Recap: Dollhouse – Epitaph One

In preparation for next week’s second Epitaph I thought I would repost this. Below this short discussion on the first Epitaph you will find links to each of the expanded flashback posts.

I just finished watching episode 13 of series one of Dollhouse and seriously, we’ve seen Joss being ambitious before, but this is on a scale we’ve never seen!      

10 years on and the imprinting technology has gone wireless. The entire population of the world can switch bodies whenever they want, become who they want, what they want. That was the motto of the Dollhouse, giving people what they wanted, what they needed, children, playing with matches, burnt down the house…

At first I was a little sceptical as it appeared Felicia Day would be spearheading the episode and although I loved Dr. Horrible, she, in my mind, was the weak link. Then we had a flashback and I felt cheated, I couldn’t believe that Joss was daring to do a clip episode, but then again, this is Joss and he doesn’t do things the same way normal people do…

The story follows Mag, (Felicia) and her team. They are actuals, people who are still themselves. Since the imprinting technology went wireless no one can really know who they are. Actuals tattoo themselves with their names so that they will know if they forget who they are. Mag’s team have dedicated themselves to resisting the new order and saving as many as they can in the process. They eschew technology and fear it.

The team has liberated a small girl and her father, although her father is a vacant shell who the team intend to put down. They quickly hole up in an underground bunker that we recognise as the Dollhouse. After finding the chair they imprint the little girl’s father with a series of memories that tell the story of what happened to the world, of how it all began in the Dollhouse with a scientist called Topher.

The list of memories appears to have been specifically compiled by someone, maybe Topher, Dewitt or Caroline, so that anyone who comes after may learn the truth. As we enjoy these cleverly crafted flashbacks (which give us a sneak peak into where the show is going without giving us a timeline to reference it by)

Mag’s team are picked off, one by one, by none other than the little girl, who it turns out was a spy, sent to kill those who resisted. However, Zone, another member of the team, is too quick for her, slamming her tiny child-like body into the imprinting chair and downloading a copy of Caroline’s personality into the little girl.

After a quick skirmish the team leaves with Caroline, heading to a place know only as “Safe Haven”. Doof… Joss Whedon…

That in and of itself makes Epitaph One a very interesting episode, but it’s the flashbacks that ultimately make this episode mind-blowing in the scope of its ambition. The title itself tells us more than maybe we realise at first. Epitaph, is defined as “A brief literary piece commemorating a deceased person.” In this case it’s not a person but the show itself. This episode is a hint about where Dollhouse would have gone if it had not been cancelled. (It hasn’t been cancelled yet but it looks doubtful that it will last to the point at which Epitaph One is set in 2019) A kind of commemorative statement about Joss’s vision for the show, a vision which seems to be constantly under fire from fans and critics alike. The second half of the title, One, seems to suggest that that season 2 will end with Epitaph Two, meaning part 2, because Epitaph One is only part of a larger story arc. 

So this episode tries to be what Serenity is to Firefly, the conclusion that we will ultimately never see because of the fickle, capitalistic nature of  television, and like Serenity, Epitaph One leaves the story open enough to continue, while offering enough answers to satisfy the fans. It is an amazingly clever mix of conclusion and intrigue that only Mr. Whedon knows how to achieve. It would be a dire blow to the future of intelligent television if we lose Joss’ talent and if we do not continue to cherish his genius, we will!

Now you may notice that I didn’t mention any of the flashbacks, well, that’s because I wish to talk about those in my daily nibbles, which will actually give me more space to give them the analysis they deserve.

So for now, this has been My Two Cents, make sure to pick up your copy of Dollhouse season 1 for your chance to witness the brilliance of Epitaph One for yourself.

You can check out the Epitaph One flashbacks here:

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9

Tv Nibble: Epitaph One Flashbacks – Part 9

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8

I’ve been putting off writing the final Flashback because I’ve enjoyed this series of posts so much that I hoped it wouldn’t have to end. However, with Dollhouse Doubles on the horizon in a matter of hours, now feels like the time to conclude Epitaph One and look to the FUTURE…

This week’s flashback is really a continuation of last weeks. When we left our heroes, Topher had gone loopy, DeWitt had gone soft and Echo and Ballard had come through a cinderblock wall.

The Flashback starts with Dr. Saunders sewing up a wound on Echo’s leg. “Glad to see the Doctor back in the House.” Echo remarks. I’m assuming then that Dr. Saunders took off again at some point, rather than that she hadn’t returned after she left in season 2 and before Echo busted out of the Dollhouse. Echo asks about her face and Dr. Saunders replies “It’s a long story.”

“It’ll be difficult getting everyone to the compound.” Echo says, changing the subject. “The Tech Thingy doesn’t travel.” She is talking about the cure, the way to stop people being imprinted wirelessly. “It works?” Saunders asks. “We have Alpha to thank for that.” Echo replies. She does not however explain why Alpha is to thank. Is he helping the resistance or did something that Alpha did to/for Echo lead her to the cure? Is Alpha at the compound? Something inside me hopes that Alpha lived through to this point in the Story, although with Joss “Salvation” doesn’t tend to happen without sacrifice.

“I’m surprised to see you and Paul together.” Saunders remarks. “The jury is out on together, but he’s got my back.” This implies that Echo is now Caroline once more and that any emotional attachments Echo might have formed with her Handler/Would-be-Saviour have been wiped clean.

“I need Topher to put me in the Chair. Back me up on a drive, hard copy.” Echo knows that she might not make it back to the compound, the only way she can be sure everyone reaches “Safe Haven” is to make a copy of herself to guide those that she  cannot.

While Ballard preps the “lambs” DeWitt tries to pick a fight with Echo. She does so because she is more scared than she has ever been in her life. She is terrified that Echo/Caroline will leave her (and Topher) behind. “What about the rest of us, are you going to save us too or have you come to kill us?” Caroline replies coldly “Can you give me a reason not to?”

“I’m not going to plead with you, you’re mind’s made up.” DeWitt says solemnly, ready to accept Echo’s judgement. Caroline draws a pistol and cocks it. “Yes it is…” She replies.

Doof!

I’d like to hope that were that particular flashback ever to see airtime that Echo hands over the pistol and DeWitt finally takes her place on the right side of the fight, but now we’ll never know. Like we’ll never know why Sierra was not in the House or why Whiskey got left behind, or if Alpha is still alive, or any of a million questions that this singularly brilliant masterpiece posed to us.

This has been My Final Two Cents on a superb episode and a wonderful series. Tune in again soon for the Dollhouse Doubles series.    

Tv Nibble: Epitaph One Flashbacks – Part 8

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

Ok, so Part 8 of the Epitaph One Flashbacks series is a biggie! This one is clearly set in the Dollhouse, post wireless, possibly years in the future. Both Topher and DeWitt have joined up with the Actuals by this point. There are no signs of  Boyd, Echo or Ballard.

Whiskey is there, still imprinted with the personality of Dr. Saunders, however now her face is no longer scarred, which seems odd… when did she find the time in the middle of an apocalypse to get some cosmetic surgery done?

Anyway, she is now the primary carer for Topher, who has gone insane with guilt. He is currently living in one of the Doll Pods and scribbling on the walls in chalk.

Topher proposes a theory, a somewhat rambling, slightly deranged theory, but a sound theory in the mythology of the Dollhouse. He suggests that a government could use the wireless technology to imprint an entire city using the phone network. Those that answer the phone would be imprinted with a single order, kill anyone who isn’t imprinted to do so.

“Then the war has two sides.” Topher explains, “Those that answered the phone and those that didn’t” then he immediately demands that Adelle not answer the phone. However I wonder if he is fixating on something that has already happened. I wonder if somebody already used his idea to start a war. Also Topher’s words suggest that the war only has one side.

“That’s all it would take, then we win, then we win boom!” he rambles, suggesting that he and Adelle have finally allied themselves with “The Good Guys”. “So which is worse, pick up the phone or don’t pick up the phone, I can’t tell.” Topher has clearly lost it. “An entire army in a single instant, that’s all it takes, that’s brilliant, that’s so brilliant!” Then he pauses for a second, his look changing to one of confusion. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Of course the answer is that he did. However Topher’s mind cannot hope to comprehend the massive responsibility on his shoulders, so instead he tries to convince himself that he isn’t to blame. “Did I think of that?” He asks, Adelle says nothing but looks upon him with the kind eyes of a lover. “Oh my God,” he cries over and over as the rush of guilt pours over him like a waterfall.

“If I think I can figure things out is that curiosity or arrogance?” Adelle cannot bare to watch and she cradles Topher to her as he repeats over and over “I know what I know”. Nothing we have seen so far in Dollhouse comes even close to being as touching and as distressing and disturbing as this single moment is. It is pure poetry, a defining moment for the series as a whole.

Outside in the main body of the house a banging starts as someone tries to break down the cinderblock wall that is barricading in the entrance. Victor (with no Sierra) takes up arms with a few other Actuals, then the wall comes down and standing there is none other than Echo and Ballard. “Home sweet home.”

There is little point now speculating on when and where and in which season this flashback takes place, but I would suggest that it would be at least season 3 or 4 had FOX had the balls to keep this show on the air.

Although, in terms or story events, the flashback tells only a little and hints at a little more, what it does excellently is express the emotions involved. Fran and Olivia are absolutely superb in this, as they are in all episode of the show, I simply cannot get enough of them. While that single line from Eliza expresses how Caroline/Echo feels about the Dollhouse and those she left behind.

Join me next time for the final part of the Epitaph One Series and look out in December for the My Two Cents new feature “Dollhouse Doubles” Tomorrow we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming with a full length post on this week’s Flash Forward “Playing Cards with Coyote”

Tv Nibble: Epitaph One Flashbacks - Part 7

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

Ok, Flashback Seven focuses on the rebellion, primarily Victor and Sierra. They are clearly in the Dollhouse, even if the surrounding doesn’t tell us this, Sierra (or as she is now, Priya) talks about going “Above ground.”

I think it is interesting that the, by now, ex-dolls, would use the Dollhouse as their base of operations. Because of this we can assume by this point DeWitt and Topher have changed sides and rebelled against the Rossum Corporation, either freeing the Dolls and abandoning the House or possibly staying and fighting along side them.

Whatever the case Caroline seems to be absent, possibly she has founded “safe haven” by this point (using the “cure” DeWitt talked about last time), but maybe not. This flashback is clearly a long way off from where we are at the moment (and judging by Fox’s airing schedule, too far off to be worth guessing which season it might be in). The “Tech” has gone wireless and the Dolls have been set free.

Sierra is in pain and Victor asks her to take her meds. Is this in someway related to episode 4 “Belonging” and Sierra’s mental illness? Or is it a side effect of having once been a doll? Sierra declines her meds, saying “If this is what it means to be me, I’d rather deal with the damn pain.” For some reason this makes me think Sierra’s transformation back to Priya is a recent thing.

Sierra confesses that she is unhappy, she says the others (presumably other Dolls) make her crazy, then she suggests leaving. Victor admonishes her. “You don’t want to end up like November” Sierra replies

“Which one?”

Well that was sneaky wasn’t it. Clearly something happens to November but is that the November from season 1 that Ballard helped to free or is it the new November who will replace her in season 2? Or can we take Sierra’s reply to mean that something bad happened to both of them?

After this Sierra reveals that she has been Birth Marked (a tattoo of their real name across their back), a process now used by the Actuals so that they will remember who they are,  and Victor reveals that he has a hidden stash of Topher’s back ups, just in case they should ever need to re-imprint themselves. “So now you can always be yourself again.” Victor says with a half smile. “As long as there is someone to lead us back.” Sierra replies pessimistically. 

Little clues permeate this flashback, giving us hints but very few answers as to what has happened and what is happening. The fact that Victor has the backups (and the fact that they are still there up to ten years later) suggests that either the Dolls had no need for them or, as Sierra suggest, there was no one left to lead them back. It also suggests that maybe Topher has gone, because otherwise why would he let Victor take the original copies of the Dolls personalities?

Whatever the case, this period in the Dollhouse universe seems to be an extremely interesting one, one I hope FOX will allow us to explore.    

Tv Nibble: Epitaph One Flashbacks – Part 6

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

It seems like forever ago since I last did one of these. I hope you are enjoying this series, I know I certainly am. So, without further ado, lets look at flashback six.

The flashback begins with Adelle, being confronted by Mr. Dominic, the ex-head of the security that Adelle sent to the “Attic” in season 1, after he betrayed the Dollhouse, by leaking information to Paul Ballard.

I find it intriguing that Mr. Dominic is part of the greater mythology of the show. After his early exit I assumed that Reed Diamond had opted to leave the show, but Epitaph One really brings that assumption into question.

The flashback opens with the line “I regret to inform you ma’am but we’ve had a security breech” Laurence draws a gun on Adelle, he is righteously pissed off. Adelle calmly explains she sent for him. Mr. Dominic is not so calm. “You think I’m still your faithful lapdog? After the Attic? After what you did to my body.” What she has done to his body is not entirely clear, as it seems to be in good working order to me.

Why did Adelle send for him? When is this flashback set? Immediately after Ballard escapes with Echo and possibly others? Has DeWitt called Mr. Dominic back into service to hunt down those he sought to help? It seems unlikely? What then? Has she had a change of heart, hoping to ally herself with Mr. Dominic now that she has lost Boyd?

Dominic goes on to describe the world outside, a world he saw coming, he adds. This tells us that at the very least the imprinting has gone wireless, something I swear will happen by the end of season 2, but wont be wide spread enough until at the earliest late season 3 for this flashback to take place.

He also mentions seeing Topher’s face was almost worth the trip. I wonder what he meant by this. Is he referring to the mad with grief Topher we see later? Or maybe something more sinister, perhaps Topher got a visit from Alpha…?

DeWitt is drinking more heavily than ever in this flashback, but she offers Laurence a ray of hope. There is a cure, a way to block yourself from being imprinted, she explains. “Topher found a cure?” Mr. Dominic asks. DeWitt pulls a face and then with contempt she utters. “Caroline has it”

This then was the reason she sent for Laurence Dominic, she hopes that he can get close enough to Caroline to procure the cure. What I don't understand is, why, if Caroline has the cure, would she withhold it. Certainly the Caroline we know is all about saving people. If she could save the world, surely she would… unless she had a very good reason not to!

Tv Nibble: Epitaph One Flashbacks - Part 5

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
Welcome to Part 5, now things are really beginning to heat up. This flashback concerns a conversation between a Mr Ambrose, Adelle DeWitt and Topher Brink.

Mr Ambrose, it seems, was delivered to the Dollhouse on a hard drive and uploaded into Victor. He comes to deliver a message to Adelle, to inform her that as of “now” the Rossum Corporation will be offering complete anatomy upgrades for a nine figure sum.
Adelle is outraged.

Already during season one of the show we have seen her become decidedly uncomfortable with some of the Dollhouse’s practises. Something that leads me to believe that she is now leaking information to the U.S senator Daniel Perrin, as her own way of rebelling against the evil Rossum Corporation.

Topher remains stonily silent throughout, although his objection is clearly evident on his face, especially after Mr. Ambrose offers him and Adelle the opportunity to part-take in a body swap, using the phrase “You’ve both earned a place on the arc, Mr Brink, you practically built it.”

Adelle questions the legality and the morality of what is being offered. Mr. Ambrose replies, “We have always been above the law, although now, we’re also writing it.” I wonder if this has any relation to Daniel Perrin’s appearance in season 2. If he, like Ballard, switches sides, using the Dollhouse and the Rossum Company to achieve his own ends. A man who could live for ever, in a million different bodies could never be deposed and that is the kind of power most politicians would not turn away from.

Ambrose suggests that the legal issues will be resolved within the year. This makes me wonder where exactly to place this flashback. Part of me wants to place it mid season 3, however I suspect that maybe we will see this flashback sooner rather than later.

Mr Ambrose tells Adelle that he is currently in ten other bodies, making this offer in ten other houses. He offers her a choice, accept their terms, or go up against the might of the Rossum Corporation alone. “If you do reclaim this body, we’ll know and you’ll have made a choice, a defining choice.”

Of course we know that they do reclaim Victor, or at least someone does. But that is what makes me think that the part four flashback and this one are related. Boyd was injured and has to flee because of something he will do in the future. What if Adelle and Topher are the ones leading the revolution? That would explain why Boyd was free to move around the Dollhouse in the fourth flashback. What if Adelle and Topher reclaim Victor and set the Dolls free?

This flashback certainly seems to be a defining moment in the lives of Adelle and Topher and certainly something that unites them and possibly sets them on the path of public opposition to the Rossum Corporation… maybe…

Tv Nibble: Epitaph One Flashbacks - Part 4

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Welcome to Part 4 of the Epitaph One Flashbacks, click on the above links if you missed the last three parts.

This flashback wasn’t very long at all and feature Boyd and Whiskey. Two characters that have had very little to do in the new season.

Boyd is leaving the Dollhouse, it looks like he might have been wounded some time previously, but reasonably recently for Dr. Saunders (Whiskey) to be worried about him. He is in a hurry, he is leaving for somewhere “they” can’t pin point him. He points out that Echo is already in danger. “They”, presumably are the Rossum Corporation as he is inside the Dollhouse during this flashback so it couldn’t specifically be DeWitt, could it?

It is clear that Boyd and “Claire” (Whiskey) are in some kind of relationship. It also clear that Whiskey has returned to the Dollhouse after leaving at the start of season 2. In order to protect her Boyd leaves Whiskey behind, without telling her how to find him.

I would guess that this flashback is part of the season premiere of season 3, after Boyd helps Echo and Ballard achieve at least part of their goal in liberating the Dollhouse. Of course I’m only guessing, but I’d guess that’s why Echo is already in danger and that it was how Boyd got injured.

Boyd leaves the Dollhouse, with Whiskey weeping uncontrollably, his words “I will come back for you” echoing in her mind. This is typical Joss. We have already in season 2 seen suggestions that Boyd is in love with Dr. Saunders, which somehow contributed to her leaving. We can probably assume from Joss’ track record for unhappy relationships (Buffy, Angel, Cordy, Xander, Willow, you name it, he broke their hearts) that Claire Saunders will return and fall in love with Boyd, maybe a mere episode or two before they have to say goodbye, for, what we later know to be, forever.

Tv Nibble: Epitaph One Flashbacks – Part 3

Part 3, missed parts one and two? Ok, so this time we are sure this Flashback is (as we are currently watching) a Flash Forward, to what I’m guessing is an episode close to the end of the current season. I’m basing this purely on the fact that Echo is now fully self aware and is requesting that Paul “pick up the pace” presumably with freeing the rest of the Dolls. This seems a logical place to conclude season 2 as dragging it out any longer will certainly cause the show to lose momentum, unless of course Joss has a big twist up his sleeve.

In the flashback Topher imprints Echo with the memory of a Russian girl, then she leaves with Paul who is now her handler, and we know he accepted that job at the start of season 2. Once they are out of earshot Echo reveals that she can compartmentalise the new uploaded personality but who she becomes when she does so we don't know, maybe Caroline, maybe some one else, a composite, perhaps, of all her personalities.   

Echo’s unique ability to assimilate personalities was the reason that Alpha singled her out as special, but unlike Alpha, she didn’t turn psychotic, although she confesses to Paul that the headaches are getting worse, which suggests that maybe she is losing control.

If season 2 is leading us towards the liberation of the Dollhouse then season 3 (yeah right, like we’ll get a season 3) will have a very different feel indeed. It would also leave the series in a very strong position to transfer to Tv movies or films should FOX cancel the show.  

Tv Nibble: Epitaph One Flashbacks – Part 2

Welcome to the second instalment in the series of Epitaph One flashbacks, if you missed any of my Epitaph One posts just click on the tag at the bottom of this post or in the “Navigate this Blog” section of the sidebar.

The second flashback concerns itself with Laurence Dominic, Topher Brink and Adelle DeWitt on Topher’s first day in the Dollhouse.

The flashback is introduced with a comment from Mag, “Are the memories stored in order?” the reply from Griff “Some kind of order, whoever set this thing up was unorthodox to say the least.” then we flashback to Topher (although the first face we see is DeWitt’s) which would suggest it was him who set up the memory list.

Despite Topher’s witty banter with Mr. Dominic about his lack of fridge, the real meat of this flashback is Topher’s claims that he can revolutionise the imprinting process. He claims that he can reduce the imprinting time from 2 hours to 5 minutes, a claim we know to be substantiated. He also suggests changing the analogue system to a wireless micropulse, both of these are clearly the first steps towards what will eventually become the apocalyptic future we see in 2019.

Between them Topher and Mr. Dominic have a very prophetic conversation. “The human brain.” Topher explains “is a massively powerful creature and underestimating it is usually the last mistake any culture makes.” I seem to recall a certain self-proclaimed genius making that mistake several times over the course of this series. Mr. Dominic replies, “Cities don’t burn because everyone got smarter. They burn because someone lost control of them.”

Can you say “foreshadowing”? This conversation is nicely put together and beautifully interspersed with Topher’s wit. We can easily place it in the timeline as pre-season 1. This flashback clearly shows that Topher, assuming he put together the list of memories, blames himself for the future he created. His advancements not only brought about the downfall of mankind, but helped accelerated it too.

Tv Nibble: Epitaph One Flashbacks – Part 1

Welcome to the first of the Epitaph One flashback nibbles. I will be going through the flashbacks in the order they were shown in the episode, which, granted, may not be the order in which they happened chronologically speaking. Today we’ll take a look at the first one.

The first flashback takes place between Angela DeWitt and a Dollhouse Client. The flashback offers little in the way of clues to the future (unlike the other flashbacks in this episode) in fact all it does really is tell us what an active is. It reminds us that an Active does not pretend, an active feels emotions as if they were real, as in, for example, last weeks episode where Echo’s connection to the baby she believed she gave birth too was so strong that she retained her maternal instincts after she had been wiped.

She reminds us that the Dollhouse clients are rich enough that they can have anything and anyone they want. The reason they come to the Dollhouse is because they are lacking something real. “An active doesn’t judge, doesn’t pretend, this will be the purest most genuine human encounter of your life, and hers…”

As the Actuals remind us, immediately after this flashback, the Dollhouse, the technology that caused what is effectively the end of mankind, originally started out as a way to make the rich happier. (Although I believe the words were Brothel and Believable Hookers…)

Ok, that’s all for now, tune in next time for more Dollhouse Flashbacks…