3 Episodes of Dollhouse in 1 night! I know you're impressed.

Okay, in a lot of ways, I think it actually works out beautifully to be talking about these 3 episodes all at once. Because in all of these episodes we got to get to know our two main protagonists, they kind of got to know each other in a weird way, and i think that it was all pretty great!


I really like that we got to know a little more about who Caroline is and how she ended up in the Dollhouse in the first place. Knowing her back story makes it a lot easier to care about her, and knowing her personality makes it more obvious when that is coming through her programming.

And though I kind of thought Patton Oswalt's psychoanalyzing of Ballard was a little annoying, it is nice to see more about his motivations, and have the show explore the idea that he is obsessed with taking down the Dollhouse for some of the wrong reasons. I would feel so bad for Melly if she were not an active there to watch him. But now I just feel so bad for Paul that he is falling in love with an active! Will that change the way he sees the Dollhouse or the people who use it?

Ok, here are some notes I took while watching Episode 6, Man on the Street:

Ballard= Crazy good fighter (he took down all of Patton Oswalt's security guys single handedly! Impressive.)

Patton- pretty likable, once you get past all the psycho babble. Did a better job with the heavyness of the part then I expected to be honest.

Victor- So sad! I am really loving this guy! It was so sad when Echo asked "What did you do? and he replied "No one will tell me!" I really liked this glimpse into how vulnerable the Dolls really are when they are wiped. Sierra's handler raping her and trying to blame Victor was awful, and you really have to agree with him when asks Adele "How did you not think this was going to happen?"

Oh, when I thought that they were going to kill Melly (kind of temporarily forgetting that I thought she was a Doll...or hoping I was wrong because I like her and Ballard together! Oh I also just got that she was supposed to be kind of fat or something. I think she just dresses horribly!), I wrote: "At least she got laid by Ballard before her death." He looked hot in the episode by the way. That was actually another thing that I felt the need to write down. "Ballard in street clothes = cute." I am right.

Ok, the real question of this episode, beyond of course, "Where are the cooks in that Chinese restaurant while they are fighting" is , who is the spy! Topher's assistant? Doctor Saunders? (Fred! From Angel! Love her.) Adele herself? I don't know why I suspect her, but I do.

There's also: Why don't they want Ballard dead?
What in the heck is the Attic?

Episode 7, Echoes, was supposed to be the one, the game-changer, the greatest episode so far, and I think it was pretty damn good actually. No Ballard in this one, but plenty more Caroline. We finally find out how she got to the Dollhouse, and the pain that may have contributed to her "volunteering" (though it doesn't seem like she did, but they keep going with that.) Now that we actually know her, we can actually be invested in saving her! She seems pretty cool actually, if a little overzealous in her love for animals. I thought this was a really good episode, AND it was pretty funny, which is great because that is something I've been wanting and not getting from this show. Adele and Topher were hilarious together, and Lawerence was pretty great, apologizing to Echo for trying to kill her and everything! We also got a classic bit of "guy seems nice but is actually a d-bag" from Whedon, with Sam being behind the entire memory drug outbreak thing on campus. I was disappointed because I was really liking him! Hopefully we will see the actor more if he becomes a Doll.

Some notes that I wrote about this episode are:

"Ooh I love that Rilo Kiley song Portions for Foxes! I also love her weirdly bearded friend!"

I loved Topher's reply to Adele saying "This is unbelievable" "Which part was believable now?"

Sam's dorm room was terrible! Usually TV dorm rooms look nice than real ones. It looked like he lived in an underground bunker!

The outfit Echo/Caroline was wearing as Alice (so many names!) was CRAZAY!! What is with those crocheted thigh high things? Did that dude request those or something?

Victor was great as the NSA guy. I am really loving him.

Though I really loved Episode 7, out of these 3, I think #8, needs, was the best. I really liked knowing what everyone's personality was really like, and seeing them work together to escape definitely brought a "Buffy" feel to the episode. I knew that it couldn't last, but I really wanted it to!

The dream sequence that Ballard had was really good, showing how torn he is between his ideal of Caroline and what he thinks is the reality he was with Melly. And his fear about putting her in danger. I also loved his line in the dream when he is making out with Caroline "I have a thing she needs..." Yeah, I bet you do buddy.

The story of how Sierra came to be at the Dollhouse is the worst one, and it is so awful that her agency and life keep getting taken away from her by different men. Of course knowing that she was kidnapped and forced into this life by one of the Dollhouse's clients casts aspersions on the notion that the Dolls are volunteers. Again, in all of the flashback with Adele, Caroline never seems like she wants to sign those papers. Her entry into the Dollhouse is still miles away from Sierra's though, kidnapped for rejecting the advances of a man who gets everything he wants. I find myself really drawn to a lot of the supporting characters in this show, and in one foul swoop I feel more invested in getting Sierra out of there than Caroline! I also really love her and Victor together. The actor really does well playing tough but also sweet, and they are just so adorable together. The actors really have great chemistry and really sell the idea that they love each other, and that their love survives even the fact that they're brains are being constantly wiped. I like the idea that love is something more than brainwaves.


Other thoughts on this episode:

They weren't wearing shoes for part of their escape! That is my worst nightmare. Just like in Die Hard!

Apparently one of November's inescapable personality traits is wearing hideous clothes. Also inappropriate ones! Everyone else puts on pants and shirts and shoes that would be good to run in, she throws on that awful flower dress and wedges? Is it because of her relative fatness, they force her to dress terribly?

Agent Paul Ballard, your dream girl just called, and she needs your help!

It was heartbreaking for me that the "let them escape" idea came from Doctor Saunders. I know that they are all morally compromised, but I just wanted her to be looking out for the Dolls. I guess she thinks she is...but...I'm with Boyd on this one.

Why does Boyd work at this place? He obviously thinks it is awful and terrible. He's an ex cop. Why not, um, get these people arrested? I need some background on him to understand what the heck he is even doing!

Next week:
It was 2am when I finished watching, I have no idea.