Dollhouse

[hils]

Well, a couple of people on my flist spoiled me for the fact that Adelle was Ms Lonelyhearts but there were still a lot of surprises in this episode.

I'm glad the stuff with Dominic finally came to a head. I did wonder why he kept trying to kill her.

The bit where Echo asked Topher to imprint her was a real surprise too but it was awesome.

I still have major love for Sierra and Victor and I really hope they go back to the shippy stuff with them soon. Victor, especially, it lovely. I really must get an icon. In fact I shall trawl for a Victor/Sierra icon right now

I'm so glad we finally got to see a bit of Adelle outside of her normal environment, and that she's just as human as everyone else.

I suspect Echo's new handler isn't going to last long.

Kind of bored with Ballard now I have to say.

Comments

[notsowise-sage.livejournal.com]

This episode was brilliant - I love "who dunit?"'s, they're puzzles your meant to try and solve. I did work out it was Dominic when he sent Sierra in to retrieve the document... it was too easy. Person matching her description, with access to a specific room, and specific set of files within that room? Dominic knew precisely where it was - yet he didn't know there was a mole, and as far as I can see that document only had Ivy's details on it. So it was either Dominic or incredibly piss poor Saturday matinee time style writing.

For what it's worth, I think it's a double bluff (or should it be triple?), I believe that Dominic did give over the identity of an NSA agent, one he handles, in order to save himself, as per mission parameters of course. Why? Well it's all well and good Dominic being a spy within the Dollhouse, but he hasn't get the faintest hint of the scientific/technical workings of the Dollhouse, he couldn't reprogram an imprint - I find it doubtful that many people other than Topher could, maybe the person that created the technology in the first place, but that's a reveal for much later on I imagine). No, Dominic had to be working with someone, and it has to be Ivy, I think the plan was to give her up, give Dewitt a win she could take back to her bosses, and placate them. Then the NSA would see to it another operative was found to work with Topher, and once again learn from him the skills needed to manipulating the imprints.

Now the NSA have a whole new off plan problem, their assett is all alone in the Dollhouse, no longer having anyone in the upper echelons to handle her, and the Dollhouse being on more stringent security. She's going to be desperate, I suspect a few more missions will take pauses for mysterious messages to be passed among certain characters, namely Ballard, who is seen as someone dedicated, and honest enough, and ultimately incorruptible by the Dollhouse to keep an external threat for the focus to fall on.

So with Dominic's fall from grace, Boyd has been co-opted to new head of security. This is a big mistake on Dewitt's part, she struggles to control Boyd as much as they struggle to control Echo. He's a paragon, he has lofty notions of right and wrong, and already he struggles with the work they do there. However as long as he was handling Echo, that they had the bond, his focus was on protecting her, his vision fairly narrow. Thus Echo was the tool to control him - now he will have oversight of every operation, of every client, and all he has to do is drum up security grounds to put a halt to an operation. He's a danger to the revenue scheme, and therefore to himself, because Dewitt won't be able to handle it. She plays it cold, but really she cares too much, and he will be caring on her turf.

On to Victor, he was really cool in this episode - the persona created for him for his liasion with Dewitt was very smooth, and knew all the right things to say - though obviously he lacked the knowledge of his existence that Dewitt had. One wonders at the abuse of power Dewitt showed, is it fair for her to recruit people who will be there to please her? I also wonder at how she managed to arrange it all, I mean he has to be programmed to go from the old woman's house - so Topher must surely know, right? Or is it a special favour from Ivy? Also the handlers track the dolls, so they must have had instructions not to follow him. We saw none of this - which I think is sad, we're just meant to assume she did it, and clearly did it carefully so the upper echelons would not bring it against her.

Anyway, I was hoping that Dewitt would reveal to Victor that he was a doll, while he was imprinted - his reactions would have been very interesting. Alas, wasn't to be.

[notsowise-sage.livejournal.com]

Speaking of revealing a doll's identity to them - Dewitt and Co have a major problem, one of murder. The problem they face with Echo is not one of simple initiative, it is not one of residual memories, it's one of a new life. Echo in her non-imprinted form has become self aware, she is her own person, making her own choices and decisions, and ultimately sacrifices. This is at the very base of being now, so it's hard to imprint out, Echo is now and forever the Echo we know. Like any living being (non-automaton), she has the desire to live, she also has the desire to spare other people. Dewitt missed this, she volunteered in many ways in response to Topher's distress. Topher is there at every imprint, and every time the bond is made, so I'm guessing the trust for their handler is shared with their trust for him. Ensures they're always willing to get their "treatment".

I can see why you might be bored with agent Ballard, but they face a problem - his run in with the Dollhouse has to come in a finale, otherwise it would be anti-climatic, so they're kind of keeping the engines stoked, but not putting it into gear. The whole bit with the message from November would have been far more powerful had it come before we knew November was a doll, it would have certainly have been more effective then when they had her kill Sierra's former handler, as really none of us expected Dewitt to actually allow rape and murder of an innocent, and we'd already had hints. They played that out in the wrong order. If they'd had him go after her when we positively knew she was a doll, we would have been really confused, was November off mission? No, phew, Dewitt had a plan.

I suspect you're wrong about Echo's new handler - I suspect that the show will stop really caring about handlers, just dump the concept of them, and stick with the dolls. They never really gave any much attention, except for Sierra's in one episode, and of course Boyd. Though I do feel they've kind of cut him out of the story a lot over the last few episodes, maybe I expected the story would largely be from his POV, and that his character would be pivotal to story lines.

Right, I've probably said enough now. Enjoy.

[hils.livejournal.com]

YAY for long comments! WHEE!