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Post by Gin on Mar 21, 2009 23:31:49 GMT 1
Press Release
ECHO LEADS THE ACTIVES IN AN ESCAPE FROM THE DOLLHOUSE WHILE BALLARD DEALS WITH SHOCKING INFORMATION ON “DOLLHOUSE” FRIDAY, APRIL 3, ON FOX.
When Echo, Sierra and Victor awaken in the Dollhouse with most of their original personalities and memories intact, Echo leads the charge to free the Actives from their apparent captivity and escape the Dollhouse forever. Meanwhile, Ballard discovers the Dollhouse is closer than he thinks in the “Needs” episode of DOLLHOUSE airing Friday, April 3 (9:01-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (DOL-109) (TV-14 D, L, S, V).
Cast: Eliza Dushku as Echo; Tahmoh Penikett as Paul Ballard; Olivia Williams as Adelle DeWitt; Fran Kranz as Topher Brink; Harry Lennix as Boyd Langton; Enver Gjokaj as Victor; Dichen Lachman as Sierra.
Guest Cast: Amy Acker as Dr. Claire Saunders; Reed Diamond as Laurence Dominic; Miracle Laurie as Mellie; Teddy Sears as Mike; Emma Bell as Tango; Skyler Stone as Jimmy; Angel Desai as Sophie; Vincent Ventresca as Nolan; Joe Wandell as Adams.
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Post by Gin on Apr 18, 2009 14:19:53 GMT 1
Avclub.com Review
Back when Dollhouse premiered, I had tagged it as a cross between Alias and Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. The first seven episodes have heavily favored the former over the latter : Lots of standalone operations where Echo goes out and gets into trouble, mixed with some carefully parsed-out revelations about the innerworkings of an underground operation not unlike SD-6 in its scope, cutting-edge technology, and fiendish manipulation of its own operatives. “Man On The Street” went a long way towards deepening the conceit by broaching the issues of memory and loss raised by Eternal Sunshine ; unlike a client looking for a negotiation specialist or a kinky lay, Patton Oswalt’s character was constructing a elaborate scenario to make up for a lost moment in his life. It went beyond mere fantasy, and into the trickier and more emotional business of supplanting memories altogether.
Tonight’s stellar episode, “Needs,” took that idea all the way. Throughout the hour, I kept circling back to Boyd’s line in “Man On The Street,” referring to the Actives : “They’re all broken.” And we can see through their adventures that their minds are haunted, perhaps permanently, by fractured memories that float through the consciences like shards of glass. They were brought to Dollhouse by a need to escape a traumatic past—or at least, that’s how Adele (who may be telling a terrible lie, of course) likes to frame it—and the experience of being at Dollhouse has only produced an accumulation of new traumas on top of the old ones. And that’s to say nothing of the people who run the place, who have their own layers of fucked-up-ness.
Another great thing “Needs” pulled off : It answered the common complaint people have had that no mission seems to go off without a hitch. Personally, I’m not that bothered by missions requiring lots of improvisation—this is drama, after all, and conflict is necessary—but if the place screws up that frequently, those Yelp reviews are going to get pretty toxic. Tonight we got both a greater sense than ever at how many Actives are out there and the information that our four troubled heroes (Echo, Sierra, Victor, and Mellie) are exceptional in their glitchiness. So now an operation that might have seemed fatally flawed to many viewers turns out, in fact, to run a little more smoothly than we might have realized. On the anomalous occasion when things get out of hand with the Actives—as they have with our not-so-fantastic four—Adele and the Dollhouse higher-ups take the threat very seriously.
After Adele holds an emergency staff meeting to discuss the “glitches” that have rendered some Actives ineffective, the episode cuts to a roomful of them (including E, S, V, and M) waking up before their time. They’re all in a strange state of semi-awareness : They don’t know who they are yet, but they’re not blank slates, either, and certainly not in the pacified condition of Actives post-treatment. Basically, they wake up with the realization that they’re being kept against their will—in a prison perhaps or maybe by aliens—and need to improvise their way to freedom. Those “glitches” they’re carrying around are like homing beacons that lead them to the source—much like last week, when Echo found her way to the Rossum lab without knowing how she would have that information.
Here’s what they don’t know after “waking up” : Anything about Dollhouse. This leads to some very funny bits early on, when they’re trying to get a sense of the place. (My favorite exchange of the episode comes when they’re offered banana pancakes. Dead-eyed active to Victor : “I like pancakes.” Victor to group : “We’re all gonna die.”) There’s also some amusing business in the co-ed showers, which is no place for a fully cognizant young hottie to be, and another cool scene in the warehouse space where the Actives’ wardrobes are stored. (Among other things, Dollhouse is a meta-commentary on the medium of television itself, but I don’t have the time to get into that right now.)
The twist is that Adele actually wants the four troublesome Actives to be on the loose. At first, we’re led to believe that they’ve been unleashed as a way of keeping the staff on guard and plugging whatever leaks are reveled in the operation. So when they actually succeed in slipping out of Dollhouse and peeling off into the real world, it seemed like another in a long line of institutional screw-ups. What a relief, then, to find out that the whole escapade was under much tighter control than it seemed : Dr. Saunders (played superbly by Amy Acker) had the idea to allow these four to confront directly the traumas that had been rattling around in their heads, in the hope that they’d find some closure and be more peaceful and compliant Actives in the future. Granted, the scheme still isn’t airtight—Echo beats the hell out of a handler, for one, and there are holes poked in their security apparatus—but I think the risk is worthwhile for them, because it both saves four Actives from the attic and gives them a chance to find out where the ship might be leaking.
As for the four Actives themselves, it was pretty heartbreaking to see them come face-to-face with problems at the very core of their being : Mellie with her daughter ; Sierra with that unbelievable sleazebag who violated her long before she was raped by her handler ; and Victor, who has quite innocently fallen in love with Sierra without having the ability to comprehend it, much less pursue it. I seriously doubt they achieved the “closure” that Dr. Saunders was suggesting, at least on a permanent basis, and despite the mayhem caused by letting these four loose, the ending does allows for everything to go back more or less to normal. But “Needs” really succeeded in letting in “the tide” of psychological baggage that freights not just Echo and company, but virtually all the major characters on the show. We’re definitely in the soup now.
Grade : A
Stray observations :
• Didn’t get a chance to dig into the “villains” on the show (i.e. the people who operate Dollhouse), which is a shame, because this episode leaves you feeling uncertain about just how villainous they are. Echo’s confrontation with Topher—a scene that Fran Kranz, to give credit where its due, pulls off very well—could alternately be read as Topher being a cold scientist unburned by ethics or a guy as screwed up as she is. And I loved the final exchange between Boyd and Saunders, too, where he’s almost fatherly in his pride over Echo’s resourcefulness and Saunders bristles at his high-toned attempt to shame her.
• A light episode for Paul, save for a dream sequence that confirms one thing we already knew (that his pursuit of Caroline is about more than justice) and one thing he should have known (that he’s being bugged). His scene with tech-guy Jimmy led to my second-favorite exchange of the night : “Can I trace where it was transmitting ?” “Absolutely, if you were E.T.”
• Dominic on why Actives should be treated less like people than pets : “If your child starts talking for the first time, you feel proud. If your dog does, you freak the hell out.”
• One minor complaint : I wish Echo hadn’t vocalized why she decided to go back into Dollhouse to rescue the others. That sick look of hers when she spots the Active being trotted out in a naughty French-girl outfit says everything that needs to be said.
• It’s ridiculously late now, and there’s still a lot more to talk about. I’ll let you people take over.
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Post by Gin on Apr 18, 2009 14:55:14 GMT 1
Tvguide.com Review
This week’s episode, "Needs" (aka Dollhouse : The Awakening), put the Dolls front and center in an amalgamation of Lost, The Great Escape and Buffy’s "Tabula Rasa." Up until now we’ve seen Dolls break engagements, develop feelings for one another and, increasingly, glitch like mad. But what if they emerged from their sleep pods as the person they were before the Dollhouse ? But, you know, without all those pesky memories.
Despite being short on Agent Ballard, the episode both began and ended with him. In a dream sequence, Paul worked out his feelings for both Caroline and Mellie. If only he knew that they both answered to Adelle DeWitt.
As the Dolls awoke for another day of swimming, banana pancakes and catering to the whims of millionaires, the Dollhouse staff had an all-hands meeting in Adelle’s office. The topic of discussion ? Avoiding the first step towards another Alpha. If only they had started episodes ago, they might actually be ahead of the game. As is, the staff knows the tide is rising. "This house is out of balance," Adelle puts it.
Two things we learned from this scene :
* Adelle clearly has no idea about the science she’s selling.
* There is a sedative cocktail pumped into the sleep pods.
As Echo prepared for bed, her interaction with Ballard from "Man on the Street" echoes in her mind. Once in the pods and fast asleep, another voice pushes through. "Caroline... Caroline... Wake up !"
Now, about that voice. Whose was it ? It didn’t sound like Caroline herself and it certainly wasn’t DeWitt.
But the phantom voice succeeds in its goal as Caroline is roused from sleep and immediately panics, realizing she’s encased. After getting out of her pod, she starts to notice voices coming from four other pods in the room. One by one, the Dolls we know and love (including everyone’s favorite, Mike) come out of their pods with no memory of who they are or how they got there.
November (aka Mellie) hyperventilates (she says it’s a defense mechanism) and Sierra’s guess is that they’re all being held by a "deranged millionaire serial killer."
Victor wonders why he feels like he knows Sierra, November can only remember that she’s lost something, Echo remembers the mountains, and Mike ? Well, he thinks they’ve been abducted by aliens.
The doors open and the Dolls make their way towards them. No sign of aliens yet but there’s plenty of other humans and they seem to be fine. The Dolls decide it’s best to take their cues from the docile humans and act like everything’s fine in order to gather more info. After being called by their code names, Victor theorizes that they must be part of a military experiment.
At Ballard’s apartment, his paranoia has finally gotten the better of him. Too bad he didn’t let that happen sooner. He finds the bug The House planted in his home weeks ago and immediately rushes off to one of his contacts, who marvels at the technology and states that the bug shouldn’t even technologically exist yet.
Echo’s hand was cut when emerging from her pod and she is sent to Dr. Saunders for medical attention. Ah, Dr. Saunders. Arguably, she’s looking out for the Dolls more than anyone. However, she also works for the beast and is presumably taking a paycheck for manipulating the minds of these people. Still, she has a lot of good in her heart. I think.
After being bandaged, Echo notices her roommate Mike being forced upstairs to Topher’s lab. It’s more imperative than ever that the remaining four blend in.
How great was it that November was the only one not taken aback by the coed showers ?
Victor, who’s already had "issues" in the shower, attempted to avoid another by naming the line-up of the 1986 Mets, providing a clue as to where he lived before "volunteering."
After showering, they bump into Mike who has returned all Doll-ified. After seeing what he’s become, it’s decided that if they’re going to break out, now’s the time.
Man, if only Adelle knew about this. Oh, Laurence just told her there are four actives about to escape ? Yeah, and how did she react ? She said what ? "Right on schedule" ? You mean ? Wow....
While making their way towards the exit, Sierra begins to remember pieces of how she got there. She was taken away by men with guns and she remembers the man who put her there. His name ? Nolan.
After stumbling upon the Dollhouse’s costume room, Victor peruses his wardrobe and finds a pair of chaps with a heart on the back and a matching pink thong. November remembers something worse than that. After seeing a stroller, she remembers her daughter Katie, but she doesn’t know where she is.
Just before reaching the outside, Caroline stops. She knows that whatever is going on isn’t right. Based on what she’s seen, the Dolls have just escaped from a People Factory. Somehow I don’t see Fox putting People Factory on their schedule. Although, isn’t that American Idol ?
The other three leave in a Dollhouse-issued vehicle while Caroline stays behind. Why ? This is Caroline. Why else ? "To try and make a difference."
While Caroline formulates a plan, she’s interrupted by Handler Sophie. The two proceed to have a patented Whedon sparring session. I think it’s great that the Handler isn’t just a Watcher with a different name. These Handlers can definitely watch out for themselves.
The trio of Dolls drive around L.A. while Dollhouse security watches their every move. Sierra tries to remember where Nolan lives, as she is driven to confront the man who put her in The House. That’s when November asks to be let out of the car. She remembers her life, her daughter ... and where to find her.
After besting Sophie, Caroline cuts the power to the Dollhouse. Not good for management. Why ? "No power, no chair, no wipey."
Well, that’s not so much of a problem, really. I mean, how would Topher get Echo in the chair anyway when she’s the one with a gun pointed at his head ?
Sierra remembers where Nolan lives and she and Victor pay him a visit. Upon answering the door, Nolan welcomes Sierra by calling her Bria. So, number one, did he say Bria ? Number two, was this her name before becoming a Doll or is this the name he pays for her to have on engagements ? Potentially, it’s both. If what we learned in this scene is to be believed, Nolan used every connection he had and wrote a number of checks to have Sierra taken to the Dollhouse. Unfortunately security’s on the way and there’s not much time to learn more. Sierra flees but not before vowing to return.
November continues to follow her gut towards her daughter. Walking past a school and into a cemetery, she comes to a stop at her daughter’s headstone and collapses in front of it.
Back at the Dollhouse, Caroline gets a tutorial in Memory Wiping/Imprinting 101. What did we learn ? You can’t imprint on a fully functional brain ; it will implode. In exchange for not shooting or imploding Topher’s brain, Caroline demands that all the Dolls be set free.
Victor and Sierra hide from security and discuss their memories of one another back in the Dollhouse. Sierra remembers that Victor waits in his pod every night to be sure Sierra’s OK. They kiss and fall asleep leaning against one another.
November falls asleep next to Katie’s grave.
And that leaves Echo. She marches the Dollhouse staff and Dolls out into the sunlight and collapses the second she officially leaves the facility.
Suddenly, we’re back in the staff meeting from the beginning of the episode. Dr. Saunders suggests that in order to quell the unresolved feelings these Dolls are experiencing, they should just be given what they need. Let them take a self-guided journey. "Let the tide come in. It’s the only way to wash it back out," she proclaims. Once the Doll experiences closure, their brain releases a sedative, they collapse and are brought back to the Dollhouse to have their memories wiped once again.
As stated, we returned to Agent Ballard for the last scene of the episode. After his search for the source of the bug goes cold, he returns home and checks his messages. As he listens, he hears a very familiar voice. But it ain’t Mellie looking to patch things up.
"Paul Ballard, you don’t know me but I have a file and your name’s in it. And I think we’ve met. And I know it sounds crazy but we’re here, somewhere underground. I’m trying to get everyone out but if I can’t please, please find us."
So, Echo believes Paul doesn’t know her but she also thinks they’ve met ? Hmmmm...
I’ve got another question. If the Dollhouse, or at least the legend of it, has been around since the late ’80s and there are more than twenty of them, why are they just now experiencing anomalies like Alpha and Echo ?
Adelle has made it clear in a number of episodes that very often it’s guilt which drives people to volunteer for her program. While some would say her recruitment methods are more akin to blackmail, most of these volunteers have in fact been responsible for something they can no longer live with. Could November be responsible for Katie’s death ? If not, how’d she die ? And who’s Katie’s father ?
So, the comparisons I made in the opening paragraph... Why those ?
Well, I think The Great Escape is obvious.
Lost ? Maybe I’m just taking any opportunity to discuss the Gilligan’s Island rip-off but the idea of getting closure and resolving events from your past is certainly a running theme of the show.
Buffy’s "Tabula Rasa" ? I know there are some readers who don’t appreciate my allusions to past Whedon work. They want Dollhouse to stand on its own. And it absolutely should however, whether it’s on purpose or not "Needs" and "Tabula Rasa" are terrific companion pieces.
Also, these references to other shows from the Whedonverse are what’s to be expected when following the projects of an auteur in cult television. By no means, do I want to throw in a reference for the sake of having one, but Joss Whedon has built a family. There is a stable of actors, producers and writers he loves that travel with him from project to project. The history between them will inevitably shine through on screen.
Great Lines & Moments
Paul : I’m sorry. I have a thing she needs.
Laurence : If your child starts speaking for the first time, you feel proud. If your dog does, you freak the hell out.
Victor : Hey, noise ? Not helping.
Victor : Come on ! Who doesn’t want to put Alien Guy back in the box ?
Dollhouse Staffer : Good morning ! We’re having banana pancakes for breakfast today. Tango : I like pancakes. Victor : We’re all gonna die.
Victor, after choking his handler unconscious : He’s very tired.
What did you think about "Needs" ? Which Doll’s past piqued your interest the most ? And how much torture at the hands of men does Joss plan to add to Sierra’s life ?
Next week’s episode, "A Spy in the House of Love," will air, as usual, at 9 pm on Fox. After that, I want to give you a heads-up that Echo and Co. will be taking off Friday, April 17, so that week is your chance to go out and have some fun. (Well, unless you watch the two-hour Prison Break.)
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Post by Gin on Apr 18, 2009 14:55:58 GMT 1
Tvsquad.com Review
(S01E08) For a second ... for just a second ... I thought Ballard’s dream was actually happening. Is that what Ballard actually wants ? To do the nasty with Echo or Caroline or whomever ? If the situation with Victor and Sierra is proof that true love circumvents the programming of the Actives, then maybe Ballard is Alpha and the reason he escaped was because he fell in love with Echo.
The show is gaining a sense of urgency. Once Joss took reign and the network backed off from their "Echo episode of the week," I suddenly feel as if something bad will imminently happen to the Dollhouse. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is anybody’s guess. From what has been shown, the season is leading to a final confrontation with Ballard and/or Alpha with the fate of the Dollhouse at stake. Based on experience with Joss Whedon’s style, that’s probably the last thing that will happen.
At least Joss’ sense of humor was obvious in this episode : "I like pancakes." "We’re all going to die."
I wasn’t certain where tonight’s episode was going while watching it. It was pretty obvious from the relative lack of security that the Scooby Gang was still in a controlled environment. The interesting part was learning why it was done and how the Dollhouse was going to get them back (because it was pretty obvious even after they drove the SUV out of the building that they weren’t going to escape). And for all we’ve learned about Echo, Sierra, Victor and November, we still don’t know anything about their true selves. Not even their real names (except for Caroline’s).
Okay, we know that November joined because her daughter died. After something like that, it’s no wonder she’d want her memory erased. How Eternal Sunshine.
They never properly explained why Mike was included in the group. Were they having problems with him, as well, or was he just to serve as an example to the rest about the situation they were in ?
This episode had a lot of talking heads explaining the philosophies behind the show. The characters were pontificating so much, I was confusing them for a Bond villain.
Echo, in her natural personality, is a hell of a fighter. She can take out a handler all by herself.
Anybody catch the callback to a previous episode with Sierra’s phrase "deranged millionaire serial killer" ?
With Victor’s situation, are the writers saying that love is instinctive and goes beyond memory ? Food for thought.
Can the Dollhouse even restore an Active’s memories once their contract is up ? And why should they ? It’s not like the Active would even remember signing anything. Why not treat them like any slave and work them to death ? Given the behavior of Adelle, I’m going to guess that they honor their contracts. It’s tough to prove, however, when you consider that the organization is illegal to begin with.
With tonight’s enjoyable episode, the series is getting better. Particularly since it has become more of an ensemble show rather than just about Echo. Do I think it’ll go past the first season ? No. I think Fox is going to go all Genghis Khan and burn down its Friday night lineup like it was a peasant village. But I think Joss has planned accordingly and will give the fans a good sendoff.
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Post by Gin on Apr 18, 2009 15:28:32 GMT 1
Zap2it.com Review
It was the great philosopher Descartes that once said, “Tell me whatcha want, whatcha really really want.” Least, I think it was him. Maybe I’m screwing that up. In any case, tonight’s episode of “Dollhouse” centered around desire ; namely, those yearnings that were causing recurring glitches in several of the dolls. Rather than repress those desires, one employee decided it was high time to unleash them.
That employee ? Dr. Claire Saunders, of all people. Maybe you saw it coming, but I didn’t. What first seemed like Adele’s way of testing Dollhouse security in the wake of the campus-induced Glitch-a-Polooza was in fact Saunders’ clever way of solving the consistent ways in which several models were acting in ways unbecoming a blank slate. By exploiting their weak time (during sleep), Saunders concocted a plan to enable Echo, Victor, Sierra, and November to come to grips with a deep-seeded yearning that no machine could fully wipe away.
Echo’s desire : FREEDOM ! Yup, our smaller, more female version of William Wallace forsook the way-too-easy exit and instead decided to save every last doll. The savior complex that once sought to liberate monkeys went back for a more docile, less feces-throwing pack of animals this time around. She even got a great vengeance and furious anger out upon Topher and Adele in the processing room to boot.
November’s desire : MATERNITY ! Looks like the Artist Sometimes Known as Mellie is a mother. Well, was a mother. After finding a baby carriage amongst her personal stash of clothes (inside the mother of all walk-in closets), November looked high and wide to find her daughter Katie. And find her she did.
Sierra’s desire : EMPOWERMENT ! With a scant memory of the man who put her into the Dollhouse, she heads for his apartment. Turns out Mr. Douchebag 2009 decided he wanted her as a play thing, and rather than read “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus,” he pulled some strings to insert Sierra into the Dollhouse roster. You know, to take out occasionally for a ride. Like I said, he’s the Duke of Douchington.
Victor’s desire : SMOOCHIES ! He’s in lurve. Even as a doll, there’s a part of his brain observing. He’s unable to resist the programming, but he can still direct a minute bit of attention towards Sierra. Without the programming, he’s reduced to reciting members of the 1986 New York Mets, which made this Red Sox loving recapping wicked happy. Sigh.
Saunders’ masterstroke involved an implanted sedative activated when the doll achieved closure. Not everyone received a happy closure (especially November who found Katie six feet underground), but it was apparently enough to rewire those pesky synapses always messing with the Dollhouse’s expensive mind-warping technologies. And yet, if you watched closely near the end, Sierra’s hand print still remained on the wall of the room in which her handler once raped her. Looks like some things can never be removed, no matter how hard you try.
In the life and times of Paul Ballard, he had the strangest dream. No, he didn’t sail away to China, in a little row boat to find ya. Instead, he dreamed a little dream of Echo coming in for little “you scratch my back, I’ll knock boots with you on your couch” action. All while Mellie watched. Has the writing staff being reading fanfic ? In any case, Ballard woke up and searched the house, based on his dream, and found a futuristic bug planted in his vent.
After obtaining the proper equipment to potentially triangulate the Dollhouse by using said bug, he gets a voicemail. Turns out Caroline called Ballard after finding information about him during her little liberation tour. Ballard had this look that said, “I wonder if she’s wearing that black number from my dream.”
A few more tidbits from tonight :
1. Nice confirmation to what many thought : that inside the sleep pods is a wonderful mix of sedatives, anti-psychotic meds, and Febreze. You know, for the smell of spring. 2. Absolutely LOVED the “real” Victor. Is it wrong I was rooting more for him than Caroline ? I’m sensing that’s kind of a huge problem as far as the show is concerned. Let’s have a show based around him, with his catchphrase being, “Anyone else got anything better than aliens ?” I would so watch that show. 3. Loved the subtle but pointed interaction between Boyd and Claire at the end. His not-so-disguised disgust at her being the mastermind of the plan was palpable, as was his sadness of losing his only potential in-house ally. 4. Having just seen “Watchmen,” I couldn’t help but compare Caroline’s voicemail to Ballard as akin to Rorschach dropping off his journal to the New Frontiersman.
All in all, watching the four dolls helplessly and naïvely seek to escape was effective, but now it makes me want to see them succeed all the more. In addition, it establishes the Dollhouse as a much more powerful threat than in weeks past. Through Adele, the show directly addressed the Dollhouse’s essential ineptitude recently, calling it “out of balance.” Her duty is to protect the house. But as that hand print shows, the house doesn’t always win.
What did you make of the cat-and-mouse game played between the Dollhouse and its troublesome inhabitants ? And do you think the right character is the show’s lead right now ? Take the poll, and explain your choice in the comments below !
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