SPY IN THE HOUSE OF LOVE
The good;
Exciting ep, the first I ever went back and rewatched immediately after again, Very clever mislead in the first scene, we think it's Dewitt getting wiped. The humanisation of Dewitt continues and it's beautifully written and played by all concerned. Good scene too between Ballard and Mellie, your heart bleeds for him.
The bad;
Echo the spycatcher wonders why Dr Saunders doesn't leave the Dollhouse? Possibly HER DISFIGURED FACE?! No commentary which is a real shame. The Sierra stuff is ok but we've seen it all before.
Best line;
Dominic "Sooner or later everyone get's there's" (Here's hoping!)
also like
Echo "I've got a good feeling about you and I've got the whip"
and
Dewitt (on the idea of Victor the imprinted Doll becoming a client of the Dollhouse and hiring another Doll for his pleasure) "I think the universe might just collapse!"
Packing heat; Dewitt pretty handy with her foil, Dominic with his Glock
Echo;5
Boyd; 6
Dominic; 7
Sierra; 3
Victor; 2
Echo kissage;
By request this new topic will be included.
Kinky dinky;
Ramirez wishes to be kidnapped by a pirate (I have a friend with an almost identical fantasy, differs only in that she get's tied to the mast Ulysees style and the whole of Johnny Depp's pirate crew are involved). Suprisingly Dr Saunders says that the actives aren't submissives, I'd have thought that would have been a hugely popular choice for clients (what about Sierra who begs her client to hurt her?).
Ok I'll say it now. Dominatrix Echo is the SEXIEST THING EVER! My god she's gorgeous! Sexier than Mathilda May in Lifeforce, sexier than Athen Massey in Undercover, sexier than Alyssa Milano in The Outer Limits, Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman, than Charisma Carpenter and Mercedes McNab in Playboy, than Ripley at the end of Alien or even ED's own bikini fashion parade in The New Guy. Needless to say it was a sequence that featured endlessly all over the internet, TV and magazines and I earnestly believe was the sole reason that Dollhouse got a second season. If only they'd tried something similar to get a third! (Echo the naughty schoolgirl/stewardess/hot cop etc, we've already had her as a nurse in Tru Calling)
And here it lives forever in cyberspace (plus some interesting comments by ED on how she approached the role and how much she enjoyed playing it); http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gCOGkxg_QA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gCOGkxg_QA)
<TABLE style="MARGIN: 10px 0px" class=tborder cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=6 width=425><THEAD><TR><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=tcat colSpan=2>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gCOGkxg_QA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gCOGkxg_QA) </TD></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR><TD class=panelsurround align=middle><EMBED height=350 type=application/x-shockwave-flash width=425 src=http://www.youtube.com/v/6gCOGkxg_QA&ap=%2526fmt%3D18&fs=1 allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent"></EMBED></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
)
Now if you'll excuse me I just have to lie down for a moment!
Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost; Victor/Adele. Not sure if Dominatrx Echo actually had sex with her client or not, some Dominatrixes do, some don't.
Echo; 3 definite, 1 possible
November; 1
Ballard; 1
Victor; 1
Adele; 1
How'd they get away with that?
Dominic getting wiped is hard to watch even after all the things he's done.
This weeks fantasy;
Echo is a dominatrix and a spycatcher. Victor is Roger the romantic, Sierra a spy.
Total number personalitites; 2 for Echo, 1 each for Victor and Sierra
Echo; 16
Sierra; 7
Victor; 4
November; 2
Total dolls; 6
Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango
Addy is a bit British;
Her ideal lover is called Roger, second name Moore perhaps? She also uses the term 'Crackerjack' which will mean a lot to a Briton of a certain age but little to the rest of the world (does she have the requisite pencil?).
Topher is a bit geeky;
Subverting the Hollywood cliche;
Bondage;
Sierra tied up; 1
Knocked out;
Echo; 2
November; 1
Sierra; 1
Victor; 1
Kills;
Sierra; 2 kills
Echo; 1
November;1
Dolls injured;
Echo roughed up by Dominic, Victor cut by Dewitt. Poor Ramirez hurt for a second time by Echo, this time with the whip (which is probably far preferrable to the fire extinguisher for her!) .
Capt subtext;
In the van dominatrix Echo talks of S&M being about trust and surrendering yourself completely to another. This actually is a good analogy of the handler active relationship and what Topher tells Boyd when he first meet Echo. Dr Saunders comments on the many same sex relationships the actives are called out to do. Victor comments that he wants to keep his collection of high powered businesswoman shoes. Ramirez says she'd prefer S&M Barbie Echo to suave ladykiller Victor.
Happy hookers
Boyd considers the Dollhouse 'pimps and killers', himself included.
Know the face?
5 Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd, Amy Acker, walking action figure, Eliza Dushku, Jim Piddock
Guantanamo;
So who is we? Who is sending the messages to Ballard? Dominic and the NSA? That makes no sense and seems unlikely, is there more than one person inside trying to bring it down?
Dominic is intent on torturing Ivy for info. Almost reassuring that the goverment want to control the Dollhouse, the NSA may have little oversight but at least it has some. The idea of the attic is just so scary
Fanfic;
Dominatrix Echo the most popular whipcracker since Calamity Jane. (Birthdate Verification Page (http://tv.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600095359) if you're 18+ and VERY open minded)
Missing scenes;
Reminds me off;
Mixed segments Quentin Tarantino style. Ballard is reminiscent of season 5 Wes in his obsession whilst sleeper assassin Mellie is like season 7 Spike. Sierra at the NSA is very Mission Impossible but even more Alias.
Breaking the programming;
Echo not only volunteers to help Topher but comprehends the purpose of the chair. Dewitt and Toper know but allow her to continue.
Questions and observations;
Echo waves to Mellie who seems to know her, as Echo or as Caroline from Ballards research? Victor refers Dewitt as 'Katherine', is that her real name? (gives credence to the 'She's Caroline's mother' theory).
The Miss-Lonely-Heart storyline has actually been mentioned a few times in previous eps. Note Topher suspects it's Boyd who has betrayed the Dollhouse but still goes to give him a chance to run before informing Dominic, he really does consider him a friend (or has his own doubts and wants to bring the Dollhouse down)
Fan bloody-tastic, second best ep of season 1
Marks out of 10; 9/10