Dollhouse – “Needs” (Tracy Bellomo)
This failed to engage me; it felt flat and unconvincing.
Echo’s closure was the only one that worked for me except I now can’t see that my theory that there is more to her than a freer of lab rats can have any weight any more.
I have gigantic reservations about Sierra’s storyline (let’s face it – who can’t not have reservations?) and I can’t see what closure she got. She meets the man who put her in the Dollhouse (and he’s even worse than you can imagine (I’d rather have the billionaire from “Man on the Street” with his shades of grey than this character’s (Billy from Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion) utter blackness)) and she stands there letting Victor do the work (not that I’m suggesting hitting him is adequate) and it’s only after she has shared a kiss with Victor that she falls asleep. So, what does that mean for her? The only thing I can thing of is that she has now stopped linking her rape by Hearn to Victor. Shit, Joss, what are you doing to Sierra?
If anyone in the Dollhouse knows how Sierra got into the Dollhouse then the moral ambiguity in the show now equals zero. Actually, Boyd’s words seem to indicate that he does know and he can still work there? I’m not happy.
Enver Gjokaj and Dichen Lachman continue to impress me with the strength of their performances and they have chemistry.
Miracle Laurie was asked to be even drippier than Mellie Mk I, and ye gods, what did they put her in? She looked like a Dust Bowl Okie. What would have been wrong with jeans and a t-shirt like the others? She is also very tall although I should have realised that knowing that she wasn’t dwarfed by Tahmoh.
November’s closure was a mystery to me. Presumably, before the Dollhouse she knew her daughter was dead so how does visiting her grave help at all? Yep, she’s still dead. Funny gravestone too with no surname and no dates.
Erm, Victor’s closure was sweet, he gets a kiss and can now relax.
Paul was once again practically redundant. It looks like this white knight might save the day by being passive: people keep sending messages to him after all. I called the dream sequence as soon as he opened the door to Echo. This is a Joss Whedon show after all. It was a bit tacky and shows that Paul is definitely a screw up. We need some background motivation for him real soon.
I hope that female handler got a bonus for being beaten up by Echo because somebody forgot to tell her it was an exercise.
Dollhouse makes no sense in many ways. It’s frustrating and the goodwill it regained after “True Believer” and “Man on the Street” is being eroded. The dolls have been reset so unless there is a twist involving Dr Saunders’ actions then episode 9 starts it all over again. Great.
I read yesterday via Whedonesque that Dollhouse may actually be renewed. The last five episodes have to trend towards fabulous or, I’m afraid, I will stop watching. Gulp.
It's hot in here
Hmmm. All good points. I had a somewhat more positive reaction, in spite of all this though.
I think the difference for us is that I’m more willing to read into what they’re doing and try to imagine all the interesting questions that are being hinted at. While you are a lot more skeptical about that, and are noticing all the ways in which each individual episode offers something and then mostly fails to live up to it.
Can’t say that your take is wrong, but I’m hoping I end up being more right.
I must be older and more cynical than you Charles
I do sound harsh but I’m a bit embarrassed to say that I find it easier to pick on the stuff that doesn’t work for me rather than explain why I like the material that does work for me.
I thought the scenes between Echo and Topher and then Adelle were great. The shots of the dolls leaving and Echo falling to the ground were great. As you see I sort of get stuck on the word “great”.
One other thing I forgot is that I think Amy Acker is doing a
greatmarvellous job as Dr Saunders.Stephanie, that caption reads “It’s hot in here” for a reason
I’m puzzled about the two reactions Dichen Lachman seems to arouse.
While I didn’t mind this episode so much, I agree with you on all points. Except Dichen Lachman. I don’t think she’s a very good actress — she plays Sierra with the depth of a puddle, in my opinion. But, yeah, I would hardly call what happened between her and the guy who brought her to the Dollhouse “closure.”
I too have a bit of a crush on Miracle Laurie. She looked really lovely in her black negligee thing (there was some surprising (but maybe it was just me) sexual tension when she was hiding with Echo) but what was that floral number? She looked like she was handing out copies of ‘The Watchtower.’
Amy Acker is doing a marvelous job. (You Brits and your crazy double Ls with that word.) Dr. Saunders is probably my favorite character, which surprises me because I really didn’t like Fred (except in “The Magic Bullet”). However, I wish that they hadn’t made Dr. Saunders’ scars the result of Alpha’s attack. I wish they had come from an event that maybe drew to the Dollhouse. Oh well. The mounting number of missed opportunities is making each one seem less and less significant.
I wasn’t sure that caption came from you. You know, I think that when an actor is gay or gayish (Eliza hasn’t played a gay character, but she really brought the HoYay with SMG on Buffy) I’m more likely to see sexual tension between him/her and other actors of the same sex, even if their characters aren’t gay.
nah, i love this ep.