Writer: Tim Minear
Grade: A
Another great episode, and probably Tim Minear’s best episode of television since Firefly’s “Out of Gas” (and this definitely helps make up for the first season’s horrid finale). I could’ve lived without this show last season and didn’t particularly care if it was canceled, but now I’ll be truly bummed by the show’s almost-certain cancellation.
The opening scene was really wonderful, just showing close-ups of various body parts so viewers would think someone was dressing mannequins (giant “dolls”), then revealing the truth. Quite a tableau that was, too.
The parallels between serial killer Terry’s methods and the Dollhouse were fairly well developed. Substitute a mind wipe for paralytic drugs and they’re not that different. These parallels also help to further explore the creation and murder of personalities perpetrated by the Dollhouse (specifically Topher). The theme even ties back to Claire, who was so thoroughly and lovingly crafted by Topher that she feels like a real person, arguably is a real person, and is terrified of “dying.”
Ballard’s creepy, longing reaction to Kiki’s preening in the mirror was at least somewhat mitigated by his relief at being given a different assignment by Boyd. He really seemed a bit creeped out by his own reaction, so at least he’s aware of the ookiness of his attraction… I have to hope the show is cancelled before they try to make a big push for Ballard/Echo as a romantic pairing, because I don’t care how self-aware Echo becomes, it will never not be gross. (For the record, I’d put up with that storyline gladly if the show was miraculously not cancelled, but since the cancellation seems like a pretty sure thing, the bright side is that we might escape the fubar Ballard/Echo pairing.)
Minear thankfully resisted the urge to turn it into an anvil, but Topher figuring out a way to remote wipe Actives, even if it’s flawed at present, certainly seems to be an ominous step toward to events of “Epitaph One.”
Miscellaneous Stuff
-Topher’s reaction to Adelle’s reaction to the thought of Terry getting a “man reaction” was worth a giggle or two. Hee.
-Olivia Williams is a real pleasure to watch these days. Her early work on the show still makes me cringe, but she’s gotten much more comfortable with her character since, and it shows.
-Imagine my surprise that Enver completely nailed Terry’s mannerisms and speech patterns. That was sarcasm, because Enver is generally awesome, but I’ll admit was was a little jarred by real Terry (and even sometimes EchoTerry) having a Southern accent while VictorTerry decidedly did not have one. Especially since Enver can do a passable Southern accent, as we saw in that boring parlor mystery episode last season.
-Minor nitpick, but I found it a bit questionable that Terry, after already being hit by a car and nearly killed, would willingly cause a car accident to escape from his uncle. Maybe waking up in another body made him feel invincible, but that’s a big stretch for me.
-Kiki-in-Victor was, of course, awesome. Unfortunately, Terry-in-Echo was less so… of the three actors who played Terry in this episode, Dushku was by far the weakest (though she’s still much better than last season).
-The Echo who overpowered Terry at the end seemed much more like Caroline than she usually does. She wasn’t particularly lost or childlike through most of that scene, and I’m not sure if it was intentional (as in something Whedon or Minear or the director wanted), or if it was just more of Dushku’s weak acting.
Quotes
Boyd: “Do we really want to wake this guy up?”
Adelle: “Mr. Langton, have you no charity? We are working to reunite a desperate family with their wayward loved one.”
Boyd: “By ‘wayward,’ do you mean that they’ve been looking for him ever since he skipped his last bail hearing?”
Adelle: “A bail hearing over a minor matter which has since been resolved.”
Boyd: “And by ‘resolved,’ do you mean that—“
Adelle: “Yes. Yes, a judge was bought off. There’s no need to continue to translate me.”
Topher: “This is a brain. A healthy brain. Frankly, an overly smart brain. … It’s my brain.”
Boyd: “Topher has ethical problems. Topher.”
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