Creepy Dollhouse was effing creepy...
Oct. 9th, 2009 10:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Dollhouse 2.03 "Belle Chose"
Joss Whedon outdoes himself in that first opening scene right there. It was perfectly creepifying and disturbing on every level. Creepy serial killer was creepy, and something that the folks on Criminal Minds would have a field day with, I'm sure. Immediately I knew those women weren't actual manikins but real women. Being used as playthings for this guy who is clearly insane. Just, holy fucking wow. Plus the connection between that and the Dollhouse is just so uncannily disturbing and frightening and just...brilliantly done. It that creeptastic kinda way.
This episode was well constructed for two reasons, one being the remote wiping. Something that they thought would be impossible until Alpha did so to Echo last season. They are also introducing us to the beginnings of the end result of said remote wipings as seen in "Epitaph One", that anyone can be imprinted and changed from personality to personality by means of using or being near of any kind of technological device. When Topher tried to remotely wipe Victor from the serial killer's personality, he inherently did something that cross-wired both Victor and Echo's imprints that had them swap. I found this revelation exciting, as well as scary, because holy fuck you don't want an Active on a mission to suddenly switch personalities. That will definitely be the fall of the Dollhouse, particularly if Rossum gets their hands on such improvement of the technology (as seen in the future!episode, they do). I wonder what else can be evolved from this remote wiping, and I'm sure the Dollhouse would want to experiment with it because who knows if a situation like this arises again.
Second thing is Echo's continued journey of self-awareness, and how she was able to fight the serial killer's personality from within her. She's becoming stronger instead of just glitching. Which that is true Echo right there, she knows when something isn't right and will try to fight to stop it. That is what she was doing here, realizing that hold on, this imprint is not quite right. I loved how she was explaining the the women what she knew, or what the information that Terry knew as she still had access to his brain from the imprint, even though it probably was all gibberish and nonsensical to them anyway.
Although it does make me wonder, did Echo think that if they beat her up that the imprint would dissolve or be destroyed? She seemed pretty aware of what she was doing in getting them angered and riled up. It wouldn't have worked, of course, because imprinted personalities need to be wiped, or maybe she figured if they knock her unconscious she wouldn't be able to hurt anyone with that imprint stuck in her.
I still feel horrible for Echo though, because every imprint she's ever had still stays with her, and she constantly hears them inside of her mind now and again. She'll have this troubled and sick personality with her forever. That's just terrifying.
Needless to say, I am enjoying this season and the flaws the Dollhouse is having instead of painting them to be a shiny organization that does questionable deeds but is still held highly respectable. Joss is going into the direction that they are making mistakes, that they sometimes do overlook things and aren't perfect. We knew this from last season of course, but seeing that they are caught off guard, not thinking things through, with the experimenting and the engagements and whatnot. It's nice to see that, and see the reactions of the people working there as well.
"Topher had ethical issues. Topher." Gotta love Boyd for that line, because it is true. Topher is usually the amoral person when it comes to the imprinting. So when HE has a moral conflict you know there is a serious problem.
SAUL MOTHERFRAKKING TIGH! That is all. :DDDD
Loving all the BSG alumni reunions. First Jamie and Tahmoh, and now it's Michael Hogan and Tahmoh. We really need Katee and Tricia and Grace and Michael Trucco (who can be reunited with Eliza, because he was in an episode of Tru Calling) and, fuck, even Mary and EJO too because, damn. :D Lovelovelove.
Victor was absolutely brilliant tonight, I will say this right now. I am absolutely in love with the actor, from being Victor to the serial killer to the flimsy/ditzy college girl personality -- that club scene with him dancing around all sexxxyyy will never, ever, ever get old. I WAS HOWLING WITH LAUGHTER! ESPECIALLY WITH HIM CLINGING TO PAUL! XD He is just amazingly brilliant. I love him. ♥
I just loved this episode. Period. It was creepy in the right places, I loved the editing of the scenes together, especially with Paul's interrogation and Echo's engagement, and the ending. Chilling, but nevertheless I loved it.
Even though I've seen it I'm going to be watching it on Hulu. Repeatedly. Want those ratings to go up for this episode because, wow. Kudos, Whedon. Much kudos to you, good sir. Continue to be dark and twisted and creepy with Dollhouse, because it is working and I am LOVING IT!
People, you need to watch this show. Seriously. Whatever people said about it before, all the pessimistic comments about how the first season sucks and it's not up to par with Joss's other works and blahblah-frakking-blah, forget about it. This season is going in a whole different direction, the way it should have gone before. And with Joss Whedon finally taking full action, you know it's going to be absolutely fucking epic, for serious.
Joss Whedon outdoes himself in that first opening scene right there. It was perfectly creepifying and disturbing on every level. Creepy serial killer was creepy, and something that the folks on Criminal Minds would have a field day with, I'm sure. Immediately I knew those women weren't actual manikins but real women. Being used as playthings for this guy who is clearly insane. Just, holy fucking wow. Plus the connection between that and the Dollhouse is just so uncannily disturbing and frightening and just...brilliantly done. It that creeptastic kinda way.
This episode was well constructed for two reasons, one being the remote wiping. Something that they thought would be impossible until Alpha did so to Echo last season. They are also introducing us to the beginnings of the end result of said remote wipings as seen in "Epitaph One", that anyone can be imprinted and changed from personality to personality by means of using or being near of any kind of technological device. When Topher tried to remotely wipe Victor from the serial killer's personality, he inherently did something that cross-wired both Victor and Echo's imprints that had them swap. I found this revelation exciting, as well as scary, because holy fuck you don't want an Active on a mission to suddenly switch personalities. That will definitely be the fall of the Dollhouse, particularly if Rossum gets their hands on such improvement of the technology (as seen in the future!episode, they do). I wonder what else can be evolved from this remote wiping, and I'm sure the Dollhouse would want to experiment with it because who knows if a situation like this arises again.
Second thing is Echo's continued journey of self-awareness, and how she was able to fight the serial killer's personality from within her. She's becoming stronger instead of just glitching. Which that is true Echo right there, she knows when something isn't right and will try to fight to stop it. That is what she was doing here, realizing that hold on, this imprint is not quite right. I loved how she was explaining the the women what she knew, or what the information that Terry knew as she still had access to his brain from the imprint, even though it probably was all gibberish and nonsensical to them anyway.
Although it does make me wonder, did Echo think that if they beat her up that the imprint would dissolve or be destroyed? She seemed pretty aware of what she was doing in getting them angered and riled up. It wouldn't have worked, of course, because imprinted personalities need to be wiped, or maybe she figured if they knock her unconscious she wouldn't be able to hurt anyone with that imprint stuck in her.
I still feel horrible for Echo though, because every imprint she's ever had still stays with her, and she constantly hears them inside of her mind now and again. She'll have this troubled and sick personality with her forever. That's just terrifying.
Needless to say, I am enjoying this season and the flaws the Dollhouse is having instead of painting them to be a shiny organization that does questionable deeds but is still held highly respectable. Joss is going into the direction that they are making mistakes, that they sometimes do overlook things and aren't perfect. We knew this from last season of course, but seeing that they are caught off guard, not thinking things through, with the experimenting and the engagements and whatnot. It's nice to see that, and see the reactions of the people working there as well.
"Topher had ethical issues. Topher." Gotta love Boyd for that line, because it is true. Topher is usually the amoral person when it comes to the imprinting. So when HE has a moral conflict you know there is a serious problem.
SAUL MOTHERFRAKKING TIGH! That is all. :DDDD
Loving all the BSG alumni reunions. First Jamie and Tahmoh, and now it's Michael Hogan and Tahmoh. We really need Katee and Tricia and Grace and Michael Trucco (who can be reunited with Eliza, because he was in an episode of Tru Calling) and, fuck, even Mary and EJO too because, damn. :D Lovelovelove.
Victor was absolutely brilliant tonight, I will say this right now. I am absolutely in love with the actor, from being Victor to the serial killer to the flimsy/ditzy college girl personality -- that club scene with him dancing around all sexxxyyy will never, ever, ever get old. I WAS HOWLING WITH LAUGHTER! ESPECIALLY WITH HIM CLINGING TO PAUL! XD He is just amazingly brilliant. I love him. ♥
I just loved this episode. Period. It was creepy in the right places, I loved the editing of the scenes together, especially with Paul's interrogation and Echo's engagement, and the ending. Chilling, but nevertheless I loved it.
Even though I've seen it I'm going to be watching it on Hulu. Repeatedly. Want those ratings to go up for this episode because, wow. Kudos, Whedon. Much kudos to you, good sir. Continue to be dark and twisted and creepy with Dollhouse, because it is working and I am LOVING IT!
People, you need to watch this show. Seriously. Whatever people said about it before, all the pessimistic comments about how the first season sucks and it's not up to par with Joss's other works and blahblah-frakking-blah, forget about it. This season is going in a whole different direction, the way it should have gone before. And with Joss Whedon finally taking full action, you know it's going to be absolutely fucking epic, for serious.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-10 11:22 pm (UTC)I believe Echo was trying to convince them to kill her before psychoboy wrestled back the control from her and hurt more people.
I just loooved when Paul got to Victor in the club and he "Kiki" just threw herself at him, clinging to Paul, and Paul actually comforted her. And the line "Do you have a problem?" *iz ded*
I knew they'd do the psycho killer imprint sooner or later, my theories were a) they'd need one to poke and prod to figure out another psycho and catch him(ala Silence of the Lambs), or b) the scenario we got today. I knew he'd get loose too, but my brain didn't come up with anything remotely as awesome as what we got today XD And Echo's engagement was very interesting before the switch as well.
Yay Show \o/
no subject
Date: 2009-10-10 11:54 pm (UTC)Upon rewatching the episode, that makes sense. And it would be completely an Echo thing to do, sacrificing herself to save others from being victims of that particular imprint. It just makes me sad that she now has the psycho's voice among the other imprinted personalities she carries around, though.
I never laughed so hard when Victor was "Kiki"! I loved that part too, especially when Paul stoked his hair. XD
I had known from something Joss mentioned that there would be a imprint switch between Victor and Echo, I just didn't know it would be in this kind of scenario. And it was awesome. God, I love this show so much. :D