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!

Television: Dollhouse Episode 1.5: True Believer

Sorry for the late update, weekends aren’t easy when you work retail. But alas, I have come bearing greatness in the form of the latest Dollhouse episode, True Believer. Lately the episodes of Dollhouse have been getting progressively better and this episode held true to that theory, for the most part.

Echo gets sent into a closed religious community as a pawn of the ATF after they discover a note that says “save me” that supposedly came from one of those on the inside. It doesn’t help that the leader, who prior to his epiphany from God, was a wanted felon. Fun stuff. Echo however, doesn’t know she’s being used. She has been imprinted to truly believe she had a prophetic dream that brought her to the community… and she’s blind. Eliza really shows her range her, which is such a big sigh of relief! She is fantastic, playing just the right amount of innocence and wisdom at the same time. I’m really beginning to believe in her as our leading lady.

On the flip side, the actual story seemed interesting at first, until we find out that the ATF guy was an ex-cop who has a vendetta against the ex-felon, and planted the note in the first place as an excuse to raid the place. And so ex-cop is just as vile and petty as the ex-felon, *yawn*, and then Echo’s handler Boyd saves the day. Go Boyd! He’s like the newer generation of a Watcher, and totally has a Giles-esque relationship to Echo. And he kicks major ass. There’s nothing to not like about this guy.

But this isn’t before Dominic, head security of the Dollhouse, tries to seemingly take out Echo by knocking her out and leaving her in a flaming house. Ok, they really need to fire that guy. All he ever does is moan about how Echo needs to be brought to the ominous “Attic”, where it seems they take those dolls who don’t want to be played with anymore. I think he’s working for Alpha.

Speaking of, when can we finally SEE this guy? Apparently the next episode is the one that “changes everything” as the over-dramatic preview announced, and I’m hoping there’s going to be more on Alpha, what he’s doing and why he’s doing it. And also, Patton Oswalt guest stars. Well that’ll be interesting.

Sidenote: Whedon apparently has 5 years of this show planned out. Why does this not surprise me?

Until next time… another week, another imprint.