Dollhouse episodes 1x06-1x09

[timepiececlock]

Okay, I still find the characters hard to bond with, but it feels like the gloves have come off the plot at last. All the wackitude and paranoia and illusions are getting twisted together in almost poetic ways. I love it! I finally love it.

I love it in a way that is completely different from my love from Firefly or Buffy. I love it the way I love movies like Memento and brain-melting anime. I do not want it to get cancelled; I want to see where this is going in the long haul.


My first reaction to Adelle/Victor was "oh, gross!" and then, "Oh, DeWitt, you never dip your pen in the company ink." I now feel a desire to go back and rewatch some episodes to see her reactions to things and interpret them. I think what finally ended it wasn't the spy, it was how RogerVictor said that if he made a perfect woman, he'd make DeWitt. And she was reminded instantly that this wasn't true--Victor's chosen person was Sierra.

Speaking of the betrayal, I liked it. I figured it wasn't going to be the brain assistant as soon as they said it was, but I didn't expect it to be Dominic, either. (Dominic=BlondSuit.) It adds special irony to the 300 word ficlet I wrote last night, before watching the episode. I'm kind of sad his character is going, though, because I felt like him, Topher, and Boyd were the only three characters in the Dollhouse we knew enough about to write for. And I wasn't terribly interested in writing about Boyd or Topher. This episode actually makes Dominic's character even more interesting without really surprising us about him. He's exactly the same brutal person as he was before, only now his real masters have been named. I like that DeWitt sees it as Echo taking out one of her threats, but I don't give Echo that much credit. She's not that savvy yet, not enough to know this would lead to Dominic in particular. But I do agree that she was eliminating a general threat to her environment by asking to solve the problem.

I like this "attic" procedure because it means characters aren't dead, and can be brought back into the show at any point. Useful, as long as it doesn't get abused.

We know more about Adelle, thanks to this episode, but I don't like her enough to write about her. This is a general thing--I feel very little pull toward fanfic.

I am disappointed we have to wait a week for a new episode, but this was a pretty intense ep that I'll chew on for a while.

Comments

[clodia-risa.livejournal.com]

I've been very pleased with the past four episodes. I hoped that I was watching Dollhouse for some kind of payoff, and I feel like I've been rewarded. My first reaction to DeWitt/Victor was pity. That's still my reaction. Especially for poor Adelle who used to head a division that made organs out of stem cells.

I really thought it was going to be DeWitt or Saunders (or possibly Ivy, but I severely doubted it. When she was named, I knew it wasn't true). I like Dominic as the spy, especially since he was there to keep it together for them.

Poor Agent Ballard. I'm so curious how he's going to handle the relationship from now on - I'm sure he'll slip up eventually, but poor Agent Ballard. I especially loved that he did try to get Mellie to go away. Honestly, I'm glad that it's out now. I would have lost respect for him so quickly if he didn't figure out that she was a doll after her 'I'll take care of you' spiel. Now there's no way that he can disappoint me in that way.

All in all, a good episode. I loved the pacing and the way they reveal the story. I enjoy it in a similar way that I enjoy Death Note - every time I end up rooting for someone, I have to examine why I'm cheering for them and if they really deserve it. I was rooting for the Dollhouse in this episode, because Echo was on their side, I dislike Dominic, and Ballard wasn't in it much.

My question is this - if Dominic was supposed to keep the Dollhouse from falling, then why is he sending messages to Ballard? Is it simply because Ballard is in the government, so if Dollhouse slips enough for Ballard to find out about it then the government will be in prime position to take over? I honestly think that there has to be another spy. Unless you can explain it for me?

You know, I usually like reading fanfic, but for this one I don't want to at all. The only other fandom that I'm so hands off with is Babylon 5.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

if Dominic was supposed to keep the Dollhouse from falling, then why is he sending messages to Ballard?

I wondered that too. Either Dominic was lying about his goals (though I do believe he was originally sent there to keep them together) and really was trying to bring it down, or there's another spy whose safety is reaffirmed after Dominic's capture.