Wash is Back… And This Time It’s Personal!

It seems like forever ago since I last wrote about Dollhouse and during its week off I missed it like I’d miss a limb, well maybe not, but I still love the show. I know I should have probably done this on Friday but this weeks episode is currently #10 on the iTunes chart for Drama, interesting two places below fellow endangered Tv show from CBS “The Unit.”

Anyway, as you probably guessed from the title of this post old favourite, Alan Tudyk is back on our screens in this latest episode of Dollhouse and I know I say this every week, but Best Episode Yet! I have an unfortunate habit of completely ignoring any credits that flash across the bottom of the screen when i watch Tv, I like to think that this is because i don’t like to have the plot ruined for me by knowing who will be in the episode, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. So I didn’t know that Alan was going to be in the episode until recognised his mug shot and got very excited!

So, this weeks episode begins with Echo reading the story of Briar Rose, which as far as i can tell is Sleeping Beauty. One girl, Susan, reacts badly to the story, destroying the book. In particular she objects to the Prince coming to save Briar Rose, presumably because no prince ever saved her from her abusive father. Through some creative programming on Topher’s part he has given Echo the same life experiences as the little girl, except that Echo is now a well adjusted woman who uses her life experience to help others. The intention being that Echo could show Susan that it is possible to move on.

Meanwhile Paul Ballard, the focus of this weeks episode, breaks up with Millie, unable to live the double life with her any longer. Topher’s anti-breakup programming kicks in and Millie begs Paul not to go, telling him that she will do whatever necessary. Paul however has made up his mind.

Back in the Dollhouse a flash drive arrives for Mr. Dominic, the ex- head of security who now resides in the Attic, a brain dead body. Fearing they need his help to open the drive DeWitt authorises Mr. Dominic’s personality to be taken “off the shelf” and imprinted into Victor.

Millie, consumed with grief at losing Paul after fighting so hard to be with him go down to the motorway bridge and prepares to throw herself off. November’s assignment as mild mannered Millie, it seems, is finally over and her handler takes her back to the Dollhouse, suicide averted, while Paul follows behind, hoping to be led right to the front door.

Finally free of the Dollhouse and active November, Agent Ballard makes a stop at the FBI HQ to chat with his “woman on the inside” Loomis. He has a theory that for the Dollhouse to be invisible it must produce its own power, water etc. Which is where the environmental systems consultant comes in… a.k.a Stephen Kepler (Alan Tudyk.) Loomis responds with “It’s good thing I’m relatively sure you’re not crazy.” the line that qualifies why she is still helping him, despite the risk to her career.

Back with Susan, Echo is finally making headway. She tells her to look back at the story of Briar Rose and to think of herself as the Prince. “The Prince shows up at the last minute, takes all the credit, that means that Briar Rose was trapped all that time, sleeping, dreaming of getting out, the Prince was her dream, She made him, she made him fight to get her out.” Pause. “Prince.” She finishes, pointing at Susan. However the story of Briar Rose is not all that different from Echo’s own, the only question is, who is Echo’s prince…

So Ballard turns up at Stephen Kepler’s apartment and hilarity ensues. Kepler, a pot addled systems engineer is growing “medicinal carrots” throughout his apartment, a fact that Agent Ballard uses to enlist his help in breaking into the Dollhouse. Alan is brilliant as the twitchy engineer, he had me rocking with laughter and its so very good to see him back with Joss once more.

Victor a.k.a Mr. Dominic is now under the influence of a kind of truth serum and Boyd manages to get the password to the flash drive from him, a single Greek character… Alpha . The drive opens with nothing but a single image of a statue in Paris. Quickly DeWitt and Boyd learn that a body has turned up dead in Paris with Alpha’s signature face slashing and they send Sierra in to investigate.

Meanwhile Ballard and Kepler break into the Dollhouse, tazer Topher, steal a couple of Doll outfits and begin to wander around looking for a computer terminal. Commandeering Dr. Saunders office Kepler sets to work disabling security. Ballard sets off to find Caroline/Echo, unfortunately for him, he finds Boyd too.

A fight breaks out which awaken Victor, worried about his health Dr. Saunders takes him back to her office, where Kepler is still disabling security. Now, this is where i began to wonder, why? Alan’s character had been looking for a way out of the Dollhouse as soon as they broke in. He was worried that if he was discovered he would be killed, why, then, would he stay behind once Ballard had gone?

Doc and Victor walk into the office, no sign of Kepler, then bam! Kepler appears slashing Victor’s face and we realise at last exactly who we’re dealing with… Alan Tudyk is ALPHA!

Boyd orders Echo to run and finally takes Ballard into custody, bringing him before DeWitt for sentencing. She makes it very clear that Ballard wouldn’t be missed and she turns to Boyd and asks “Shall we put him in the chair?”

And that's it… Paul Ballard’s fate remains undecided, Sierra calls in with news that the body in Paris is Stephen Kepler and he was murdered in LA and then shipped to France. Instantly DeWitt checks the security feed and sure enough Alpha is in Topher’s office reprogramming Echo. Echo awakens and smiles. “I remember you… My Prince.”

So Alpha is back and Echo is leaving with him, Ballard is in custody and possibly facing the chair, it’s all very exciting with only one episode to go. However I can’t help wondering if it wasn’t Alpha that Lawrence Dominic was working for all along. Certainly Alpha’s goal seems to have been to get Echo out of the Dollhouse, a goal that ties in neatly with Ballard’s. If it wasn’t then how could Alpha be assured that Ballard would come looking for Kepler? Revealing November as a Doll caused Paul to break up with her, which in turn led him to the Dollhouse and to Kepler. If Alpha was merely an opportunist then who is behind the messages from within the Dollhouse?

And what about next week? Will Victor be ok? Certainly he can’t continue to work as a Doll if Dr. Saunders is anything to go by. And what about Ballard, will DeWitt really send him to the attic? Or will Boyd’s moral code kick in and force him to go rogue in order to save Paul? And what about Alpha and Echo? Is Alpha really only after the girl he loves (who presumably is not Caroline but probably some dream girl Alpha cooked up in Topher’s lab.) or is he going to try and take down the Dollhouse with Echo’s help? Also with the next episode being entitled Omega, the opposite to Alpha in that it is the last letter of the Greek alphabet and thus commonly associated with “The End”, will it be the End for the show or for Alpha? Or is it the name of a new Active brought in to bring down Alpha and Echo?

Whatever happens I’m right there with this show, on the edge of my seat, just waiting to find out. Anyway, that’s my Two Cents, until Saturday when I will have a Lost update for you.