Dollhouse #1.5 "True Believer"

[Kevin24]

Eliza Dushku is playing a completely different character named Echo. This is not meant to be in the Buffyverse. I'm not sure if that was clear. Yes, it seems that Victor is attracted to that other 'active' or 'doll', which is apparently not supposed to happen as they explain. And yes Echo, seems to at least remember vague things from her missions, which is another thing isn't supposed to happen.

lol, I know it's different but I just know her as Faith! So it was either call her Faith or the girl from Bring it on

That's a nice name...Echo. That is the man reaction guy's name...Victor!

[CallMeClark]

I think, that even in the middle of a recession, with the amount of money they charge for the use of the doll (which if i remember rightly from a Joss interview was in the millions), they can probably afford to build a second shower room... i mean it'd probably cost less to do that than to up the security around the dolls when they are showering

True.

[lorenzovanmatterhorn]

TRUE BELIEVER

The good;
Pretty good story and some nice political campaigning from Adele. The start of Victor and Sierra's relationship is sweet and Topher's reaction to it hilarious. Also like the gag where Ballard asks Mellie to describe the guy who gave her the letter only for her to describe the mailman. Also love Echo/Esther hitting the cult leader with the candlestick.

The bad;
Rather odd that Boyd uses his real name when dealing with the ATF?

Best line;
Topher (on the phone, upon seeing Victor's 'man reaction' to naked Sierra) "I gotta go, somethings come up"
also like
Echo/Esther "God brought me here with a message. That message is MOVE YOUR ASS!"

Packing heat; Boyd/Dominic with an SMG. Oddly in an ep full of guns Echo never uses one
Echo;3
Boyd; 6
Dominic; 4
Sierra; 1

Kinky dinky;
Victor and Sierra, some impulses obviously stronger than brain wiping

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost;
Echo; 2

How'd they get away with that?
Can't watch Echoes eye surgery, very Clockwork Orange. The cult leader has a penchant for underage girls.

This weeks fantasy;
Echo is a blind religious zealot

Total number personalitites;
Echo; 11
Sierra; 4
Victor; 1

Total dolls;3
Echo, Sierra and Victor

Addy is a bit British;

Topher is a bit geeky;
Prefers the term 'man reaction' to errection.

Subverting the Hollywood cliche

Bondage;
Sierra tied up; 1

Knocked out;
Echo by Dominic

Kills;
Sierra; 2 kills
Echo; 1

Dolls injured;
Echo roughed up and slapped around again

Capt subtext;

Happy hookers

Know the face?
5 Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd, Amy Acker, walking action figure, Eliza Dushku, Jim Piddock

Guantanamo;
Big goverment kicking in the door and storming inside...to discover enough illegal weaponry to take Iwo Jima in the hands of those seeking the end of the world. Hard to know who's right or wrong?

Fanfic;

Missing scenes;
Very nice dinner scene on the deleted scenes, actually makes the cult members much more likeable.

Reminds me off;

Questions and observations;
Hard to know what to make of the rights and wrongs of this ep, the ATF agent plays a dirty trick although ultimately he's proven to 100% right and avoids another Waco. The irony that the cult members have sacrificed their free will much more by choice than the Dolls have (or have they?). The difference is that the cultists pose a threat to the outside with their arsenal whilst the Dollhouse doesn't...yet? Dominic shows his dislike of Echo whilst the affection developing between her and Adele also becomes evident
In many ways these eps remind me of early eps of Angel, that it was supposed to be an anthology show with the case of the week but eventually became more a story of Angel Investigations themselves with the cases as incidental. The problem is that with the Doll's wiped every week it's difficult for the characters to develop. Also whilst it's a slick series it lacks the humour and and joi de vive of Buffy and Angel (and even Firefly) it feels too sterile.
Marks out of 10; 7/10, again, enjoyed this more in the rewatch than I thought I would