Dollhouse – “Instinct” (Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters)
This has to be one of the daftest premises for an episode of anything. Just how long was Echo going to be Jack’s mother? Until his father had got over his wife’s death? And then how long was Jack going to take to get over his mummy’s disappearance? Furthermore, how could Mr Jordan afford two dolls?
Perhaps the most unbelievable thing in the episode is that the police believed her.
And Topher ain’t that much of a genius. Apparently, hormones and massaging can induce breast milk in women who have not been mothers. And based on my own instinct, I say nonsense to anything called a maternal instinct and, particularly, on the notion that it overrides anything else. Eliza was once again good though.
I adore Olivia Williams. She is the Pete* of this show. Her character can do anything and I still love her. I loved the scene between her and (as we need to refer to her now) Madeline where she made me laugh just by swigging tea.
It was lovely to see Miracle Laurie who looked absolutely magnificent. Madeline may not be sad any more but there is definitely something missing: she felt a little flat, almost soulless.
Accents are funny things: Sierra sounded authentically American to me while Alexei Denisof sounded fake.
And is this the first episode in which Echo doesn’t get hit?
*yikes, I spoke too soon…
I just watched this on Hulu and I think this is one of the more bizarre premises for an engagement.
I suppose it makes sense that Nate would want someone to love his baby, but the thought that only an Active imprinted to love Jack pretty much negates the human history of adoption. And I love that Adelle calls him on that.
As a sociologist I am also bothered by the idea that there’s some biologically rooted “instinct” that women will innately bond with their babies. Again, human history is full of parents who abandon children and adults who adopt.
Given that I’ve been watching Alexis Denisof as the bumbling and uptight Wesley, it was an interesting change to see him as the Senator.
I’ll keep watching Dollhouse, but it’s not appointment television. Heck, given that it’s on Hulu, in the US anyway, there’s no need for any appointment watching anymore.
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The major problem with Dollhouse is these utterly inane and poorly thought out “mission of the week” stories. They have all been like that. I can’t offhand think of one that worked (though I did enjoy “True Believer” (at the time)).
I think the engagements are going to be the biggest problem that Dollhouse will continue to encounter. Why would someone pay so much money to have someone imprinted to be a date, or a midwife, or a mother? I think it’d be best if instead of focusing on client-based assignments, the dolls were only used for engagement the Dollhouse wanted to do for mysterious/nefarious purposes.
I’m just about done with this show. If they don’t put together a good episode in the next couple I may just give up.
I thought this one was bad, even worse than the first one. The plot made no sense, I care less and less about any of the characters with every successive episode, and the ham-handed discussion of the ‘maternal instinct’ was sad.
I’m beginning to wonder if Buffy and Firefly were the exception and that in actuality the real Joss is the one responsible for Angel and Dollhouse.
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