"I know a conspiracy when I desperately try to avoid seeing one."

[rogueslayer452]

My entire sleep schedule is all fucked up. For the last two days I've spent nearly the entire day, waking up just shy of a few hours before my regular bedtime would normally be. I'm not getting sick, that I know for sure, the only other indicator would be getting on my period but it doesn't usually call for sleeping hours of the day. So I have no idea what is going on with me. Or if it's just my body saying "HEY YOU GOTTA GET MORE SLEEP!" But I don't know.

ohbooth, trinaweena and fresleyforever, I received your Christmas cards! Awww, ilu guys, you're so sweet. ♥

By the way, I'm going to be sending cards out shortly. I haven't had time to because of some real life stuff and what I said above about my outta-whack sleep schedule which has placed me in this lethargic mode. But hopefully they'll be sent out and get to all those who gave me your addresses in time before Christmas. Don't worry!

I missed Dollhouse last night, mainly because I slept through it. But I downloaded the two episodes and here are my thoughts:

Dollhouse 2.07 "Meet Jane Doe" & 2.08 "A Love Supreme"

HOLY FRAKKING SHIT THIS SHOW I SWEAR! :O :O :O

First of all I have to say that I am mostly excited that the show is moving onward with the mythology, which is very dramatically suspenseful and exciting with everything they're doing. With the Rossum Corporation and inter-Dollhouse facility storylines to Echo's self-awareness and Alpha. The last four episodes have flowed really well with the continuity and it's much much better than the stand-alone engagement episodes from last season, something I really wish FOX could have realized that Joss and Co. have got under control but felt like they needed to control the operations, which didn't help anything, but ranting aside I love how the show has really taken off this season despite its cancellation.

What everything boils down to is what we learned from "Epitaph One" and these are the events which bring us to see how everything falls apart to get to that point, which is definitely more captivating.

Adelle Dewitt. I have to say it was an "oh shit" moment when she turned in the opposite direction, going from sympathetic character who was caring for those underneath her house and her care to siding with the Rossum Corporation. It certainly caught me by surprise since I was hoping that she had something else underneath her sleeve, but the fact that she's gotten colder, more distant, was shocking. I love Adelle, I love her character so at first I was like "please Joss, don't make me hate her" because I don't want to. However, I can understand why she did what she. It was a survival technique. She even said it herself that she's gone passed everything and into self-preservation territory; she knew she couldn't take on the higher ups from Rossum, being only one woman and nothing else to back up, she needed to take the ultimate sacrifice to reclaim her position after initially being demoted by her superior, and realizing that she had to do what they want because otherwise she'll have nothing.

It's entirely fucked up and cruel and cold, particularly since I hated seeing the confrontation of Adelle and Topher because he did trust her, and now she's given the most dangerous and deadly weapon to a powerful organization that they all know will use it for their own selfish purposes. "Epitaph One", people. It's the beginning of the end. Adelle turning that cold shoulder, then doing the same thing with Echo, it's like she's desperate to be respected by those above her that she'll give up morality in order to do so.

That's not to say that she's emotionless. She knows what she's doing, she knows the risks she's taking, and we know that, if this future comes true which I'm pretty sure it will, she'll deeply regret it later.

I LOVE ECHO SO FUCKING MUCH, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW. ♥

Seeing how Echo was surviving out in the real world during "Meet Jane Doe", before contacting Ballard and before three months pass by, was incredible because we know that Echo is just starting out becoming her own person. She's new to the world, her scavenging for food through trash, attempting to steal food, and the seriousness of her comment about the "money tree" was hilarious. That would be something a Doll would ask, lol. Also, her helping out the random woman is something that Echo does. Echo sees people in pain or trouble, she helps them. She didn't steal the food for herself, she stole the food for the girl. That's something that Echo has at her core, which I think is what Caroline is at her core. Wanting to do the right thing, no matter what. I also liked that she can control which personality comes up, search for them at the appropriate moment, since each personality has a set of skills that are useful in certain situations. I'm loving seeing Echo like this, completely self-aware, controlling her imprints, understanding and acknowledging the situations around her. This is why I love Echo, why I adore her character and it still amazes me that some people don't.

As for the implications of Paul/Echo and Echo's ability to love...Echo loves because that's who she is. Echo has compassionate and feelings and emotions, she understand them and I think she does love Paul, in a sense. But I'm glad that Paul doesn't initiate anything between them. That even by living with each other for all those months, he never made a move. I think this says a lot about his character, he cares deeply for Echo but doesn't want to hurt her, doesn't want to cross that line like what happened with him and Madeline.

I really think "A Love Supreme" was simply the most amazing episode of the season, right alongside "Belonging". I loved how it was filmed, and it was just non-stop action from beginning to end.

ALPHA!!! HOW MUCH DO I LOVE YOU RETURNING BB? ABOUT THIISSSSS MUCCHH! \O/

Seriously, Alan Tudyk is just amazing in this role. Amazing. And damn handsome in that suit, ngl. I was wondering when they would have him back, and this just was amazingly perfect timing. Now all we need is Amy Acker back (since wasn't she contracted for like, three episodes this season? She's got two more to go). He's definitely an evil genius, and his fixation on Echo is very creepy indeed. But does he love her? Or is that just his psychotic brain going "pretty shiny toy that is just like me, I wanna play"? What exactly does he want from Echo, if anything at all, or is merely tormenting her because of his obsession?

Whatever. I still have this twisted thing for Alpha/Echo, heh. ;)

Oh, and how creepy was it to see that dude blow up? Seriously, that was shocking, same with the dead decomposing dude in the house. Creeeepyyy Joss, really creepy. But I love it.

SIERRA! WE MISSED YOU BB! YOU LOOKED AMAZING IN THAT RETRO GETUP AND YOU KINDA KICKED ASS TOO FOR THE LITTLE BIT WE SAW YOU IN. ALSO, YOU ARE AND VICTOR ARE ADORABLE TOGETHER AND YOU BETTER NOT BE SPLIT UP INTO DIFFERENT DOLLHOUSE FACILITIES OR I WILL HAVE TO HIT A BITCH. DOLLS "GROUPING" SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE, NOT WHEN THEY ARE AS ADORABLE AS VICTOR/SIERRA, AMIRITE Y'ALL?

Victor + suit = hot. I love it with the suits recently, go wardrobe.

TOPHER SAVING BOYD! Hitting a psycho!Active in the head with a heavy item, but still. Awesome moment! Also awesome was him asking about whether the dolls have eaten his brains, lol. Oh Topher, ilu. ♥

I was highly offended when the Rossum people were taking over the Dollhouse, running the place. It felt like an intrusion of my home. Is that weird? Since Adelle should be behind the desk, not fetching paperwork and being disregarded for anything she did, and that funky imprinting technology that they had in the beginning (as seen with Bennett and her workplace) definitely was odd, and just, yeah. Adelle runs that Dollhouse, no one else. Though I want the old Adelle Dewitt back, not this Dewitt who apparently is only doing this to save her own ass.

Seeing the effects of Echo channeling different personalities was so cool, and it really shows us the subtly of Eliza's talents by changing from one personality to the other, and then back to being Echo (and people say she can't act, pssh).

I TOTALLY DID NOT SEE THAT END COMING, OMGWHUT. Paul in a coma, braindead. Callback to BSG, I see. Hey, Joss? Your inner fanboy is showing, not that I minded of course. Hearing Topher going "she went all Cylon on me!" was awesome and I lol'd. ♥

These episodes were fantastic, but it does give us an excellent question: does this leave inconsistencies to what was shown in "Epitaph One" in terms of the timeline, and if so could this mean that things can change? For example, in the flashback from EO we see Echo and Paul going off to an engagement, and talking to each other about the headaches in the elevator; there's no indicator that Topher knows about the headaches or even if he knows about her being self-aware (since she was still in her innocent doll-state). Here everyone knows about Echo being more self-aware than usual. There's also the part with Adelle and Topher, in which the head of Rossum relays their intentions with the newly designed imprinting technology which, of course, from these episodes that Adelle gave them the plans for it, not Topher.

I'm still going through the details of things, but it seems like things could change, small things, but the outcome will still remain the same. Which is a scary thought.

Anyway, that's all I have to say for right now. I have many thinky-thoughts with this show, as you can tell.


God, I love this show.

Also, does anyone else think that Alan Tudyk could have been an excellent Lucifer? It's the suit from the episode, for some reason I see him either being a very fashionable and slightly off-his-rocker demon or Lucifer. Hmmm. What about a Lucifer and Alpha confrontation? Oh, I like that idea. SOMEONE GIVE ME CROSSOVER FIC ASAP OF THIS! ;D

Comments

[alexwhitman25.livejournal.com]

Dude, my mind is still blown from the awesomeness that was Dollhouse.

HOLY SHIT WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO EPITAPH ONE AND TIS AWESOME INDEED!!!

I feel even worse for Future!Topher now knowing that although he made the tech, it's on Adelle what happens with it.

Fully self aware Echo is killing me! I love her so, so hard bb. And Ballard breaking her heart - killing me. Her "I tried to be my best" at the end of 2X07 was like knife to my heart. And I honestly haven't much cared for what we've seen of Caroline, so I love that she doesn't want to be Caroline. It interesting and I want to keep Echo forever, lol. I kinda also think that maybe the reason Ballard and Caroline aren't together in Epitaph One is because he falls in love with Echo.

Dude, I knew that Alpah knew about Ballard and Echo and that he was gonna go after Ballard. Because he knew that Echo, and not an imprint, loves Ballard. He just can't wrap his obsessive, psychopathic brain around that on. And then when he captured him I was like oh shit, he's gonna imprint himself with Ballard. AND THEN IT HAPPENED AND I WAS LIK OMFG!!!

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

EPITAPH ONE! And just knowing what is going to happen makes everything that we're seeing even more suspenseful, because we know the outcome and it's terrifying and we're all OMG NO! at certain points. It's amazing what Dollhouse is giving us this season, and sad because whatever is left is all we're going to get, ever.

I feel even worse for Future!Topher now knowing that although he made the tech, it's on Adelle what happens with it.

Pretty much this, yeah. I mean Topher was just doing his scientific thing, but to him he was scared of it, he was absolutely terrified of what he discovered what he could create by his genius mind. It's Adelle that's the one that prompts Rossum into using this tech. I keep thinking that Topher should have just destroyed those plans, burned them or whatever. But oh man, that was just so painful to watch. My heart is breaking for him because we knew that Adelle liked Topher even when she hired him, she has a soft spot for him, but seeing her and Topher at that last scene just broke my heart. Especially realizing what is going to happen in the future. :(

I kinda also think that maybe the reason Ballard and Caroline aren't together in Epitaph One is because he falls in love with Echo.

That's an interesting thought, and it would make sense. In the beginning he wanted to save Caroline, but it turns out he falls for not Caroline but for Echo, and upon meeting the real Caroline it's not what he expected. Heh.

I like that we have Echo as a person, an individual, rather than simply a doll, and that she doesn't want to become Caroline. That's an interesting dilemma to have with a doll starts becoming a person and wants to stay as they are. We had Saunders not wanting to figure out who her old identity was because she was afraid of knowing who that person had been, and we're seeing it with Echo. It's also interesting that Caroline is made out to be this not-so-great person. She's the original personality but, from what little we know of Caroline, there's something about her that might not be good. Echo been given that memory from Bennett sees who Caroline had been in that brief moment and decided she doesn't want to become her. She wants to be Echo.

I STILL CAN'T GET OVER THE FACT THAT ALPHA IMPRINTED HIMSELF WITH BALLARD, HOLY SHIT. :O That is like, some seriously twisted stuff, which is what Alpha would do knowing him but still.

Is Alan signed on for more episodes this season, or whatever is left? Because I want moar Alpha plz.

[http://users.livejournal.com/radon_/]

ADELLE BROKE MY HEART. ): I took me a while to understand why she did it (like you, I was all hopeful thinking she had some Grand Plan to help her Actives and get back her house etc and then when it turned out she didn't...). idk, maybe they'll show her being the HBIC!Adelle we all know (and love).

Paul/Echo DNWDNWDNWDNW EVER. ):

OMG I LOVE ALPHA SO MUCH IT'S INSANE. HE'S JUST SO AWESOME AND HILARIOUS AND BADASS AND JUST WHOOOOOOOOOOA.

VICTOR/SIERRA: THEIR LOVE TRANSCENDS MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES.

If Dollhouse exists in a world where BSG is on TV, how come nobody has gone up to Ballard and be all "btw hey, you know you kinda look alot like Helo?" ALSO, BALLARD IS SO GOING TO BE A HYBRID AND USED IN THE LA HOUSE'S FINAL ATTACK AGAINST ROSSUM AFTER WHICH HE'LL FLY THE SUPERSPESHUEPIC IMPRINTING MACHINE TOPHER DESIGNED INTO THE SUN.

Also, my mind? IT'S BLOWN.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

OMG ADELLE! DON'T TURN TO THE DARKSIDE, NO! D: I honestly think she's doing this as part of her own survival because, as we've seen, the Rossum Corporation really is very, um, brutal with those who don't follow in with their way of thinking. Of course if we are heading into the direction of "Epitaph One" we know that Adelle doesn't stay like this. At least, I'm hoping not. Oh Adelle. :((

LOL I AM AMUSED WITH EVERYONE GOING DNW WITH PAUL/ECHO! XD Honestly, I wouldn't have minded before but now I definitely see them as more friendship than anything else, though it's interesting seeing that it's Echo who is expressing these feelings and not Paul.

ALPHA IS JUST DELICIOUSLY FANTASTIC. :DDDD MOAR ALAN PLZ, KTHX.

YYYYY ABOUT VICTOR/SIERRA! THEIR LOVE IS SO STRONG! ♥ ♥ And lol, I love how Topher was all, "hey don't be making out...oh here, remote wipe" lol!

I have wondered by Topher hasn't been like talking BSG and then going to Ballard and saying "and you remind me of someone..." XD COME ON JOSS, YOU HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY! GO ALL THE WAY WITH IT! AND YES PAUL IS GOING TO BE THE HYBRID THAT SAVES THEIR ASSES! LOLOLOLOLING FOREVER ON THIS! OH JOSS, YOUR FANBOYISM IS SHOWING AGAIN. AND I AM LOVING IT! :DDDD

MY MIND WENT S'PLODEY ALL OVER THE PLACE. I AM STILL PICKING UP THE BITS. HOLY SHIT THIS SHOW.

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

Are they going to need to track down Alpha to get Paul back, or do they have another way? Are we going to see Alpha wrestling with his inner Paul/Paul suffering from being trapped in a madman? I hope so. But it wouldn't be just like the show to wait 'til January to resolve this rather than do it in the next two-parter?

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

Also, were Paul Ballard and Tahmoh Penikett separated at birth in the Dollverse?

[fresleyforever.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!!!!

♥

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I don't see why though would need to though, because isn't Paul's composite-wedge, the one Alpha used to imprint himself with, still at the Dollhouse? He didn't leave with it, as I can tell. I don't think there's any need to track down Alpha at all for that. As far as Paul, I'm thinking they might try something else...something like advanced technology (something that Rossum wants to use and obviously, would be dangerous) but to imprint Paul with his own personality again via the wedge.

Hmm, that inner-trapped Paul inside of Alpha's head, that would be interesting to see, but I doubt it. Heh.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Que?

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if the wedge is still there. More convenient for them if it is, though disappointing.

Hmm, that inner-trapped Paul inside of Alpha's head, that would be interesting to see, but I doubt it. Heh.

...They're not going to never refer to it again. The logic of drama says that Alpha will resurface and his inner Paul will cause him trouble. Or did you mean literally showing Tahmoh/Paul inside Alpha's head is unlikely? I didn't mean that.

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

Topher's Cylon reference. Either Helo doesn't exist in the Dollverse's BSG or Paul has an uncanny resemblence to Tahmoh.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I do wonder why Topher hasn't mentioned why Paul looks so familiar, heh.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

It would make it tricky because even Topher said that he can only mess around with the brain if it's wiped clean, and they can't work on anyone that's unconscious, much less brain dead. So it makes you wonder what is going to happen (or if they'll send Paul to the Attic).

I meant what you meant, having Alpha struggle with the inner!Paul would be an interesting character development for Alpha to deal with, though how many episodes is Alan signed up for before it's over?

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

:D :D :D :D :D :D

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

True. Unless Topher invents a new method (something he's been doing a lot lately), they need Paul to wake up before restoring him even if they do have the wedge.

I don't know how many more episodes Alpha will be in, they've kept that under wraps. But they really only need one episode to show that, I think, and it's dramatically impossible for him not to show up again.

BTW, I was thinking something has to come of Ivy being ignored by Topher over and over again. Unexpected betrayal? It's not like a Joss show to have it not come to something.

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

"Say, Echo, I know that Paul is gone forever and that's a bummer, but how's about I imprinted him with this guy called Karl Agathon that's a dead-ringer for him physically and psychologically?"

MerryKK's idea.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Or maybe Paul will wake up? Perhaps it'll be something like Anders where he'll have some damage somewhere, and maybe designing a new method of fixing the brain will not only save his life, but create new problems for the future in the imprinting/wiping technology. idk, it's very complicated.

There needs to be more Alpha, and Whiskey of course. But definitely more Alpha before the show goes bye-bye. He's a huge asset to the show and we need some kind of resolution or another stand-off. He did say that Echo isn't ready for him yet, and I wonder what that means and what he's planning on doing.

You may be right regarding Ivy. Seeing her getting outrightly dismissed and ignored by Topher, of him not taking her seriously, might lead her to do something to get noticed. If not by him, then by, say the higher ups like Rossum. It certainly wouldn't surprise me, since she is often underestimated by Topher, and Joss is a man of the ultimate surprise with the "sudden by inevitable betrayals" of sorts.

[ohbooth.livejournal.com]

YAY! Glad you got it :)