(S01E07) This was a terrific episode. While it borrowed elements from other science fiction franchises (most notably the episode "The Naked Time" from Star Trek), it served as a perfect vehicle to explain how Caroline (last name: Farrell. Forgive any misspelling of names) got involved with the Dollhouse.Whedon and company go to an anti-corporate message. It turns out the Dollhouse is a product of the Rossum Corporation, the biggest drug company in America (if not the world), and Caroline was doing some animal activist activities to earn their ire. Those activities even cost the life of her then-boyfriend Leo.
We also know that Caroline used to be a student at Freema University and had Professor Janik as a teacher (once again, forgive any spelling errors). We knew she was a college student (or probably graduate when she was recruited). Now we know where. Which college campus did they use for filming, I wonder.
Whatever was in that teapot when Adelle was saying "nothing is as it seems", it wasn't tea.
The good thing about "Naked Time" style episodes is you get a lot of character background for each character (making this more an ensemble show than about Echo, which I think improves it tremendously). Boyd can play piano. Dominic is legitimately sorry that he tried to kill Echo while she was in that cult (and it wouldn't surprise me if his character became more sympathetic in upcoming episodes).
Topher's character change was the most interesting. He still remained in control, despite being affected by the drug. He admitted to doing heroin for twenty years (which means he started at what age? Six?). He's a computer genius that is also a master chemist? By all that, I'm guessing that he's an Active as well and was imprinted with the person or people that originally developed the process. How else would a corporation retain such loyalty for such talent that many corporations would happily pay top dollar?
Hell, Sam the college student was ready to sell out at a moment's notice. At first I thought he was an Active because he seemed unaffected by the drug. However, we may be seeing more of Sam (or whatever his handle will be) in the future. I wonder if we'll see more of billionaire Clive Ambrose.
I'm also guessing that Mellie's mission was to get Ballard to drop the case. When she failed (plus when she went nuts with flashbacks), she was pulled.
Echo's behavior in this episode prompted a big question from me: if an Active breaks an engagement with a client like that, does the client get a full refund? Okay, I'm kidding. Mostly.
Favorite line from the episode. When Adelle is trying to describe what Topher thinks of her behavior: "Sarcastic? Unfeeling? British?"
From this episode, we know that Echo is very close to breaking her programming. I'm not sure if she didn't listen to Boyd from her own decision-making (an ability which she should not have) or he screwed up the code phrase. Topher is certainly making more mistakes. If he is an Active, then he needs a wipe as well.
Whedon has kept his promise. The series has improved tremendously and is starting to be a terrific piece of science fiction. Here's hoping it's enough to break the Fox Friday Night Death Slot. One last question: if Echo breaks her programming by the end of the season, what will be the show's premise for future seasons?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
3-28-2009 @ 10:22AM
Caillan said...
I just thought I should point out that your theory of Topher being an active is impossible given that he was not affected by the drug in the way that actives were.
This episode was really fantastic, made me laugh more than any dramatic show I can remember recently. All that stuff with Topher and Dewitt was brilliant, I loved Topher's "I've got another call, a better call!".
And yeah, Whedon really came through with his promise, this show is really taking off. I agree with your comment about it working much better as an ensemble show than a Dushku vehicle.
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3-28-2009 @ 10:44AM
xnifex said...
That client really likes his women to know how to ride as well as wear wonderful outfits with skirts.
Great ep! I like how Adelle & Topher had the munchies. Also, the fact that they didn't take the stairs up, but hopped over the railing every time. & Topher had his pants off for some reason? lmao.
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3-28-2009 @ 3:03PM
Roxana said...
I was laughing a lot at Adelle & Topher! I loved when he was on the phone and she's in the background jumping on the trampoline and stuffing her face. LMAO at the railing bit too! I loved the whole episode but those two have great chemistry.
3-28-2009 @ 10:50AM
Claire said...
I feel Topher has to be exaggerating about doing heroin for twenty years. He's not that old unless there is some sort of age defying science going on as well. Giving an active that important of a job seems dangerous given that the probability of glitching seems high.
The scenes with him and DeWitt were the best in the show. These last two episodes are amazing. I'm wondering if there is a reason why Sierra's flashback was of her rape and not from her original personality. Perhaps because the drug had to break down less of her memory to find it. Echo remembered being caroline and Victor remembered being former army. (wonder what happened to him to make him want to do this.)
Something weird must happen if Victor, Echo, and Sierra all "wake up" next week. I assume Joss has a greater plan for when they finally get out of the dollhouse (I assume that is part of the plan.)
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3-30-2009 @ 11:31AM
Leroy said...
Topher wasn't relating his own experiences with heroin. He was just giving a hypothetical example of how people can react differently to drugs.
3-28-2009 @ 10:54AM
Edward said...
I never quite understood how Boyd was able to recover so quickly.
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3-28-2009 @ 11:20AM
Joe Brooks said...
It was explained in the episode. Small doses of the drug would effect their behavor, but eventually it would wear off. Only those with large doses would go as far as suicide to make it stop.
Boyd pressumely only received a small dose.
3-28-2009 @ 11:15AM
bruce said...
Wasn't Topher worried about losing his job to some hacker in Japan, saying that the guy did the 'remote mind wipe' to impress the Dollhouse to get Topher's job? Who knows how serious he was when he was saying it, but it's not the sort of thing one would typically joke about, especially as a serious explanation to a serious problem then occurring.
I think that cuts down on the toper = active theory.
I'm sure clients get a refund whenever the active doens't do what it's supposed to (if not succeed at it). It seems the client has quite intimate and detailed negotiations with Adelle.
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3-28-2009 @ 11:52AM
David Gunter said...
So EW is saying two interesting tidbits.Juliet will "appear" next season I'm guessing in flash backs etc.and the long talked about "major death" at the end of the season will not be what people are talking about the next day....interesting...
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3-28-2009 @ 11:58AM
xnifex said...
YAY Lost!!!
3-28-2009 @ 2:17PM
0megapart!cle said...
Are you talking about Dollhouse or Lost?
3-28-2009 @ 11:54AM
David Gunter said...
never use password holders on this site etc as it holds entire posts for some reason
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3-28-2009 @ 12:06PM
Melanie said...
Topher did not admit to using heroin. He was explaining how each person processes drugs differently, saying Adele would react one way, he another, and Ambrose yet another way, based on body chemistry.
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3-28-2009 @ 2:18PM
0megapart!cle said...
He all but admitted to using drugs. I'm not sure if he specifically admitted using any particular drug, though.
3-28-2009 @ 1:01PM
Rick said...
All of the animal activist flashback scenes where just terrible, background is nice, but ED was really just horrid. The acting was by far the worst in the series so far, and that's saying something.
Wouldn't it make sense that Alpha is her boyfriend, it two years for Caroline to be "turned". Couldn't her BF have survived and been the first active? Just a thought.
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3-28-2009 @ 2:20PM
0megapart!cle said...
Caroline's boyfriend being Alpha was my thought as well.
As far as Dushku's acting, I thought she was good. She is not the same caliber of actresss that Whedon is used to in leading roles, that's for sure, but she is getting slowly better with time.
3-29-2009 @ 1:33AM
YouFaceTheTick said...
Omega,
Are you saying hack actors like Gellar and Glau are of a high "caliber"? Yeah that's why Geller has made horror movies and Scooby Doo movies for the past 10 years.
3-28-2009 @ 1:05PM
ElisaQ said...
Melanie is right. Topher was speaking hypothetically: Person A uses heroin and doesn't like it, so he or she won't ever use it again; Person B tries it, likes it, uses it for twenty years; Person C uses it once and dies (not to be snarky, but didn't that part tip you off?).
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3-28-2009 @ 3:17PM
xnifex said...
@0megapart!cle: she started having flashes to her previous life before she even got to the campus, so how can that be the drug? she was with the previous client who like sports bikes & women in skirts.
3-28-2009 @ 3:18PM
xnifex said...
stupid comment system...