TV Review - Dollhouse (S1, E6)

Man on the Street

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REMAIN UNSPOILED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS DURING EACH EPISODE, READ MY OVERALL REVIEW OF THE SHOW, WHICH WILL BE POSTED SOON

Does this count as pedophilia? Because I feel really icky right about now.

With that said, at this point in the season this episode replaces Gray Hour as my favorite, and it shows exactly what this show should be. Unfortunately there are just so many different elements to point out that I think I am going to have to bullet point this one:

• At the beginning of the episode either the reporter or one of the people being questioned mentions that there were rumors floating around in the 80s about the Dollhouse. Say what? They had this technology in the 80s?
• Speaking of the video footage from this report, not only were a lot of them funny (yeah I am talking about you man wanting to experience men in a “non-gay” way. No one believes you. And the realization of this on the face of the woman with him is fantastic). However, much to the story as a whole, these little clips speak to the good vs. bad argument involving the services of the Dollhouse.
• In one of the first episodes Echo walks in on Sierra being scanned or something, and now she is creeping in doorways listening to conversations. Anyone else find the visual of that kind of hilarious?
• I wish the show would at least try to give off the impression that there are more than three dolls doing all of the engagements.
• How the heck does Ballard keep managing to have run-ins with Echo? Twice in this episode, actually. Okay, I guess the second doesn’t really count, but more about that later. I am just saying that he has the most bipolar luck ever. One moment he happens to turn to watch a news report, only to see Echo on the screen, and the next he is getting framed for shooting an officer.
• Speaking of Ballard, in this episode he gets tazed and was back up on his feet two seconds later taking out the security guys. So now he is both lucky and a rhinoceros.
• Echo’s housewife persona in this episode is great, especially when her mind somehow finds its way to the idea that the man of her dreams is actually in porn and does not let go of this. Go back and watch that scene. It’s great.
• There new graphics for designing the imprints looks fantastic.
• What is up with Joss Whedon and his kill switches? I mean, one moment you have a character like River, or in this case, a nice neighbor being more or less helpless, and with the uttering of a few words they go into assassin mode. Very handy…
• Not only do we learn that there are dollhouses all over the place, but also that the dollhouses have a grander purpose than providing fantasies for clients. I bet they want to take over the world…
• This episode was written and edited perfectly. From the moment Ballard gets in bed with the neighbor and confides with her completely about what he is investigating (and DeWitt saying she has to be taken care of didn’t hurt with this belief) you know she is going to die. But she doesn’t! Not only does she not die, but she was a few inches away from going all American History X on that guy.
• If it wasn’t Alpha that messed with Echo’s imprint, then who else has the brainpower to do so?
• This episode ended perfectly. Okay, now I know before I said that I was sick of the episodes smacking the audience in the face with all the ways Echo is remembering things from engagements, but you have to admit, it is kind of beautiful this time around. Sure it is still wrong, but how could you not feel bad for that guy? He just wants to be able to make his wife happy.

Final Grade: A+

Quote of the episode: DeWitt - "There are three flowers in a vase. The third flower is green."