Echo is still lost and without a GPS tag in her head....flash-forward to 3 months later, she has now hooked up with Paul Ballard in Texas and she is training for a daring rescue operation that will be her final test before re-entering the Dollhouse to bring it down. Meanwhile, Adelle has lost her job as the head of the LA office, and is now taking instructions from Harding - instructions that are getting more and more demanding and unconcerned about the well-being of the Dolls. "Meet Jane Doe" is divided into two parts: the one dealing with the goings-on inside the Dollhouse is downright chilling, but the one dealing with Echo's training and operation, although useful for showing how she is now able to control her multiple imprints and get the right one out at the right time, suffers from the one big problem I've had throughout this show: obvious and extensive stunt doubling. Echo probably kicks more a$$ in this episode than in any other so far, but how much can you enjoy it when you can see that Eliza Dushku's stunt double is doing most of the (good) work? *** out of 4.
3 Reviews
Echo is lost in the 'real world'
Tweekums30 January 2019
After the events of the previous episode Echo has disappeared into the world in her doll state. Somehow she makes her way to Texas and her actions lead to the jailing of another woman, Galena. Three months pass and she is working as a nurse, planning to break Galena out of prison. Meanwhile Adelle has been replaced as head of the LA Dollhouse and her replacement is less concerned about the wellbeing of the dolls. He has also tasked Topher to work on the portable device that can remotely return actives to their doll state... he believes that it is part of a more sinister scheme.
This was a solid episode that had elements of a standalone story while also advancing the main series plot arc. It was interesting to see how Echo survived in the outside world thanks to being able to access the personalities she had previously been imprinted with... and how this appears to be negatively effecting her. These personalities enable her to give us some great action scenes during the struggle that led to Galena's jailing and later during the jail break. The changes at the LA Dollhouse were possibly even more interesting as the power dynamic has changed; it will be interesting to see how the events we see in this episode develop.
This was a solid episode that had elements of a standalone story while also advancing the main series plot arc. It was interesting to see how Echo survived in the outside world thanks to being able to access the personalities she had previously been imprinted with... and how this appears to be negatively effecting her. These personalities enable her to give us some great action scenes during the struggle that led to Galena's jailing and later during the jail break. The changes at the LA Dollhouse were possibly even more interesting as the power dynamic has changed; it will be interesting to see how the events we see in this episode develop.
Echo in the big bad world
Joxerlives19 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The good; The subtle struggle for power within the Dollhouse is truly nailbiting stuff, especially the final scene between Topher and Adele. Some lovely little touches showing how much the Dollhouse has changed since Adele is no longer in charge, cigars in Adele's office, Boyd's security guys with their feet up.
The bad; Do we really think a girl as gorgeous as Echo needs to shoplift or scrounge from bins? Couldn't she just charm her way through life in the manner of HIMYM's 'Sexless Innkeeper/Banging for rent'? (I mean she's already a hooker several times over, why doesn't she just 'Pretty Woman' her way? Maybe she does, hence her improved circumstances just a short time later) Personally I don't find the jail storyline all that involving, it just doesn't seem much of a challenge to our girl when we've seen her do so much more. Also it seems unnecessarily complex, why not just have Ballard take the Mexican girl into custody as his FBI witness? In many ways the Dollhouse reminds me of early Angel, supposed to be about the 'client of the week' but the viewers wanted more and more arc and interaction with the central characters instead.
Best line; Echo; (putting the moves on him) "...just the two of us?" Ballard; (turning her down)"Is it really just the 2 of us?" plus Rossum honcho; "Did you ever think of imprinting a Doll to kill me?" Adele; "I like to think I'd have the honesty to do it myself"
Kinky dinky; The latest client seems to be a sadist who quotes the Marquis de Sade. Echo comments that sometimes a girl 'likes to be chased'. She implies that she's done a 'sister act' before but never with 'cooking food'? Ballard and Echo's training seems akin to foreplay, 'getting all sweaty' as Xander would say.
Capt subtext; Adele tells Topher she cares for him, reinforcing their mother/wayward son vibe. She also calls Echo 'love', English slang or something more? Echo comments that she's been 'gay' 7 times and that occasionally there is some 'noise from the chorus girls'.
Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost; Echo; 5 definite, 2 possible November; 1 Ballard; 1 Victor; 1 Adele; 1 Sierra 1 Topher; 1 possible
How'd they get away with that? Can we please have an ep with no needles? Also the prisoner's bruising is nasty, again because it's more real than any sci-fi injury
This weeks fantasy; The Dollhouse is now renting out Dolls as submissives to a sadist.
What do we think of the client? Hard to know, how far does he go? The stern headmaster and the naughty schoolgirl or Pinhead from Hellraiser? You could argue that it's better for him to do this with actives as they'll be unhurt and have no memory of it afterwards.
Total number personalities; Echo refers to now having 36 personalities in her mind Echo; 36 Sierra; 12 Victor; 10 November; 3
Total LA dolls; 9-Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha, Whiskey, Kilo
Addy is a bit British; She call's Echo 'love' (see Capt Subtext)
Topher is a bit geeky; He actually refers to Cylons on a show with numerous BSG stars!
Bondage; Sierra tied up; 1 Ballard; 1 Echo; 2
Knocked out; Echo; 6 November; 1 Sierra; 1 Victor; 1 Topher; 2
Kills; Sierra; 3 kills Echo; 3 November;1
Know the face? Glenn Morshower, another great character actor who also played Cassie Newton's dad in the Buffy ep 'Help' 15-Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Amy Acker-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), walking action figure-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Eliza Dushku-3 (Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse), Jim Piddock-2 (Angel/Dollhouse), Gregg Henry-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Alan Tudyk-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Felicia Day-2(Dollhouse/Buffy), Alexis Denisoff-3 (Buffy, Angel and Dollhouse), Kristoffer Pohala-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), Stacey Scowley-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse) Clyde Katulas-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Maurissa Tanchon-2(Dollhouse/Dr Horrible), Summer Glau-3(Angel/Firefly/Dollhouse) Glenn Morshower-2(Buffy/Dollhouse)
Guantanamo; Brutality from the police towards illegal immigrants, keeping 'the scum off the streets'.
Reminds me of; Adele suffers the 'death of a thousand cuts' also experienced by Lilah at the hands of Lindsey and Gavin in Angel. Echo and Ballard's training routine appears to have been inspired by Clouseau and Kato from the Pink Panther films. ED as a nurse as she was in Tru Calling and her medical pilot that didn't get picked up.
Whedon clichés; Maimed characters. Rich and powerful families who cover up the evil deeds of their wayward sons. Top security installations which aren't secure at all. Loving self-sacrificing mothers who risk all for their children. Corporate politics literally played with deadly seriousness.
Breaking the programming; Echo seems to imply that rather than being a composite of all her 36 personalities that the Echo character is actually a separate entity and can access the other's skill and knowledge at will, like a filing system. Does this mean she also keeps Caroline filed away, afraid to let her loose?
Questions and observations; With the addition of a new house in Dubai there are now 23 Dollhouses around the world. In many ways the idea of the Dollhouses is the ultimate harem slave fantasy, the actives enjoy sexual adventures in the lap of luxury and are later released rich and unharmed. Boyd is very honest with Adele, informing her that they'd always placed the actives at risk, they're now just more blatant about it. We now have Adele at her most sinister ever, seeming to come aboard with Rossums blatantly insidious plan. Topher seems increasingly conflicted and Boyd, Echo and Ballard are now in cahoots. I'd like to see Topher be a bit nicer to Ivy, he seems unnecessarily snide to her. Very clever concept, the Dolls imprinted into helping in the Dollhouse's research.
Marks out of 10; 7/10 would like more Dollhouse and less jailbreak
The bad; Do we really think a girl as gorgeous as Echo needs to shoplift or scrounge from bins? Couldn't she just charm her way through life in the manner of HIMYM's 'Sexless Innkeeper/Banging for rent'? (I mean she's already a hooker several times over, why doesn't she just 'Pretty Woman' her way? Maybe she does, hence her improved circumstances just a short time later) Personally I don't find the jail storyline all that involving, it just doesn't seem much of a challenge to our girl when we've seen her do so much more. Also it seems unnecessarily complex, why not just have Ballard take the Mexican girl into custody as his FBI witness? In many ways the Dollhouse reminds me of early Angel, supposed to be about the 'client of the week' but the viewers wanted more and more arc and interaction with the central characters instead.
Best line; Echo; (putting the moves on him) "...just the two of us?" Ballard; (turning her down)"Is it really just the 2 of us?" plus Rossum honcho; "Did you ever think of imprinting a Doll to kill me?" Adele; "I like to think I'd have the honesty to do it myself"
Kinky dinky; The latest client seems to be a sadist who quotes the Marquis de Sade. Echo comments that sometimes a girl 'likes to be chased'. She implies that she's done a 'sister act' before but never with 'cooking food'? Ballard and Echo's training seems akin to foreplay, 'getting all sweaty' as Xander would say.
Capt subtext; Adele tells Topher she cares for him, reinforcing their mother/wayward son vibe. She also calls Echo 'love', English slang or something more? Echo comments that she's been 'gay' 7 times and that occasionally there is some 'noise from the chorus girls'.
Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost; Echo; 5 definite, 2 possible November; 1 Ballard; 1 Victor; 1 Adele; 1 Sierra 1 Topher; 1 possible
How'd they get away with that? Can we please have an ep with no needles? Also the prisoner's bruising is nasty, again because it's more real than any sci-fi injury
This weeks fantasy; The Dollhouse is now renting out Dolls as submissives to a sadist.
What do we think of the client? Hard to know, how far does he go? The stern headmaster and the naughty schoolgirl or Pinhead from Hellraiser? You could argue that it's better for him to do this with actives as they'll be unhurt and have no memory of it afterwards.
Total number personalities; Echo refers to now having 36 personalities in her mind Echo; 36 Sierra; 12 Victor; 10 November; 3
Total LA dolls; 9-Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha, Whiskey, Kilo
Addy is a bit British; She call's Echo 'love' (see Capt Subtext)
Topher is a bit geeky; He actually refers to Cylons on a show with numerous BSG stars!
Bondage; Sierra tied up; 1 Ballard; 1 Echo; 2
Knocked out; Echo; 6 November; 1 Sierra; 1 Victor; 1 Topher; 2
Kills; Sierra; 3 kills Echo; 3 November;1
Know the face? Glenn Morshower, another great character actor who also played Cassie Newton's dad in the Buffy ep 'Help' 15-Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Amy Acker-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), walking action figure-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Eliza Dushku-3 (Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse), Jim Piddock-2 (Angel/Dollhouse), Gregg Henry-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Alan Tudyk-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Felicia Day-2(Dollhouse/Buffy), Alexis Denisoff-3 (Buffy, Angel and Dollhouse), Kristoffer Pohala-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), Stacey Scowley-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse) Clyde Katulas-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Maurissa Tanchon-2(Dollhouse/Dr Horrible), Summer Glau-3(Angel/Firefly/Dollhouse) Glenn Morshower-2(Buffy/Dollhouse)
Guantanamo; Brutality from the police towards illegal immigrants, keeping 'the scum off the streets'.
Reminds me of; Adele suffers the 'death of a thousand cuts' also experienced by Lilah at the hands of Lindsey and Gavin in Angel. Echo and Ballard's training routine appears to have been inspired by Clouseau and Kato from the Pink Panther films. ED as a nurse as she was in Tru Calling and her medical pilot that didn't get picked up.
Whedon clichés; Maimed characters. Rich and powerful families who cover up the evil deeds of their wayward sons. Top security installations which aren't secure at all. Loving self-sacrificing mothers who risk all for their children. Corporate politics literally played with deadly seriousness.
Breaking the programming; Echo seems to imply that rather than being a composite of all her 36 personalities that the Echo character is actually a separate entity and can access the other's skill and knowledge at will, like a filing system. Does this mean she also keeps Caroline filed away, afraid to let her loose?
Questions and observations; With the addition of a new house in Dubai there are now 23 Dollhouses around the world. In many ways the idea of the Dollhouses is the ultimate harem slave fantasy, the actives enjoy sexual adventures in the lap of luxury and are later released rich and unharmed. Boyd is very honest with Adele, informing her that they'd always placed the actives at risk, they're now just more blatant about it. We now have Adele at her most sinister ever, seeming to come aboard with Rossums blatantly insidious plan. Topher seems increasingly conflicted and Boyd, Echo and Ballard are now in cahoots. I'd like to see Topher be a bit nicer to Ivy, he seems unnecessarily snide to her. Very clever concept, the Dolls imprinted into helping in the Dollhouse's research.
Marks out of 10; 7/10 would like more Dollhouse and less jailbreak
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