political family, also went to Yale and was also a drunken wastrel well into his thirties. He got religion whilst Perrin got 'dolled'. Did you notice Bennett's computer keyboard adapted for a user with only one hand? Or the statue of Romulus and Remus (the she-wolf suckling the human infants) in her bookcase. She also get's rid of everyone else before torturing Echo BUT she refers to her as Caroline. So we have history here? No Victor or Sierra at all this ep. So the DC Dollhouse names it's actives after Greek mythological characters? Love to see Hercules, Appollo etc and especially Xena and Callisto.
Central point here is that Perrin might have been wasting his life but it was his life to waste, once again as we saw with Sierra in Belonging, Rossum are quite prepared to take away people's freedom and exploit them if it suits their purposes, slaverly plain and simple.
Marks out of 10; 8/10, very good stuff
 
THE LEFT HAND
The good;
Once again some great acting from Enver, his Topher impression is flawless. Nice face off between Adele and her Washington counterpart too.

The bad;
It all seems a little overly complex, surely there must be simpler ways for Rossum to protect itself. Equally it rather beggars belief that with all the attention focused on him Rossum could get away with controlling the senator in quite so blatant a manner.

Best line;
Topher; "The only person in the world I would trust" (HIMSELF!)
also like
Adele; (grabbing the Washington Dollhouse heads groin)"If you don't return my active I will send someone to cut these off!"
plus
Adele; (upon finding Topher arguing with Toper/Victor); "Finding him obstinate are we?"

Packing heat;
Echo;8
Boyd; 8
Dominic; 9
Sierra; 4
Victor; 3
Ballard; 10
November; 1

Echo kissage; 4

Kinky dinky;
Topher thinks Bennett's 'Librarian energy' is through the roof, she has got a serious case of the Diana Princes.

Capt subtext;
Bennett remarks to Topher 'Looks like you got the girl'. Love the little smile of pride Adele gives Topher as he tricks his way into Perrin's brain print. Topher asks himself "Who's your backdoor man?" before deciding on a better phrasing.

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost;
Echo; 5 definite, 2 possible
November; 1
Ballard; 1
Victor; 1
Adele; 1
Sierra 1
Topher; 1 possible

How'd they get away with that?
Echo getting tortured is nasty indeed, she can't pass out and can't even cry out to god. Can we please have an ep without needles, I really don't like them. Bennett's headbutt is also nasty, somehow it's easier to watch people harm one another than themselves. On a similar vein hard to watch Perrin and Echo cutting on another's chips out. Perrin snapping the goons neck and strangling his wife is also disturbing, Alexis showing some of the creepiness he demonstrated in the Angel ep 'Billy'.

This weeks fantasy;


What do we think of the client?


Total number personalitites;
Echo; 28
Sierra; 12
Victor; 10
November; 3

Total LA dolls; Mellie is a Doll once more at the Washington Dollhouse, I wonder what her new name will be?
9-Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha, Whiskey, Kilo

Addy is a bit British;


Topher is a bit geeky;


Subverting the Hollywood cliche;


Bondage;
Sierra tied up; 1
Ballard; 1
Echo; 2

Knocked out; twice for Echo
Echo; 6
November; 1
Sierra; 1
Victor; 1
Topher; 2

Kills;
Sierra; 3 kills
Echo; 3
November;1

Dolls injured;
Echo roughed up again.

Happy hookers;
As Bennett stares quizically at Echo/Bree's brain print Topher explains "She was kinda a hooker"

Know the face? Ray Wise, another great character actor from Twin Peaks, Robocop and especially good as The Devil in Reaper.
14-Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Amy Acker-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), walking action figure-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Eliza Dushku-3 (Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse), Jim Piddock-2 (Angel/Dollhouse), Gregg Henry-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Alan Tudyk-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Felicia Day-2(Dollhouse/Buffy), Alexis Denisoff-3 (Buffy, Angel and Dollhouse), Kristoffer Pohala-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), Stacey Scowley-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse) Clyde Katulas-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Maurissa Tanchon-2(Dollhouse/Dr Horrible), Summer Glau-3(Angel/Firefly/Dollhouse).

Guantanamo;
.
Fanfic;

Missing scenes;.


Reminds me of;
With her useless arm Bennett has more than a little Dr Strangelove about her.

Whedon cliches;
Maimed characters. Rich and powerful famillies who cover up the evil deeds of their wayward sons. Top security installations which aren't secure at all. Loving self-sacrificing mothers who risk all for their children


Breaking the programming;
Echo can now distance herself from the personality of Caroline and perhaps doesn't want her back. If Bennett's memories are to be trusted we can see why? Echo is now able to overcome her imprinting to the degree that she can use her arm even though Bennett programmed her not to.

Questions and observations;
So it appears Caroline is not the saint we might first have thought. Topher refers to Echo as his friend, a small but somehow huge moment. Boyd refers to 'manufacturing a president' (Kennedy?) whilst Adele actually refers to Rossum as 'facists' seeing them for what they really are at last.
So it seems that Rossum can 'improve' people, take away their negative qualities and give them beneficial ones? Part of me says that's a wonderful power, part of me says it could so easily be abused. On the one hand we could cure people of phobias, addictions, prevent paedophiles being attracted to children, take away criminals violent and anti-social traits, brave new world. On the other hand who decides what is truly negative and what is beneficial, what if someone decides to 'cure' gay people? To make everyone fit into their narrow vision of morality? The prospect sounds scarily like some form of mental eugenics.
So now we have Echo out in the world on her own, dechipped and free of the Dollhouse. How will she cope? Can't wait to find out.

Marks out of 10; 8/10, good ep
 
Meet Jane Doe
The good;
The subtle struggle for power within the Dollhouse is truly nailbiting stuff, especially the final scene between Topher and Adele. Some lovely little touches showing how much the Dollhouse has changed since Adele is no longer in charge, cigars in Adele's office, Boyd's security guys with their feet up.

The bad;
Do we really think a girl as gorgeous as Echo needs to shoplift or scrounge from bins? Couldn't she just charm her way through life in the manner of 'The Sexless Innkeeper'? Personally I don't find the jail storyline all that involving, it just doesn't seem much of a challenge to our girl when we've seen her do so much more. Also it seems unecessarily complex, why not just have Ballard take the Mexican girl into custody as his FBI witness? In many ways the Dollhouse reminds me of early Angel, supposed to be about the 'client of the week' but the viewers wanted more and more arc and interaction with the central characters instead.

Best line;
Echo; (putting the moves on him) "...just the two of us?"
Ballard; (turning her down)"Is it really just the 2 of us?"
plus
Rossum honcho; "Did you ever think of imprinting a Doll to kill me?"
Adele; "I like to think I'd have the honesty to do it myself"

Packing heat;
Echo;8
Boyd; 8
Dominic; 9
Sierra; 4
Victor; 3
Ballard; 10
November; 1

Echo kissage; 4

Kinky dinky;
The latest client seems to be a sadist who quotes the Marquis de Sade. Echo comments that sometimes a girl 'likes to be chased'. She implies that she's done a 'sister act' before but never with 'cooking food'? Ballard and Echo's training seems akin to foreplay, 'getting all sweaty' as Xander would say.

Capt subtext;
Adele tells Topher she cares for him, reinforcing their mother/wayward son vibe. She also calls Echo 'love', English slang or something more? Echo comments that she's been 'gay' 7 times and that occasionally there is some 'noise from the chorus girls'.

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost;
Echo; 5 definite, 2 possible
November; 1
Ballard; 1
Victor; 1
Adele; 1
Sierra 1
Topher; 1 possible

How'd they get away with that?
Can we please have an ep with no needles? Also the prisoner's bruising is nasty, again because it's more real than any sci-fi injury

This weeks fantasy;
The Dollhouse is now renting out Dolls as submissives to a sadist.

What do we think of the client?
Hard to know, how far does he go? The stern headmaster or Pinhead from Hellraiser? You could argue that it's better for him to do this with actives as they'll be unhurt and have no memory of it afterwards.

Total number personalitites; Echo refers to now having 36 personalities in her mind
Echo; 36
Sierra; 12
Victor; 10
November; 3

Total LA dolls;
9-Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha, Whiskey, Kilo

Addy is a bit British;
She call's Echo 'love' (see Capt Subtext)

Topher is a bit geeky;
He actually refers to Cylons on a show with numerous BSG stars!

Subverting the Hollywood cliche;


Bondage;
Sierra tied up; 1
Ballard; 1
Echo; 2

Knocked out;
Echo; 6
November; 1
Sierra; 1
Victor; 1
Topher; 2

Kills;
Sierra; 3 kills
Echo; 3
November;1

Dolls injured;


Happy hookers;


Know the face? Glenn Morshower, another great character actor who also played Cassie Newton's dad in the Buffy ep 'Help'
15-Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Amy Acker-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), walking action figure-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Eliza Dushku-3 (Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse), Jim Piddock-2 (Angel/Dollhouse), Gregg Henry-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Alan Tudyk-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Felicia Day-2(Dollhouse/Buffy), Alexis Denisoff-3 (Buffy, Angel and Dollhouse), Kristoffer Pohala-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), Stacey Scowley-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse) Clyde Katulas-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Maurissa Tanchon-2(Dollhouse/Dr Horrible), Summer Glau-3(Angel/Firefly/Dollhouse) Glenn Morshower-2(Buffy/Dollhouse)

Guantanamo;
Brutality from the police towards illegal immigrants, keeping 'the scum off the streets'.

Fanfic;

Missing scenes;.


Reminds me of;
Adele suffers the 'death of a thousand cuts' also experienced by Lilah at the hands of Lindsey and Gavin in Angel. Echo and Ballard's training routine appears to have been inspired by Clouseau and Kato from the Pink Panther films. ED as a nurse as she was in Tru Calling and her medical pilot that didn't get picked up.

Whedon cliches;
Maimed characters. Rich and powerful famillies who cover up the evil deeds of their wayward sons. Top security installations which aren't secure at all. Loving self-sacrificing mothers who risk all for their children. Corporate politics literally played with deadly seriousness.


Breaking the programming;
Echo seems to imply that rather than being a composite of all her 36 personalities that the Echo character is actually a seperate entity and can access the other's skill and knowledge at will, like a filing system. Does this mean she also keeps Caroline filed away, afraid to let her loose?

Questions and observations;
With the addition of a new house in Dubai there are now 23 Dollhouses around the world. Boyd is very honest with Adele, informing her that they'd always placed the actives at risk, they're now just more blatant about it. We now have Adele at her most sinister ever, seeming to come aboard with Rossums blatantly insidious plan. Topher seems increasingly conflicted and Boyd, Echo and Ballard are now in cahoots. I'd like to see Topher be a bit nicer to Ivy, he seems unecessarily snide to her. Very clever concept, the Dolls imprinted into helping in the Dollhouses research.

Marks out of 10; 7/10 would like more Dollhouse and less jailbreak
 
A LOVE SUPREME
The good;
Great to see Alpha back (NICE suit! Dominic would approve), also glad they spared Joel, he was by far my favourite of all of Echo's clients. Gorgeous scene at the end where he says goodbye to Echo and she assumes the Rbecca personality for him, one last time, telling him that his dead wife wouldn't want him to be alone. Really is a rollercoaster that kicks in and never stops. Once again a great performance from Enver as the shrink but Alan Tudyk is the unquestionable star.
The bad;
If Alpha is a Doll why not use Topher's gizmo we saw in The Public Eye to knock him out?

Best line;
Topher; (upon learning that Terry Karens is still in Echo's mind) "So she's a serial killer?"
Boyd; "Only a little"
plus
Echo; (as Topher introduces himself) "We've met Topher, don't you remember?"
and
Topher; (realising the quantum shift in Echo's abilities) "I'm obselete. This must be what old people feel like. And Blockbuster"
also like
Joel; "It's just this morning I was engaged to a great girl and this afternoon I'm hiding out with my dead wife"
not to mention;
Boyd; "You have to put it together?"
Topher; "It's called the manufacturing room, not the 'It's finished' room!"
Packing heat; Boyd and Ballard with their pistols. Bit surprised Adele doesn't have a gun stashed somewhere. Apparently the staff have tranquliser guns but not in the house itself.
Echo;8
Boyd; 9
Dominic; 9
Sierra; 4
Victor; 3
Ballard; 11
November; 1

Echo kissage; 4

Kinky dinky;
Sierra's personality is naughty and aware of it. She's been done wrong 10 days to Sunday and it's still Tuesday.
Capt subtext;
Dr Victor wonders if Adele is actually jealous of Echo the virgin/****e, much to Topher's amusement? Alpha is quite the dandy, he cites famous Georgian-era socialite Beau Brummel. One of Echo's past engagements was a lesbian who married her in San Francisco in what Boyd describes as a 'lovely ceremony' (YAY!) but was killed by Alpha (BOO! Why do so many lesbian characters die on TV?). At least one other of her past romantic clients was a woman called Angie Demeron. Alpha asks if Ballard is gay. Echo tells Adele that they'll 'Hug it out later'. Alpha declares one of his personalities was an Eagle Scout and the other a sailor which must combine to some form of dirty joke?

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost; Frank Pierce, Echo's repeat romantic engagement
Echo; 6 definite, 2 possible
November; 1
Ballard; 1
Victor; 1
Adele; 1
Sierra 1
Topher; 1 possible

How'd they get away with that?
Somehow Alpha's knife is all the nastier for having that fish-gutting mini-hook at the front. Poor Matt Cargill (motorbike/bondage guy from the very first episode) get's blown to smithereens with Boyd and Ballard picking their way through his viscera.

This weeks fantasy;
. Frank Pierce who wants his sister-in-law to fall in love with him

What do we think of the client?
.Once again, if you lust after your sister in law it's probably quite a moral option to hire a proxy so you can live out your fantasies without wrecking your brother's marriage.

Total number personalitites; Sierra is a glammed up Ava Gardener style film noir femme-fatale, Victor is a psychiatrist, Echo is Rebecca for Joel and Susan for Frank Pierce
Echo; 36
Sierra; 13
Victor; 11
November; 3

Total LA dolls; There are now a couple of hundred Dolls in the house and Echo is the most popular active they have.
9-Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha, Whiskey, Kilo

Addy is a bit British;
Alpha says he loves Addy's British knack for understatement, Monty Python and uses the hunting call 'Tally-ho'

Topher is a bit geeky;

Subverting the Hollywood cliche;
Adele confesses to Alpha that she's scared out of her mind and tries to bargain with him, offering Echo and Joel. She says her chivalry has been overcome by her sense of self preservation.

Bondage; Echo in a straightjacket and Ballard tied to the chair
Sierra tied up; 1
Ballard; 2
Echo; 3

Knocked out; Topher and Ballard by Victor
Echo; 6
November; 1
Sierra; 1
Victor; 1
Topher; 3
Ballard; 1

Kills;
Sierra; 3 kills
Echo; 3
November;1

Dolls injured;
For once it's the Dollhouse staff who get the stuffing beaten out of them, at least one being killed.

Happy hookers;
Dr Victor states that Echo is a virgin/****e and is celebrated for the fact. Ballard describes himself as Echo's pimp. Alpha wants to tally Adele's ho's.

Know the face?
15-Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Amy Acker-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), walking action figure-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Eliza Dushku-3 (Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse), Jim Piddock-2 (Angel/Dollhouse), Gregg Henry-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Alan Tudyk-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Felicia Day-2(Dollhouse/Buffy), Alexis Denisoff-3 (Buffy, Angel and Dollhouse), Kristoffer Pohala-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), Stacey Scowley-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse) Clyde Katulas-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Maurissa Tanchon-2(Dollhouse/Dr Horrible), Summer Glau-3(Angel/Firefly/Dollhouse) Glenn Morshower-2(Buffy/Dollhouse)

Guantanamo;


Fanfic;

Missing scenes;.


Reminds me of;
Victor does a great Woody Allen and rather reminds me of Dr Joel Fleischman from Northern Exposure. Topher makes reference to Return of the Living Dead and Harry Potter whilst Alpha refers to Stephen Sondheims epic 'Send in the Clowns' and 'Nothing more than feelings' , maybe he spent the summer on Broadway, hence the suit? He also refers to Yogi Bear and sounds a little like Snagglepuss "Who doesn't love a pun?". He describes Echo as his 'immortal beloved' which is a reference to Mozart.

Whedon cliches;
Maimed characters. Rich and powerful famillies who cover up the evil deeds of their wayward sons. Top security installations which aren't secure at all. Loving self-sacrificing mothers who risk all for their children. Corporate politics literally played with deadly seriousness. Monty Python quoting villains. Offices full of zombies.

Breaking the programming;
Even Topher doesn't know what Echo is any more. She can resist Alpha's signal which sends the other Dolls crazy.

Questions and observations;
You always figured people would get addicted to the Dollhouse and like all addictions lead them to ruin. A truly stunning ep, easily the best of season 2 and possibly the best so far. I'd never actually watched Firefly until after I'd watched Dollhouse Season 1 so I had actually no idea of who Alan Tudyk was or his performance as Wash. Amazing how effective you can be with the simple device of taking an actor everyone associates with funny and heroic characters and casting them as absolute villains, as Nic Brendon recently proved with his amazing performance in the rapist story arc on Private Practice. Some great dialogue, this ep co-written by Joss himself . Nice music too.
Marks out of 10; 9/10, excellent ep, Alpha always ups the game, the first ep I went back and watched again straight after
 
STOP LOSS
The good;
Ivy's back, hooray! A small moment but I love how Echo tells Victor he needs to say goodbye to Sierra and he does so like a kids TV character. Also a nice touch that he feels the need to sleep in a pod once released.
The bad;
Nothing bad, just a bit lacklustre. You wonder that the supersoldiers can't come up with a better way to recruit Victor than beating him up and kidnapping him, couldn't they just invite him for a beer or something? Check out the scene where Echo knocks Victor out. He waits a second then let's go of his rifle to allow her to pick it up.

Best line;
Adele; "I want roger. I want to roger Roger"
and
Echo; (threateningly) "Remember, I have a serial killer in my head"
Adele; (not backing down an inch) "One that's petirifed of women if I recall"
Packing heat; Echo chooses a S&W 9mm, Boyd has his revolver and Victor a SIG. Echo also picks up a SIG and everyone uses M4 carbines
Echo;10
Boyd; 10
Dominic; 9
Sierra; 5
Victor; 5
Ballard; 11
November; 1

Echo kissage; 4

Kinky dinky;
The only personality Ivy doesn't download into Echo is the 'Naughty pirate wench'. Which I think is something of a shame personally. GI Jane Echo is also pretty hot. Naked Adele. The last scene a delight for cling film fetishists. Again, I'm not kidding either; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mummification_(BDSM)
Capt subtext;
Very obvious jealousy from Adele over Victor. When she takes the shower with the actives does this represent her throwing her lot in with them? The ending rather suggests the opposite.

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost; Imprinted Victor actually refuses to have sex with the lovely Adele because he is promised to another
Echo; 6 definite, 2 possible
November; 1
Ballard; 1
Victor; 1
Adele; 1
Sierra 1
Topher; 1 possible

How'd they get away with that?
Drooling Adele!

This weeks fantasy;


What do we think of the client?


Total number personalitites; lord knows how many personalities Ivy and Topher downloaded into Echo for her mission, I'll put at least 5?
Echo; 41
Sierra; 13
Victor; 11
November; 3

Total LA dolls; .
9-Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha, Whiskey, Kilo

Addy is a bit British;
see best line

Topher is a bit geeky;

Subverting the Hollywood cliche;
When Victor is asked to join the big bad military conspiracy his response is "Where do I sign up?"

Bondage; Victor plasticuffed, Echo and Sierra hooded but not cuffed. Victor, Sierra and Echo all bound in the attic at the end
Sierra tied up; 2
Ballard; 2
Echo; 4
Victor; 2

Knocked out; Victor KO'd by commandos and Echo and Rossum as are Echo and Sierra
Echo; 7
November; 1
Sierra; 2
Victor; 3
Topher; 3
Ballard; 1

Kills; amazingly given all the gunplay the Dolls don't kill anyone
Sierra; 3 kills
Echo; 3
November;1

Dolls injured;


Happy hookers;
.

Know the face?
15-Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Amy Acker-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), walking action figure-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Eliza Dushku-3 (Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse), Jim Piddock-2 (Angel/Dollhouse), Gregg Henry-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Alan Tudyk-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Felicia Day-2(Dollhouse/Buffy), Alexis Denisoff-3 (Buffy, Angel and Dollhouse), Kristoffer Pohala-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), Stacey Scowley-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse) Clyde Katulas-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Maurissa Tanchon-2(Dollhouse/Dr Horrible), Summer Glau-3(Angel/Firefly/Dollhouse) Glenn Morshower-2(Buffy/Dollhouse)

Guantanamo;
Adele thinks that "Pain reveals who we really are". Does she mean his or hers? The Bay of Pigs is referred to (as it was in Buffy), a danger of 'group-think'. Echo tortured as she's sent to the attic.

Fanfic;
Just type mummification+fetish into your search engine

Missing scenes;.


Reminds me of;
The white body suits rather reminds me Jerry Bruckheimers The Island.

Whedon cliches; It's those strawberries again, just like Firefly. Secret military organisations with underground headquarters
Maimed characters. Rich and powerful famillies who cover up the evil deeds of their wayward sons. Top security installations which aren't secure at all. Loving self-sacrificing mothers who risk all for their children. Corporate politics literally played with deadly seriousness. Monty Python quoting villains. Offices full of zombies. Strawberries.

Breaking the programming;
Victor and Sierra's love is now evident whether they're imprinted or not.

Questions and observations;
So the Dollhouse can cure PTSD (shellshock)? Once again, if Rossum can cure schizophrenia and battle trauma you can see their potential for good in the world and how Adele became attracted to the post in the first place. Victor's real name is Anthony Ceccoli and to judge by his accent he's from New York. He was a commando with the 75th Ranger regiment and served in Afghanistan. His pal transferred to the 160th Specialist Aviation Regiment, the Nightstalkers. Once again we have Lady Gaga just as we had in the first ep, someone must be a fan. Note Victor's suite is 'at the Hyperion' which you understand better if you're an Angel fan. Echo tells Adele that the time for playing both sides is over and she must choose. No needles, hooray! Adele hitting the sauce pretty hard nowadays, we hardly see her without a glass in her hand. What's a 'Sharpie'? Do we ever meet Judith, Adele's secretary? What happened to the commandos? Can Echo just call upon them whenever she needs? Are she and Victor now linked via their 'neural radio'? Presumably Rossum use Topher's gizmo from 'The Public Eye' to knock the Dolls out.
Marks out of 10; 7/10, I had it in my mind to give this 3 out of 10 as I initially considered it a weak ep but actually upon rewatching it's a lot better than I remember . One thing that rather spoils it is Epitaph One, we all know that Echo and co must survive and that they must escape the Attic
 
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