Television: Dollhouse Ep 1.9: A Spy In The House of Love

If ever there were an episode of Dollhouse that gives you a mindfuck and a half, this was it.

We start with Topher, whom I'm starting to just adore, finding a chip in the back of his imprint-o-matic (not the official name but it has a ring to it, doesn't it?). He informs Dominic, who calls for a complete shut down of Dollhouse until the perp is found. Echo becomes interrogation gal, and Sierra becomes a female Jack Bauer, sent into whatever head quarters to find information on who the spy might be.

Meanwhile, Agent Ballard is going all insane with his 5,872 articles of dollhouse pasted on his wall, and Mellie comes in to whine about him loving this investigation more than her. So what's a guy to do except have sex to make things right? Except as soon as said intercourse is about to happen, Mellie stops being Mellie and starts delivering a message.

This was the scene that made me realize how much of an emotional connection I was starting to have with the characters. For Ballard, of all people, who I thought was Captain Cardboard for a while (like that sly Buffy reference, don't you?). His face, his emotion, when he finds out Mellie is just a doll planted to find information... ouch. But at least now he knows he can go on obsessing about Echo full time without feeling he's a cheater... every cloud has it's silver lining?

If that isn't enough we also find out that DeWitt is Ms. Lonelyhearts, the "client" who uses Victor as her romantic affair. Wow, that girl needs to get out of the Dollhouse more. Thing is, i can't figure out if it's that she has a thing for Victor himself, or if the person he's imprinted with his like a lost love she knew.

So Sierra returns with files saying it's all Ivy... you know, Ivy? The assitant to Topher that we generally tend to forget about? Well, it's all sorted out, except not, because expert Echo figures out it was just a plant placed there by Dominic! Ok, who really didn't see that coming? Dominic seems so inherently evil that he had to be the spy! Except we find out his motives were to protect the Dollhouse, because he feels it isn't being run the way it should.

So does he really have anything to do with the chip or was that just the catalyst to finding him out? Was he really aware of the re-imprinting of these dolls, or is there another spy?

All I know is, they promote Boyd to head of security, which seems awesome... until we realize he won't be Echo's handler anymore. He isn't too thrilled about that prospect either. So in comes new handler, an asian guy with a scary mustache, who goes over the protocol sayings with Echo.. but when he asks "do you trust me?" she looks to Boyd and says "with my life". Dun dun DUN!

I love Boyd and Echo's relationship. Like I've said, it's very Giles/Buffyesque. Even more so, because Echo really needs to be looked after, especially in her childish doll state.

Here's a bit of trivia: the title of the episode, "A Spy In The House Of Love" is actually a novel from 1954 about a woman who, at home, pretends to her husband that she's a actress, and who really goes out and tries to seduce as many men as possible. Take from it what you will.


Unfortunately we have to wait 2 weeks until the next Dollhouse episode... I hate when networks do this!

Alas, until next time... another week, another imprint!