Six weeks have passed since Booth and Brennan have seen each other. During this time, Booth has been recovering from brain surgery and Brennan has been busy on a dig in Guatemala. Angela's psychic, Avalon Harmonia, reveals that there are bodies buried under a fountain in DC, but both Booth and Brennan are skeptical when Angela tells them about it. However, when the lead pans out, Booth and Brennan find 11 bodies buried underneath a fountain. Meanwhile, Booth has to deal with side effects of his coma and brain surgery.

My Thoughts:

If you remember, we left off last season with a kinda trippy episode in which we got to see Booth's coma!dream in which he and Brennan run a club and are married. A lot of people felt cheated with this episode, I personally loved it. To each their own. Of course, when he came out of the coma, he didn't remember his life outside the dream [apparently]. I now want stories that take place during those few days where he was convinced that his coma!dream was real.

I wasn't all impressed with the fact that they had a psychic telling both Booth and Brennan that they belong together. The show has already sold us, we don't actually need the guest of the week to point it out. On the other hand, I do love Cyndi Lauper, so I can overlook this bad judgment call. Didn't she play a psychic or something similar in a movie with Jeff Goldblum?

A good judgment call? Booth's scruff. Also, I really enjoyed the way they played his awkwardness with his feelings for Brennan, as well with reintegrating. Everyone [okay, all three people] telling him not to hurt Brennan got really old. I still believe that he was falling in love, if not already in love, with her before the coma!dream. Also, I don't by Sweets and his shaky science. Everyone is so eager to protect Brennan from Booth. It gets more than a bit ridiculous after a bit.

I admit, part of me was thinking 'no, not another ghost episode' when we first saw the reconstruction that looked like Harmonia. I'm still wondering how, if Booth's old war buddy was a hallucination, did Brennan interact with him? Anyway, Harmonia isn't a ghost, so I was relieved.

I found it a bit unbelievable that Brennan couldn't take down that doctor. Didn't she take down the airport security in the first episode of the series? Seriously, wtf?

So, save for Sweets and the wtf fight moment, I really liked this episode. Also, I can't really want for more.

Feel free to comment here.

Music: "Fearless" (Acoustic) - Cyndi Lauper [info from: fox.com/bones/]

As Mystic Falls prepares for a festival to celebrate the passing of a comet, Vicki is in the hospital recovering from the attack she can barely remember. Elena decides to go to the Salvatore house to talk to Stefan, but finds his charming brother Damon instead. Meanwhile, Vicki's memory of the attack begins to come back to her.

My Thoughts:

Yes, I'm still ridiculously in love with the music they use. ppfffttt.

Anyway, let's talk about the episode! When we opened on a couple making out in a tent, you knew it wouldn't end well for them, right? I just wonder if this show is going to make a habit of opening up on couples and killing them? Or they could just do it enough that we could keep a running tally. That would be fun! Or it could get old fast, not sure which at this point.

Another thing I wonder about becoming a habit/getting old fast would be the diary entries, more specifically, the dueling diaries. That one could definitely get old fast! What won't get old, for me at least, is Jeremy/Vicki and Caroline/Damon. Those two pairs could definitely be interesting. I'm feeling a little leery of any drama or angst resulting from Elena/Stefan as they seem better suited to the lovey-dovey, fluffy-bunny love.

Actually, I kinda get a kick out of Elena/Stefan being that, yet not annoying the crap out of me. They should stick to that. I like the starry-eyed stares across the classroom with the goofy grins. What? I can't help it, I'm sometimes a hopeless romantic! They did fall into the angst a touch, but they got back to where they should be. Also, I love that they used 'epic' to describe their interactions.

I adore Elena, but she does come off as a slightly bossy and pushy older sister. Of course, that may just be the remnants of the younger sibling left in me.

Even though I adore E/S, I still feel so bad for poor Matt. He's trying so hard to be understanding, even though he hasn't hid the fact that he wants to get back with her and he's jealous of the new guy in her life. I just wish he could move on. Oh well, Elena doesn't appear to be leading him on as of now. Still, he seems to be in a constant state of heartbreak, poor guy.

Still loving the aunt. She's struggling to be a good guardian, but not taking it far too seriously. Or at least she was until the conference. The teacher makes me want to smack him. I mean, does he even have kids? People who say raising/taking care of kids is impossible are the ones who believe that their kids are bad because they were born that way and they can't figure out why said kids won't listen to their parents. It can be difficult, but no where near impossible. Idiot.

Wow, that got preachy. Sorry, can't help it, it's one of my pet peeves. Back to things I loved, then?

Bonnie and Caroline are also receiving much love from me. Caroline is just wonderfully emotionally fucked up and so casual and blasé about it. It reminds me of some girls I used to know in school. And Bonnie is just Bonnie. Obviously, given some things we've seen so far, her grandmother isn't joking around about the psychic stuff. I wonder how well they'll be getting along as the series progresses.

Is anybody else loving the fact that these vamps have mind-powers? Sorry, I just miss the old powers like mind-fuckery and shape shifting.

"Not bad . Have you been eating bunnies?"

"That's for me to know, and you to - dot dot dot."

Okay, I'm loving the interaction between Stefan and Damon. Not feeling it as much between Elena and Damon, but that may just be my love for Damon/Caroline getting in the way. I'll go back later and re-watch it. Either way, Damon should bring lots of interesting storylines. I just hope some of the storylines involve him and Caroline together. They can be my evil couple. Every show needs one, and these two play so well off each other. The way he teased her with a glimpse of him during the day? Perfect. Okay, I know what you're going to say, he was there to spy on Elena. You live in your reality, I'll live in mine!

Caroline: I was hoping I'd see you again.
Damon: I know.
Caroline: Cocky much?
Damon: Very much.

Now, in the last scene, I choose to believe that Damon was nice enough to give a little head to the girl before he chomped down on her. Why else would he be level with her hips when the scene opened? Also, I choose to believe that she's not dead.

All in all, second episode in and it still feels... epic. ;)

Almost forgot the music!

• Metric "Help I'm Alive"
• Mat Kearney "Closer to Love"
• The Dead Weather "Hang You from the Heavens"
• The Gossip "Heavy Cross"
• Neko Case "I'm An Animal"
• Dragonette "I Get Around"
• We Were Promised Jetpacks "Conductor"
• Peaches "Mud"
• Earlimart "Interloper"
• Sara Bareilles "Gravity"

List from Vampire-Diaries.net

The year is 2019, and the world is broken. A small band of survivors discovers an abandoned Dollhouse and as they explore they begin to understand the shadowy organization and to suspect that they may have been responsible for the current state of the world.

My Thoughts:

We open the episode in some back-ally or something. I'd almost buy it, except peppering the conversation with faux slang just gets on my last nerve. A word here and there [see Pitch Black] is fantastic. Every other word seemingly see [see this episode] is just over-kill in my book. And, since tech is so dangerous, why was the guy on the other end just standing around with it waiting for her to radio in? Yes, I know, I over-think sometimes.

I'm going to say this right off hand, I don't like... any of these character really. I'm not attached to any of them, so I really don't care if they live or die in the story. Therefore, the story really loses some of its impact. Honestly, I was waiting for the head bland guy to trip his own trap and blow himself to smithereens. Unfortunately, he didn't.

Honestly, about the only thing I did like about this was the flashbacks and Whiskey. Therefore, that's what I'm going to mostly talk about.

The first flash back is Adele giving one of her hard sells to a client. Just a way to show what the Dollhouse was used for, or at least one of the things it was used for. Then we get to Topher's first day. And, right off he's clashing with Dominic. I like him better now, by the way. It was actually kind of heartbreaking to see how he'd cracked hard. Yeah, that was the scene that made the whole episode worth watching.

Oh, Ballard and Echo, really don't like them together. And that had to have been Echo, Caroline was always so damn annoying and would have been eaten alive real quick. Claire/Boyd, did love them together [did he know she was a doll?], as well as Sierra/Victor. Speaking of dolls, I love how it was a person wanting to live forever that started it all going [even more] to hell. And, in the hellish world, I actually like Dominic a lot.

Quick question: What the hell happened to November? I can only assume it wasn't Madeline, that it was a new November. Except, Sierra asked which one. Madeline? *sniff*

I'd like to know what happened to Whiskey to have her revert to the freaky blank slate that she was. And I'd love to know who that little girl was. As usual, children are freaky. Knew she would be trouble as soon as they showed up with a kid in tow. The ending, where she was supposed to be Caroline kinda fell flat for me.

Back to Whiskey. She rocked hard. I'm sad that she died, but I doubt she ever could have regained her mind.

Feel free to comment here.

Alpha's reign of terror continues as his obsession with Echo endangers Caroline's survival; Ballard must make a life-changing decision; and one Doll is permanently deactivated while another's shocking past is revealed.

My Thoughts:

I adored teh reveal of Claire/Whiskey as the woman dancing in the smoke. Alpha was scary, Whiskey was sexy, and together they were sexybadwronghot. Yummy. Bobby and Crystal are my favorite imprints, EVER! However, if this were written as it should be, given the history that they said these two dolls have of going off script together, Alpha should have been obsessed with Whiskey. Instead we get a Mary-Sue self-insert fanfic trope, where MS comes in and suddenly the main male(s) of the story are all falling head over heels, and she's usually taking the place of another female. In this case, she's going to become the obsession of the main guy [where story-telling would lead you to believe Whiskey was before] who will slice her up because he thinks Whiskey is holding back his obsession, Echo. All this could have been avoided by just not having Whiskey be in that spot or have such major interactions with Alpha.

And how did Alpha get changed and downstairs so fast while Adele was talking to Caroline? That's just freaky. Of course, most of the stuff concerning the Echo/Alpha storyline is freaky. It's supposed to be.

What was done right, was Alpha's plan for Echo. It made sense given what he went through. I do have to give the writers props for having it be more than just 'kidnap the girl and take her back to the evil lair for sexytimes'. Somehow, though, I feel a bit let down by everything that happened after Alpha imprinted Echo with all her personalities. It seems to have gotten a bit preachy and heavy-handed. However, it does help explain some of what Echo is going through when she has her memory moments.

The gun shot? That should have slowed her down, at the very least. Well, I guess it did, just not until it could make her conveniently knock the wedge off the beam. Whatever. And hey, jackass got to save the girl.

I absolutely hate that Ballard is all obsessed with Echo. Not only because everyone and their doll seems to be obsessed with her, but because it makes him less and less of a decent person. He becomes skeevy in my mind. However, he is a bit redeemed in my mind by using his reputation as an obsessed crazy in order to get the FBI to clear out. That little smirk at the security camera made me squee.

I choose to believe that Topher has a serious man-crush on Boyd and feels that Ballard's presence in the Dollhouse would threaten the Topher/Boyd friendship. My proof?

"Why is there a tall, morally judgemental man in my imprint room besides him?"

Yes, I choose to see that as proof. Hey, you pick your own evidence, I'll pick mine! I also choose to see his reaction to Boyd agreeing with Ballard that they needed to get Alpha's history as one of jealousy.

I feel the need to talk more about Claire. I loved her interaction with Victor after Alpha sliced his face. You see a lot of self-hate coming through there. Also, when she gives him a sucker later, I wonder if that's supposed to be a sign that maybe she's come to terms with everything. I like the antagonism she has toward Topher. It makes sense.

I mourn the potential loss of Mellie. Even if she comes back, I fear I won't get my ship. Damn you, Joss!

When all is said and done, the episode is okay. It leaves me wondering about what brought Boyd to the Dollhouse, if Ballard will continue to try and bring it down from the inside, if we'll see Alpha again, if we'll see Madeline again, if Claire will get imprinted or anything again. It actually leaves me eager for next season, just not in the way you'd expect it too.

Feel free to comment here]]> tag:lilbreck.across-a-pond.com,2009:/opinions//1.15 2009-09-16T16:43:11Z 2009-09-18T22:36:20Z

Ballard's investigation leads him to the agoraphobic designer of the Dollhouse. Echo helps a young girl deal with her traumatic past; Adelle goes to the Attic in search of answers; and Alpha reveals himself to set his end game in motion.

My Thoughts:

Anyway, onto the show. I'm going to ruin the surprise for those of you who haven't seen it [and why are you reading this then?] and let you know that Tudyk is really playing Alpha. And can I just say how surprisingly well built that man is? I only vaguely remember him from Firefly, so I really couldn't tell you if he was that buff in the show. Now, let's get away from the shallow.

The little girl, Susan, in the first scene with Echo!Susan had a really good point, for the most part about the fairy tale. She seems to be, at first introduction to be a very angry feminist in the making. Then the poor girl has a break down, and then we find out that Echo!Susan is there to help her. Her past, is very fucked up.

Listening to Echo!Susan describe her memories and the guilt she felt, it made me really uncomfortable, as it should. However, I absolutely loved Echo!Susan telling real!Susan to pretend to be the prince. And I love that the little girl trusted her enough to give her the blade.

I have to say that I really loved that Topher's the one the came up with the mission and how best to do the imprint. It actually makes me like him. He's got a human side!

My doom!ship, they broke up! Poor Mellie. Part of me is really pissed at Ballard for driving her to near suicide so he could follow her back to the Dollhouse. I kinda wanted to beat him with a large trout. Anybody else?

I love that they brought back Dominic, I just wish we would have used his original body, though I loved his freak out when he realized he was in Victor. Gjokaj [and how do you pronounce that? anybody?] did a fantastic job playing Dominic. The voice, the facial expressions, he was perfect, in my opinion.

Alpha. Just... Alpha. I loved the way he played Stephen Kepler.

"Carrots! Medicinal carrots. Personal use medicinal carrots that were here when I moved in and I'm holding it for a friend."

Generally, I just love the rant he goes into ones Ballard shows he's not there for anything other than the closed system. He plays reluctant very well. You just know Alpha was laughing his ass off on the inside, knowing he had played Ballard from the beginning. I loved their interaction getting into the building. It was just too funny.

Ballard and Boyd fighting, you know I was rooting for Boyd. But what I really loved was the reveal that Kepler was Alpha. With the way he was grilling Claire, it makes it glaringly obvious she's a doll. And while that's going on, Boyd looks kind of pathetic. I love the 60 watt bulb, but he really came off as a fool.

Personally, I think they should have ended the episode as they did, but with the little girl doing the voice over reading of Sleeping Beauty/Briar Rose and them leaving in slow motion. While a good episode all over, for some reason it still leaves me feeling kinda meh.

Feel free to comment here

When Adelle's wealthy friend is murdered, Adelle imprints Echo with the woman's memories and personality to solve the case. Ballard looks into Mellie's past, and Topher secretly programs Sierra for an engagement.

My Thoughts:

Now that we have that out of the way, let's get on to the episode! First off, still not enjoying that we have to have previouslies with every episode. Hopefully that stops in season 2. Second, I actually like how this episode opened. I'm glad they didn't show the actual murder, as that would have really taken away from the story. However, the idea that your personality can be implanted in someone after you've died really strikes me as ooky. Yes, I choose to believe that is weird.

"Eternal life."

"Nice adjetive, excellent noun. Is that all?"

Given that conversation, I think Boyd agrees with me. I also love that Adele seems very eager to have Boyd helping, and that he's already got an idea of who to send in.

Oddly, I'm really coming to love Boyd and Topher's interactions. It's one of the few instances in which I actually like Topher. Topher is very socially awkward, though. I'm never really sure if he's trying to insult Boyd's intelligence, or he's just trying and failing miserably at being good buddies with him.

Boyd, hey! How's the promotion treating you? You must be thrilled. I mean, you were no fun as Echo's handler, and now you get to be twice as no fun as head of security!

I actually liked Adele's reaction to being in a new body. Also, the conversation managed to remind us that Adele is alone, emotionally speaking. I think the abrupt shift from friendly conversation to 'let's solve my murder' was well done. However, the fact that they had the follow up conversation within earshot of other people seemed a bit off, especially when 'Margaret' talks about being late to her own funeral. But that's really just a nit-pick that I can hand-wave.

What I did love is how well thought out Margaret's plan was. Bringing up Julia before she even got the imprint done, writing her into the will, telling her family to expect her. She had a good head on her shoulders, I like her! I really like how the scene at the funeral was played, and I'm ignoring the fact that other people could have over-heard their conversation.

Margaret really doesn't impersonate a younger person very well. 'Like the kids do'? Really. Though, I do think her awkward reactions to the family talking were done very believably. The kissing scene? I laughed.

"Well, I mean it seemed like you wanted to..."

"No."

"Subconciously?"

"No!"

"You said you wanted to comfort me."

"Not with my tongue!"

In fact, I have to say that the Margaret storline was only really enjoyable for me when she was interacting with the family.

"You lost your mother. It's only natural that you'd be so elmo."

"Emo."

"That's not a word, sweety."

Margaret really can't seem to get the hang of being young. However, the scene after her son figures out it's her, is so touching. You know, until he tried to kill her.

Okay, who didn't think Topher and Sierra were so adorable together? See, these are the times I could really start to like Topher! It was just totally cool, and managed not to come off creepy. And the laser tag! There should be random scenes of geekiness all the time. Well, no, it would get old, but there should be more of them. However, it is sad that it's the only way he really has a friend to celebrate [what I'm assuming is] is birthday. Maybe he and Boyd can be friends!

Let us speak of my doom!ship.

"You're a better cook than you think."

"Hmm. I don't think pasta is supposed to be that, um, snappy."

"It's al dente. That's Itallian for 'Ow, my teeth.'"

Good lord, but Ballard isn't handling this situation with Mellie very well. Then again, who would. He's fumbling and bumling in awkward ways. You have to wonder what Mellie is thinking about all this. The fact that he's shying away from displays of affection... man it has to look like he's ready to drop her!

I love Loomis helping out Ballard. And I really love that she witnessed the file disappearing.

"I just started to believe you."

The scene between Ballard and Mellie afterward? Sick and wrong, yet oh so hot. Poor Ballard. *sniff*

All in all, a pretty good episode, I think.

Feel free to comment here

Writer: Kevin Williamson & Julie Plec
Director: Marcos Siega
Actors: Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Steven R. McQueen, Sara Canning, Katerina Graham, Candice Accola, Zach Roerig, Kayla Ewell, Michael Trevino
Guest:: Chris William Martin, Benjamin Ayres, Cindy Busby, Steve Belford, Marci T. House

Four months after the tragic car accident that killed their parents, 17-year-old Elena Gilbert and her 15-year-old brother, Jeremy are still trying to cope with their grief and move on with their lives. Elena has always been the star student; beautiful, popular and involved with school and friends, but now she finds herself struggling to hide her sadness from the world. As the school year begins, Elena and her friends are fascinated by a handsome and mysterious new student, Stefan Salvatore. Stefan and Elena are immediately drawn to one another, and Elena has no way of knowing that Stefan is a centuries-old vampire, struggling to live peacefully among humans, while his brother Damon is the embodiment of vampire violence and brutality. Now these two vampire brothers - one good, one evil - are at war for Elena's soul and for the souls of her friends, family and all the residents of the small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia.

My Thoughts:

You may find yourself asking why I, a 30 year old woman, am watching a show geared toward teens. For one simple reason: I adored the books when I was younger. Speaking of which, I should really find those and buy them for old times sake. Anyway, onto the show!

And, of course, it opens on a very ~dramatic~ voice over. Though, I'll give it this, Paul Wesley does have a very nice voice. Another thing I can give this show so far is the music. It's angsty and pop just like a the music for a teen show should be, but it's music I'd actually listen to! Oh, and we open on a conversation about music:

Darren: He sounded like James Blunt.
Brooke: What's wrong with that?
Darren: We already have a James Blunt. One's all we need.

Okay, I have one question. What kind of Rube Goldberg wannabe vampire sets himself up to be hit by a car in order to get a meal? Really now! He could have just hitch-hiked or even snuck up on some kinds at make-out point like any self-respecting monster does! Sheesh, no one has any sense of tradition anymore! And while I'm on the subject, GET OFF MY LAWN!

Sorry, I'll stop.

Since everyone and their brother is comparing this to Twilight, let me join the rank and file. This one episode alone has put The Vampire Diaries leagues beyond what Twilight could ever hope to be. First, the main female protagonist doesn't sound like some teen-age drama queen who feel in love with a few nifty words and decided to pepper her journal or inner monologue with them. Also, a reasonable explanation is given for why the main male protagonist is in high-school. He just would do anything to be in her life. Still not as creepy as sneaking into someone's room to watch them sleep or removing the parts from their truck so they can't go to someone's house. Just saying.

It's probably going to take me a few episode to determine if they're handling the aunt in a decent way, or if she's just another clueless buffoon like too many teen shows make adults out to be.

I'm also impressed that a teen show manages to have a storyline involving drugs without making it into an after school special and also without glorifying drug use. That's all I'll really say about that for now.

Another thing I think this show handles well is showing, not telling. You see how close Elena and Bonnie are, as well as the tension between Elena and Matt. The scene in the classroom where Stefan is staring at Elena, she's catching peeks at him, Matt is watching with growing jealousy and Bonnie texts Elena was well done, IMO. Had to laugh at Matt trying to see what Bonnie was texting.

HAWT-E.
STARING @ U.

And, yes, I did get a giggle out of them bumping into each other outside the men's restroom.

So, I have a question. Is the crow shown always Damon's pet, or is it sometimes Damon? I choose to believe that it is sometimes Damon and he was in the cemetery laughing at Elena's angsty diary writing the same as he would laugh at Stefan's. I like Damon this way.

Back to our main girl. I like how she's portrayed as actually taking steps to move beyond being the girl who's parent's died, while admitting, albeit non-verbally, that she hasn't really moved on. Though, the diary bits she does voice over with do admit it. And her voice, in some parts especially, sounds extremely approachable. It's hard to explain any other way.

Speaking of diaries... poor little Stefan and his emo-vamp diary. Don't get me wrong, I love Stefan. However, he is a little emo-vamp who keeps a diary, regardless of if they're calling it a journal. And when we get to the end, and they have the dueling voice-over readings of their diaries? I nearly lost it. However, what keeps me from thinking this show actually takes itself seriously are the potshots that Damon takes at Stefan. I also like how they acknowledge how corny Stefan's 'loss of control' face was.

"I was impressed. I give it a six, miss on style, but I was pleasantly surprised. Very good with the whole face grarawr thing. It was good."

Does anybody else actually feel sorry for Caroline? Just me? Okay.

All in all, it's good, clean, cheesy fun that doesn't seem to take itself too seriously. I'm very much willing to stick around for more.

And, finally, a list of songs from this episode and trailers so far, aka: songs I need to get:

The Raconteurs - Consoler of the Lonely
Placebo - Running Up That Hill
Bat for Lashes - Siren Song
The Fray - Never Say Never
MGMT - Kids
One Republic - Say (All I Need)
Katy Perry - Thinking of You
Silversun Pickups - Sort Of
Mat Kearney - Here We Go
White Lies - Death
The All-American Rejects - Back to Me
Stars - Take Me to the Riot
Fefe Dobson - I Want You
Band of Horses - No One's Gonna Love You
The New Addiction - Salvation
Metric - Help, I'm Alive
The Dead Weather - Hang You from the Heavens

List from Vampire-Diaries.net

Feel free to comment here.

When a traitor is discovered inside the Dollhouse Echo and Sierra are programmed as Spy hunters to uncover the culprit. Meanwhile, Ballard receives surprising news from Mellie, and Adelle harbors a secret.

My Thoughts:

Second thought; House of Love? Really now. W&H is the House of Pain/Death, and Dollhouse gets House of Love? Please, the only difference between Dollhouse and W&H, IMO, is a regrettable lack of demons and W&H is more honest about how not-white hat they are. eta: I guess we could give them House of Love because of the Paul/Mellie scene. Shall we move on to the actual episode now?

The use of different points of view, and therefor jumping around in time usually annoys the hell out of me because it's usually fucked up. This time, while it wasn't smooth and perfect, it wasn't totally fucked up. If I paid attention, I could tell what happened when.

Now, I have a question about the 'wipe' scene at the beginning. Is this supposed to be a different kind of wipe than we saw Sierra going through? Because, if not, then why all the darkness in the room? Oh, maybe it's because the equipment is not up to par since Caroline shot it. Maybe we aren't supposed to question it. Another question about the wipe scene; am I to assume that Sierra is having some sort of bleed through or something? because no other dolls noticed what was going on in the room above them, but she did and asked Echo about it. It's either that, or they just really needed someone for Echo to answer, and try and throw us off the trail, with the use of 'she'.

While the dominatrix look was unnecessary, it did lead to a good and interesting exchange between Boyd and Echo. I like how they bring up the trust between these two. Echo saying that Boyd can trust her and again saying [if not directly] that she trusts him. It's the one non-squicky relationship we've got going on in this show. It's got a nice father and daughter vibe to it, and Boyd is my favorite character. I did a little sniffle when they broke up Echo and Boyd. That's just not right. However, given that DeWitt could see Echo looking at Boyd [I'm assuming since she was right there beside him and had given him a look when Echo hesitate saying she trusted her new handler with her life] it would seem that they're still going to be close.

Let me just say how happy I am that we're back to Echo and no more of the Caroline bullshit, at least for now. Caroline is an idiot, Echo is evolving and growing. Plus, in this episode, she proves that she's more aware of what's really going on than she lets on. It might be a hold-over from last episode where Caroline confronted Topher about how he makes people different. Still, I like that Echo took charge, told Topher to make her into someone that could help, and then actually saved the day. This is a woman I could get behind. Still squicked about the idea of the Dollhouse, but in a story of nothing but shades of morally grey, I'll take what I can get. I also enjoy that when Topher imprinted her, he seemed to have imprinted her with the full knowledge that she's a doll. Makes you wonder why he'd do that. However, it did give us that nice moment where Echo confronts Dominic and tells him that she's not broken.

Speaking of women I like to see in this show, we have DeWitt. I know I said last review that I wanted to smack the smug look off her face, but today she's all snarky and funny. The fact that she's hiring Victor makes her a bit pathetic, but I choose to see that as depth to her character. She's not a card-board cut out of the evil woman in charge trying to play off like she's doing good with her little human trafficking/whore house scheme. She's a pathetic and lonely woman, hiding behind a mostly emotionless wall who is trying to play off like she's doing good with her little human trafficking/whore house scheme. It's a subtle difference that is appreciated by me. I also like that she tells Roger/Victor that the Dollhouse clients, and thereby she as well, are pathetic. I like that she's that self aware.

I'm going to assume that when Dominic shot her, it just kinda grazed her and didn't actually go through her. Otherwise, I'd be calling bullshit on that.

Claire, my morally grey girl! She does the same thing DeWitt does with the whole pretending they're doing something good, but I like the way she does it better. I could just be biased because it's Amy Acker. Yeah, I'll admit to that one. However, at least Claire admits there are flaws in the system, I'd just really like to know what she thinks those flaws are, since she says basically, she sees a different flaw than Boyd. I also love the subtle looks and such that Echo gives her. Great work on Eliza's part, IMO. I only really like Eliza on this show anymore when she's playing Echo for some reason.

About the interaction between Claire and Echo, that interrogation scene either is saying to me that Claire is a doll, or the mole. Or both. For me, it's the look on Claire's face when Echo asks if she has any friends outside of work. Though, that confusion really wouldn't work if she's a non-doll type mole. Unless I'm mis-interpreting it and it's not a look of confusion.

Okay, Topher seems determined that I start to like him. ["Or an assassin that does cheers."] I loved his coming up to warn Boyd that he was about to call DeWitt about the chip in the chair. I think he has a bit of a man crush on Boyd. It's understandable.

"You think I'm the spy."

"Not in a bad way."

"Did I just lose an argument to a doll?"

Now, when we see November/Mellie looking at Echo and asking where she knows her from, I get a bit confused. Are we supposed to assume that either she can't see Echo clearly, or that they have some sort of block set up in the Mellie imprint so that she doesn't recognize anyone in the dollhouse since they know she'll probably see images of other dolls, and they probably know she saw Victor at Ballard's door? Is this one of those things I'm supposed to hand wave? I'm assuming not since they went the trouble of writing and shooting a scene where Echo waves to her and she sees her and either vaguely recognizes her or thinks some weird stranger is waving at her.

Mellie... I knew Ballard would have to find out she was a doll at some point, I just didn't see it happening like that. Wow, that had to have been like a sucker-punch to the gut. Of course, he should have twigged onto the fact that something was up with her when she didn't run for safety at the sight of him drawing a weapon on her or his Wall of Crazy. And then to have to go on and pretend he's not sleeping with a doll, isn't he being forced into doing basically the same thing that he detests the Dollhouse clients for? That boy ain't ever going to get out of Crazytown!

Now, I have yet another question. I know she said that the Dollhouse was likely to discover they've been altering the imprints, but does she say 'Our person inside has been captured' or 'If our person inside has been captured'? Because, if it's the first, then they're either lying, or they assumed the person would be captured by the time that Mellie/November delivered the message. More on the mole talking to Ballard later.

Now let's talk about the utter ridiculousness that was Sierra's assignment. I can only assume that the flaws in the logic of it all were there to clue us into the fact that it was a set up and they knew she was coming. Otherwise, I call bullshit on her being able to impersonate that employee and fool anybody. And why the fuck didn't she ditch those heals when she tried to run? What good did taking off the wig do? And why didn't she wait until she got back to the Dollhouse to try and read the file? Unless the Dollhouse doesn't have the tech to read it. But, wait, they did. This mission gets a big ol' fail from me.

Some people believe that Dominic was the only mole, let me tell you why I don't believe that. The mole that is in contact with Ballard is actually trying to get him to investigate and expose/bring down the dollhouse, or at least help them do it. Dominic, on the other hand, was sent by the NSA to protect the Dollhouse from itself so that they could sweep in at a later date and snatch it up for themselves. Therefor, there's another mole, working [possibly] independently and for someone else.

Feel free to comment here

When Echo, Sierra, Victor, and November awaken in the Dollhouse with most of their original personalities and memories intact, Echo leads the charge to free the Actives from their apparent captivity and escape the Dollhouse forever. Meanwhile, Ballard discovers the Dollhouse is closer than he thinks.

My Thoughts:

Going in, given where in the season this episode was located, I knew the 'awakening' would be a fake-out of some sort. I even figured that it would be done by Adelle. I, however, was not expecting everyone to be in on it [though I should have], nor that it would be Claire's idea. I did enjoy the way it was revealed, though. I also enjoyed the way they showed the glitches. How adorable and aww worthy was Victor waiting up for Sierra? What I didn't like was how hit over the head I felt by the anvils of what these people were before they came to the Dollhouse. Maybe a phrase or two, but not every other freaking sentence once they woke up. I did love Victor's take-charge attitude and the fact that he had the right idea about blending in. However, none of them did a very good job of blending in, they didn't even seem to be trying. In fact, that's kind of what started to clue me in that everyone was in on it. It was either that or the writing was just that bad. While that has happened on a Joss show far too often for my tastes, I was willing to give the show the benefit of the doubt, and I'm glad I did. Also, I'm glad it was not only a way to give the actives closure, but a way to test the staff. It almost makes me believe that the Dollhouse runners are competant.

On a shallow note, why, out of all the outfits she could have chosen, did November choose that dress? Really. However, I did get slashy ideas from Echo and November hidden in the clothes together. I think it was the fact that Echo was sitting there, holding on to November, eyes all closed. Either that or my mind is just wondering and going off on a tangent. That's always possible. It's how I became convinced that Buffy was hot for Willow on BtVS.

This episode once again showed me that Caroline, with or without her memories, is a complete idiot. What was her plan going back into the Dollhouse? How, exactly, was she planning to make a difference? Caroline has a severe savior complex without the intelligence and instinct to make it a good and endearing characteristic. She's not even smart enough to have it be a tragic flaw. I like her better as a doll, to be honest. Adelle did have it right when she said Caroline never was very realistic. I'd really like to know how long Echo has been there.

Given November's sad look, who did not see it coming that her daughter was dead? That just hurt. Victor and Sierra at the end in the utility closet were just so very bittersweet. And, while the shot of Echo/Caroline leading the other dolls out was beautiful.... she's still an idiot in my book. I just have a question: Did Echo hear that Sierra was brought in by men with guns? I know she was told that a man named Nolan brought Sierra in, but did she know it was against her will? If so, why didn't she throw that one in DeWitt's face? Speaking of DeWitt, while I did enjoy her for the most part in the episode, I wanted to smack the smug, self-important, and superior look of her face. Anyone else, or what it just me?

My favorite part of the show [besides the Victor/Sierra bits] is the ending conversation between Boyd and Claire. I like how Boyd said 'free us all' and not 'free them all'. It shows you how much he's connected with Echo, and possibly hints that he feels trapped in the Dollhouse. That last part is pure conjecture on my part. How else could such an obviously good and moral man end up working for the devil? It looked like Claire was honestly confused, and maybe a bit hurt, over the fact that Boyd didn't seem to agree with her and her method.

All in all, I have to say I enjoyed this episode more than the last one.

Feel free to comment here.

A deadly virus outbreak on a college campus and sends Echo back to school where pieces of her past come into focus.

My Thoughts:

Seeing Echo's outfit, this is where I'd normally rant on how TV shows never get how a real woman would actually dress. I won't this time, I'll just hand wave that by assuming the client specified the type, if not the exact outfit 'Alice' was to wear. And, in the bedroom scene, before the campus came up on the news, Alice was so very cute. However, I can't really say I liked or even felt for Caroline in the flashbacks. she came off as very self-righteous and a bit on the dumb side. To be honest, once Alice got the to the campus, I can't say I liked her very much. I know Eliza can knock it out of the ballpark, but I haven't really felt it much during most of these episodes. What's up with that?

Did anyone else go all mushy when Paul was making breakfast for Mellie?

"It's kind of late, but since I'm a gentleman of leisure and you've taken up professional sleeping... Didn't know I could cook, did you?"

"Nope."

"Good, you won't be disappointed when you find out I can't."

When Mellie/November was in the dollhouse, I loved her interaction with Topher ["Your brain rocks!"], but her breakdown broke my little heart. I just have one question; why didn't November remembering the trigger phrase, you know, trigger her? Unless it was just because that programming had been wiped... but, then, how would she remember the phrase? I've just confused myself.

Now, all the parts at the campus involving the dolls and the handlers was totally made of win. I want lots of NSA/CDC agent fanfic for Victor/Sierra. That would be too cute. And who didn't love when Victor/Tom pulled rank on Dominic? Though, I do have to say I loved Dominic when he was mind-tripping, as was Boyd. The scene with Boyd and the random college girl ["There are mansions in your eyes. Did you know that? You can see the doors."] was a nice give away about the drug being passed by touch before Topher made the full reveal.

Speaking of Topher, I giggled like a loon over his and DeWitt's reactions to the drug. While Topher was just a more exaggerated version of himself [makes sense to me], DeWitt went completely off script. They were just too cute. "Secret Agent Victor is so lofty." *snerk* And the both of them getting all emotional over Boyd's piano play was just too funny.

The scene with DeWitt and Dominic would have made more sense if it was DeWitt and Topher. There was far too much tension between them for two characters that didn't interact while under the influence.

I'd have to say that this episode was mostly 'meh' with some great scenes thrown in. I could have done without most of the Caroline/Alice stuff, to be honest. It pains me to say that since I adore Eliza's acting so much usually.

Feel free to comment here.

Echo becomes the perfect wife for a lonely internet mogul and Sierra's attacker is revealed. Meanwhile, Mellie's life is in danger and Agent Ballard's investigation takes a surprising turn when he comes face-to-face and goes fist to-fist with Echo for the very first time.

My Thoughts:

First, let's start with what I liked. I really enjoyed the whole documentary being shown inter spliced with the episode's other plots. It did a nice job of showing various people's reactions to the idea of the Dollhouse while not totally making a judgment call on it. I don't like morality shoved down my throat or spoon-fed to me. Also, it was nice that those reactions to it were shown in both Tanaka [I so wanted to slap that douche] and Ballard [when he was interacting with Mynor].

Another thing I liked was the bitter-sweet interactions between Victor, Sierra, and Echo. Speaking of which, is it me, or do they all have that slightly stoned air about them, not just childish innocence? It was really noticeable with Sierra, but I'm seeing it more and more in Victor and Echo. Well, Victor least of all.

My favorite thing of all in the episode? Paul and Mellie. Though, the Paul obsession with Caroline is wearing thin. Still, unexpected!sex scene! That first kiss was off the charts in hotness. However, the scene of them eating take-out together was unexpectedly sweet. He just off the cuff, as if were common knowledge and shouldn't be out of the ordinary to say, simply tells her she's gorgeous. Her little pause made me squee. And, I giggled over "What a Rick!"

When Mellie and Paul did end up sleeping together, and they were all blissful and 'let's be a team' post-coital, I expected her to die or be a doll. I figured more on dying because the actress was originally cast as November so I thought it was too obvious. I'm actually glad I was proved wrong. However, I'm not to happy about that scene. It was creepy and disturbing, as it should have been, but it seemed to go on a little too long. The sleeper/trigger bit was a very nice twist. But now my 'omgcute!ship' has turned into my 'omgdoomed!ship'.

Now for the 'meh'. The whole engagement with Mynor. I could have almost felt where he was coming from if it weren't for the fact that he was going to have sex with her. It made him into just another john paying a pimp for a person who can't give consent in my eyes. However, he did have some good points in regards to Ballard. The only non-meh thing about that encounter was 'Rebecca's' shocked and outraged "Porn!" Eliza's whole performance as Rebecca was really well done. However, the whole bit where Ballard kicks the asses of Mynor's entire security staff is more than a bit over the top, IMO. However, Tahmoh did look good doing it. Almost as good as he looked during the fight scene with Echo. Tahmoh does fight scenes very well, I'll give him that.

The sub-plot with Sierra seemed a bit convoluted. It probably would have been served better as the main story of an episode, not the b-plot. However, Victor's reactions to Sierra and the whole situation almost elevate this from 'meh' to good. When Victor said "I did something bad." "What did you do?" "Nobody will tell me." it nearly broke my heart. I figured they wouldn't go there, and at worst would have it be an innocent affectionate gesture that triggered some memory. I was skeeved at where they did go, but I figure I was supposed to be, so that's good. Also, I cheered when Boyd decked that nasty handler. There's a reason Boyd is my favorite character.

Now for the mole. We can rule out Topher as being it since it was obvious by the door that was closed when he left and open when he returned that someone did come in while he was talking to Boyd. And, unless it's at least two people working together, that also rules out Boyd. As for who else it could be, well, anybody really.

All in all, an episode that really picked up the pace and shone above the previous episodes. I'm hoping the rest are all as good as this one.

Feel free to comment here.

Echo becomes a blind woman so that she can infiltrate a very secretive and well-guarded cult.

My Thoughts:

The cult people coming in singing were annoying, however, you really can't help but dislike some of the town's people. The anvil/parallel between the cult and the Dollhouse was saved by the fact that the show came out and acknowledged it in a sarcastic manor. However, the speech by DeWitt at the end regarding temptation and Victor was just this side of too much.

I really liked that they showed that the cult, while led by a morally corrupt man, was not evil, and the people weren't wanting to be violent as they apparently been forced to, or came close to being forced to, in the past. I also liked that they showed the ATF people weren't necessarily the 'good guys' in all this. I have a question, though. How much of the ATF guy's suspicions are correct, and how much are Jonas' motives corrupt and how much are they actually him wanting to protect his people? Given that the ATF guy planted 'evidence' or something similar this time around, what's to day he didn't last time around? It's all very 'shades of grey', much like the real world.

I was actually moved by 'Ester's' speech about her vision. I think it was a great touch and a fitting way for her to get in. Also, it makes sense that Jonas was wary of the 'miracle' and I like that he was smart enough to know how to test her. Out of the show, part of me wonders exactly how they get the non-reaction when they're filming. The tech behind her being able to know the faces and such seems a bit beyond possibility, but this is a show where people's personalities get wiped and they get new ones on a routine basis. I can accept it, and like that they bothered to try and explain it in a manner fitting in with the show's canon.

'Ester' saving the people was a great touch, as well. She seems to be predisposed to heroics and being a strong woman. I like that, it makes her less of a victim and more of a person overcoming the things that have been done to them. It's actually a very nice message.

Ballard is... just too adorable for words.

"Was that flirting?"
"I think so. It's been a while. Did I mention I was shot?"

Mellie and her 'left overs'! First, I want her recipes, I so want to make manicotti. She's so blatant [she probably started out more subtle] and he is so very oblivious. Part of me really wants them to hook up. Poor Mellie, Ballard is just so very blind. I hope he gets a clue soon, I'd love to see his reaction.

I love that he's getting closer to the Dollhouse and can't wait for him to actually come face to face with Echo.

Agent Dominic is falling further and further into my 'can't stand and want to be offed' category. He wants Echo out one way or another. His comes off as skeevy and evil. I actually like Topher far more than I like him. At least Topher seems to have a touch of humanity in him, Dominic, not so much. The rifle but to the face really doesn't help me like him anymore. DeWitt seems to be losing patience with him as well. I can only hope this means that he is not long for this show. The actor is doing a great job making me hate a character I'm pretty darn sure we're supposed to hate, so, part of me wants him to stay on. I'm conflicted.

As much as I dislike Topher, I love his interactions with Dr. Saunders. Though, every time I see her, I still get a flash that this is a strange, bleak, all hope is lost AU of W&H and poor Fred is the only member of the gang, save a captured Faith, who has survived. It's not a discredit to the actress, she's perfect, it's just a testament to my love of Fred and how much the Dollhouse looks like it would fit in perfectly as a Wolfram and Hart building.

Back to the show, I love that Dr. Saunders is still ethical and caring about her patients. It moves the Dollhouse further out of the black hat and into the grey area. Gotta love that! I also can't help but love that she made Topher uncomfortable and the fact that we're back to the fact that nobody reads her reports. Them having to watch the shower tapes was a nice bit of comedy.

As usual, the interaction between Boyd and Echo is spot on. He's very at ease with her [contrasted with how he was before and during their first mission] and is always looking out for her.

"I admire your courage, hitchhiking across country."
"Because I'm blind?"
"Nah, cause your a girl."

It seems fitting that Echo tells Boyd she thought he was an angel. Their relationship really seems to be that of a very protective father who is doing his best to guide his daughter as she grows up and learns the world around her. I think this is most reflected in the fact that he hasn't tried to discourage her from remember things she shouldn't, nor has he told the people in charge about it. He's simply appears to accepted the 'glitches/composite events' as natural and welcome.

"I know you. How is that possible?"
"It's not."

Speaking of things happening that shouldn't be happening.... Man reactions. It really paralleled the fact that the cult was talking about the garden and Adam and Eve. Though, really, they should never have had a co-ed shower area. It's the same problem I have with the tree in the garden. If there's something you REALLY don't want to happen, don't stick it right smack dab in the middle of everything where it might become a temptation. I'm worried about what could happen with this, though. Victor's reaction [confused glance at his 'man reaction'] was funny, but you have to worry about what this is setting up.

Now for the ending 'lets see what Echo remembers' scene. They were much more subtle about it this time. It's obvious that she remembers Dominic hitting her, or at least the fact that he's been aggressively against her. It makes me wonder if he was the same way with Alpha, or if he's that way with Echo because of Alpha. I cant' wait to see where it leads.

Wow, looking back, maybe I did enjoy it more than I previously thought. Maybe it's just better during the second viewing.

In this new approach to the Witchblade universe, the lead character (and blade wielder) is Masane Amaha, a kind-hearted woman who, despite her good intentions, is fairly clumsy and not good around the house. She lost her memory during an unknown catastrophic event that ravaged Tokyo and, curiously, Masane was found unscathed in the phenomenon's ground zero holding a baby in her arms. Six years later, she returns to Tokyo with the child, now called Rhihoko, and for whom she cares as a daughter, where she discovers that the mysterious jewel attached to her right wrist is actually the legendary artifact known as the Witchblade. Since then Masane got herself involved in the struggle for power between a huge corporation and a government agency, while trying to live her life peacefully with her daughter.

My Thoughts:

By the sixth volume, I was in a near constant state of crying.

Yes, it has the required lack of clothing and cheap sexual references galore that I love to point and laugh at when it comes to a lot of my favorite anime shows, and it has the child [6yrs] who is way too mature for their age. For goodness sake, this six year old is nothing short of a full blown chef and acts mature, even for a 16 year old.

However, what this anime also has is a lot of heart. While the main character, Masane, is mostly a brainless twit whose anatomically impossible chest is a running gag [she's called Melony by half the characters, referring to her breasts as melons], she's also a mother who loves her daughter above and beyond all things. It's this love, and what she will do to protect and make her daughter happy, that truly drives the drama of the series. Even when it turns out that Riko isn't her biological daughter [did I mention that Masane is an amnesiac?], she still loves her and would do anything to protect her and make her happy.

Speaking of her daughter, Rihoko [called Riko] often comes across as more of the mother in the relationship. She's the one who makes sure they eat and when they go shopping, she's always more interested in buying the more practical things. In fact, it's because of Riko's quick thinking that she and her mother have a place to live. And, the other tenants, and the owner, quickly become like a family to Masane and Riko.

And, like any half-decent show, there is some romance. From the beginning, I expected Masane to end up with Tozawa, the photographer. While he started out as a man only after the scoop, he quickly comes to care for Riko and Masane. Regardless, he doesn't end up with Masane. She ends up with her boss, Takayama, who is the biological father of Riko.

Yes, it sounds a bit like a soap opera, but it works. There are many other characters involved in the story, and most of them are surprisingly deep and thought out. What seems to drive the majority of them, though, is family. Whether it's finding your family, protecting your family, or just learning to connect with your family, be it biological or chosen, the show revolves around family.

And I think I just hit on why it all made me cry. That and the ending. However, I won't spoil that for you, you'll just have to see it for yourself.

Echo's stint as a midwife doesn't prove as laborious as when she becomes an expert safe-cracker in order to perform a dangerous art heist. Yet a more than an invaluable piece of art is stolen from her on the engagement, forcing Sierra to take on a familiar persona.

Agent Ballard gives Lubov an ultimatum, and Adelle confides shocking information to Topher.

My Thoughts:

I really loved the bit with Echo as a midwife. It showed that not every assignment is about sex and danger. While part of me [the part that will be a mother for the second time very soon] wanted to see that whole scene play out, I realize it wouldn't have made for a good episode since it appears everything went fine with baby and mother. I just wonder if anyone watches the encounters before they are erased?

Okay, the freaking conversation between Echo, Alpha, and Victor was creepy just for their expressions and almost out of place it seemed. Anyway, onto the mission. I actually liked the whole set up of how they got into the vault. Also, I kinda liked the bit about 'Taffy-Standard Time', but that's just me. What I am confused about is her comfortable shoes. Yes, I'd find them comfortable if all I had to do was sit or walk in them [I'm comfortable in high-heels, always have been]. However, if you have to run... I guess it's possible, you see the Italian ladies do it all the time. I guess it's just a matter of what you're used to.

This has a few subtly funny lines, like in reference to the Parthenon; "Inn't that kinda big?" It's the little things that amuse me. Also the bit about Georgia vs Alabama tickled my funny bone. I'm not looking for quirky humor, just realistic humor for the situation, and this show delivers. Also, Ivy so needs to stick around. She manages to reign Topher in and make him slightly more likable.

And it seems more and more people are realizing that Alpha isn't as dead as they had been led to believe. Though, the way everyone reacts to the news... I can't help but think that we'll only be disappointed by him when he does show up. After all, he's supposed to be this super-warrior and super-genius. He might just be a Gary Stu... wait, he's a doll, of course he's a Gary Stu. The only way that the person to bring him down doesn't come across as ridiculous is if it turns out to be a couple of the dolls going through a composite event and maybe a handler or two [one of them needs to be Langton]. Heck, throw in Topher and Ivy. It would make sense if that's how Alpha was brought down.

And, back to the show.

I like the fact that they address the possibility of a remote wipe and don't hand-wave it with 'that could never happen'. I may not like Topher, but I love his reactions to when stuff 'can't happen'. It also makes sense that he would recognize the sound that would accompany a remote wipe. I'm actually impressed they covered the little things.

So, my question is, is it the 'nice guy's' art lesson that helped keep Echo together? Either way, this seems like it was two different episodes mushed together. One is a thrilling race against the clock, the other is a strange indy film full of feelings and such. That's the only real draw back I can see to this episode, but it's a pretty big one.

What I do like is that we have a reversal. Instead of Echo saving Sierra, we have Sierra trying to save Echo. Again, it makes Echo less of a Mary Sue... though that's kinda what she's made to be most of the time. It's through no fault of Sierra's that it failed, which keeps this from turning into a 'see, Echo does it better' scene. However, I like that it gave Echo a chance to choose to not only not shoot at the guards, but not leave 'nice guy' behind. And her and Langton meeting up as he's trying to rescue her, so perfect. Man, I so hope Langton doesn't die in this show.

I don't think that the 'closure' for Ballard went quite how DeWitt was expecting. She seems to be good at underestimating Ballard. That's to be expected. What was also expected was Echo taking a phrase or gesture away from the encounter to mimic while in her blank state. However, I think this one was far more subtle and much better played, IMO. Honestly, I was expecting to hear her say 'blue skies' since they repeated it so much. I was pleasantly surprised, and, in case you missed it, the reference was the mirror bit at the very end.

So, this was a good episode. It missed being great because it felt like two episode smushed together, but I was far from disappointed.

Echo becomes a backup singer to watch out for a female singing sensation with a very overzealous fan. Agent Ballard's investigation takes a turn for the worse.

My Thoughts:

I'm loving the interaction between both Echo/Sierra and Langston/Dr. Saunders. The first shows that, even in that blank stage, we still reach out to each other and try to build relationships, while the second comes across as two people who are doing what they can to help the dolls. The call back to the 'friends help each other out' was nice, especially including the stumbling bit.

Dude, Lubov can tell the neighbor lady has the hots for Ballard but he can't? 60 watt bulb, I'm telling ya! And I just looked it up, neighbor lady is named Mellie. I'll try and remember that. Anyway, Mellie is smart enough to realize that Lubov isn't really Ballard's friend [he's a sucky liar]. I really like her. Also, 'Doris Freakin Day'... bwahaha! And the reveal of him being a doll made with no fanfare, I really like that. It kinda says 'it could be anybody'. So now we have Victor to go along with Alpha, Echo, and Sierra. I'm waiting until we have Foxtrot and Golf.

The question becomes, does DeWitt know that they were setting up Ballard, or was it all Laurence doing it and all on his lonesome? I could so see him pulling that on his own. However, it might actually not be the Dollhouse people at all. Ballard is bad-ass when he wants to be.

In other news, Eliza doesn't suck at singing! And they have her character as extremely overzealous in her protection of the singer chick. Rayna has a major death wish, makes you wonder if her manager guy knew that. The speechifying got to be a bit much in the dressing room, on both sides, IMO. I guess I'm just tired of the 'poor me, it sucks to be famous' characters. I liked the 'tough love' bit at the end.

Topher sucks, as per usual, and I'm liking Dr. Saunders and wouldn't mind seeing her and 'Boyd's' scowling babies. And Langton's worry on Echo's singing... he's such a father. He's obviously more attached to his doll than the other guy. I also like Saunder's warning Langton that it's not good for Echo to be special or to think outside the box. And it really shows up in the ending shot of how Echo warns off Sierra from acting like they're close at all. It's all very subtle.

So, the episode was good, IMO, even with the bit of speechifying and 'poor me, I'm famous' involved. The show just keeps getting better and better!