The Official Dollhouse Thread - Part 1

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THE ATTIC

The good;
Quite effective episode which explains a lot in terms of exposition but the best part of all is the bait and switch at the end, hell of a Keyser Soze, worthy of 'Enemies' and 'Not Fade Away'.
The bad;
Considering how omniscient Rossum are supposed to be it seems incredible that Adele is able to assemble her troops without them knowing. But maybe they do? Clyde might as well be called 'Basil Exposition'.

Best line;
Echo; "My real name's Echo" (so what about Caroline?)
Packing heat; everyone fielding H&K MP5Ks and M4's. Ballards takes Boyd's revolver for his confrontation with Adele and she has acquired a Walther PPK in case Alpha plans another visit.
Echo;12
Boyd; 10
Dominic; 10
Sierra; 7
Victor; 7
Ballard; 11
November; 1

Echo kissage; 4

Kinky dinky;
"Rigor mortis is the new viagra" That doesn't even bear thinking about! Adele says that the Dollhouse need's a 'strapping new Victor'.
Capt subtext;
When Topher claims to have tried homo and hetertopic cures for Ballard Adele puns on the words and asks who hasn't? Note Echo describes Terry Karen's family as 'hateful', her opinion of them obviously influenced by his memories. Adele states what we all thought, that Boyd is like a father to Echo. Clyde 1.0's fears are essentially what we see realised in Epitaph 1. If Adele is considering Ballard for the new Victor perhaps she wants him to play Roger from now on?

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost; Sierra and Victor get it on but it's not real
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?
Not only needles but Echo stabbing the Rossum tech in the forehead with them! Slit throats, severed legs, cannabalism and self-cannabalism! Jeez!

This weeks fantasy;


What do we think of the client?


Total number personalitites;
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;


Topher is a bit geeky;
Has no idea about Ivy's sports analogy. He's wrong though, Darth Vader kills Captains, not Lieutenants.

Subverting the Hollywood cliche;


Bondage;
Sierra tied up; 2
Ballard; 2
Echo; 4
Victor; 2

Knocked out;
Echo; 7
November; 1
Sierra; 2
Victor; 3
Topher; 3
Ballard; 1

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

Dolls injured;


Happy hookers;
.

Know the face? Greg Collins also played one of the thugs in the Angel ep 'Rm w/a vu'
16-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), Greg Collins-2(Angel/Dollhouse)

Guantanamo;


Fanfic;


Missing scenes;.


Reminds me of;
The whole thing is very reminiscent of the Buffy ep 'Restless', right down to the monster pursuing the characters from dreamscape to dreamscape not to mention the Angel ep 'Hellbound'. .
The twisty tree reminds me of Tom Burton's gothic masterpiece Sleepy Hollow. I don't get the Highlander reference, I don't remember Connor pursuing anyone obsessively across the centuries? Need I mention The Matrix?

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. Strawberries.

Breaking the programming;
Echo can now overcome even the Attic and leads the others to safety.

Questions and observations;
Note the shortened title sequence, obviously too much to fit in otherwise. Topher now calls Ballard, Paul. Boyd has 'stuff going on at home'? Presumably the little girl mourning her sickly horse is Margeret from Haunted who was a keen equestrian. Echo never was a kid so presumably we're looking at little Caroline (interesting if you compare her to the girl who played little Tru in Tru Calling and young Eliza in This Boy's Life and True Lies). We also see the thug who terrorised Eleanor Penn again. Dominic very much dressing down in the attic, not a suit in sight. Adele knows about Kinnard.
Marks out of 10; 7/10, we're getting to the heart of the conspiracy at last.

 

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GETTING CLOSER
The good;
Wait a second, Boyd's the bad guy! Wow, didn't see THAT coming! Not to mention Dr Saunders(?) blowing Bennett's head off! Talk about 2 jawdropping moments in the same episode. That's off course if Caroline's memories are to be trusted and she's not just putting Boyd's face onto the person in her memory (as Dana did with Spike in the Angel ep 'Damage')
The bad;
If Caroline wants to destroy the labs beneath her why does she put the bombs on the roof of the service shaft? Why doesn't she put them on the bottom? Dominic and Adele just send terrorist Caroline up to meet the Rossum head honchos and don't even frisk her, what if she'd pulled out a gun and blown them both away? When Adele, Ballard and Echo play pass-the-pistol they each cock it, emptying the magazine of rounds.

Best line;
Ballard; (hearing the explosions of Rossum's force entering the Dollhouse) "We're breached"
Echo; "That's one word for it"
Packing heat; Adele/Ballard/Echo trade the same pistol
Echo;13
Boyd; 10
Dominic; 10
Sierra; 7
Victor; 7
Ballard; 12
November; 1
Adele; 2

Echo kissage; 4

Kinky dinky;
Caroline uses her feminine wiles to get access to Adele's office. Topher remarks to Bennett 'You show me yours, I'll show you mine'. At least they have the chance to get kissy with one another before you know what happens.
Capt subtext;
Caroline's relationship with Bennett is akin to seduction but Bennett is happy to be 'used'. Bennet remarks that Caroline is the first person to 'Take an interest' in her whilst Caroline asks her to 'Buy me dinner first'. Does Paul rescue Mellie because Topher removes his obsession with Echo? Boyd and Echo finally hug. Topher confesses he had a crush on Bennett even when he thought she was a guy. Adele refers to Echo as 'darling'. Topher makes sure that Ivy escapes. Because he LOVES her.....

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost;
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?
Bennett's brain matter splattered all over the lab AND Topher!

This weeks fantasy;


What do we think of the client?


Total number personalitites;
Echo; 41
Sierra; 13
Victor; 11
November; 3

Total LA dolls; we meet Apollo and Cassandra, Dolls in the DC house (Cassandra foretells disaster?)
9-Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha, Whiskey, Kilo

Addy is a bit British;
She loathes Arizona (too dry for her?). When a bullet shatters the window in front of her she comments 'Damn, I just had that replaced' in true Churchillian style. By contrast Caroline hates tea, she's obviously evil, let's keep Echo instead.

Topher is a bit geeky;


Subverting the Hollywood cliche;


Bondage; Caroline cuffs the security guard. Echo is tied down by Ballard
Sierra tied up; 2
Ballard; 2
Echo; 5
Victor; 2

Knocked out; Topher by Rossum goon
Echo; 7
November; 1
Sierra; 2
Victor; 3
Topher; 4
Ballard; 1

Kills; Boyd kills the Rossum head honcho and 3 of his goons
Sierra; 3 kills
Echo; 3
November;1
Boyd; 4

Dolls injured;


Happy hookers;
Echo comments that people still look at her as though she's 'Doing tricks'

Know the face? Mike Massa was of course David Boreanaz's stunt double in both Angel and Buffy
17-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). Greg Collins-2(Angel/Dollhouse) Mike Massa-3(Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse)

Guantanamo;
Dominic tortures the poor security guard. Adele shows her ruthlessness, wanting to return Dominic to the Attic to save his life.

Fanfic;


Missing scenes;.


Reminds me of;
Carrie at the prom is referenced as is The Wizard of Oz. Bennett is very Willow and her meeting with Caroline akin to Buffy's historic first conversation with Willow in the Sunnydale High courtyard. Tron and The Matrix also mentioned. The lab is very similar to the Angel ep 'Dead End'. Rossum's office is very Blade Runner. The scene where Boyd(?) strokes Carolines face is reminiscent of the Shadowmen in the Buffy ep 'Get it done', doing the same even after enslaving Buffy and having her knocked up by their pet demon.

Whedon cliches; sleeper agents
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. Sleeper agents.

Breaking the programming;
Bennett speculates that Echo has merged her personalities into a 'superego', made up of all her collective minds but not dominated by any of them.

Questions and observations;
Interesting that Bennett and Caroline can have a different memory of the same event (although it may just be that they're both deaf from the explosions and can't hear what one another are saying). Adele says that the Rossum bigwig will undoubtedly have downloaded himself into several different bodies. That may be true but he's still dying when they kill him, his consciousness ends there, the others are just his clones. We discover Clyde is dead but we now meet Clyde 2.0 (or one of them)
Apparently in the scene at the end of the The Attic the cast and crew get the word that the series had been cancelled. This means that Joss has 3 eps to finish off the entire storyline AND address all the issues raised in Epitaph One. For that reason they obviously have to cram an awful lot into 120 minutes of airtime and it sends your brain pretty much into overload.
Marks out of 10; 8/10, certainly zips along at a fair pace

 

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THE HOLLOW MEN
The good;
Once again we have Victor/Topher and it's brilliant although how we get it, this seems a little bit contrived. Couldn't Topher just leave a note with the Topher-wedge saying "Victor/Sierra, I think one of us is a traitor, please follow us to Tuscon and try to find out who it is". The rest is a thrilling ride but frankly Miller's Crossing was easier to understand first time around (but worth it).
The bad;
The machine that can be blown up to make everything ok seems a little contrite (think They Live) but they didn't have much time to work with (3 eps of Dollhouse after cancellation compared with 10 for Angel). Although we know that Topher is a genius it seems awfully convenient that he can be lured to Rossum headquarters and solve a problem that has perplexed their experts in about 10 minutes. Truth be told there's WAAAYYYYYY too much Duex et Machina in this ep, I've watched it several times and in honesty still cannot figure out Boyd's motivations, the whole thing makes exactly zero sense. More redundant cocking of pistols.

Best line;
Mellie; (declining Ballard's offer of a rifle)"I don't think so, I'm afraid"
Ballard; (placing it in her hand) "So am I, that's why we have guns" (Words to cheer the heart of Sarah Palin/The National Rifle Association)
plus
Ballard; (as Boyd turns on him) "What did I miss?" Frankly Paul you're only as lost as the rest of us.
Packing heat; Sierra and Victor pick up the Sig and MP5 from the dead hitmen at the Dollhouse, Adele also packing an M4, everyone swaps guns at some point. By the end of the ep Ballard has traded up to some serious firepower with the M249 SAW (Squad Automactic Weapon) beltfed machinegun. Also see best line.
Echo;14
Boyd; 11
Dominic; 10
Sierra; 8
Victor; 8
Ballard; 13
November; 2
Adele; 3

Echo kissage; 4

Kinky dinky;
Victor/Anthony gives Sierra/Priya permission to shoot him if he turns evil but tells her to 'avoid the junk'. When Sierra tells Adele that Victor has had some 'enhancements' she says 'Really?' in a very suggestive manner.
Capt subtext;
When someone questions whether Bennett fixed the wedge Topher immediately springs to her defence. Adele comforts Topher over his loss of Bennett, pets Echo in a very maternal manner and Whiskey does the same to her in a far from maternal manner. Topher refers to Boyd as his 'best man friend'. Boyd jealous of Ballard, perhaps seeing him as taking over his role in the group? He also disapproves of Adele pimping Echo out in a very paternal manner.

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost;
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?
I'm really going to be happy when there's no more needles (shudder), the scene where they drain her spinal fluid especially wince inducing. Also someone showered with brains from their beloved who's just been shot in the head for the second time in 2 eps.

This weeks fantasy;


What do we think of the client?


Total number personalitites; note that it's Mellie in this ep, Paul's next door neighbour and not Madeline, the girl we saw testifying in The Public Eye.
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;
She remarks "Look lively".

Topher is a bit geeky;
He thinks that gun-toting Sierra is super sexy in a 'Ripley' sort of way (Joss of course having written Alien 4).

Subverting the Hollywood cliche;


Bondage; Echo tied to the surgery table
Sierra tied up; 2
Ballard; 2
Echo; 6
Victor; 2

Knocked out; doped Echox2
Echo; 9
November; 1
Sierra; 2
Victor; 3
Topher; 4
Ballard; 1

Kills; Victor kills at least 2 of Rossum's hitmen and Echo sends active Boyd to his death.
Sierra; 3 kills
Echo; 4
November;1
Victor; 2
Boyd; 4

Dolls injured;


Happy hookers;
Boyd refers to Echo bedding 'half of LA'. It's a very dominating concept, Caroline who was the righteous crusader against Rossum surrendering to them and becoming their willing slave whom they pimp out as they please.

Know the face?
17-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). Greg Collins-2(Angel/Dollhouse) Mike Massa-3(Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse)

Guantanamo;
This time it's Ballard who says they can't wait (because Topher removed his love for Echo?)but Adele who insists on staying for the others.

Fanfic;


Missing scenes;.


Reminds me of;
Besuited Whiskey is reminiscent of Demi Moore's famous cover shoot from the 80s. The Wizard of Oz again, something much quoted in The Sarah Connor Chronicles, another series with Summer Glau.

Whedon cliches; again we see that with it's cutting edge medical Rossum is actually quite benevolent in many ways (like the Alliance in Firefly). As was the point made in Buffy/Angel, humans rule because they evolve and demons don't, Boyd making the same argument here. It's not necessarily those who are stronger and smarter who survive but those who adapt and evolve best, fire, TV and opposable thumbs. Boyd refers to the Dollhouse crew as a family, much like the Scoobs, AI and the Serenity crew. We're told that Echo is 'The Key', like Dawn and River Tam. Another big girly fight that isn't girly at all.
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. Sleeper agents.
Breaking the programming;
All the Dolls can now break their imprinting to a greater and lesser degree, Sierra and Victor feel their love for one another whatever they're imprinted and Mellie now kills herself rather than hurt Paul.

Questions and observations;
So, they always had the idea of Caroline being special, it was clear to them from the start. Her physiology holds the secret to being able to resist being forcibly imprinted. Who killed the Rossum hitmen at the Dollhouse? One could see the dangers of the Dollhouse tech as an analogy for nuclear proliferation, that even if every nuke were destroyed it wouldn't matter because once the knowledge of how to create them exists it can never be de-invented. Adele refers to Nero fiddling whilst Rome burnt. Actually he didn't, his actions during the fire were quite heroic but that story was spread afterwards by his enemies when he tried to raise taxes. Victor quotes the Ranger creed 'Leave no man behind'.
Marks out of 10; 8/10, enjoyable despite the bafflement

 

[lorenzovanmatte]

EPITAPH 2; The return
The good;
Very, very good ep, lovely way to round out the series and a great send off for the characters. Many, many nice little features including Harding and his allergy to shellfish again and Victor still having Ernesto the Acrobat in his memories.
The bad;
Joss WHY NO COMMENTARY? You didn't do one for the last ep of Angel either. Or are you saving it for Special Edition DVDs to fund your new project? That said the dinner party is a nice touch.When Adele leads the Dolls into the streets outside where have all the butchers gone? The idea that Victor, Echo and Sierra have to hide underground for a year to escape Topher's pulse is just silly.
Best line;
Alpha; "We're not freak shows. Well ok I am. And Echo. But Adele's a class act all the way"
and
Adele; "I'm glad you didn't clean up"
Alpha; "It spoke to the schizophrenic in me. Well, both of them actually"
Packing heat; everyone armed to the teeth. For a guy who says he doesn't like guns Joss puts a heck of a lot of them in his shows.
Echo;15
Boyd; 11
Dominic; 10
Sierra; 9
Victor; 9
Ballard; 14
November; 2
Adele; 4

Echo kissage; 5
In the missing scenes we see that Echo/Rebecca got all kissy with Joel in the back of the van at the end of The Love Supreme

Kinky dinky;
Naked musclemen in chains. Say what you like about Joss he gives us cheesecake but for boys AND girls of all tastes and persuasions.
Capt subtext;
Note the tender way Adele feeds Topher whom she refers to as 'darling'. She offers to die with him but he wants her to live. Mag seems to have the hots for Kilo and vice versa, Zone commenting that she now has the option to 'go down'. Adele and Echo finally embrace. The butchers are now wearing suits, do they represent the network executives that cancelled the show?

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost; Paul and Echo appear to have become occasional sexual partners but not romantic lovers. Victor/Anthony and Sierra/Priya are lovers and have a son.
Echo; 7 definite, 2 possible
November; 1
Ballard; 2
Victor; 2
Adele; 1
Sierra 2
Topher; 1 possible

How'd they get away with that?
Paul is dead...(hmmm? Have I heard that somewhere before?). Once again shot in the head with his brains all over another character, in this case poor Mag.

This weeks fantasy;


What do we think of the client?


Total number personalitites; note 'mini-me' refers to herself as Caroline? But in every other way she's Echo, able to access all the memories in her head. Ballard refers to 100 people in Echo's head. 101 including him. Suprisingly the series doesn't end with Caroline getting her body back, she's just one of the personalities in Echo's head.
Echo; 101
Sierra; 13
Victor; 11
November; 3

Total LA dolls; Kilo again, for a second I thought it might be Ivy. We also have Romeo and Yankee
11-Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha, Whiskey, Kilo, Romeo, Yankee

Addy is a bit British;


Topher is a bit geeky;


Subverting the Hollywood cliche;
Psycho killer Alpha pops up in his usual sinister fashion....and get's a great big hug from everyone!

Bondage; Paul and Echo in chains
Sierra tied up; 2
Ballard; 3
Echo; 7
Victor; 2

Knocked out;
Echo; 9
November; 1
Sierra; 2
Victor; 3
Topher; 4
Ballard; 1

Kills; Echo kills the Rossum honcho for the last time. Once they get into the fight with the Reavers...sorry butchers, you just lose track.
Sierra; 3 kills
Echo; 5
November;1
Victor; 2
Boyd; 4

Dolls injured;


Happy hookers;
Zone refers to Echo as a 'magically delicious super****e'.

Know the face? Nate Dushku, Eliza's brother plays one of the Clive Ambrose's, he was also in the Angel ep 'Orpheus' as the armed robber in the doughnut shop.
18-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). Greg Collins-2(Angel/Dollhouse) Mike Massa-3(Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse), Nate Dushku-2(Dollhouse/Angel)

Guantanamo;


Fanfic;


Missing scenes;.
The deleted scene from this ep is reminiscent of the ending to The Tripods, Zone, Mag and mini-me stumbling across a deserted camp but ready to start again. You can't help but feel bad for Adele when she tries to pick up Victor in the bar in Stop Loss, he actually offers to take her home but she knows she's not the girl he's waiting for.

Reminds me of;
Wizard of Oz again, the 'great and terrible' Caroline. The method by which Rossum force Topher to work for them is similar to how Lorne is forced to work in Vegas in the Angel ep 'The House Always Wins'. Sierra/Priya appears to be auditioning for the remake of Little House on the Prarie. In contrast we have Mad Max Victor.

Whedon cliches; strawberries again! Also in Alpha we have the series greatest villain becoming the series greatest hero (Spike, Angel, Illyria, the agent in Serenity;the movie)
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. Sleeper agents. One girl who holds the secret to everything. Villains who become heroes.
Breaking the programming;
Note the butchers are now using guns, they're evolving too.

Questions and observations;
So what happened between the events of The Hollow Men and Epitaph 2? An awful lot it seems! Presumably everyone makes their way back to the Dollhouse once the world starts going to hell. What happens between Adele and Echo so that Echo is on the point of killing her in Epitaph One? Presumably the vaccine that makes everyone immune to imprinting is derived from Echo's spinal fluid as we saw in the previous ep? Does Alpha have the same ability and is that how he created safe haven? What does Topher go 'huh' for at the very last moment when he looks at the 'Remember' wall? Love Adele's new family, her, Zone and mini-me ex-Caroline, she can start again, ever the Shepherd leading them into the light (we've seen how good she is with kids from her relationship with Victor/Sierra's son). Alpha finds it amusing that Romeo refers to him as a 'luddite' (groups of disgruntled workers who opposed the industrial revolution). Nice that they could work Summer Glau into the final ep through Topher's vid.
So what happened to Ivy, Dominic, Alpha, Perrin, Whiskey etc? I guess we have to leave it to the fanfic? Who kept sending Ballard all the clues to the Dollhouse, was it Alpha? I like Joss' idea of Echo and co as the post apocalyptic A-team, I'd watch that.
Marks out of 10; 10/10

So that's Dollhouse. Good series and enjoyed it a lot. If I were to rate Joss's series I would score them as;
Buffy; 10/10-best TV show of all time
Angel; 10/10 (only beaten by Buffy because we had more Buffy eps)
Dollhouse; 8/10
Firefly; 7/10
For all you Browncoats who now want to lynch me maybe I'd like Firefly better if there'd been more eps but it only had 16 compared to 27 for Dollhouse, if Firefly had been given a greater chance it might have done better. I think Firefly's problem is that as a space show it was quite expensive in terms of special effects, costumes, sets, makeup etc whilst Dollhouse could be filmed just on an ordinary street. Looking back over the eps I'd say Epitaph 1&2 are my favourites with A Love Supreme and Man on the Street coming up behind them, Spy in the House of Love also in the top 5 and I have a soft spot for Haunted. I think Dollhouse had less of a sense of fun than Buffy or Angel although Topher was a funny character, it was all more grown up. The Dolls didn't grow on you in their dazed state and the other characters weren't sympathectic or charismactic enough. Certainly glad I watched it though, enjoyed it immensely. Apart from Eliza in sexy outfits the standout for me was Enver as Victor who really showed some amazing range and talent in his various Doll characters
Dollhouse assignment's I would have like to have seen;

1. Definitely a musical, it would be great if you were splitting up with you partner and you could start singing 'Take another little piece of my heart now baby' in a restraunt with all the other diners joining in the singing and dancing (think Glee for real).
2. Something with superheroes/supeheroines, either the client being rescued by them, acting the superhero and triumphing over the Supervillain dolls or playing the villain and defeating the superhero Dolls.
3. Some sort of historical drama (surprised they didn't do that in the show) where an enthusiast get's them to recreate the gunfight at the Ok Corral or Custer's Last Stand etc
4. Get the Dolls to act out famous comedy sketches for real (as Sierra suggested in one ep). The Class sketch would be my first pick.
5. A rich sci-fi geek hires the Doll's to be the crew of his starship on a movie set (and when he calls for evasive manouvres they all pitch from one side to the other as they did on the series).
6. A victim of homophobia getting his/her revenge on their tormentors who suddenly find themselves in a world where EVRYONE is gay and they're the freaks.
7. A military wannabe hiring a squad of Dolls to re-enact a battle and give him a real taste of what genuine combat is like.
8. A victim of wrongful imprisonment re-enacts their trial to attempt to understand how the jury convicted him.
9. The writer of a prematurely cancelled TV show hires the Dolls to act out the final season storylines they really wanted to write (I think you know where I'm going here).
10. The prodigal son reassembles his dead family using the Dolls to tell them he's sorry for not making things up with them when they were alive.
11. A chess obsessive hires the Dolls out to enact a full-sized game.
12. A famous author suffers from writers block and hires some Dolls to act out the various plot ideas of his latest book to try and break the impasse.
13. A rabid right-winger who hires the Dolls to act as hippies whom he persuades of his arguments.
14. A rabid left-winger who hires the Dolls to act as yuppies who are persuaded by his arguments.

 

[DACrowe]

So, because of The Avengers, I finally checked out Dollhouse. I avoided the show when it was on because the marketing made it look like a step down for Whedon, just a generic weekly procedural about Eliza Dushku kicking ass. Plus, the whole human trafficking thing with brainwashed "dolls" made me feel dirty. But after loving TA and CAITW, I decided to finally give this Whedon show a chance.

Holy ****!

I've been watching this show very slowly for three or four weeks. The first five episodes were what I thought the ads made it look like and I was kind of bored with the show. But by episode 6 of S1? The show just kicked it into overdrive. I watched Episode 8 of S1 all the way to the series finale (19 episodes) in a week. The show literally got better and better with every episode. It freaking blew my mind the way it used Alan Tudyk and Amy Acker. The moral implications of all the characters and the questions about identity and self-image/creation got wonderfully tricky and messed up. I have to give extra praise for Topher (Fran Kranz) being played as an almost childlike Dr. Frankenstein who only starts realizing the horror of his genius until it's way too late. Olivia Williams also as the "cold *****" Adelle was amazing.

The show did have its problems. I thought some of the acting, strange for a Whedon production, was a bit spotty (guy who played Paul, I'm looking at you). Also, there were quite a few plot holes. Especially in the second season where they had to rush Adelle's character arc as they knew that it'd be the last season and they crammed about 2-3 years worth of story into that final season. There is also that twist in those final episodes of who the big bad mastermind is. The twist felt more like a gimmick to me, because they needed a mastermind whom the audience would have an immediate reaction to. But it doesn't really hold up that well with S2 and not at all with S1. Also, that character's motivations for getting everyone to Tucson felt very forced.

Still, an amazing series with a breathtaking ending. Besides that complaint I had above, there were more twists that did work and had me stunned like [blackout]Dr. Saunders putting a bullet in Summer Glau's brain! My jaw hit the floor and I nearly fell out of my chair![/blackout] Also, the real final episode wrapped up everything so nicely. It brought real closure to Echo/Caroline's arc, Topher's self-realization and everything else.

This was an outstanding show that was about far more than ass-kicking girls and seedy sexual fantasy. It imagines a technology that is scary and world-shattering and the countless applications for it. It also explores what it means to be an individual and have an identity. Choice and free will, etc. It was a great show and I wish I watched when it was on the air, because it's one of the best shows I'd seen. And unlike Firefly, I'm completely fine with its ending. There was closure. I think another season or two could have made Adelle and Boyd's arcs breathe as well as given us more great use of Alpha. However, as a whole it worked. Just a fantastic show.

 

[flickchick85]

Yep, even before the series started airing, we knew thanks to interviews that Episode 6 was where Fox finally left them alone and let them do their thing. So when watching the first few episodes, I think the whole fandom was just like, "episode 6, episode 6, episode 6...come on, we can make it..." And when the episode arrived there was a collective response of "Holy S***, you guys weren't kidding!"

Haha, good times. Glad to hear you enjoyed it, DA! I generally agree with the flaws you mentioned, too. It remains my least-favorite Whedon show, but I still completely love it, lol.

On a side note, I recently saw Franz Kranz in Death of a Salesman on Broadway. He played Bernard, a relatively small role in the play, but he was SO completely different from Topher or his character from CITW. That guy's a darn good actor (and was super nice when I met him at the stage door afterward, too).

 

[DACrowe]

Thanks. I thought Fran Kranz was amazing in the show. He is both kind of creepy in his geeky love of this and endearing because he doesn't understand how what he's doing is wrong and he slowly grows a self-awareness of the morality of the dollhouse and what Rossum/Adelle are doing in season 2 that eats away at him until it destroys him. I also thought he was quite funny in CITW and wish I could see DOAS on Broadway with that astonishing cast (though I still have trouble picturing Hoffman as Willie Lohman).

Someone else who deserves special notice for Dollhouse was the actor who played Victor/Anthony. His range was just fantastic. He played a multitude of characters and accents perfectly. I'm shocked we haven't seen him in more since.

Dollhouse is a very challenging show. The morality of it is completely gray and very challenging. But using that to explore larger things about self-image, self-identity and the ramifications of people gaining the ability to manipulate those things really is astounding. I know you'll hate me for saying this, but I found it more enthralling and engaging than Buffy.

P.S. The more I think about the twist of who the final big bad was, the more I realize it should have been [blackout]Adelle[/blackout] and how that would have made so much more since. However, since that character is shown alive and guilt ridden after the apocalypse in the dollhouse when Caroline returns in "Epitaph One," there was no way for them to pull that off. But it being [blackout]Boyd[/b] still doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

On the bright side, I love how they turned Alpha's character in the final episode.

 

[flickchick85]

Thanks. I thought Fran Kranz was amazing in the show. He is both kind of creepy in his geeky love of this and endearing because he doesn't understand how what he's doing is wrong and he slowly grows a self-awareness of the morality of the dollhouse and what Rossum/Adelle are doing in season 2 that eats away at him until it destroys him. I also thought he was quite funny in CITW and wish I could see DOAS on Broadway with that astonishing cast (though I still have trouble picturing Hoffman as Willie Lohman).

I know it's tough to imagine, but Hoffman was actually a wonderful Loman, imo. Everything from the way he walked to the way he spoke/mumbled suggested this was simply a defeated man who couldn't muster up the energy to keep on. You would have never guessed he was so much younger than the role by watching him. But Andrew Garfield was probably the most impressive part of an all-around impressive cast.

Someone else who deserves special notice for Dollhouse was the actor who played Victor/Anthony. His range was just fantastic. He played a multitude of characters and accents perfectly. I'm shocked we haven't seen him in more since.

YES. Enver Gjokaj was my favorite aspect of the show. He was brilliant, and like you, I can't believe I haven't seen him in more stuff. I liked that Joss gave him a little Avengers cameo, though.

Dollhouse is a very challenging show. The morality of it is completely gray and very challenging. But using that to explore larger things about self-image, self-identity and the ramifications of people gaining the ability to manipulate those things really is astounding. I know you'll hate me for saying this, but I found it more enthralling and engaging than Buffy.

Well Buffy is still tops for me, but like all of Whedon's shows, I can understand how someone might prefer this one. Seriously, I can't even get into debates with anyone about Joss's best show because the arguments for the greatness of all of them seem perfectly valid to me, haha. In the end, it can only come down to personal preference.

P.S. The more I think about the twist of who the final big bad was, the more I realize it should have been [blackout]Adelle[/blackout] and how that would have made so much more since. However, since that character is shown alive and guilt ridden after the apocalypse in the dollhouse when Caroline returns in "Epitaph One," there was no way for them to pull that off. But it being [blackout]Boyd[/blackout] still doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

On the bright side, I love how they turned Alpha's character in the final episode.

Yeah, that one "big bad" twist definitely lost the show points with me. I didn't like it at all. But I loved everything about Alpha's story.

 

[DACrowe]

I definitely wish I could see that rendition of "Death of a Salesman."

Also, while I have a newfound love for Dollhouse, Firefly will always hold a place in my heart as the #1 Whedon show.

Take my love, take my land, take me where I cannot stand. I don't care I'm still free, you can't take the sky from me.

True words.

 

[Incrediblejeff]

I miss this show

Whoever bumped this thanks for upsetting me

 

[Sawyer]

Considering that Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, who will be showrunning SHIELD and co-writing the pilot with Joss, really got started on this series and wrote a number of episodes, I'm considering finally checking the whole thing out. I only watched the first few episodes when they aired and they did nothing for me, so I dropped it. But I hear it got good, and I almost feel bad because it's the only Joss series I have yet to see to completion, so I'm going to try to get around to it.

 

[Primal Slayer]

About time. It had a very rough start but once it found its footing it got good. Though the concept works a lot better as a movie or mini series.

 

[Sawyer]

I actually don't even remember why I didn't stick with it. Even if the first few episodes didn't grab me, I was excited as all hell when I read Joss would be returning to TV.

Then again, now there's SHIELD, which is a two-fer: Joss returning to TV and a Marvel TV series, so...

 

[Maximus One]

I started, fell off then rejoined at the end of season 1 and caught most of season 2 except the end. I'm gonna start it over here sometime soon and see what all I missed. I remember loving Alexis Denisof's character in the second season

 

[DarkSovereignty]

Just finished season one on DVD, save for epitaph one (which I saving for when I'm done with season 2 so I can watch it back to back with epitaph 2 return). This show is awesome, Alan tudyk is so awesome a alpha, he'd make at great joker.