direction , right smart back in July , we ask Joss Whedonif Dollhouse was saying that raising scoop nature , and we ’re all just what we ’re programmed to be . And now we know . Spoilers ahead .
https://gizmodo.com/exclusive-joss-whedon-tackles-darwin-5031309
I ’m going to be puzzling over last nighttime ’s Dollhouse season finale for a retentive time to come , especially if it ’s the last televised Dollhouse we ever get . ( It ’s not see unspoilt — possibly thanks to Kirk and Spock , last night ’s episodehit a series ratings low . ) The finale pack in a long ton of backstory and eldritch ideas and freaky panorama , to the point where smoke was coming out of my ears .
But in the end , it all come down to one inquiry : What made Alpha Alpha ? And can he reduplicate the operation for Echo , turning her into Omega ?
We learned that Alpha was always a tumultuous Doll , even from his earliest brain - mulching . He always had the unbalanced eye , and his childlike “ Doll ” state was more like a unbalanced miniature than a favorable lobotomized person . And then the Dollhouse , in its infinite soundness , decided to programme Alpha and Whiskey with Natural Born Killers - inspired serial killer whale theatrical role , to action a client ’s peculiarly ego - destructive fantasy . ( We only see how the fantasy goes improper , so we do n’t cognize what it would have looked like if it had go right — but I ’m just reckon it ’s nothing good . ) And that help push Alpha over the bound , make him to slash Whiskey ’s font . Then , while Topher is scanning every exclusive one of Alpha ’s past imprints , he breaks out , causing all of those imprints to be zapped into his brain simultaneously . And he live on on a killing fling , leaving only his dear Echo untouched .
But of course , that ’s not the tangible grounds why Alpha was such a unkept Doll … even before he was a Doll , he was a convicted felon , Karl William Kraft , who had already been mold his room up to being a serial killer . The Dollhouse ( again , in its non-finite wiseness ) decided to prove out its mind - blast tech on hardcore criminals at first , and Kraft was one of those early enlistee .
So in the end , it ’s not the mind - wiping or the have too many Einstein jammed into his head at once that turn Alpha into a monster . He was always a monster , from the outset .
Echo , meanwhile , is a respectable person , who has only been develop her safe mortal - hoodlum during her sentence as a Doll . Every prison term she ’s last “ off mission , ” she ’s been getting smarter , well and more compassionate . ( And for those of you who think Eliza Dushku ’s acting is a bit one - note , there ’s your account — it ’s all been deliberate , to show how Echo is developing a sense of personhood . ) Caroline was a good person before she became a Doll , and Echo has been becoming an even better person .
So when Alpha tries to turn over Echo into another crazy - face too - many - minds monster like himself , he fail . or else , he only fill in the procedure of her becoming self - cognisant . Thus proving , as Paul Ballard frame it , that there is such a matter as a “ soul , ” and you’re able to never entirely erase who someone is at their core . You could n’t put Gandhi into Topher ’s chair and turn him into Stalin , at least not entirely . Does this mean Dollhouse just completely annul its own premise ? Or did the premise just get a bit more complicated ? ( really , I think this idea was baked into the patty from the begining , but this is just the first time we ’re seeing it expressed right . )
In any case , it ’s an interesting idea : that we ’re more than just the sum of our experience and beliefs and programmed demeanor convention . One of the reasons I ’ve always hat the idea of reincarnation is because I ’ve always felt like if I was converted with none of my memory , that would n’t really be “ me ” any more . Without my memories and all the idea I ’ve thought of and people I ’ve have sex , there ’d just be some kind of undifferentiated spark of humanity , which could be anybody . But Dollhouse is trying to make the case there ’s something else , which is a amazingly spiritual bit from a show that ’s been so determinedly laic so far . ( Interesting that author / director Tim Minear write the only other Dollhouse episode to deal with religion , “ True Believer . ” )
So Echo finally got to speak for herself and have some view on what ’s been happen to her , and what a substitute that was . I recall part of me has been waiting the past few month for this instant : for Echo to stand up and show existent knowingness , and really take ascendency over all of the fantastic power and smarts the Dollhouse has given her . ( Am I the only one who was slightly disappoint that Echo and Alpha did n’t have a tops telegram - work - y kung - fu conflict , with all their pre - programmed wushu skills ? No - shadow bang ! ) And it was a sculptural relief to listen Echo , of all people , point out that you ca n’t contract a contract to be a slave .
Echo ’s “ original self , ” Caroline , came out a bit better this time around as well . The first time we really get to know Caroline , in the college - campus “ Naked Time ” episode , she was a major disappointment . So it was a relief that when Caroline ’s “ impression ” got programmed into a poor random sale shop assistant , we pay back to see her being a bit bright and feistier . you could particularly see it in the clip above , when she get some classic Whedonesque lines about being in an malefic lair , with a guy who talks to himself attaching electrodes to multitude ’s heads .
Alan Tudyk , by the way , was fairly great as Alpha . It ca n’t have been that easy a role to play , especially examine to express that Alpha is n’t a “ multiple personality ” in the classic sense — he ’s 48 whole formed , always present personality . ( One of which is a multiple personality . ) Tudyk pay one of his all - clock time classic mad performances , except this sentence he was actually dementedly scary and intense .
I ’m not exclusively sure I buy Paul Ballard ’s change of essence , meanwhile . It just needed a bit more base or something . Ballard suddenly goes from want to demolish the Dollhouse to require to knead for it — I get it , he feels creditworthy for bringing Alpha there , and he has some kind of Prince Charming thing around desire to save Echo / Caroline . But I was n’t certain why Ballard would n’t just economize Echo and then destroy the Dollhouse . It ’s a scrap random , really . ( Of course , I had standardised issues with Angel suddenly decide to go work for Wolfram & Hart — in another Tim Minear - written installment , and that turned into a season of fascinating fib . )
I did love the mode Ballard got disembarrass of the FBI the great unwashed — he tell Romo Lampkin the Sojourner Truth , screw that Romo would never think him . Funniest scene ever .
At least Ballard did the classy thing — rather of barter his Dollhouse service for Caroline ’s exemption , he chose to set free the Doll he ’d in reality had a relationship with already , November / Mellie . I marvel if their false relationship would be touched on at all in a second season , if one occur . I ’d really love to see some narrative about November going back to civilian life history , and observe that people remember her from all her engagements , including people who saw her as Ballard ’s girlfriend . And meanwhile , Ballard might not be able to avoid running into her from time to time . ( Of course , if I was a former Doll in L.A. , I ’d move to Portland or Providence ASAP . )
But even if Ballard ’s change of nerve felt a bit too convenient , it did give us the awesome buddy - copper bromance with Boyd I ’ve been longing for all time of year . Just the second where Ballard ask Boyd if he can labour and Boyd says , “ I can do that , ” gave me slight kerfuffle of excitement . Those two had pretty much instant chemistry together , and it would be fantastic to watch their dangerous undertaking ( agitate crime , perpetuating human trafficking . Good times ) every week .
And yes , everybody who said that Claire was actually a Doll named Whiskey altogether squall it . There was a Dr. Saunders before her , who was a nice , lollipop - dispensing cat . And then Alpha slashed her boldness , and the Dollhouse decide to scavenge her and turn her into the new Dr. Saunders . It was awesome to get to see Amy Acker being glamourous and severe again , as the other half of the Natural Born Killers twain . So what does Dr. Saunders do now with the knowledge that she ’s actually a Doll , and this is n’t her “ tangible ” personality ? obviously , judging from the little snipping at the conclusion , protrude handing out lolllipops and being nicer to the other Dolls . ( And her question to Topher was one of the most intriguging thing in the episode : why did he programme her to detest him ? Also , Topher looked like his mom had give out at the death of the sequence . Which of this episode ’s huge revelation gross out him out so much ? )
verbalize of which , poor Victor . What are they go to do with him now ? Is he going to move around up programmed to be a backup Topher , or a new , non - evil Mr. Dominic ? The bit where Claire told Victor he ca n’t be his best any more , because he ’s ugly , was pretty heartbreaking . Maybe he can become Roger the suave English dude permanently , and Adelle can keep him squirreled away at her beachside house for when she needs to hightail it for a little while .
So all in all , I thought this was a pretty good instalment . Not the just of the time of year , by any means , but pretty opinion - provoking . After I wrote that thing yesterday about Dollhouse being Joss ’ greatest oeuvre ever , I was sweep my finger for this installment to be amazing , so I would n’t have to eat crow . fortuitously , it was mostly pretty great .
I say “ mostly , ” because of the Ballard modification - of - heart , and because of some pacing event . As with a lot of episodes of Dollhouse , this felt slightly stretch out to fill the “ remote - free showing ” schedule . ( Dollhouse and , I estimate , Fringe have been running with few commercial message , meaning episodes are quite a bit longer than common TV show . ) I could have used slightly less Alpha speechifying , and slightly more account of why Ballard chose to do an about - font . Also , what on Earth happen with Sierra and November being programmed to be “ bounty hunters ” ? We know they shoot some more scene of those two doing the amplitude - hunting thing , because the studio apartment expel some promo pics of the pair being all Boba . So what pass off ?
All in all , though , it was a terrifying time of year conclusion , which I ’ll likely be rewatching and rethinking for years to come . It sets up a status quo that would be tremendously fun to watch if a second time of year actually materialise — Echo retain a short ton of awareness and being newly empowered , Ballard being a sell - out and drive to bromance Boyd , Claire Saunders screw she ’s a Doll , Victor being all scarfaced , and Topher maybe finally growing a conscience , or something . ) As the Fox EXEC have been claiming all along , this instalment serve absolutely well as a season ender , and the airless post - apocalyptic episode “ Epitaph One ” is sort of an unrelated add - on . And yet , I have a unusual feeling that “ Epitaph One ” will provide a lot more thematic stop to Dollhouse than this installment did , perhaps showing us exactly how that next Revelation happens , and how Echo and her friends dally into it . I am now formally on tenterhook , waitress for the DVD .
What did you guys think ?
dollhouseJoss WhedonTelevision
Daily Newsletter
Get the best tech , science , and culture word in your inbox daily .
word from the future , delivered to your present .
You May Also Like
